Settling in to Salt Lake City

We have now been here a month - we arrived on Tuesday, August 11th to a warm welcome at my younger sister's home where we stayed for a week.  Since that time we have been staying with my oldest sister while we have been figuring everything else out.  Things are finally falling into place.

I am working part time in the box office at Rodgers Memorial Theatre in Centerville.  It is an overall enjoyable job where I get to help people support performing arts by selling them tickets. Our Friend, Cecily helped get me connected with the opportunity and it is working out very well.

Anthony is on the substitute teacher list at 5 school districts - although it seems that everyone that is unemployed in Salt Lake has done the same kind of thing.  Not much has come of it yet, but it is also still in the first couple weeks of school  We are still hopeful that jobs will come from the schools.

On the music front, Anthony has also been busy trying to coordinate and work out some details for an opera recital series that will take place throughout the next year.  It has been tough trying to get it to come together, but I know it is something he is excited about, so I would be surprised if it didn't happen.  Anthony will also be directing the Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta HMS Pinafore for Rodgers Memorial Theatre in the early spring.  He is also teaching voice lessons - he has about half a dozen students with a few more wanting to start in a couple of months.

I am not sure if many of you know this about Anthony, but while in Binghamton he had a little more time than he counted on and has written a few children's books and has started a novel.  I am not going to get into any details, but he is busy continuing to write as well as digitally re-creating the artwork for his children's books.  Things are going great - and one of the books will probably be ready to send to a publisher within the month.  We just need to figure out the best way to do it - and have a real chance at being successful.

The other exciting thing is that we are starting a job as apartment managers.  It is really funny because we knew that some of the properties with open positions were downtown - and it ends up that we will be managing some apartments that we lived in for three years - several years ago.  We loved those apartments - and we are so excited that we get to live there again - and that our compensation is free rent!  It means we have a place to live and bring our baby home.

I have felt for months that the Lord would take care of us and that everything would work out and be okay.  Not everything is ideal, but we are going to be able to make ends meet, and Anthony is still going to be able to have artistic pursuits and fulfillment, and I think we will be able to make it so that one of us can be home with the baby (when she comes) almost all of the time.  We have been so blessed - and a lot of it is that we have generous family and friends that have been keeping us in their prayers and helping us with our networking.  Words cannot adequately express the gratitude I feel for the blessing that everyone around us has been.

A very special thank you to Valerie and Adam and Aunika and Bill who have so unselfishly opened their homes (and fridges) to us since we arrived.  Also, a thank you to my parents, Ray, and Mark and Maren for keeping all of our stuff while we have sorted everything out. We love you guys.