Ten Truths

After reading Byron Bundy's blog I decided mine needs a little TLC this rainy Thursday.

I will start with my 10 truths that I was suppose to do a LONG time ago for Chelsea. It may be a little repetitive from one of my previous posts but I will try to think of some new ones.

Ten Truths

1. I am back in school to hopefully become an RN someday. I swore I would never go back and honestly I'm surprised I am, I hated school towards the end of it but now that I have seen the other side I think I will have a new found appreciation for it.

2. I have an unhealthy obsession with Coke-a-cola Classic ICEE's and always call them by their full name.

3. With exception to #2 I generally enjoy eating healthy. I love going to the grocery store especially if I have coupons.

4. People who smack while eating annoy me to death (I get this from my mother) and I literally have to go in another room and I still can hear it. Rule #1: EAT WITH YOUR MOUTH CLOSED!!!

5. This is cheesy but I think Ross is SO cute. I know everyone thinks their significant other is attractive but I swear I can't take him anywhere with out someone making a comment on how cute he is. Mimi says it's my burden to bear because other women will always be after him....wish me luck with that!

6. I have terrible luck when it comes to red lights; I hit a green light maybe 1 out of every 5 lights I come to. Unless I'm trying to write a text message or look up something on my phone then it seems like they are always green.

7. I don't understand people who don't take care of themselves. There are over 58 million Americans that are considered obese (thank you The Biggest Loser for my statistics). It's hard work to stay in shape but you will be thanking yourself later.

8. Movies are by far my favorite pass time. I have a shoebox full of ticket stubs from all of mine and Ross' movie dates.

9. I wish I could play the piano. I have a vision of me playing a black grand piano in a long red formal gown...weird, I know.

10. My sisters and Mother are my best friends and I talk to at least two of them a day. Thank goodness we all have AT&T or our phone bills would be pretty ridiculous.

Well that is all I have for now. I would love to lie and say I will be better at posting but unfortunately since I am a student now-a-days if I'm on a computer I'm probably doing homework :(

God Bless and Gig'em!!

Allie B.

I miss college and my family...

Well it is a random Monday night and as I sit here alone I am starting to miss college more than I ever thought I would. I miss seeing Ross and my friends everyday. I miss staying up late and sleeping in. I miss having the choice of getting up and going to class or convincing myself I would catch up next time. Being a grown up has its ups but tonight, I am feeling its downs. I also miss my parents/family more than ever. Does anyone want to join in the efforts to try to get all of the Becker's/Bell's to move to the Dallas/Ft.Worth area?? I would give anything to be able to go see them whenever I wanted and I hate that my job gets in the way of that. I'm sure most of you understand that the weekends are so precious when you have an 8-5 (or in my case 8-6 or so) job. I know that my parents feel the same way, it is just nice to have 2 days of relaxation before the hustle and bustle of the next week. I think we have a trip planned to celebrate Brandi's b-day in a couple of weeks and it can't come fast enough.

Okay, enough of the pity party. I guess I just wanted to get that off my heart and hope that someone might have some words of wisdom for me as to how to get over college and possibly learn how to balance work and family (I know some of you with kids are wondering what in the world I even have to complain about haha). For a brief cap on other activities going on right now...

I am still working at Prestige Staffing trying to stay employed at least until my lease is up in August. I also am in the process of getting certified to teach Group X classes at 24 Hour Fitness and I can't wait to get all of that moving. I get to tap into my old cheerleader days and do some auditions next month--I will keep you posted on how that goes. Ross is still taking an EMT class to hopefully add some potential to his resume for firefighting and we will continue to pray that he gets chosen out of the millions of people that apply. All in all life is good, I am so blessed and I continually remind myself that. I'm sorry if this post is a little depressing. I hope all is well with anyone who reads this.

God bless and Gig'em!! <3

25 Random Things...

So Facebook has this circulating so I figured I would put it on my blog to share how strange I am.

