A firm believer

I am another year older, as of yesterday. I would like to be able to say I am wiser too...we'll see! I don't really mind getting older each year. Maybe I will change my tune when I turn 50 or something. As for now, I am pretty darn happy with my life. I firmly believe in celebrating your "birth week." Why limit the fun to just one day? Well, I had a pretty great birth week.

It started off by attending BYU Women's Conference with my mom and sister. While I'm not the kind of person to get all sappy about "bonding as women", it is uplifting to attend classes that strengthen me as a wife, mother and daughter of God. We try to attend every few years, and I always love the time I get to spend with Kristin and my mom.

We also celebrated finally being able to put Hannah's hair in pigtails. Now if only she would keep her bows in! Notice the only way we could get a picture of her was to literally corner her. Wiggly girl! I can't complain though, she officially loves nursery after only two weeks.

On my birthday I was able to have a combined family party with Steve. Now that we are parents, it is a good thing we have a lot of helpers to get our presents open! Among the loot were a month's worth of date nights with babysitting by my mom, a seriously awesome handmade purse by my sister, a Kindle from my honey, and a lot of texts and well-wishes. Funny story: I told Tyler I wanted him to listen all day for my birthday. He looked at me and said, "For my birthday, I just want a present." Little does he know that obedient children is the best gift of all!

(isn't this purse the cutest ever!?!)

To finish my birth week celebrations, I had a great lunch today with my husband. We tried to ignore the kids and focus on each other! If only it were that simple. Now it is back to being a responsible mommy again. Speaking of which, I need to go change the laundry;)

Graduation, Turning 30, and Easter

Last weekend was one of the busiest weekends EVER. I will start with Friday. That was a great day. First we went to the Carl Bloch exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art. They have a wonderful exhibit of his paintings of Christ. It was humbling and uplifting at the same time. I encourage all of you to make it there!

Also that day Steve graduated from law school!!! I'll admit, I must have cried at least four times that day. I dare you to find a wife more proud. ;) Steve looked so handsome in his graduate student regalia! Law school was hard and stressful, and I know it was even more so for Steve. But the great thing about my husband is, he never complained. He really didn't complain about his load ever. That's just another thing that makes me proud of him! It was nice to have our family there to support Steve. Steve and I keep saying that it doesn't feel real yet. I have a feeling I am going to like being done with school!

The next event was Saturday, it was Steve's 30th Birthday! We had a little party with friends from the law school. Happy Birthday my dear. I look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you.

Then we come to Easter Sunday. We spent the day with my mom, Steve's parents, and two of his siblings and their families. It was a wonderful day. I'd like to say that I got some ridiculously cute pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits, but that would be a lie. They were so wiggly! Steve kept telling me, "It is more real this way." Unfortunately all I got were "real" pictures. Tyler and Hannah of course loved the Easter egg hunt. Hannah caught on really quickly to the idea of finding a yummy treat then looking for the next one!

It is going to take me a few days to recover from the crazy busy weekend, but it was time well spent!

Diagnosis

Senioritis: a colloquial term used in the United States to describe the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students (and I'll add their spouses) who are nearing the end of their graduate school careers.

The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation.

Yeah, we've all got it bad. Well, mostly just me. Steve has remained pretty dedicated to his classes. He has been M.I.A. for over a week preparing for finals. In ten short days we will be cured. I keep telling myself that I have done two and a half years, I can last ten more days. I should clarify, I can last ten more days as long as I can take my kids to the park to get their energy out.

Steve, best of luck the next two weeks with your last four finals ever!

The Facts of Life

I honestly feel like I don't have much to blog about. Nothing super exciting. Nothing super sad. Nothing super funny. We've just been trying to catch up to life. So, life is what I will write about. *Warning* (This may be a sentimental and melancholy sounding post. But, I promise to remain positive!)

My mother-in-law always says, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." That is the truth. Doesn't it always seem like just when you think you have things all figured out, there is a factor you can't control that changes things? I really don't mind change, I just wish I could foresee or somehow control it. I know I ask too much! In every life there are high points and low points. But it is how you handle those that determine what kind of person you are. Right now, here are some of the low points: (I will end on the high notes so as to stay positive!)

1. Tyler having the BIGGEST tantrum of his life at Ikea today. People stared. People whispered. I somehow was able to disconnect myself from the situation and ignore his yelling and crying and kicking. Not my favorite.

2. Going for a 10 mile run today. How is this bad? I will tell you. After about 6 miles, my knee began to hurt...BAD. Thank goodness Steve was with me. He honestly had to help me support my weight because of the pain. So after a whole lot of thought, I have decided to postpone my half marathon scheduled on April 16th until the Fall. I honestly feel deflated. Even though I just started running again after a month of rest and physical therapy, the pain is there. My knee needs more time to heal. Tears!

3. I can honestly say that I usually don't mind cleaning. I know I am weird. But crushed cheerios, yogurt spills, toothpaste smears, and dirt are driving me crazy right now. Can't things just stay clean? I know I am not alone in this vain wish. I guess I need to remember that it was Hannah's tiny feet that smashed the cheerios, or Tyler's handsome smile that resulted in toothpaste on every surface in the bathroom.

4. Moving in just eight weeks. This will be our 7th move in seven years. I am tired.

5. Realizing we will soon have to start paying off student loans. It has honestly been on the back burner for the past three years. But now it is surfacing to haunt me (especially because our car has been making weird sounds.)

Now for the stuff life is made of, the high notes:

1. Steve graduates in less than a month! To say we are excited would be an understatement. He has worked so hard. I couldn't be more proud. And even more, we have a great job lined up, which for this economy, is a real blessing.

2. Tyler reading more words and seeing him feel so proud of himself. Tyler giving me random hugs and telling me he loves me. Tyler having the most incredible imagination and I get to watch it!

3. Hannah's smiles lately. Have I said before that she is the thing that keeps me sane? Well, she does.


4. Having a seriously awesome and supportive family. Knowing that Steve is about to enter finals again (for the last time!) and after that begin full-time studying for the BAR, I would be lost without the help of family. Thank you!

So there you have it. This is what is happening in our life right now. While there is so much happening that could drive me crazy, I want to live each day grateful that I have it. I don't want to miss anything, because I know in 30 years, I will miss those tiny feet smashing cheerios!

Birthday Boy!

Tyler Stephen Pulley is 4 today! Happy Birthday love. When I was growing up, I always felt extra special on my birthday. I knew my birthday was a big deal. I want my kids to feel the same way. So on Saturday we had a big family party for Tyler. Last year he wanted a rocket cake, this year he said he wanted a robot cake. So here are the cake pictures. Just so you know, Funfetti cake is really hard to frost!

He had a great time watching movies, swimming, and opening presents with his cousins! The movie kept them quiet, which was wonderful. More than anything, Tyler really loves being with all of his family.

This morning I made Tyler the traditional birthday breakfast. After looking at the plate he turned the banana mouth around and said, "He's sad because I'm going to eat him!" He is a very clever boy.

Tyler loves that he is becoming a big boy. Today while saying the prayer on lunch he said, "please help me to not act three anymore." That is one of my favorite things about Tyler, he has a tender heart and wants to do what is right (most of the time). He loves to talk, and can carry on a conversation in the car all by himself! He is my smart, funny, handsome boy.

And just to show how much he has grown, here is a picture of him on each of his birthdays. His first and second birthdays are on the top, then his third and fourth on the bottom.


Happy Birthday Tyler!