An Attorney.

All he had to do was sign the rolls....

{oh and go to law school and study and pass the bar}

And he became an Attorney.

Amazing, he is.



A New Set of Knees If You Please

Yesterday I ran 10.19 miles {every inch counts} with my best friend. Which is Mike if you were confused. That is the farthest I have ever run. And it was wonderful. Oh so mentally proud. And oh so physically drained. And sore. So if you feel like you want to donate a new set of hips and knees and the arch from your right foot, me and my half marathon will be more than willing to accept.
But just look at that sunrise shining off the temple. Quite the run.


Yesterday, they changed the missionary age for missionaries in my church. Young men can now leave when they are 18. What a piece of history this is! Yesterday I asked my 15 year old brother what he thought of the announcement. He is so excited! My poor parents on the other hand. When boys leave on their missions, they come home as grown men. All mature and stuff. Which means my parents just lost an entire year of my baby brothers childhood. My dad was putting up baseboards yesterday and was so upset about the announcement, he cut them wrong. Had to replace every last one of them. Grateful he's making good choices, just hard to see the baby grow up.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies taste like fall. I would know. I think I've had like 12 today.

Mike got his diploma.
 
Happiness.

Guess what...

Mike passed....

 the Bar!!!

Outside of our wedding day, this could possibly be the best day of our lives.

What is Two Weeks from Today: {and Who I Saw at the Airport}

Two weeks from today, it will all be over.

Two weeks from today, Mike will complete the bar exam.

Five and a half years from beginning to the end.

Mike's going to be an attorney.

I couldn't be more excited to never be in college again. Because when Mike's in college, I'm in college.

As of July 25, at some time in the P.M., the only person in my world who exists is Mike.

I know, I sound like a newlywed, but really, I'm gonna feel like one too. We've never been married outside of college. This is like a whole new phase of our relationship.

I.can't.wait.

In side news, guess who I saw at the D.C. airport?

My boyfriend...

No big deal, that's just Apolo Anton Ohno.

I felt like I was about to get up and bear my testimony, my heart was so aflutter.

What Is Officially Official: {Law School}

Well the verdict is out. Mike received his grades yesterday for his final semester in Law school.

He did a smashing good job!

So relieved to know that that whole graduation thing we did a month ago, is actually legit now.

Not that I was worried. I'm married to a smarty pants.

But still, we both breathed a sigh of relief.

He really is done!

What I Think: {As a Post Law School Wife}

Now that law school is officially over, I find myself looking back on my experience and comparing to those who have also been law school wives.

 

Spring Semester, 2L

Here are my two cents.

As a law school wife, you hear a whole lot about this thing call "law school widow".

I don't think that term needs an explanation.

 

Spring Semester, 2L

Here is what I think about it.

Fall Semester, 2L

Law school is exactly what you make it. Yes, every school is different, yes, every law student is different, and yes, every wife is different. Some law students spend hours and hours and hours in the library just to pass. Some rarely study and still do very well. Some do better or worse depending on which year they are in. All circumstances are different. This I understand.

 

Spring Semester, 1L

However, when Mike started law school, we decided as a couple, that it was more important for us to maintain a loving, nurturing relationship, than it was for him graduate in the top 5% of his class. Don't get me wrong, Mike worked hard, and he graduated in very good standing, but what I would like to propose is that perhaps maybe law students and their spouses should re-evaluate this widow status. I mean, neither parties like it, therefore only hurting the relationship.

Maybe we have our priorities a bit out of order.

Spring Semester, 1L

If you are shooting for that top 5%, and it means that much to you, then by all means, do it. I think that's awesome! But if you aren't so worried about it and you just want to do well, then maybe spending a little {little!} less time at the library and a little more time at home would be a better choice.

And who knows, maybe by spending a little more time at home will make the wife happy, which makes the husband happy which may in turn just make law school a little bit easier.

Our homemade OU t-shirts to announce to our families where we had decided to go, Spring 2009

I would like to point out that law school wasn't easy for us. We had our difficult times. Competition season was always such a bugger, and that first semester as a 2L? Nearly deadly. But we made it work. Which all couples do, it's just more about what you are willing to sacrifice, I guess.

What I Consider To Be In The Top 5 Best Days: {Law School Graduation}

I feel so out of practice. This whole typing a blog thing seems almost foreign.

But I am so glad to be back! My computer still hasn't been hooked up, but hopefully my posts can be a little more consistent than they have been.

