I Can Hear the Bells

It has been awhile since I last wrote and it's not because I forgot because I thought about it multiple times it has just been crazy around my house in the past couple weeks. In the past week or so since I wrote my Dad's toes got infected and my Mom was stung by wasps in our backyard while we were doing some work to clean up my Dad's workshop/family storage building and she is apparently allergic to bee stings. So for the third time in the last month we ended up at the emergency room. She is doing much, much better now.
On Sunday was the second bridal shower for my former roommate Shannon (whom's wedding I'm maid of honor, part of me wants to refer to her as my "bride" but now that I think that it just sounds weird lol) with her finance's family in Waco. I didn't have anything to do with the planning of this shower, she just asked me to be there to have a friend and I guess to represent the bridesmaids, so all I had to do was show up with a gift. I live about an hour from Waco so this was a much easier trip and marks the farthest my parents have let me drive alone in their car.
Of course I misspelled the street name so I ended up in a completely different part of town than the shower but with a few simple directions I made it with no other problems. The neighborhood and the house was beautiful and everyone was so nice. It was a very simple shower; the punch and cake were delicious! Shannon recieved some really great and useful gifts: a vacuum, towels, several candles, more kitchen supplies. Her fiancé's grandmother also gave her a gift I thought was a wonderful heirloom type gift. She bought an address book and filled it with all the family addresses. What a useful gift! Instead of having to call around and collect them when Christmas comes around they have already been gathered. She also put all the family birthdays in the back. This wasn't only a practical and considerate gift, it also seems to me like a way of welcoming a new member of the family. It was very sweet and thoughtful.
Instead of buying a gift for Shannon, this time I decided to make her a gift. A few blogs ago I shared Derek's graduation gift. Shannon's was similar to that except I used a board that was longer than it is wide and, using the same style letters, spelled out what will soon be their last name, "Billeaud." I painted it in the colors Shannon told me were their living room. I also put a doggie on it since they have a dog. She really liked it and already sent me a picture of it hung up in their living room.

Shannon's new sign!

Our bridesmaid dresses. Obviously this is not me, it's the picture on the Alfred Angelo website.

Speaking of the wedding, my bridesmaid dress came in! Yay! lol. Now I just have to get it fitted and I'll be all ready for the wedding. (My shoes came in two weeks ago). The dress is really comfortable. I tried it on for Cassi, my other engaged friend whose wedding I am also in, on Monday when we hung out just to make sure I could actually put it on. Good news is it only has to be altered slightly.

Was That Just a Waste

The following post is dedicated to the President of the United States, the hopefuls for the upcoming election and all the other lawmakers on the national and state levels. It also hopefully reflects how some of my fellow recent and soon to be college graduates feel.

As I get ready for bed tonight I can't help but wonder what it is really worth. And by it I mean the 4 1/2 years and $51,000 my parents spent on my college education and the framed degree that now sits on a self in my room. What does that piece of paper and all the time, effort and money spent to get that paper really get me. 

I graduated in December of 2011 with a Bachelor's of Science in both Criminal Justice and Psychology from Sam Houston State, which I must say is not one of the more expensive schools, but still it wasn't cheap. I was so excited I had finally reached that milestone. Ever since I was young I was told that I would go to college and get a degree because it would help me achieve a better future for myself. I never argued with it because I wanted a better future and I understood that a high school diploma would not get me where I wanted to go. Getting into college made me feel so accomplished and like I was really going somewhere and getting to the point of graduating felt like getting to a new level on a video game after you've been stuck on the same level for ages. I was finally done with school. 

I knew that after graduation I would have to begin the search for a job. I couldn't just sit around all day and expect to get everything I wanted. I gave myself the Christmas holidays to relax since I hadn't really been able to do that ever in my life without the next semester of school looming ahead. So in January I began the hunt. A part of me hoped for a job right off the bat but another part of me knew it would take some time. I hunted and hunted through website after website of job listings at hospitals, schools, local governments, and law offices. Some jobs jumped off the page others I wasn't really sure was what I wanted to do but I told myself any job that will get me experience was good. The only limitation I put on myself was I did not want to do jobs in retail or food service because I wanted experience in jobs that required more than just being able to service people. I wanted experience working in places where I would have the opportunity to go somewhere or at least take those skills to a job where I could go somewhere and not just become manager of the local Bath and Body Works. Everyone I talked to said that was good because with my degrees I should be looking for at least $9-10 an hour and these jobs were really below what I should be looking for. I thought great I'm right on track.

I never expected it would be June and I still would be without a job. I have applied my butt off to the point I can't count on my hands and feet combined the number of applications I've filled out and still nothing. There have been a couple I thought might pan out but still nothing. I'm getting to the point where I feel like I might as well apply at McDonald's and be done with it. So now I find myself wondering did I waste my time going to college when my only option left would be working in retail hoping to get enough hours to make decent money to pay for gas in my parents car because I can't even afford one of my own. 

We encourage our kids to go to college and get a degree because it will give them a better chance getting a job. Our lawmakers pass all kinds of mandates like "No Child Left Behind" and encourage better education so that every child can receive a college degree. For What? So they can end up working at a burger joint or clothing store doing a job they could have done without even a high school diploma? I know we are in an economic crisis but there are thousands of college graduates ready to work yet there are no jobs. 

There are so many times I have felt not good enough because I don't even have the opportunity to get experience working in the "real world." My parents allowed me to focus on my education so therefore I didn't work and now I feel like I'm being punished for making sure I focused on my education instead of getting work experience. So someone tell me did I waste my time and effort and my parents money for a piece of paper that isn't doing me any good? I'm sick of feeling like a waste of space. I just want someone to give me a chance to prove myself. I learn quickly.

Btw if any of the candidates want my vote for president I need to see some kind of idea how they plan to work with congress to create jobs for people who are educated and willing to work because if I had the money I would be spending it (of course I would be saving some up for a car and to build my savings account but otherwise I would be buying the things I want). 

Pomp and Circumstance

So I said I would post on Saturday about graduation and Derek's gift but we had another emergency and we ended up having to take my Dad to the hospital early Saturday morning. This time they kept him and he is still there now. Please be praying for him.

Graduation was spectacular! It's such an exciting time and this year's class was one of the largest in school history. It was also exciting because my little brother graduated this year. He is such a smarty; he graduated 7th of 446. We always sit in the same spot right in the front even with the first row of students so we were sitting right where Derek was, since the top 10 and class officers get to walk first. 

Derek walking across stage.

Usually we have to wait for the people we are there for but we didn't this year so we started getting bored and started looking at the girl's shoes. Everyone wants to make a statement so you can bet you will see some eye catching heels. This year it seemed cowboy boots and flats were the choice for most.

Tim and Derek after graduation.

Well afterwards we all meet outside to wait for the graduates. It's kind of a chaotic time but thankfully Tim found Derek and they found me and their parents found us. Derek looked so dignified in his cap and gown and he had two leis. I finally got to give him the gift I've been working on and he really liked it which I was super glad about. Now both of my brothers are graduated. It's gonna be weird when both of them are gone during the fall and spring now. Ironically on Saturday, after getting back from the hospital, I received a letter in the mail from Sam Houston's Alumni Association to help sponsor the tailgating for the Sam Houston vs. Baylor game.

Derek's gift. He's going to Baylor.