1. I made terrible grades in college and I have an awful cumulative GPA to prove it (but I still graduated and that's all that matters)
2. I am obsessed with candles and even when I am home alone and not expecting company I usually have 3 or 4 of them lit.
3. When I eat dinner alone it is usually a lot of random foods put together that I don't think anyone would ever appreciate. Like a hot dog, left over sushi and some mashed potatoes...yummy.
4. I LOVE cheese and I eat a lot of it every day.
5. I drink a ridiculous amount of water at work everyday simply so I can have a reason to get up and leave my desk to go to the bathroom.
6. I am and always will be O.C.D. when I do my hair.
7. Ross and I aren't perfect and we are known to bicker sometimes but it keeps things exciting and fun. At the end of the day we love each other and that's all that matters.
8. I watch The Secret Life of the American Teenager and I LOVE IT!
9. After a long day at work I crave some type of alcoholic beverage (wine or a martini--I'm not picky). If that makes me an alcoholic then so be it...my job is miserable!
10. When it's just Bella and I at my apartment I have conversations with her like she can understand and respond.
11. I have never looked decent in a bikini and I'm not sure I will ever do what needs to be done to accomplish this.
12. I am in love with hot and iced tea and it's what helps me through my mornings and sometimes my afternoons at work.
13. Every once in awhile I splurge and spend the money on Starbucks. 2 pump non-fat vanilla latte (I stole this drink from Chelsea it's delicious!)
14. I miss college SO much and it has only been 5 months since I was there.
15. College Station and Texas A&M mean the world to me and when people make fun of either of them it makes my blood boil.
16. I am a clean freak when it comes to my kitchen. I don't mind when the rest of the house is messy but dirty dishes gross me out.
17. I never pick out what I'm wearing to work ahead of time, I just decide the morning of. I think I have worn outfits twice in one week before...I just don't care.
18. Dallas traffic makes me want to kill people. I yell like people can hear me and it makes me feel better.
19. After Obama was elected I mourned for days and I'm still not happy about it.
20. I am obsessed with my DVR and I rarely watch anything live these days so commercials annoy me.
21. I love Rock Band. Ross and I are known to spend hours at a time rockin' out.
22. No one knows this about me but I love weddings. I love being in them or at them or just looking at pictures of them. People are so happy at weddings and I love it.
23. If I could eat Yogurtland everyday and not gain weight I would. (for those of you that don't know, Yogurtland is a place in Carrollton that has a tons of flavors of frozen yogurt and a million toppings)
24. Coke-a-cola classic is the best thing ever invented.
25. I want to move to Hawaii or to a beach somewhere far away for awhile just to say I did it.

Geez it has been awhile...

Well it's 2009!!! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!

I guess I will re-cap my crazy 2008—just as a warning this is going to be long and scatter brained!!!!

January 2008 I begin my last "full" semester at Texas A&M and Ross moved back to Dallas for his internship with SMU. This semester was full of fun girl's nights at the apt. with my favorite roommate Michelle and our good friend Courtney. I owe them so much for keeping my mind occupied and helping me stay happy even without Ross there.

March rolled around and Michelle and I celebrated our 21st birthdays together (which as you all know was on the same day!!). This weekend was probably one of the best weekends I ever had in College Station, many of our friends made it so much fun for us. I know it ended in a broken ankle but hey...it was worth it.

The weekend after our birthday we went to Houston for Chelsea's bachelorette party and man it was a miserable time to have a broken ankle. We stayed in Friday night just playing stupid games and hanging out then Saturday we had a limo and we (or should I say they) were in for a big night on the town. I made it through dinner and one bar but shortly after that I was tired of crutching my way around in small spaces. Luckily the limo driver knew the situation and took Michelle and I back to the Bell's house where we slept very comfortably.

The rest of the semester I spent a lot of time in and out of the orthopedic doctors office (who Michelle decided looked like Williem Dafoe—the guy who plays the Green Goblin in the Superman movies) and then after a lot of missed classes I managed to pull off passing all my classes.

The summer started with Ross’s graduation in May and him accepting the position at SMU for a paid internship. Up next were the fun festivities of the Becker/Sowards wedding. Alec is such a great addition to our family and he and Chelsea are perfect for one another. Chelsea looked beyond beautiful and the whole wedding was a blast.

I went back to A&M to take a few more classes so that I could graduate in August. Michelle and I moved into our own little 2 bed room apartment where the summer festivities would manifest themselves. I can't even tell you how much fun living with Michelle was....we had a CRAZY fun summer (and that is all I'm going to say). I did manage to pass all my classes and I found my "big girl" job. I went on a few interviews here and there and finally found my place here in Big D.
August came way faster then I had imagined and I graduated from Texas A&M University WHOOP! I think it was one of my proudest moments. I was relieved and sad all at the same time. I was tired of school but definitely not tired of being a lazy/irresponsible college student. I cried all the way to my new home in Dallas as I got prepared to step into the real world.

Mid-August I begin my career at Prestige Staffing and I still feel like it was a good decision even though, I'm not going to lie, Corporate America can be rough at times. I am still trying to adjust to the way the real world works and I know it is going to take some time to get over that college is over. On a lighter note, I do enjoy being independent and not having to call Dad or Mom any time I need grocery money. I also love not having anything to do on the weekends like study or worry about tests on Monday’s or whatnot.

In September I realized it was too lonely living alone and I decided to adopt a puppy from an animal shelter in Dallas. I went in with all intentions of just looking, YEAH RIGHT!! From the second I walked in I already had my eye on like 3 different ones that I wanted. But there was my little Bella, she just laid there in her kennel and looked at me with her super sad eyes (see picture below). Needless to say, I couldn't turn it down. I love Bella she has been a great addition to my apartment. At times she can be a handful but the good times out weigh the bad.