There are several days of updates to come, but one of the best updates...

That handsome man standing next to me in that picture, yes, my husband, has officially graduated from Law School.

Yes, I am married to a lawyer.

Okay, okay, he hasn't actually taken/passed the bar exam yet. But no matter.

Just call me Mrs. Esquire.

May 12, 2012.

It was a dreary day in Oklahoma. Downtown provided the graduation venue with construction and mud. But nothing could dampen our spirits. He was finished. We were finished. Law school would no longer rule our every waking thought. Our folks had come to town. And we were so grateful to have their love and support.

Mike's brother and his family had also driven up from Houston, giving Mike's parents quite the joyous surprise.

Even being surrounded by those that are dearest to us, nothing could distract me from the pride that I felt. That was my husband. That man up their being hooded; receiving his Law degree.

The effort that he put in to his education suddenly all became worth it. Every moment I felt lonely. Every $300 book. It was all for this. This joy of being educated. This joy of seeing his efforts be rewarded.

Now on to our next adventure!

What I've Been Doing: {Honestly, What Haven't I Been Doing?}

Family Coming to Town

Packing

Moving

Law School Graduation

...

Life could not be crazier right now. But I love every second of it! 

I am still here, and still thinking of all the things that I need to catch up on. And I promise that when I get more than a handful of minutes, I will be posting all kinds of fun details.

Much more to come!

What Is Worth Celebrating: {Last Day}

Short and sweet.

Mike took his last Law school final today.

He's done!

Done!!!

What He Won: {Awards}

Look!

Mike wins awards and stuff! Good job babe!

What Annoys Me: {The KnowItAlls, otherwise known as Advice Givers}

I've kinda been on one lately. I don't know what it is that makes this attitude of mine come out. But here is a current thought of mine.

I do not like when people tell me things I already know or give me advice that I did not ask for.

Here are several true to life examples that have either been said to me, or said to others around me.

"Being married is seriously the best." -Usually said to someone currently engaged.
{Well thank you. Because of course, until you told me that, I figured I was getting into something that would make me depressed beyond all misery. Why do you think I'm getting married? I don't need a confirmation from you to tell me that being married is great. I know this. Which is why I am doing it. Not because you told me it was "seriously the best".}

"You will love being a mom." -Usually said to someone currently pregnant.
{"I was so worried! I thought I would hate it! But now that you have told me I will love it, I am sure I will." Why do you think that they chose to have this child? Because they knew they would hate being a parent? Doubt it, friends, doubt it.} {Not a pregnancy announcement, btw.}

"When you have more experience, you will understand." -This one is Mike's, coming straight from the mouths of Law professors.
{Obviously. We pay the Law school thousands and thousands of dollars so Mike can be taught that no matter how much they teach him, he won't understand anything until he gets experience. It's a good thing that little piece of paper called a diploma means so much, otherwise I would be worried we were just donating money instead of actually paying for an education.}

"You follow all the rules with the first, and then after that, all the rules go out the window." -This one is referencing children, whether talking about pregnancy or talking about actually raising the kids.
{Just because you decided to be perfect with the first child/pregnancy, and break all the rules with the second, does not mean that everyone does that. You are trying to make yourself feel better. Just stop it. If I want to eat all fruits and veggies while I'm pregnant with my first, I will. That may or may not mean that I will do it again with my second, third, etc. I will do what I choose. Don't tell me how "busy" I'll be. So busy that I can't try as hard with the second as I did with the first. That's a fools game. And you are full of excuses.}

Guys. I have like a million and one more of these. And just writing this post as got me all revved up.
And all I'm saying is, don't give people advice that they didn't ask for. And don't rub your experiences in other peoples faces. It's annoying. Stop.

{I have a similar post that I wrote like this right before we moved to Oklahoma. You can read it here.}

What I Thought About: {Utah}

Six years ago if you would have asked me if I would ever live outside of Utah, I would have laughed in your face. Never. No way. I didn't have any desire to leave my safe bubble. I enjoy being surrounded by family. Mike's family and my own family are my best friends. I love the mountains. I love being surrounded by people of my own faith. I love being surrounded by what I know. The streets, the cities. I feel safe there. I feel safe because those are the things and places that I know. I just wanted to be 'normal'.

