Spring is in the air, finally! We've had some beautiful sunny days lately and they have really been cheering me up. I can't wait for it to get warmer so we can head to the beach. I am resolute to enjoy the coast while I can this summer. Who knows if we will ever live by the water again? Hopefully we will. Right now we have no idea where/what the future holds. Nick applied to six PhD programs and unfortunately did not get in. (We haven't officially heard from Denver, but are assuming it's a no) What does this mean for us? We aren't sure. It's been difficult to get so many denials and to have our hopes and dreams a little crushed. It's also strange cause our future is much more undecided now, BUT we had a lovely dinner with some charming authors last night that reassured Nick many times that a PhD isn't totally necessary and that his work is what really matters. That being said, Nick got a piece into a literary magazine that he is really excited about and is nearing completion on a book of short stories. His work is good, and will only get better and I have complete confidence that he will be able to publish books. As for now, we need to find a source of income Nick wants to teach and has found a few positions open at universities across the country. He is applying for jobs, but he does not have a published work, or a PhD, so he is at a disadvantage. We hope something comes through and if not, it's back to Utah to live in the Potter's (Nick's parent's) basement while he applies to more jobs and finishes his other novels. Our life right now feels about zero percent steady and the fear of the unknown is very hard on us, but we feel like something will come through. Nick is incredibly talented, and I think incredibly relieved that he won't have to learn two additional languages now :).
Other changes for us- our ward boundaries were realigned and the new Providence Branch was created, which we are now in. It's going to be in the second floor of a beautifully old historic office building downtown, on my absolute favorite street, but for now we are meeting in the 1st floor, using a fold out table as a podium, metal folding chairs (which we don't have enough of, so after Sacrament everyone has to take their chair with them to their classes) and sheets hung in doorways to separate classes. There are holes in the walls that the new Branch President has covered over with pictures he brought in from his own house. They expected 75 people to attend Sacrament, and we had 99! It was standing room only (not enough chairs). I am very excited to be a part of this new branch and to see the church growing in little Rhode Island even though I am quite sad to be leaving our old ward and our old callings. I hope we will be here long enough to see the new chapel upstairs.
Other than that, Atlas is enjoying the weather and has learned to cross the monkey bars all by himself. He has also decided what he wants to be when he grows up- a comedian, and has been testing out his jokes non-stop, and most of them don't make any sense at all. I tried to teach him some real jokes but he said they weren't funny and went back to saying things like "Why did Frankenstein cross the road? Because he is a winky dinky head in your brain and poop in the toilet." (I think I need to convince him of another profession) Cosby is sitting up unassisted and is scooting around the floor on his belly. He can pretty much get wherever he wants to be on his own. They both have snotty noses and slight coughs right now, but seem to be getting better, and even with snotty noses, are still pretty dang cute.
