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 :)

Bad day.

I am not one to complain about life because I have been blessed beyond reason. But today I have let my personal problems and my stressful school situation get to me. I remembered this quote and it has been a great encouragement for today and I figured I would share it with anyone who reads this. 

Gig'em and God bless,

                              Allie B. 

"God grant me the serenity, to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can; 

and the wisdom to know the difference. 

Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; 

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. 

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; 

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; 

That I may be reasonably happy in this life, 

And supremely happy with Him forever in the next"

- Reinhold Niebuhr

Busy Life...

I am probably the worst blogger ever but I really have been busy. As some of you may know, Chelsea Becker is finally Chelsea Sowards and her and Alec couldn't be any happier. They truly are one of those couples that you know were a match made in heaven and I can't wait to watch them grow together for many many years to come. The wedding was beautiful and I think Chelsea was probably the prettiest bride I have ever seen (I will put pictures at the bottom so you can judge for yourself). Everyone but Mom made it through the entire ceremony without crying and if you had seen us at the rehearsal dinner you would realize how big of a deal us not crying is. Anyway, it was a blast and I wanted to say thanks to those of you reading that made the trip to spend such a special day with my family. It is a relief to have all the stress of the wedding behind us but it won't last long since Brandi's will be here before we know it.

Since I am taking summer school I only had like a month's worth of summer and it is already over. This first summer session I am in business and chemistry classes all morning and I will be spending all of my spare time studying for them. These are my last few classes before I graduate in August so I guess I can make it through. My life is pretty uneventful for now and I was going to get a job but Dad said that if I will make finding my "big girl" job my job then I don't have to have a college kid job for now. I am living with my best friend Michelle in our own 2 bed/ 2 bath apartment and it is GREAT, the drama of living with 4 girls last semester was not fun. Well to be honest that is about all I have for my life right now. Here are a few pictures of the wedding stuff...enjoy.

Gig'em and God bless!

                           Allie B. 

The fam. at the rehearsal dinner.

I'm sorry this is sideways I cannot figure out how to change it.

I do believe we are sisters haha.

What to do???

I titled this blog as "What to do???" becuase as I approach the last 9 credit hours of my college career I am becoming confused as to what is next. Problem number 1, what do I do (for a living)? I know you are suppose to have a general idea of what you want to do when you "grow up" when you choose your major, but I kinda missed that step. I guess I just thought that it would fall into place on its own but it isn't panning out that way. I have looked around at a few job prospects that could appreciate my food science degree but I keep talking myself out of sending my resume because I'm not sure if I would enjoy or even be good at any of those jobs. I have entertained the thought of getting my PT (personal training) license and just doing that for awhile until I decide what job is right for me. I would absolutly love personal training and I feel it is something I could do for the rest of my life, even when I have a "real job".

Okay so problem number 2, where do I go? I know I don't want to stay in College Station after I graduate and become one of those "old" people that never moves on. I also know that there aren't many job opportunities (for me) in Ballinger TX so moving home isn't the best idea. That leaves me with a few reasonable ideas and a few extreme ideas. My reasonable options consist of moving to Houston to be close to Brandi and Andrew, or moving to Dallas to be close to Chelsea and Alec. Both options could work but I honestly see myself in Dallas over Houston (and it is not only because of Ross haha) but Houston isn't very friendly and it is even further away from Mom and Dad. Now my extreme options are moving to Hawaii or to another country for a couple years. I know this is a crazy idea and a somewhat selfish one but I have had so many people tell me that this is the only time in my life that I could just go and not have to worry about my family or job, so part of me feels like I should really do it. I would need to have a job lined up before I left and finding a job would be difficult over the phone or e-mail but it is possible. The biggest problem with this idea is that I would have to be away from everyone that I love and that loves me. I hate going even a month without seeing my parents or sisters and I know being away that long would be really hard for me (and them) and if I moved somewhere I didn't know anyone I am worried I will be alone all the time and I hate being alone. Can you see my dilemma?

Anways, I was just sitting here trying to think about all of this and decided to blog it. I hope all is well with you. Keep my family in your prayers becuase the 1st wedding is about a month away (ahhhh) and my graduation is only 3 months away and life is going fast.

God bless and Gig'em!

So much has happened...

So it has been over a month since my last post and I'm excited to share all the "fun" things that have happened. Well on March 22nd I turned the magical 21!! Like I have said before, my roommate (Michelle) has the exact same birthday and she turned 21 as well. Brandi, Andrew, Ross, and Michelle's sister came to town and we had a blast. Unfortunately on Sunday morning Ross and I were just joking around annoyingly flirting with each other and well some how he ended up carrying me like a baby then we fell...hard. I was in a lot of pain and even though Andrew kept trying to convince me it was just a sprain I talked them into taking me to get some X-rays and it turns out I'm not a wimp, it is broken. The E.R. suggested I see a Orthopaedic Surgeon and make sure surgery wasn't needed and after talking to Dr. Giles he decided it looked pretty good but he also noticed that I had broken it in several places. They put my HUGE foot in a cast and sent me home to see me again in a week.