Mike was not the same way. He wanted adventure. He wanted to try new things, and see new places. When we were dating, he would talk of going to school far, far away. I never really took it seriously. That was the single Mike talking. I thought when we got married, he would sink into the 'settled down' life.

Even after we got married we argued about it. {Don't worry, this was healthy arguing.} I would cry. I didn't want to leave Utah. Why can't we just be 'normal'? We began to understand the being married thing a little bit more. It's about compromise. It's about sacrifices. We were both in school at that time, so moving was not an option. But then our Bachelors degrees drew to a close. We had to start making decisions.

Mike picked Law School. Which there are two of in Utah. He applied to 10 schools. Including those in Utah. And that darn kid got into all of them. Then we had to decide. Some were easy to cross of the list. Some, a little more difficult. We ended up with a top three. One of the Utah schools made the cut. However, after much thought and prayer, Mike and I came to the conclusion, that even though the Utah school made the most sense, it's not where we were supposed to be.

Hence, why we currently reside in Oklahoma.

There have been times of wonder. Why here? Why did the Lord want us here? I'm still not really sure I know the answer to that question. Sometimes we think things would have been easier in Utah.

Do you know how hard it is to find a job in a state when you currently don't reside in that state? Hard. Nearly impossible. Especially when the legal job market is crap as it is.

We want to live in Utah. We love Utah. We love our families. We love the mountains. We love the feeling of home. But for some reason, we continue to take the scenic route getting back there. A three year law degree has turned into a Summer in DC which has turned into additional education, once again outside of Utah {more news on that to come}.

I've heard it said before that if you leave, it's hard to go back. I never truly understood that until now. It doesn't mean it will be hard to go back because you won't want to {well for some it may}. It means that its difficult to find the opportunity to go back.

We continue to look for that opportunity. We continue to pray for that opportunity.

But those student loans come due, whether your working or not, so you have to go where the job is. Or for us, just go to more school. No professional students here. Just two people who think that in order to get somewhere in the world, you have to rise above the average.

You wanna know what prompted this post?

It may seem funny to some. Actually when Mike and I saw this ad, we laughed. But honestly, it's not so funny to me anymore. Because that's where we're trying to get back to.

So we'll continue to look. And continue to pray. The opportunity will come. Trust in the Lord's timing, right?

What We're Up To: {Guess What....}

Thanks to my dear neighbor, we've been collecting newspapers.

This isn't a normal collectible in our house.

Til now.

Guess why...

We're moving! Yep, we are!
Mike is finally {finally!} graduating from Law School in a month {a month!}.
Which means we are headed out.
Where, you ask?
Washington D.C.
I know {I know!}
It's only temporary. Mike got a fabulous {fabulous!} clerkship there for a couple of months.
I think we are still in shock. We have yet to make any plans beyond that of actually going.
It's a little stressful to even think about moving there.
But we are so {so!} excited!
After the clerkship is over, we will be moving again {again!} to a land unknown.
We've got it down to three different locations.
But we've still got a bit a prayer to go before we figure out that one.
We are so grateful for this opportunity and cannot believe how blessed we are to receive it.
It literally fell right into our hands.
And of course, I have my wonderful husband to thank for being awesome enough to be considered and offered such an opportunity.
I cannot wait to discover this wonderful city. {And spend the 4th of July in the Nation's Capital! You just can't beat it!}

Blogs

I blog stalk. Like, a lot. But not people I know. Its the people that I don't know that really intrigue me. And whats even more enticing is when they are young, married people. Like me. With really no purpose to blog, which is even better because then the posts are all just fun randomness.
But actually, that really wasn't the point of this blog. The point was, do you know how many blogs I come across that are wives with husbands in law school? You wouldn't believe it, if I actually had a number to tell you. The bar results for those who took the bar in Oklahoma in July just came out a few days ago. Mike was eager to see the list because he knows quite a few people that took it. And here in the big OK, they post that list online, names and all. I say thats a little insensitive. At the top of the list they give statistics. 381 people took the bar in July, 317 people passed. Now, the point I make, is not the margin of those not passing. The point I make is they offer the bar twice a year: February and July. Now if each time the bar is taken, 320 students are passing, that is 640 students a year. Oklahoma has two law schools. So with states that are bigger and have more law schools, that number is even higher. Now tell me, where in the country are there 640 new, just graduated, no experience {minus internships} attorneys being hired every year? Because that is the state that I need to live in.

