We made a HoneyFund!!!

Hey Everybody! I'm just writing this to let everyone following know that Andrew and I have set up a HoneyFund for our wedding registry. We will be accepting gifts all year! lol. Instead of having a large traditional registry for gifts, we decided to have a fund just for gifts to go toward our Jamaican adventure! :) You can check it out at http://www.honeyfund.com/wedding/wilsonwedding!

There will still be a small registry closer to the wedding at either Target or WalMart for those who just simply cannot stand to give money, haha.

We love you guys!

Wedding Plans Begin!

So I thought I would create a blog every now and then to update everyone on my wedding plans. (And also to help me organize them so I know what I have done and what I haven't done, lol.) So far....they are few and far between. We haven't quite been engaged a month yet so plans are sort of ridiculous at this point. But I am excited so I guess I can't help but planning at least a few things, right? Here is the game plan so far ...

http://www.sandals.com/weddingmoons/weddings/collections/beautiful-beginnings.cfm

This is a close up look at the wedding we chose for July 4th of next year. It is called "Beautiful Beginnings", and it is very simple and perfect for us. It is designed by Martha Stewart, and the purple orchids are optional but I believe I will keep them because I like them. The ceremony is set for 4 people but is being customized for just 2. We will still, however, be taking advantage of the cake and the finger foods reception after the ceremony. :)

After our ceremony on the beach and our quick reception for the two of us, we will have a reserved dinner for two at one of the resorts restaurants, and we will also get breakfast in bed the next morning. It took us quite a while to decide which resort to go to because they are all so fabulous, but we finally decided on Jamaica's Royal Carribean Resort.

http://www.sandals.com/main/royal/rj-home.cfm?WT.srch=1&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=sandals_royal_carribean&utm_campaign=US_Sandals_Destination

We chose the Royal Carribean because of its private island. This resort was close to the airport, less of a "spring break" atmosphere and much more laid back, which is the way we like to vacation. We booked a concierge suite so that our wedding would be a part of the package.

I guess these are the only for sure plans that I have so far. I have tried on 3 dresses so far, and I haven't chosen the one yet and probably won't for a while. But I DO know that I love vintage lace and am leaning in that direction.

I'm very excited to be getting married and I'm excited to share my plans with everyone! Check out our wedding site at http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JackieMosley&AndrewWilson to keep up with our plans! :)

Life Happens

So I have been doing a LOT of thinking about this grad school thing. I think this just made me take a step back and look at my plans. I chose Western Kentucky because the classes were not "live", meaning I could work on them whenever I wanted. Live classes are not an option for me right now with working a full time job. So I did some checking on the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Tennessee Knoxville and the University of Alabama. All of these have online programs, but 2 of the 3 have live classes only, and possibly all 3 do. (Haven't heard from UT yet.) This is not the kind of grad school I can do right now. We depend on my income too much for that.

So. I have 2 choices. I can stick with Western and try to transfer the credits later or not at all and be satisfied with a non-accredited program OR I can take some time off until I can do the live classes. But here's my issue with that. Andrew and I are getting married next summer. That won't matter so much but...I do not forsee us being stable enough to lean on only one income for a LONG time. Plus, I want to have kids eventually. Live classes won't be an option for sure then. So. My final decision is still being made, but it looks like I will be a Western Kentucky girl after all. And it's going to start in August.

I feel like if I take 'time off' of school right now...even if it's only for a semester, I won't go back. It's stressful, it takes up time, and my life is moving a hundred miles an hour now. I can only imagine what it will be like a few years from now. I also don't want to take any time off because I want my degree soon! I want to get in a library. Even if that means it's going to be in a school or a public library. I am ok with that. Yes, my ultimate goal was to be in a university. BUT. I still may have a shot at that if I have several years of experience somehwhere else. Like a school. :)

I don't feel so bad about this now. I worried and worried for a couple of days. But now I feel like this is just another minor obstacle that I am going to get past. I'm going to get this degree and I am going to end up in a library somewhere. I know it. <3

When it rains....It rains some more.