Unfortunately the next weekend was Chelsea's bachelorette party in Houston and me and my roommate were so excited about it. We still went and had a blast, even though I get pretty cranky when my foot hasn't been elevated. Friday night was spent playing cute games and having a pj party with all the girls then Saturday we did it big with a huge Hummer Limo and a few VIP tables at some cool places in Houston. All in all I thought it was a great way for Chelsea to go "out" ha ha.

I went back to the Doctor on that following Tuesday and all the bones are still looking great, so hopefully we are just about sure I won't need surgery. He put me in a "walking" boot that I'm not allowed to walk on but at least I can take it off and wash my foot. I go back next Tuesday to see how long I will be on crutches so please pray for me if you get the chance :)

My parents have been great, a little stressed since the wedding is getting closer and closer but I guess that's what is to be expected. Dad is feeling good and I think he actually played a round of golf the other day (which is always a good sign). They finally got the landscaping finished at the new house and I will attach some pictures at the bottom. If any of you remember our Troy house you will see a STRONG resemblance in the two houses.

Well I'm headed out to have dinner with some of the girls, life is great :) I hope all of you have a wonderful week/weekend. Talk to you soon, God Bless and Gig'em!!

Oh and here are a few pictures of the foot, party, and landscaping

In this one is it pretty obvious that something isn't quite right...and Andrew is still saying "You are fine, it is just sprained, dunk it in a bucket of ice water!"
EWWWWWWWWW
I am so sad :( Here is one of us girls at Chelsea's party...they truly are the most amazing sisters anyone could ask for.
This is the back view and my favorite part of the landscaping...an amazing 4 foot fire pit!!!
Here is the front view and yes once all the landscaping is finished all the red west Texas dirt will be washed from the house.

Insightful thoughts...

Wow it has been quite awhile since I wrote so just a quick re-cap...seeing Ross after our 2 week break was fun and unfortunately I couldn't make myself go another 2 weeks so I went back again the next weekend justifying it since it was "Valentines Day weekend" and I didn't get to see him ON Valentines Day. He did send me a dozen roses even though I told him NOT to do anything but he is a smart boy and knows that the girly side of me really appreciated it. We also went on a little date on Sunday to eat at our favorite place Razzoos and then to see Definitely, Maybe (my choice obviously!!) and all in all it was a GREAT weekend. This past weekend Brandi and Andrew picked me up on Friday at 2:00 and we headed to Abilene/Ballinger for the weekend. It is a really long drive but they are pretty entertaining so I had a blast. Friday night we stayed in Abilene and hung out with some of Brandi and Andrew's old friends because by the time we made it to town it was kinda late and I didn't want to make my parents come and pick me up. Saturday we woke up and had lunch with "Rev",Andrew Bell's old roommate and also a professor at McMurry. Rev will be the one doing Brandi and Andrew's wedding. I only spent about 2 hours with the man and I can tell you he is good people (which isn't surprising since he is an Ol' Ag Class of '58, WHOOP) but after lunch we headed out to Ballinger for some much needed time with Mom and Dad. Dad had a small surgery last week and is already back to normal and Mom spent the entire weekend cooking and baking for us. We had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and peach cobbler for dinner on Saturday and let me tell you it was AMAZING!! We went to church on Sunday and hung out around the house then headed back to good ol' College Station around 4.

Tonight as I was sitting around my apartment "studying" my roommate Michelle, who is an English major, found her old xanga which is a lot like the new blog stuff. She found a great quote that I wanted to share with you because I think it is exactly how I feel about life.

"I'm not perfect. I don't know anyone who is. I don't even believe that perfection exists, for if it did what would we have to work for? Nothing. Think about how boring we would be if we were perfect. Our mistakes are a part of us. They build our character, they make us who we are. We are stronger and weaker and more beautiful because of our sins and our penance. Isn't it strange how much more attracted we are to imperfection. Nothing is complete until it's been shattered. And how many times have we been shattered? We fall and break and we get back up and keep living because we want to, not because we have to. No one has to do anything. We forget what a gift life is. We take for granted everyone around us. We want THINGS. Possessions become more important than relationships. We push away the people that love us. Why? What is the point of giving up love? And I'm not just talking about boy-girl love. I mean mom, dad, grandma, cousin, friend...any kind of love. We throw it away. We ignore it. We are so wasteful. I so want to embrace the good in people. I will love you for your flaws, not in spite of them, they are what make you so unique."- Michelle Rodriguez

Live, Laugh, and Love...

