Good News

I thought I'd better write the events of the past few weeks down before I forget the details. Here goes:

On October 15th, Tim called me from school, saying that he had been given a job announcement by the head of his program for a psychometrics* position with an educational software company in Provo. He asked if I thought he should apply- I told him he should pray about it. Not 10 minutes after we hung up, he called back- someone from the company had called him and asked him to apply.

Tim felt good about it, so he submitted his application, and they set up some appointments with him- one time he went out with an educational researcher to work to kids who have been using the test in the schools, and another day he talked with the head of the research department about how to fix some of their problems. On the 22nd, the head of HR set up an appointment for Tim to meet with the CEO.

We went to the temple that morning- I just felt like I needed the reassurance that I always find there. It helped a lot- I felt at peace- but we still didn't know what was going to happen. In the afternoon, Tim drove to Provo to meet with the CEO. Afterwards, he was very enthusiastic and hopeful- she told him that she believes very much in the Book of Mormon admonition to pray over your flocks and fields... and that she prays for the right people to be found to work at their company. She was encouraging (though not specific) about salary, and acted like she really liked Tim. I was excited at this point- looking at houses, rearranging my thinking... and I was really hoping for a job offer the next day. Nothing. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown, or a heart attack, or possibly both. Thursday we still heard nothing. I finally had to take a deep breath, settle down, and remember that things would work out.

Friday, October 29th, Tim heard from one of the employees there, asking him to do some analysis for them as a trial. So much for date night, huh? Tim spent about 6 hours that night completing the analysis and offering his suggestions for change.

We got through the weekend, not knowing what to expect. Monday we heard nothing. Tuesday morning, Tim left for school. A few hours later, he called. "Look at your email." I did- he had forwarded me a job offer- part time until April (while Tim tries to finish as much school work as possible) and then full-time. They need him immediately. He started today :).

It's been crazy- I've struggled a little with a couple of things. First, we have several friends and family members who are out of work and looking for a job. They are trying hard. They are being righteous. It doesn't really seem fair that Tim was just handed a job. I don't know the answer to that still, but I do know that Heavenly Father will take care of their families, too. Second, I was all psyched up to move out-of-state. Not that I don't love Utah, but my mindset for the last 2 years has been that we would be moving far away, at least for a while. It has been a little hard to rearrange my thinking. But that's just because I'm stubborn.

Aside from those two issues, I am thrilled. Tim is totally excited for this job- the work really appeals to him, and the people have been great so far. The pay is generous- and way more than we've ever made before (that's not saying much, since Tim has been a teacher). We can actually think about buying our own house!

So we're staying here. We won't be able to buy a house until spring, when Tim starts full-time, but we're looking! Our preference would be to stay in Pleasant Grove- mostly for the sake of Rebekah, who has made wonderful friends here, and only has 3 years of school left. We would really like to stay in the PGHS boundaries. We would love to stay in our stake, and even in our ward, although that may be too much to ask. Mostly, we're excited and grateful. What an amazing journey we are on!



*Yeah, I know no one is going to know what a psychometrician does. I had to google it, myself. Basically, it has to do with the science of measurement- figuring out how to make effective tests, what data to collect, and how to analyze the data to figure out how and if kids are learning. It involves lots of statistics. It's what Tim's been studying for the last 2 1/2 years. That's my take on it.