Let The Games Begin!!

It's that time again! Last night was the Olympic opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I must say it was spectacular. I always love the opening and closing ceremonies. It's always so spectacular. I'm a huge Olympics fan so every 2 years (Winter Olympics) I get super excited. I am undoubtedly a fan of Great Britain and many of my favorite things come from there. Now several people complained that the ceremony was too centered around Britain but isn't that what it's supposed to be. It is that country's chance to show the world what is important to them about their country. Some people can't just enjoy the show and move on.

J.K. Rowling reading from Peter Pan.

But anyways, one of my absolute favorite parts was the celebration of British literature especially because the author of my absolutely favorite book series, Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling, was a part of it. I also found the 20ft tall inflatable Voldemort both completely terrifying and spectacular. It was great to see two things I enjoy so dearly put together- the Olympics and Harry Potter. I honestly thought Conan was joking when he said last week there was going to be a Voldemort vs. Mary Poppins fight. Lesson learned-trust Conan. I also enjoyed the musical journey through the 60s-current. Some of the music I didn't realize was the product of Great Britain. I must say though, it was great to see her majesty the Queen with James Bond. What a great sport she is.

Voldemort vs. Mary Poppins

Team Netherlands

Team Norway

The Parade of Nations is always enjoyable although with the number of nations it is extremely long. Last night though was one of the quickest I've seen and, as the commentators said, it's probably because they were playing very upbeat music. There are always certain countries I enjoy like Ireland and the Netherlands. Team Netherlands ladies were dressed in blue dresses with a trench coat in their signature orange and I must say they looked awesome. I also like to cheer for Norway since I am Norwegian. Of course though my #1 team is Team USA! It's so exciting to sit and wait for your country to come out then cheer for them when they finally do. I'm hoping they do good. I'm looking forward to Gymnastics and Swimming. I really hope Michael Phelps can pull of 3 more medals to become the most decorated Olympian in history. Bring it home to the good old USA.

Team USA!

And with that I'll say Let The Games Begin!...And may the odds be ever in your favor! :)

A Dark Knight Indeed

The much anticipated The Dark Knight Rises finally came out this weekend and I was one of the many people who couldn't wait to see it. I honestly considered going to the midnight showing if there was one in our town. I ultimately decided not to which is good since my Dad would have surgery that next day and we had to leave our house at 4:30 am!!! He is doing fine and came home the next day as planned.

However thousands went to midnight showings all over the country and sadly one group of those people will remember that night more than anyone. It is truly terrible what happened in Aurora, Colorado. None of us can say exactly why this coward did what he did except himself, but no explanation will be enough because people lost their lives. No matter the reason, those people are gone and the lives of those around them are forever changed. I hear many people speculating about why this happened or what may have pushed him over the edge, but this makes me think of a quote from one of my favorite shows Criminal Minds. The gist of the quote is "You cannot explain an irrational action with rational reasons." What this man did was irrational, and if we try to use rational thinking to understand what he did we will never be satisfied. We all must have faith in our justice system that he will be punished for the crime he committed and ultimately judged by God who will give him the final punishment. We as a people must leave the punishment to the justice system and turn our focus to the victims. By honoring and remembering the victims we take away the power this man has, another tidbit I learned from Criminal Minds. I will follow the example of Jessica Ghawi's brother and refuse to use the shooter's name out of respect for the victims. They should be better known than him.

These are the people who should be remembered. Not the coward who took them away from this world.

With that said, I finally saw The Dark Knight Rises on Saturday evening with Cassi, Rob, Cassi's brother Tony, and their Dad. I was extremely pleased with the movie. It definitely lived up to hype. Anne Hathaway really impressed me as Catwoman. I was a little skeptical when it was announced she would be Catwoman but she did a wonderful job. It really shows her range as an actress and makes me like her even more. I would recommend it to anyone who is debating seeing it. Go! Totally worth it.

Part of Me

This past Thursday was July 5 and Katy Perry's Part of Me came out in theaters. I love Katy's music but I wasn't sure I wanted to see the movie. I'd seen the Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers concert movies and they were alright so I didn't know if I would want to spend the money to see a movie or wait until it came out. As it got closer I decided I really wanted to see it so I asked my other BFF Cassi and went to see it on Friday. 

I must say I loved it! It was fun and made me wanna dance. I love the bright colors and glittery costumes. I would totally wear her outfits if I had somewhere to wear them. I like to say that my celebrity fashion spectrum is Katy Perry to Taylor Swift lol. 

The movie was also moving, especially when it comes to the end of her marriage. My heart broke for Katy, but she is such a professional and loves her fans so much that she wiped the tears and put on a happy face literally seconds before going on stage. She could have said I can't do this but she did it for her fans.

I love the confidence and determination she puts out there. She shows her fans that they are worth something and they shouldn't want to change for anyone but themselves. She worked so hard for where she is now and that just shows you not to give up when someone tells you no. 

I would recommend it to anyone and her grandmother is hilarious!

Let Freedom Ring

So last Wednesday was the Fourth of July. It is significant to me for multiple reasons.

1. It is America's day of independence.

2. It is a purely American holiday.

3. It is full of fireworks, grilling, and hanging outside.

Another reason the Fourth of July is important to me is because it is a day to truly remember the reasons it is great to be an American. Now a days you constantly hear people bad mouthing America and how horrible of a place it is and how much they hate being an American. Well I, my friends, am PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! This is my country and will always be. There are so many things I love about being an American. The opportunity to do whatever I want with my life and stand up for what I believe in. Yeah someone might try to tear me down but that is their right to speak their mind too. Yes we are going through some rough times but the rest of the world is too. What truly makes me proud to be an American is when I hear stories of people who help out those less fortunate or going through tough times. It is beautiful to see others helping their brothers through tough times. No man left behind. I know this is more a combat phrase but what if we all treated others this way. I'm not saying every body gets equal but just saying that we should help people get back on their feet until they can walk on their own. I've heard people say when they go to other countries they don't like to say they are from the United States. I think that is ridiculous. That is like saying you are embarrassed by what you are. I will always proudly say I am an American citizen because that is what I am. 

So normally I don't really do anything on the fourth but this year I had a wonderful fourth. Tim came into town with his roommate Lisa and we all went out to Freedom Fest on Fort Hood with his brother Derek, Derek's girlfriend and his friend Ethan and their Mom. In all the years I have lived next to Fort Hood, and that's all 23 years of my life, I have never been to see the fireworks. The main reason Tim wanted to go, and therefore I got to go, was because Kelly Clarkson was performing. I must say that was definitely a good reason to go. We had so much fun even though it was hot. We went on one ride which I laughed the entire time and then went through a fun house. We also waited in line for like an hour to get lemonade. 

Kelly Clarkson was great. She fractured her foot so she couldn't really move around the stage like she normally would but it was still a great performance. She sounds just as great live as she does on her albums. She even brought a soldier up to sing with her. After Kelly performed was the fireworks display. They were really pretty. I love watching fireworks. I don't trust myself to shoot them but I love watching them lol. 

Over all it was a great night and we had a lot of fun hanging out with each other.

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.