Well the 2 weeks of not seeing Ross are almost over, I am going to Dallas tomorrow and I can't even describe how excited I am. Last weekend I did a good job at having fun here though. Friday night was spent with my friends playing phase 10 (which I absolutely love but never seem to win) then on Saturday me and my roommate (Michelle) were worthless and sat around all day until we went to dinner and a party for my other roommates (Alyssa) birthday. I had a blast but at the end of the night I still wish Ross had been here and I'm not sure if that will ever change...everything is just a little more fun with him around :) but over the past 2 weeks and this weekend I have realized what a complete blessing my roommate Michelle is. She is dating one of my closest friends, Jimmy, and I love hanging out with them. She has helped me through a lot already and when I get sad she is usually the first person I run to. It is almost freaky how much we are alike and to top it off we even have the same birthday. But anyways...the point is that God works in mysterious ways and I am so glad he shows himself to me in such obvious ways sometimes.

My family is doing well. Mom has been in Austin for a teacher thing for the past couple days so that means Dad is alone for the first time since surgery. I assured Mom that he would be fine but she couldn't help but worry a little. I talked to both of them last night and they were out with friends eating dinner. Brandi is taking on the wedding planning at an extremely fast rate and I try to constantly remind her that it is almost 10 months away still so she can relax. Chelsea's wedding planning is really about done so for the next couple months she can just enjoy the last bit of "college lifestyle" she gets.
well that is about all I have for now. I hope everyone has an amazing weekend...I know I will!

Busy times

Okay so I realize I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks so here is the overview. Ross ended up coming into town the weekend before last to spend MKL day here with me, we didn't quite make it two weeks before seeing eachother. I also went to Dallas this past weekend for a wedding and to hang out with Ross and his family so again we didn't go two weeks without seeing eachother haha we aren't so good at not seeing eachother. This weekend for real we aren't seeing eachother...Ross has to work a b-ball game on Saturday and my roommate is having a birthday party so we both have good reasons to just stay where we are. After looking at Ross's schedule he really doesn't have another weekend free until March so it looks like I will be driving to Dallas to see the boy every other weekend.

ANYWAY (not anyways...right Mr. Bundy!!) I have my first test of the semester on Friday and I would love to start on a good note so I'm off to study.


Goodnight

Life will go on

So over the past week I have decided that I am going to be okay...kinda. I spend my mornings in class (yuck) and my Monday and Wednesday nights are spent at the junor college in a night class so I haven't had too much down time YET. This weekend will be hard but I have friends that are determined to show me a good time and hopefully they won't let me be too sad. We also have Monday off of school which makes it even harder to make myself stay here instead of going home or to Dallas and believe me if home was still in Troy I would be back there in a heart beat but the 4 1/2 hour drive is holding me back. Me and Ross are doing very well and I have actually noticed that after I talk to him and we say our goodnights I am so happy that even though he isn't here in person, he is still in my life. I go to bed extremely happy and I really thought I would be sad for awhile but maybe I am realizing that this is just temporary :) Anyways...my classes are going to be pretty rough this semester just because there are so many of them but luckily they are all kinda centered around microbiology so maybe studying for one will help me study for the others. Well thats really all I have going on...

I try to look up an encouraging verse every day (something I picked up from my mother) and sometimes I think it is weird how I find them and they seem to encourage me in the perfect way. Today I read 1 Peter chapter 5 verses 6 & 7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." But now its like not even 9:00 yet and I'm probably going to go ahead and hit the sack...some how I ended up with 8:00 classes on fridays BLAH!! Goodnight <3

Sad Trip "home" to College Station

Sorry it has been a few days since my last post...Ross came to Ballinger and with him around I kinda forgot about this thing. Tomorrow I start stupid class and even though I absolutly love Texas A&M, I am not a big fan of actually going to class haha. This semester should be very interesting because it is my last "real" semester here and it will be mine and Ross's first experience away from eachother...we are very used to seeing eachother daily and have probably only spent a week apart (besides a few days here and there) since we started dating in 2006. We both trust that if we are meant to be together we will make it through this perfectly fine.

Today was a pretty sad day though...it was really hard leaving home, it felt like the first time I left home for college and tonight I am kinda home sick. Saying bye to Dad was really hard becuase these past few days I have actually felt like he needed me to be there and I didn't want to leave him alone (Mom was at church when I left) but he assured me that he would be fine. Once I got done with that then I had to say my goodbye's to Ross and as pathetic as this sounds I am not going to see him for 2 weeks and that is a BIG deal so I was pretty sad...but I held myself together (until I got in the car). The 4 1/2 hour trip home was filled of many thoughts of how this semester is going to be, the good and the bad.

