January

Sorry this will be a long post...you ARE allowed to just look at the pictures if you want, it's really just for me to remember and vent.

Let's just say January this year has been about the longest month ever. It's been kind of a rough month for us around here, but also an awesome one at the same time. We are so grateful to have such great friends and family that are always willing to help us out and have been there for us no matter what.

At the end of December, Joe got a call from his old boss that he interned for over the summer (the one that he loved), and was told that one of the attorneys left to go downtown and that if he could work full time this semester, he could take over her job (permanently). We were/are so excited about this opportunity still. Joe only had 4 classes left so he is gone now Mon, Tues, and Thur nights as well as one Saturday a month, and working full time. So he isn't home a lot but it has been a great opportunity for him, and we really needed him to work more this semester anyway. But when he let his old employer know he was leaving, we found out what a horrible law firm it was and how horrible the partners could be to him b/c he quit. So besides trying to make life really hard for us at his old job, he now has an awesome job that he loves and can stay at permanently. It is in such a great area and close to home and he works with people he really likes and gets along with. So we are so grateful he is away from his old job and are so glad we found out early enough how horrible his old job was (mostly just the people there). And since he's close enough, we can meet him for lunch on the days that he is at school until late. I've been waiting to do this post until everything has been cleared up with them so that we no longer have any attachment and can say how horrible they were to us.

The building he works in...

Here is the website of Joe's work. He had his headshot taken today so it's not up there yet, but he's in the group picture now. I'm still so excited he has a job now and couldn't have asked for it to be with a better group, better location, or come at a better time.

Joe started his last semester of law school. We are so glad that this is finally coming to an end and there is light at the end. Although he will not be working June and July preparing for the bar, there is an end. I may be going back to Austin, although we have had such great friends who have offered to share their homes with us so that we don't leave, so we may just go back and forth all summer. Again we are so grateful for all of our friends and family who have helped us get through law school.

People tell me all the time that they don't know how I "do it." (having 3 kids and my husband in law school) Yes, Joe is gone a lot but he is home whenever it is possible. He loves his kids and hates for me even to put them to bed before he gets home even if it's past 10 (although he has started to understand why it may be necessary). He wants to spend as much time with them as he can each day and has a hard time going a day without them. I know that he actually is home more than he should be. And I do want him to get good grades and do well so I know he needs to be gone. And when he is home, he is so helpful with everything, and is always willing to let me go out with the girls or run errands or even just take a nap. It has been really hard a lot of times, but it has been great so much more. And to see him love his job now and have him come home everyday and say how well it went and be happy makes it all worth it. We have grown so much through school and have learned what is really important in this life. So although it's been really hard for me, it's probably harder for him. There are very few students with him that are even married, let alone have kids. I think we are probably the only ones with 3 kids, and me not working (besides tutoring). Plus, he probably lives the farthest away from campus (40miles) (to be in a good family area) and is one of the few that works through school (and has had 2 jobs simultaneously now for a year and a half and at one point 3, and now doing one full time and one part time). He is also the President of the J Reuben Clark Law Society for his school, the editor for the International Journal, the NACLE coordinator, the President of the Federalist Society, and so many other things that I don't know how he manages his time, and makes so much time for us. So we love every minute we have together and are so glad that he is almost finished.

Ok well there it is in a nutshell...now here are a few pictures from this month...

We went to the park one of the coldest days ever; we stayed for about 15 minutes, when the girls kept crying to me that their hands were hurting it was so cold. It usually doesn't get too cold here so we don't invest in a lot of warm clothes, but it was so cold for so long it seemed like it was never going to end. But Weston enjoyed swinging anyway.


Hannah has pretty much given up on naps as well as Abby. So it makes things a little harder for me, but Hannah does fall asleep occasionally during the day somewhere. While I typed this, I found Hannah laying on the floor behind me asleep. She went through a week phase where she needed tights on 24/7, no matter what color or size.Abby started gymnastics this month and no I did not let her go like this. However, I love this picture and her facial expression shows her personality and I didn't take any in class yet. But she loves it so far, and I love watching her, it's so fun. She likes just wearing the leotard, but has matching shorts to go with it but opted to wear tights later in the day and red ones that matched so well too. I love letting them pick out their clothes when we are going to be home for a while, they come up with some interesting outfits sometimes.