Tonight I discovered that the program I am enrolled in at WKU is not ALA accredited. I am shocked that for some reason I thought it was. I am usually much more informed than this. So. This puts my plans a little...up in the air. I can still go to WKU. I can still get a masters in Library Science and I can still be a K-12 librarian or possibly a public librarian somewhere. However, I eventually wanted to be a librarian at a 4 year university. I am pretty sure this happened for a reason. Now the question is, what is the reason? Maybe I'm not supposed to be a University librarian. Maybe K-12 is where I am supposed to stop. Maybe I am being told about this now so I can get out before I have to pay for these classes I signed up for. Maybe God is trying to keep me out of school this semester for some reason that I cannot see yet. I really am not sure. But this is going to require a lot of thinking and praying. I thought I had everything planned out. I thought I was right on track. I guess it's true that when it rains, it pours. But I have to remember right now not to do what I always do and freak out and try to control the situation. Andrew says I need to do some research, weigh my options and make an educated decision. My mother says I need to skip the classes for this semester and go from there. I say...I have a lot of thinking to do. :/

But one thing is for sure. This happened for a reason. I can feel it.

Hard Times.

They say that your first year is your hardest. I believe that. Bills bills bills. I knew that was coming. But I didn't expect it to be this bad. I am thrilled that I found a job. I am thrilled that Andrew has money coming in from a few different places. I am not thrilled that I only make 7.50 an hour plus commission and we may or may not have money when our bills are due. Life is a beautiful rose and bills are the primary thorns. :/
Yes, we are barely scraping by. Yes, we are as poor as we will probably ever be. But I just keep thinking that this is an obstacle that every couple has to cross before they are comfortable stable. Andrew is an ambitious and intelligent, and is going to be a great business man. But you have to start somewhere. And eventually I will be making more than this and have decent benefits. But for now we must do what we are doing and shop from the discounts, eat off the dollar menu and wear the clothes we have had since highschool. :/
I wouldn't change it, though. We are learning right now just how tough life really is. This is bound to be preparing us for greater storms. And this is preparing us for what to tell our children when they seem to think the world owes them a living and there are never going to be hard times. There will be. We have seen them.
Andrew and I have one thing though that a lot of people in our situation do not have, and that is faith. We lean on faith every month that we will make our bills on time and we can still eat. And so far, we are. God has seen to it thus far that we will make it through, and He will continue to do so as long as we have faith in him. Our electricity hasn't been cut off yet, lol. We have each other and we have our personal faith and that is going to get us through this year. Better times are to come and I know that. So to everyone who is having trouble out there with a wolf at their door...it's going to get better. You just have to believe. :)

I'm Getting Married

You heard it here. Andrew and I are getting married! :) Before you say something like, "What?! You haven't been dating that long.", let me just say that we knew we were getting married after we had only been dating for a month or two. He is my soulmate. He is my best friend. We had an instant connection and we see very few flaws in each other. And even the ones we do see, we love anyway. I am marrying Andrew because it really is true what Megan Smith said to me one time. "You have to go through a few frogs before you find your prince." And he is mine. :)

We got engaged on July 4th, 2010 at the Melting Pot in Nashville. It was a HUGE surprise, and I never would have thought he could pull that off, haha. But he did, and I will tell my children one day how romantic and wonderful it was. When that dessert plate came out that said "Will you marry me?", I started to cry and was so happy that I forgot to say yes, lol. But he reminded me that I had to do that in order to be engaged, so I did. :)

We are getting married on July 4th of 2011 in Montego Bay, Jamaica at the Royal Carribean Resort. It has a private island, and we got a concierge room so that our wedding will be free! The ceremony will be called "Beautiful Beginnings", and I have already talked to my wedding consultant, Amy. :) I don't know very many details yet, but I DO know that we get a choice of wedding venues, and we will pick the beach. Also, I will be carrying orchids, and we will get a Carribean Style Wedding Cake all to ourselves after the ceremony. :) Andrew and I talked about writing our own vows, but I think we are going to do the Sand Ceremony instead, where we exchange traditional vows and we pour 2 different sands into a vase to symbolize our unity. I want that vase for my living room. :)

I know there are a few people who are preterbed because we are getting marred all alone, (aka all our friends and mothers, lol.). But we are having a great reception in Waverly when we return for everyone! My sisters and Mallory are in charge of this, along with anyone else who wants to pitch in. I have done zero planning so far, mainly because it seems like it is forever away. But I hear time is going to go by fast. :)

I guess the next thing I will do wedding-wise is take my engagement pictures. Our great friend Heather Kennedy is going to take them for us because she is awesome. :) We are taking them next month before school starts back up. Of course I am in the constant process of looking for a dress, and I kind of know what I want, but I still can't wait to try some on! I will try for this blog not to turn into a wedding blog only, but it's going to be a challenge. :)

On another note, I really like my new job. The people I work with are great and I am catching on quick to the job. I have commission plus a paycheck so that's really helping out. We still love our house, and I actually have things we need now, like a kitchen table and a desk. We have a happy life and DESPITE some of the bs that goes on near campus in Clarksville, we like where we are for now.