Hopefully this semester will be filled with lots of studying (which means good grades), closer friendships, and much much more time with God. Sorry this post is a downer...until I get used to the new arrangments (Ross not being here) they may be a little sad. I guess I'm going to go to bed and get nice and rested for my bright and early 8:00am class EWWWW!!!

Brief overview...

Today it was just me and Dad at home. I woke up and he walked on the treadmill for about 30mins then we played with a cool toy that Dad got from Brandi. The toy is a remote flying helicopter (I'm glad to see that at 52 Dad still enjoys the little kids toys) we had to play with it in the garage since it was pretty windy but it was fun. After that we just sat out in the driveway and got a little fresh air and some sun. Dad was feeling very good so we decided to take a quick drive around Ballinger and run a few errands. We got home and watched Dr. Phil and Oprah (not that Dad would admit to watching these haha). Dad finally got a call from the Doctor and we found out that they still aren't very sure what the next step is so as of now we still need prayers.

I think that about sums up the day...sorry it is so scatter minded and short.

Day 2 in B-town

Well today was a pretty eventful day in Ballinger for me. I woke up and took the dogs (Harley and Maggie) on a quick walk/run, played a little fetch, then fed them. I feel like this is one of the main things I can help with while I am here because my Dad likes it when they get to run around and play. Anyways...anyone who sees me fairly often should notice that my hair is much darker then I used to keep it and even though many of my friends and even my boyfriend have enjoyed the darker look, Dad is ready for me to have the natrual color back. So today was try number 2 at getting rid of the dark color. I went to this small place in Ballinger owned by a women who charges next to nothing and seems to care more than any other "hair lady" I have ever trusted. Anyways my hair is lighter and getting closer to my real color with every shampoo and my Dad is very happy about it :)

Next on my list of things to do was hit up the HUGE Wal-Mart in Ballinger and pick up a few things for the parents. I am always surprised at how many people are always at Wal-Mart even in this small town there were a lot of people in there but I got my things and then headed home. Finally I fed the dogs again and then came and ate dinner with the parents.

Dad is doing GREAT physically and I'm pretty sure if the tests come back fine we are all going to have a hard time holding him back but keep all of us in your prayers especially until the tests come back. I guess that is about all my day consisted of and it doesn't seem as eventful as I thought but oh well. Here are a few pictures I snapped of the beautiful West Texas sunsets from right outside the kitchen window....enjoy!

This one was my favorite.

Let the blogging begin...

Well with the past and upcoming events in 2008 I felt it was necessary for at least someone in my family to keep track of everybody and the details of our crazy lives. At this point I am not sure if anyone will even read this and to tell you the truth it probably won't be worth reading most days but for the few of you that are interested I wish you happy reading :)

The events of 2008 started on January 3rd with Dad's surgery which went very well. The past couple months have been filled with anticipation for him and my family and it is good to have that behind us. Most people sleep the entire day after surgery but not Dad he was awake and wanted to talk to everybody that had come to be with our family. He has been exactly how I thought he would be through all of this, he was up and walking on day 2 and home by day 3. My Mom is going back to school on Wednesday and I am here until next Monday just hanging out with him and making sure he isn't completely bored out of his mind. Keep him and my Mom in your prayers!!!

Okay the next big event is Chelsea's wedding. Alec Sowards is the lucky man who gets to marry my sister and he couldn't be any more perfect for the job. He is a patient sweet guy who is head over heals in love with Chelsea. They are set to get married on Sunday, May 25th and I am not sure if either of them can even wait that long. They both graduated from ACU in December and Alec will graduate from graduates school in May and then begin his job in Dallas after the wedding. If you want to know more about the two of them just check out their website www.thefuturemrandmrssowards.net.

Now on to my life for just a second...I am a Senior at Texas A&M and I will be graduating in August with a Food Science degree. As for what I am going to do with that degree, I have no idea. Hopefully I can determine what I want to do when I "grow up" within the next couple months because if I don't I think daddy still stops paying for everything once college is over :(

Lastly we have Brandi, the most imporatnt thing about her is that she is FINALLY engaged to Andrew Bell and is set to get married on December 5th. Her and Andrew are fun to watch because they aren't really like "normal" relationships. Believe me...Andrew is just as lucky as Alec and it is weird how both of them are perfect for my sisters in such different ways. Andrew is a goofball and probably won't ever truely grow up but Brandi loves him for that and I think he will be a great addition to our family.

Well I think I have covered the main points of why I might need to keep track of this next year and I will try to make it a point to write as new things happen.