Legal Oath

Wednesday, JW was sworn in as a Texas attorney.  He took his legal oath in the court room at his firm surrounded by family and colleagues.  It was very special to have an intimate ceremony conducted by a fellow attorney and former member of the Texas House of Representatives, Joe Nixon. 

Following the signing of his legal paperwork, JW had a short speech planned.  I knew he was good at arguing and good with words, but it's not very often that we have an occasion to hear him address a crowd.  My hubs is a great public speaker and had some very sweet things to say as he thanked everyone.  Seeing as the room was filled with some of the most senior and well-respected attorneys at the firm, it was a really neat opportunity.

Of course the kids of the family wanted to try out the judge's seat. :)

We were so thankful to have Nana and Papa there.  We rescheduled the original swearing-in ceremony because Papa was in the hospital last Friday.  He gave us quite the scare, but is doing much better now.  We are so grateful!

Carol, Nana, and Papa

After the ceremony, we took everyone down to see JW's office.  He is getting settled and it is looking good.  I'll have to post pictures another time.  The family was all impressed and excited to see where JW is spending his time making roads for himself as a newly licensed attorney.  Then, we took the gang out to dinner at Maggiano's to celebrate.  It was yummy and everyone had a doggie bag to take home with them as a favor at the end of the night. 

 

Em offices right across the street from Maggiano's and stopped by to congratulate JW on her way home.  We hadn't taken any family pictures yet, so she did the honors.  We are so glad she did!

Joey and his dad

Me and the hubs

The whole family

Yay!  Proud family!

We also videoed the short ceremony of JW taking his oath, but I am having some technical difficulties getting it uploaded.  So, if I'm able to get it to work, I will add that to this post later.  It was a special night of celebration and we are all very proud of JW.

Working Man

As a law school graduation present, my parents wanted to give JW a briefcase.  He wanted to get a few weeks of work under his belt to better know what he wanted.  This weekend, we met them to shop for one.  The whole Mullings crew came, and JW appreciated all the help. :)

Here's the one he ended up with. 

Manly and lawyerly, right?

After brief case shopping, we went to show them JW's office.  I should have taken a "before" picture, but, JW inherited an office with mismatched furniture that was also pretty poorly arranged.  A few attorneys had their last day with the firm last week and their offices were newly empty, so we went furniture shopping too.  Dad helped JW switch out furniture with an office on the floor above... no small feat!  Thank goodness for the freight elevator.  And me and mom rearranged.  Here's what it looks like now.  Still need to hang a few pictures and add a few things, but it's on its way.

Momma Hance, as a law school graduation present, wants to frame JW's diplomas for him.  Those will go on the wall along with a big world map.  We haven't found one yet, but JW wants a large old looking map in his office as well.  Stay tuned for pictures of the final product.  My hubby is a working man! 

Working like a dog

It's been awhile since I published a blog post, and it's been in the back of my mind that I needed to write one, only nothing notable or interesting has happened around here lately.  I asked JW tonight when we were both finally home from work what I should post about, and he said work.  How boring, I thought.  Only he's right... we have both been working a lot lately.  I've always said that I write this blog to document what is going on in our lives, and well, sometimes it's not glamorous.

My Signature Chefs event at work is only a month away and we are all starting to feel the pressure at the office.  I worked some this weekend, started working a little early this morning, and got home late today.  I wake up thinking about my to-do list and have a pretty constant knot between my shoulder blades. I should probably be doing my yoga, but don't feel like waking up early to do it and by the time I get home, I just want to sit on the couch.

I love my job and don't intend to complain.  I usually make an effort to leave work at the office and to not work or be thinking about work while I am home, but there are just some busy seasons, and this is one of them.

JW is in his third week at work and has stayed pretty busy.  He is waking up early to work out before heading to the office.  I know it's been a tiring routine to get used to, so I am proud of him.  JW's firm has had plenty of work to occupy their staff and then some over the last year.  So, they have welcomed the new associates and the opportunity to share the workload.  Late Friday night, JW got an email from an attorney at the firm with a last minute research project he needed help with for a law suit that had to be filed on Monday.  So, JW went to the office on Sunday after church and worked until dinner.  Working on the weekends shouldn't be a usual occurrence, but as Joey said this morning, at least he is staring the week with four billable hours already. :)

Jennifer closed on her new house this week and enlisted JW to help her move on Friday night and Saturday.  They did all the heavy lifting to load the U-Haul, and then I helped JW unload while Jenn ran some other errands.  Needless to say, JW did a lot of the work, but I wish I had a picture of me carrying one end of a couch. One of Jenn's neighbors walking by brought over a dolly after he saw us struggling through the front door. :)

 

In other news, Papaw was in town this week on Wednesday and Thursday night.  JW and I had Community Group with our new church on Wednesday night, so we went over to my parents to see him on Thursday.  Mom had a girls' night out planned, so I brought over some things to cook for dinner.  It was a fun evening. 