:D

I FINALLY GOT A JOB!

That's right, I actually got hired! lol. I have been to so many interviews I lost count, but I finally got hired today with Sprint on Ft. Campbell Blvd. I feel such relief. Now I can pay my part of the bills without having to worry or feel guilty because I don't have it to give. I am not quite sure what I will be doing yet, but I know I will be selling phones, taking payments, working for extra commission and general customer service. So if you are interested in a Sprint phone...come see me!!!! :D

Wow! It's been a while...

So I see that I haven't written in a while. I am officially a graduate of APSU. I got my diploma last week. I haven't framed it yet, but I'm definitely going to. I feel like I worked really hard for something and I got it. That is awesome.

I also got accepted to Western Kentucky! Looking back on these blogs, there was a time when I thought I was not going to get in, and being a librarian was just something I was going to have to forget about. But here I am, already enrolled in my first 2 classes. I start in August, and I have spoken to my advisor several times already. The classes and work look very intense, so I'm sure I will be super stressed before it's over. But this is something that I am very excited about, and when I am done, I will qualify to do the job I know I will love.

Speaking of jobs......looking for them SUCKS. There is no other word for it. There seems to be plenty of openings and I am getting a lot of interviews. But there are so many other people applying that I guess I am just not experienced enough to get chosen. Then there are the other minimum wage jobs that also will not hire me because I am overqualified. :( It's very frusterating. I average about 2 to 3 interviews a week and still no job. :( But I am trying not to get discouraged, and just keep on applying. Something is bound to come up.

As for me and Andrew, we are fantastic. :) We love our new house and neighborhood, and I LOVE not having to go to campus anymore. He has summer classes and work there so it is not much different for him, but we are both really happy just the same. Now all I can do is wait until a job comes along or wait until classes start in August.

I am a GRADUATE!!! I finally have a degree to show for all this hard work. Or at least I will in June, lol. Graduation day was so much fun. I was literally beaming with pride for myself when I walked out there to shake hands with President Hall. My mom and dad were there, along with my sister and neice, and Andrew of course. This was a huge day for me because my parents, being older than most, were hoping they could make it to my HIGHSCHOOL graduation. They really didn't think they would both be here to see me graduate from college. To be honest, I wasn't sure that they would either. But they were there to see me walk, and I haven't been that excited in a long time! We all went to O'Charley's afterwards, and it was just a really great day.

I am all settled in to our new house now. I really love it. I'm getting used to the Ft. Campbell side of Clarksville, and I like it! It doesn't even feel like we live in the same town. We don't have a lot of stuff, but hopefully once I get a job we can get some more things and it will feel more like a home. We are having a house warming party on Friday for our friends, and I am excited for everyone to see it!

On the job front, I am looking every day. I sent my transcripts off today for Western KY, and I am in the process of reapplying. I took my GRE again on Saturday, and still didn't do great. :/ But I did better than last time, which I think is enough to get me in. I have been doing research for the program that I want, and I can already tell that it's going to be very intense and difficult. But it is also very interesting and I can't wait to start it. I am going to love being a librarian.

I am applying everywhere in Clarksville that I can think of, and have a couple of "possible" interviews. They are certainly not career moves, but they will pay my rent so Andrew doesn't have to pay everything lol. Bless his heart. I love him.

I am very excited about my life right now, and I feel less uneasy about it. I have faith that if I just keep praying about a job, one will come. :)

Finals, Flooding, and Finally Being Finished

Well. I am exactly one final away from being done with my Bachelor's degree. No more papers. No more classes. No more reading for displeasure. lol. Just one test. So weird. I can't believe it. I'm ready, though. I'm scared about the future a little because I still have no idea what it holds. But I'm ready.