In October I had yet another bachelorette party to attend and I was sure it was going to be a blast even though it was in stinky Austin. Friday night was a laid back night of catching up with old friends and playing fun games and then Saturday night we hit up 6th street for a little fun. Well towards the end of the night when everything was winding down some idiot falls into a table at one of the places and breaks a glass. Now in a typical situation no one would be hurt it was just a glass but nope with Brandi it somehow manages to slit her pinky finger's tendon in half and we end up in the ER. She ended up having surgery the next week and she pimped an awesome pinky cast in her bridal pictures :) it was worth it though the party was a BLAST!

Finally the holidays were here and that meant a lot of time with the fam. and some much needed time off of work. Thanksgiving this year was a little different than the past since Chels had to stay with the Sowards clan. It was just Brandi, Andrew, Mom, Dad, and me for the week/weekend of Thanksgiving. I always love going to Ballinger because it is a great place to relax, play outside, and most of all stay out of the car (since there isn't really anywhere to go in haha). I had the day after Thanksgiving off so we stayed all weekend and enjoyed family time.

The weekend after Thanksgiving was the Bell wedding. Friday morning all the brides’ maids, mothers, and grandmothers headed to the Bridal luncheon in an adorable tea room in Temple for a delicious brunch. Then Friday night we had a great rehearsal dinner at Clem Mikeskas and enjoyed all the wonderful speeches and the awesome slide show. After that we all went back to the hotel and Brandi, Chelsea, Alec, Ross, and I enjoyed a dice game (it’s called left, right, center for any of you that have heard of it) for hours and then hit the sack. Saturday rolls around and I couldn’t believe that the wedding was FINALLY here. The ceremony was great, Bell said with this "wing" in the wedding and to tell you the truth if everything would have gone perfectly then it wouldn't have fit them. The reception was awesome and even Kim Becker herself was seen on the dance floor. Brandi and Andrew headed off to Wyoming to a wonderful little cabin in the mountains and the rest of us headed back to work for a few more weeks before Christmas.

For some reason I only had Christmas Eve and day off from work so I went to Ballinger for those two days and came back to Dallas to work that Friday. Then I picked up Ross and we went back to Ballinger for an awesome weekend with the whole family. Ross got to go deer hunting for the 1st time ever and I think it was pretty successful (even though he didn't even hold or shoot the gun). Alec got the 1st kill on the Becker Ranch, a nice big 8pt buck that Andrew had his eye on during Thanksgiving. The rest of the weekend was filled with tons of great food thanks to my Mother who is ALWAYS in the kitchen and a few games of dominoes.
On a side note Bella had the chance to run around like a farm dog with Harley and Maggie and I am pretty sure she ate a dead animal of some kind and she was up at 2:00 AM with a HORRIBLE stomach problem. I will spare you the details but you can ask Brandi, it was an awful night. While I cleaned up the mess Ross stood outside with Bella and then came back inside and sat with her in the bathroom...it was really cute because she just wanted to cuddle. Anyway, after the eventful night we headed back to Big D and unfortunately back to work.

The New Year arrived and 2009 has already been a bit odd. With the job market plummeting to its death it is probably obvious that the staffing industry isn't doing so hot. Early December my company did a round of lay off's, of which I survived, then I found out the day I got back from break that my company was going to take away one of our paychecks a month until this all turns around (don't worry I get paid weekly so it isn't like I'm starving). Then the following Monday I get a call from Chels to find out that her company laid her off. Just keep us all and everyone else in our shoes in your prayers because at this point the unknown is a little scary. As far as Ross's career goes, he started personal training at 24 hour fitness at the beginning of January and has just been trying to build up his client base. He also just started an EMT class to kick off this Fire Fighter stuff. I am so proud of him and I can't wait to see him be prosperous in whatever he does.

Well there is the recap and I'm sorry it is so long and a little boring. I hope all of you are having a wonderful 2009!!!

Election junk...

I have always been known to be a little to involved with most of the things I feel passionate about (A&M being the main one) but right now I'm talking about politics. Even with the 2004 election, when I was only 17 years old, I did my research and decided who I was going to back from the very beginning. I was a HUGE Bush supporter and I have been since 2000, I didn't agree with every decision he made but I always felt that he had the best intentions for America constantly on his mind. I think he is a man of Christian faith and he believes we need those views in America. I don't want to get into everything and I don't want to go off on a rant or anything but needless to say I was disappointed with the election results on Tuesday night. McCain was far from perfect and there were issues I didn’t totally agree with but in this case I saw it appropriate to pick the lesser of two evils. I will say that I am going to support Obama and pray for him because that is what I feel a good American would do and it always annoyed me when people would bash Bush. But I have a feeling there will be several things I will NOT agree with while he tries to implement his extreme liberal views upon our beautiful country. Ultimately I just pray that he proves me wrong. ANYWAY...yesterday I spent a lot of time upset and complaining and finally I decided it is a waste of time.