The statistics on law schools are quite crazy. I don't have numbers but I have read enough about it to know that there are WAY too many law schools in this country generating way to many attorneys for the small number of jobs that are actually available. Every school within a University has job placement statistics. These statistics will tell you what percentage of students have jobs within a certain amount of months after graduation. Did you know that law school job placement statistics are not based off of jobs placed as an attorney? So when you see 95% job placement, most likely only a small percentage of those people are actually working as lawyers, whereas the rest could be working retail for all we know. Isn't that disappointing? Mike is amazing, and I have no doubt that he will work his tail off finding a job to pay off the mounting student loans. Plus, going to law school does not mean you have to be a lawyer. Just having it on your resume can create many different opportunities.

We are kind of ahead of the game for our age. Mike will graduate law school at 26. Most returned missionaries our age are just starting law school. Mike is just good at school and wanted to get it done as quickly as possible. Five and a half years for his ENTIRE seven+ year college education. Yeah, he's awesome. But not the point {sorry, brag tangent}. As I heard of friends from high school/friends spouses from high school getting ready and leaving for law school this Fall, I almost wanted to scream out to them, "Are you sure?!" "Do you really want to get into this?" "Because its really not all roses and daisies, like they make it seem." And I'm not talking about the law school part {everyone knows that part sucks}. I'm talking about the looking-for-a-job-thats-not-there-and-even-when-you-find-it-you'll-make-less-than-half-what-you-were-led-to-believe-you-would-being-making-post-graduation part.

Depressing, right?

Well I should probably stop talking. Because, you know, we are just beginning this whole finding a job part. Who knows how hard it will really be. Who knows how much money we will actually be making. Who cares. Okay, I do.....a little if you can't tell. But Mike will "guard and protect my heart" {haha, oh Kasey, you kill me}. But really, Mike will find a job, or two {he said that, not me}. Because those loans come due, and they don't really care if you are working as an attorney or at Sonic {rollerblading is good exercise, and come on, it's just plain fun}.

Don't get us wrong, we are super grateful for this opportunity, and Mike really enjoys the things that he learns about. And there are a lot of good attorneys out there. Now we just need someone to get us a connection with one of them so they can hire Mike. Anyone? Bueller? No beating around the bush here people, we need a job.

Simply

I have no idea why of all the law schools that Mike applied to, and got accepted to, we ended up in Oklahoma. Some times I love it here, sometimes I hate it here, other times it doesn't really matter, because its just another place just like everywhere else. Sometimes I wonder why we didn't go to Pepperdine. I could be living in Malibu, enjoying the beach, the warmth and the sun....and the visitors! Oh how it would be to actually have people want to come and see us. Sometimes I wonder why we didn't go to Connecticut. Be completely surrounded by history. We would be two hours from NYC and two and a half hours from Boston. For some reason, out of the 9 or so schools that Mike got accepted to, including the University of Utah, it seemed so easy to just cross most off the list. The Lord wanted us in Oklahoma.

We have made a good life here. We have some amazing friends. We have a beautiful home. I have a good job. And most importantly, Mike is happy with his decision. If we could make the decision all over again, who knows if we would still pick Oklahoma. But for now, we are doing just fine. We make a decent living, in a safe area, while Mike continues to receive his education. And when he graduates in May of 2012, we have absolutely no idea what the Lord will have in store for us. Maybe we'll go back to Utah, maybe we'll stay here, maybe Mike will continue his education and we'll move somewhere else completely. In the long run, we do know what we want out of life, and where we want to be, but this in between time seems to be the most unpredictable. We are simply doing the best that we can with what we have been given. Shouldn't that be the phrase that we all live by? Simply doing the best that we can with what we have been given.

Finals really are awful, my boss really is strange, and sometimes, life really is hard. But we have things like a weekly episode of Modern Family, or fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, that remind us that amidst all the crappy things, there are still really good things too. Not too mention, we have each other. Isn't that just the best one of all?

This blog really makes me sound like I am having a bad day, but I'm not. Just a day of reflection. Always wondering why life is the way that it is. Why we are guided to certain areas in life, or why we are dragged through certain trials. Simply put, because God is trying to teach us something.

I said to Mike the other day, 2010 has been the best year of my life. And it has been. I also told him that there were only a few days left in the year so he better not screw it up. But its true. I have learned a lot about myself this year. I have learned a lot about Mike this year. And together as a couple we have matured and grown.

Now off to make myself a delicious batch of chocolate chip cookies....