We are all moved in to our new house. We don't have much stuff, so it looks kind of bare. And the stuff we do have doesn't match so it's not that attractive, lol. But it's a house just the same, and I really love it. Andrew and I are having a house warming party for all of our friends next weekend. It has been a stressful week what with finals and all the flooding that's going on. I am just very thankful that we didn't have any damages, that we are still able to make it to campus and that I'm still going to graduate on time. I hope that the roads are better by Friday so my parents can come to see me. I'd hate to think I have worked so hard for this and then they couldn't be here.

I have been applying for jobs everyday. Some of them are jobs that pertain to my Library career that I am embarking on. And some of them are hourly jobs that are just going to help me pay rent. At this point, I'll take anything I can get. I am running low on fundage. I take my GRE on Saturday at 1, and this is my last and final time to take it. I have been studying and I think I will do much better this time. I feel Western Kentucky in my near near future. Now all I can do is take this one test, walk that line and see where it leads me. :)

It's almost time!!!!

Soooo many things are almost here! It's almost time for finals, it's almost time for graduation, and it's almost time to move into our new house. We bought a brand new washer and dryer yesterday, which I am ridiculously excited about. (Sad, I know. lol.) It was quite a chunk of money, but I have been saving for some things I knew we would need, and these are bound to last us a while. Our new house has its own laundry room instead of just a little nook in the kitchen like all the other places we looked at, so I can't wait to get the new purchase in there.

Tonight is Hannah's birthday party (happy birthday, Hannah!!!), and after we go celebrate for a while we are going to take a look at the washer/dryer hookups and measure some things. We are not supposed to get the key until Saturday but I think if we call her and tell her we want to see a few things she will just give us the keys tonight. Hopefully.

It is supposed to storm greatly on Saturday so our moving may not be as productive as we had hoped. But we have a full week to move everything from the Manor so all that will be left is the stuff in my apt. I don't have to move that for a while. However, I'd like to get it out so Heather has a place to put her stuff when she crashes with me this summer. :)

I am so excited about the move. Andrew and I are ready to feel like we have a home instead of a junked up apartment, lol. Money is tight but I am applying everywhere and we are making the best of what we have. Graduation is almost here!

It's almost graduation!!! I am working (not so) diligently to get all my papers and projects done. It seems like I'm really dragging my feet this semester. But I am slowly clicking things off my list.

We get the keys to our new house next week! I am excited to move because I am ready for a bigger space and everything, but I dread it at the same time because I HATE moving. It takes forever and it's exhausting. But it's getting closer and closer so I guess I need to start packing. I think I will try to graduate first.

I am making the appointment today to take my GRE again. Last night at Small Group, we talked about how we can tell the difference when we hit an obstacle in life if God is trying to tell us we need to overcome it or if He is saying this is not in the plan for us. I have prayed about this and prayed about this, and I feel in my gut that this is just an obstacle I need to overcome. I belong in this program. I just know I do, and I know this is part of the plan. At least I'm pretty sure it is. So I'm going to keep trying. I also have a few more job listings that look promising so I'm going to pursue those as well.

I am feeling pretty productive these days and less anxious and more excited about the future!

Crossing Fingers!!

So today I got my resume improved and revamped. A HUGE thankyou to Mrs. Velazquez in Career Services for all she did to make it better. I started out with this simple little one page resume that basically screamed "I am a college graduate who is educated but has no experience at all whatsoever," and she turned it into a useable document that I can confidently turn in to an employer and feel like I at least look like a valuable employee.

I stopped by the real estate table in the UC just to see what all selling houses entailed, but once I heard that it costs almost $2500 to go to school for it, I decided that I better go another route. A first sale might make up for that large chunk of money. And then again, it might not. And frankly, I did not go to school for 4 years just to go pay that much money to take a 3 week class for a job that is commission only. NO thank you.

On a positive note, I sent in my newly improved resume to another potential job today and I know for certain that he has a girl leaving in May. So I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying very hard that if this is the job I am supposed to get, I will get it. We are putting a deposit down on the duplex TODAY, so now the money is just being spent and not made, haha. I need that to change fast.

We are going to start moving things out the last week of this month. I am so excited! Even though I am not really sure where my life is taking me, it seems like I have a better idea than I did six months ago. I have Andrew to share the surprise with, which is a HUGE plus. Neither one of us figured this would be the outcome of our lives at 22/23, but here we are. Life is funny like that. :)

Today continued I suppose ...

