Moving back to Arizona and Summer 2013

Well it has been a while since my last post to this blog. For one, I didn't want to write while we were in our most stressful time we have ever been in our marriage and for another, I have been very busy since we moved back to Arizona that I honestly took every second of down time I could to just relax.

So Dale graduated BYU Law School in April. I was so incredibly proud and relived when he walked across the stage at graduation that I cried when his name was read. I am so happy that it is all over.

We moved back to Arizona the day after Dale graduated and moved into ASU Family Housing in Mesa. Because I am taking classes with ASU, We can live here on campus. It has been a great thing with us not knowing where Dale would get a permanent job, which can be anywhere in Arizona once he had taken and passed the Arizona State Bar Exam and admitted into the Arizona State Bar Association. So the ASU housing has been a great temporary place for us.

Dale took the Arizona State Bar Exam at the end of July. We moved here in April and he had from then until the end of July to study for the exam. It became a full time job for him and most of the time he was studying eight hours a day. I took a job doing hair again so he would not have to worry about supporting our little family during the study period for the bar. I started working at SportClips and a new appreciation for being a stay at home mom dawned on me. I would work a full time job and then come home and do my other full time job of being a mom. To say the least I was very tired most of the time. But the time came for the Bar Exam and Dale took the two day test. And then we waited until October 11th for results.

After the Bar Exam, Dale began to look for jobs that he could do without having been admitted to the Bar Association. He finally found a clerkship (which is basically a research position) for Maricopa County Attorney's Office. He was one of about 100 applicants and was told after his interview that they would contact him if they wanted to hire him and not to call them. We didn't hear anything from them for about 3 weeks and then he got the call one day while we were out shopping, that he got the job! I was so happy and proud. We found out that, on his first day, he was one of 7 to get the job out of 100. To say that I was incredibly proud is putting it lightly. Dale was on his way to starting a promising career in law. I then quit my job, to be a stay at home mom again and would not have it any other way.

I also found out right after Dale took the Bar Exam that I was expecting our third child. We were not expecting this little surprise and were quite nervous to find out that we would be having another little one. My kids are very close together and when I think about adding a third to this little gang I still get very nervous although I am getting used to the idea. When I was about 7 weeks pregnant, I woke up with a horrible cold and went to urgent care. While I was there they asked me all these routine questions and one of those questions was if I had any abdominal pain. I told them that I have been having what I assumed as growing pains on my lower right side. The doctor just wanted to make sure everything was good so he did a full examination. When he would push on my right side I was very tender. Because of the fear of appendicitis while your are pregnant, I was then sent to the emergency room. I then spent the day doing tests and staying overnight for observation. All I wanted to do was go home because I had a cold and just wanted to be taken care of by my husband. And because of our kids that needed to be taken care of, he could not stay with me in the hospital. I was sick, in pain, and very lonely. The next morning, the surgeon determined that I needed to have the appendix removed. I was very scared. First, having my appendix removed could cause a miscarriage and after 3 of those I didn't want to experience that ever again. Second, not having my appendix removed and then having it burst would not only cause me to loose my small baby but also put my life in danger. And third, my husband was not with me to make this horrible choice and I was feeling very alone. I told the surgeon I would have the surgery and then right after he left pleaded with my Heavenly Father that I would not loose this little one. I then called Dale and cried. He told me that he found a babysitter and would be there ASAP to be by my side when I went to surgery. I was so grateful when he walked through my door. I went and had the surgery and when I woke up was told that everything went very well and that my baby was still there with a great and strong heartbeat that I got to hear. I then cried again in thanks that my baby had made it through a hard thing as little as it was. Recovery was hard but got easier and easier every day. It was a trial of my faith and I am so happy that I was being watched over and protected.

  My little one continues to grow every day and I am feeling movement more and more. I get to find out what I am having tomorrow and I am so excited. With one boy and one girl already, either gender will be welcomed into this family.

Coen is getting so big and is really becoming a big boy now. He just turned three and is growing and learning everyday. He loves to learn new things and it is starting to become challenging to find new things for him to do. He is so smart and I am truly blessed with how amazing he is. He has now really wanted to help every time I cook. He is my little chef.

