2007 Mullen Mottos & Sycamore Slogans

Seems like last year we did it all – graduation, new state, house, job and baby, so this year there’s not too much to talk about. But we’ll give it a whirl.

Besides being an adoring dad and husband, Ryan earns money by showing up at ExxonMobil each day. He does important things like checking email and attending meetings where they decide to have more meetings. He’s been to Wyoming four times this year and even got to go whitewater rafting in Jackson Hole to boot. His supervisor named him safety leader for the year (perhaps due to his witty safety motto: No one goes to heaven in 2007!), and he planned a team building event where everyone went shopping on company money during company time. Wouldn’t you want to be a part of this team? At church he teaches Primary each week and peeks his head in Elders Quorum to take roll when he remembers. He just got called to be a ward missionary and is very excited to bring his rusty Houston South English missionary skills up north.

For myself I love being a stay-at-home mom. It is so fun taking care of Marielle and watching her grow. It is by far, the best job I have ever had. (And I don’t even get paid. Take that minimum wage!) Besides my daily routines, my callings at church keep me busy: I teach Primary with Ryan, plan activity days for the 8-11 year old girls and play the organ on Sundays. I’ve really enjoyed the new challenge of learning to play the organ. I look forward to Thursday afternoons when I drop Marielle off and practice the hymns for Sunday. I’ve also starting teaching a few piano lessons to fund dance classes with Ryan every Friday night. He loves to see me smile, and since I grin so readily while doing the merengue*, it was an easy sell. Watch for us next season on So You Think You Can Dance. One of the highlights of my year came when Ryan backed up all our files on an external hard drive, then let me delete any music I didn’t want on iTunes. First thing I did was say, “See ya, everything alternative & punk!” That’s my slogan for the year.

Marielle** continues to be the center of our existence and we adore everything she does. Although she’s quickly leaving her baby status behind, we think our little toddler is pretty wonderful. She is in constant motion around our house and likes carrying things from room to room and dropping them in hard to find places. She has a special liking to shoes, which she often brings me to help her put on. Really, she likes anything that comes in a pair. Makes sense after all, one thing for each hand. If you want more updates on Marielle, check out her blog, by clicking the following link: http://marielleshow.blogspot.com. It’s mostly pictures of her with a few side notes from Mom and Dad. Enjoy!

Love,

The Mullens

*Umm…just kidding, this dance is an aerobics workout set to music...not cool. But we do love the tango, cha-cha & swing.
**Marielle does not have a slogan or motto. She can't talk.