Even though I knew my GRE scores did not meet the exact requirements for Western KY's Library Science Program, it did not feel good tonight when I opened the letter telling me they denied my acceptance because of it. I am befuddled as to how I can be an English major with a 3.75 GPA yet I made a 3.0 on the writing portion of the GRE. My other scores were not great but they were enough. But I have to have a 3.5 on the writing portion to get into the program. What a letdown!

This is not going to discourage me though. This is what I want to do. I am not a good test taker. I never have been. I know that. But I am an excellent student and I will make an excellent Librarian. This minor setback is only going to push me harder to get in. I will take that test again, as soon as they will let me. And I will make what I need to make this time. And if I don't...I will still apply. And I will do alternate admission. I will do whatever it takes to get in, because this is what I want to do. This is no different that the last 4 years of school. This is no different than any other obstacle in my life. I don't quit. I don't give in. I don't step down. Ever. So I am not upset. Yes, I am dissapointed. But nothing is going to keep me from acheiving my goals. Especially not a standardized test.

A place to live!

Good news! We found a house! Well ... it's actually a duplex, but it's perfect. It's the perfect size, location and blah blah blah. I won't bore you with the details because I'm sure nobody cares but me (haha), but that is a load off my mind. Now I at least know where I will be able to sleep for the next year. Now I just need to know how I am going to pay for it, lol. I am getting my resume updated on Thursday in Career Services, which I am relieved about. This means that now I will look a little more impressive when I look for jobs. Right now my resume is pretty slim.
I just want to take a second to say that Andrew is the best part about this whole "figuring life out" process. (He complains a lot because I don't mention him on here, lol.) He has been so supportive and he has been helping me out in different ways every day, which he shouldn't actually be doing because he has his own life to figure out. But somehow he always manages to pick me up job apps or find links online for grad school or to just calm me down when I start to freak out about things. If it wasn't for him, I might not be nearly as cool with this growing up thing. I am thankful that I have somebody as great as Andrew to share this experience with.

So I guess everyone needs a plan B? ...

So...I got back my GRE scores. Annnnd.....meh. They were less than mediocre. Actually, they were exactly mediocre. Overall I did well enough to get into WKU, but my writing scores weren't high enough to get into the Library Science program. :( This surprised me, because I thought my answers were pretty good. I guess not. Apparently I can take it again and even if my writing score still isn't high enough they will work with me on getting me into the program anyway. Problem IS, the test costs $160 every time you take it and well ... I'm pretty poor these days. But I am going to scrape it together and take it again because this is what I want to do with my life and I want into that program. So. Even though this was a setback, I'm only considering it a minor one.

On a positive note, I now have my cap and gown, my red and white cords and my study abroad stole. :) I hung it up to motivate me to make it through these next few weeks. I have a lot of projects in progress, and I am trying to focus on them instead of house/job hunting. But let's face it, looking for houses and jobs is a lot more interesting than these projects, lol. I'm just trying to graduate before I really dig into those 2 things. If I don't, I'll never get all my work done.

Happy Easter

Tomorrow is my family's Easter Dinner. This is kind of a big deal because tomorrow, my family is going to congratulate me on my graduation. Then they are going to ask me what my plans are. (Tomorrow is also the first time my family will meet Andrew.) All of these things are slightly nerve racking.

My mother and I had a talk this weekend about my after graduation plans. She comes from a different time than I do. She basically told me that I either needed to move back in with her until I get on my feet and can pay bills or get married. Obviously neither one of those things are possible, for obvious reasons. But the entire conversation just kind of put a big frown on my mood.

I am just trying to remember that life is about patience and faith, and that everything is not going to fall into place over night. I just have to let the plan present itself.

So this is my blog about life...

So. I don't keep a journal very well. And I don't really like Facebook notes because they aren't pretty. So now I have a blog. And it's all about the one thing that's constantly on my mind these days, and that's being an adult. I am T minus one month away from graduating from college with a Bachelor's degree. Now I have the same question that most of the other graduates have: where are all the JOBS? Sure, Graduate School is an option. It's a probability, actually. But rent still has to be paid. Bills still have to be paid. Gas still has to be bought. So what is this degree going to get me? And where is it going to take me? And ... what exactly am I qualified to do? All of these questions are pretty much taking over my brain right now.

So I'm going to keep writing this blog. And I'm going to keep myself (and whoever else wants to read about my life) posted on my progress as an adult. As of right now...it just sort of seems like an upcoming test that I have no idea how to study for.