I will leave you with a few really good quotes that I received in an e-mail last week...

-You CANNOT help the poor by destroying the rich.
-You CANNOT strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
-You CANNOT bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
-You CANNOT lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
-You CANNOT further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
-You CANNOT build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. -You CANNOT help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln ~

Gig'em and God Bless!!
Allie B.

Officially a FORMER STUDENT/ "Big girl"...

As usual it has been a long time since I last posted but trust me, I have been SUPER busy. On Friday August 8th (08/08/08, WHOOP!) I graduated from Texas A&M!! It didn't even seem real until I saw my diploma. The last couple weeks of school were SOOO stressful and crazy and at one point I was not sure how I was going to make it through Biochem. After millions of prayers and a lot of studying I pulled it off and passed and now my college days are behind me and up ahead is a great exciting new beginning. The trip "home" (or to my new home in Dallas) from College Station was extremely sad and filled with thoughts of college and how life won't ever be like that again. I threw myself a little pitty party the whole way but after the 3 hours I decided that life will go on.

I started my "big girl" job on August 15th with a great trip to Alanta, where the main office is located, for a week of training. Training was great and confirmed that this job is a good fit for me. The company I am working for is a young and fast paced staffing agency called Prestige Staffing. I am starting as a recruiter and hopefully I will steadily move myself up through the ranks over the next couple years. Now I'm not going to sit here and say working is the most fun I have ever had but I know for a fact it could be much worse. There hasn't been a day that has gone by yet that I don't get a few laughs in here and there.For those of you who know the Dallas area, I am working at a huge office building off of Hwy 75 and after lots of searching I decided to live out in Addison which is about 15mins from work. Mom came and helped me search for apartments and we were sold on Addison the second we saw it. Since I am living alone now it was important to find something safe and these are New York style apartments so you have to have a key to get into any of the gates. I have enjoyed living alone so far because I work 8-5:30 (or later) and most days I just want to go home, work-out, watch a few shows, and hit the sack. Another good thing is that Ross only lives about 10-15 mins away from Addison which has been a great change since the past couple months we were doing the long distance thing.

Well thats about all the updates I have for now, I will try to update this as much as I can during my downtime at work. I also have tons of pictures I need to put up but just haven't gotten around to it yet. I will try to be better at blogging :)

Gig'em and God Bless!!

Less than a month to go...

Well it is already July and the summer is flying by faster then usual, probably because this is my last "real" summer. The first summer session is over and the next summer session began last week, I just realized that I won't ever have another 1st day of class...it is kinda bitter sweet. I am taking biochemistry (it is kicking my butt) and a stupid o-chem lab that I somehow overlooked when I did my degree audit last fall. Last week I had my 2nd BICH test and I realized that I reallllly need some help learning this stuff so me and another girl in class hired a private tutor that we will be spending 3 hours a week with. I'm not sure if I would have ever made it through some of my classes here at a&m without tutors and I'm not sure how much real knowledge of my major I will leave a&m with but I know one thing, I'm not near as smart as I thought I was.  Anyway, I got the official e-mail yesterday about graduation, its on August 8th at 2:00pm. I still don't feel like it is actually going to happen and it probably won't feel real until I actually walk across the stage. 

So, I have been actively searching for a "big girl job" since the beginning of the summer and I am surprised as to how many hits I have actually gotten. I had my first interview a couple Friday's ago with a company in Dallas and I absolutely loved it. They are a recruiting firm that only hires youngsters like myself and solely promotes from within so the idea of moving up and actually making a career out of my first job is kinda exciting. I have my 2nd interview with them next week so we will see how all of it goes. 

Well I better call it quits, I need to finish up a few o-chem lab reports and study some for my stupid BICH test that is Monday morning. I am proud of myself because I could be going to float the river with Brandi, Andrew, and Ross this weekend but instead I'm staying here studying :( it is SUPER hard for me to pass up on a good time for school but I guess it will be worth it if I can get through this class. I wanted to leave you with a little quote I found in a Max Lucado book that has stuck with me all week, "If you think it's all about you, and I think it's all about me, we have no hope for a melody." I will also attach a few photo's from what's been going on.

Have a wonderful weekend.

God Bless and Gig'em!!!

Us on the way to meet Ross and float the Guad a few weekends ago. If you ever need a laugh just hang out with Brandi and Andrew...they are sooooo entertaining and in Brandi's words "God sure does have a funny sense of humor"

4th of July at the Becker's :) This picture is me trying to help with the fire work show, they didn't let me do much but for what I did get to do it was fun :)