Adylee is also growing every day and has a new word to tell me almost hourly. She is starting to say more and more and do more and more. It is hard to keep up with two active toddlers but now that the weather here has finally turned nice, being outside everyday for hours at a time helps tremendously.

We just found out on Friday that Dale did pass the Bar Exam and now can be admitted into the Bar Association. Our joy is very hard to explain. After four years from the time Dale started the whole process of testing to get into law school, applying, choosing the right law program, going to law school for three years, graduating, taking the bar exam, and now passing, he can now finally find a job as a lawyer and start his career. I am so proud of my amazing husband and everything he has accomplished. It is a good feeling to know that he has this degree and can now use it to support our family. It was a great relief to know that he passed especially with a new baby on the way. So now the job hunt begins and probably moving will be in our near future. Once he finds something we can move close to that job, wherever it may be, and really get settled for the first time in our married life. I am so excited for this next chapter.

Last Semester of Law School

Well this last semester has been very interesting so far. As fast as the first semester of this school year was, the last semester has been just as slow. We are getting very anxious to get out of school and on with our lives. It doesn't help that many of our friends have moved away or will be moving in the next little while. So now I just keep myself busy with the kids and school and hope that the time passes quickly.  But we have had some fun things that have happened this semester that I would like to share with all of you.

First off, Coen is growing and getting smarter every single day. We actually had him tested because I felt that his speech was not where other kids his age is. So I had this program here in Orem come and test him. When they test things like speech, however, they test other things like intelligence and hearing and vision. Well not only did he pass everything, but his intelligence was off the charts. Can I tell you that this makes me the most proud and the most terrified I have ever been in my life. First, I am super proud of my son. I knew he was smart but according to the lady that tested him, she said that she has never seen a kid test so high. This makes me terrified as well. I have never considered myself a smart person. I struggle with school and I struggle to keep up with intelligence conversation. I start to get very anxious when I get around Dale and his law school friends. So to have a kid that tests off the charts for intelligence makes me nervous. I never want to be considered stupid by my kids. So I guess we will see what happens.

Coen is also very active. He keeps me hopping all the time. One of his little troubles that he made is in the pictures below. He colored my couch with a black marker that took me the rest of the night to remove. I went to the bathroom for two minutes.

Another one was I went to do my makeup and came back five minutes later to find Coen naked and standing on top of the microwave. He is a trouble maker and I am learning to keep up. It is the hardest job in the world, being a parent. It is a good thing I love him so much or I might have given him away by now. :) But how can you not love this face?

He is such a good brother and Adylee is always trying to keep up. They are so cute together and I love just to listen to them giggle and play together.

Adylee turned one on the 5th of February. I cannot believe that my baby is one. It went by so fast and she is getting so big. I dreaded her turning one. I feel like I was so busy chasing Coen that I missed out on her babiness. So when she turned one I was sad but very happy at the same time. I know that she is going to be hitting milestones very quickly from here on out. She has started walking more and more, but is very determined not to fully walk and just keeps crawling. It should be any day though that she will be walking. She is growing so fast. I know now that next time I have a baby that I will cherish every second of that baby and will take the time to hold that baby every second I get.

Here are some pictures from Adylee's first birthday.

I love this little girl and I am so excited to watch her grow.

Dale had his first job interview for a law job this week. It makes everything very real that we will be out of law school in two months. It is a very scary thing trying to figure out where we should go or what we should do. It is a very serious test of faith. I am trying to put my trust in the Lord but it is very difficult at times. I just want to know where we are going so I can make plans.

School keeps me busy most days but I am getting restless with Utah. I am trying to figure things to do with my kids that will keep them busy during the day without destroying my house. This snow has kept us inside and Coen is going stir crazy. So if you have any ideas please let me know.

Hopefully these next two months go by quickly so we can be around all our family again. We ask that you all keep us in your prayers that we find a job so we can have somewhere to go after law school. We would be forever grateful to all those who pray for us.