JW's Aunt Donna and Uncle Jimmy were in town this weekend too, so we went over to Nana and Papa's to see them on Saturday night.  They live in New Jersey, so it was neat to get to spend time with them.

We have been working a lot around here lately, but life is good.  It's a busy season, but we can't complain. Hopefully I don't go missing here on the blog, but if I do, you'll know why!

Welcome to the Workforce

I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend.  We did, and I'll write more on that later.  We had a nice, relaxing weekend before JW starts his new career as an attorney.  That's right... today is Joey's first day of work! 

It's been four months since JW graduated law school.  There was some studying for the bar exam during that time, but he's enjoyed a good break and is ready to put to use all he has learned and join the workforce.  He was worried about being rusty, but I know once he gets into the swing of things it will all come back to him.  I snapped a picture of him this morning before he left, of course.

Isn't he handsome? :) 

Prayers for a smooth first week are welcome.  Nana and Papa are coming over for dinner tonight to celebrate JW's first day with us.  We haven't had them over to see our new place yet, so we are looking forward to having them.

Happy 1st day of work, hubby!  I love you.

The Bar Exam is Over!

Last Thursday afternoon, JW left Baylor Law School with the Bar Exam behind him.  The three day test he studied for for months and the last thing in his way before becoming a practicing attorney is complete.  JW feels good about how he did, but won't get his results until November.  

Needless to say, I am extremely proud, and we are thrilled to be on the other side of the bar.  JW had not gotten a hair cut in months and had a bit of a 'fro' going.  So, when he got back home to Houston on Thursday night, we gave him a buzz.  JW figured since he has about a month before he starts working, if ever there was a time to get rid of his hair just for fun, this is it. 

JW's locks before

The final product- Joey with a buzz

Look at all that hair.  Looks like a girl's curly locks. :)

Friday, I took off work and we spent the day relaxing together.  I was in Florida the whole week before for work, and then with JW in Waco the following week, we were due some quality time together.  We spent most of the day on the couch in our jammies and then went to Studio Movie grill for the first time to see The Dark Knight Rises. :)  Who doesn't love a good vedge day?

Then, on Saturday, JW's new law firm had organized a family fun day at Moody Gardens in Galveston.  It was a lot of fun to meet some of the attorney's JW will be working with and their families.  And, it had been years since either of us had been to Moody Gardens, so we had a good time.

Our monkey friend in the rain forest pyramid

This picture is of me and JW nice and sweaty in the humid rain forest pyramid.  We also visited the Aquarium pyramid just in time to watch the seals get fed and JW's favorite, penguins.  It was a fun day and life is happy around here post-bar exam.  We get to go visit friends in Dallas this weekend, and then our Jamaica vacation is just around the corner!  We can't wait!

Ringing in the New Year - 2012

2011 was filled with many great things.  We celebrated several milestones like Harley's first birthday, our two-year anniversary, and 8 friends' weddings.  2011 also had its challenges like friends moving, me and Joey being apart during the summer, and the most difficult part of JW's law school career.   We were blessed in 2011 with success in my job, perseverance and accomplishment in school for JW, a new puppy addition to our family, and a job offer for Joey.

Many who follow our blog may already know that JW was offered a job with a law firm that he interned with this summer in Houston after he graduates, but we are now officially announcing it.  It was an offer we were so grateful to receive, but not a decision we took lightly.  The weight of the decision that would determine where we would live, the kind of law JW would practice, the effect that would have on his job training and career, and the kind of lifestyle we would lead was a heavy one.  Joey was fortunate to have spent six weeks over the summer getting a feel for the work, clients, and people at this firm which allowed us to be more confident in our decision, but there was still a lot to consider.

We spent a lot of time praying, making a pro's and con's list, and discussing what we thought life could be like as JW begins his career and what our family's goals and dreams for future would be.  In considering all of our options, we felt led that Houston was what God has in store for us next.  It is bittersweet for us, as we have grown to love the community we are in and the people we have built relationships with here.  But, being confident in the path that God is leading us brings us peace.  We are thankful and excited to be close to the family we have in Houston as well some close friends.  We also look upon the opportunity for a new career and new community to get plugged into with anticipation.

Joey will graduate from Baylor Law School at the end of April this year.  We will likely stay in Waco for him to prepare and take the Bar Exam at the end of July, and then will be heading to Houston in the beginning of August.  We certainly do not know and can't imagine all that 2012 has in store, but are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.  As we ring in this New Year, we look back at the way God has provided and directed us, and our hearts overflow with gratitude.  We serve a sovereign and mighty God, and I am sure glad we don't have to make decisions or live life without Him.