We Finally Made It!

It is strange to be in the position where we can say, "We finally made it!" The journey is by no means complete, and we have so much work to do now, but I think it is also important to stop for just a minute and enjoy such a huge accomplishment.

Jonathon is officially a BYU professor!

During all those years of schooling (4 years of undergrad, 5 years of grad school, and 5 years working as a post-doc), we always had the dream of returning to BYU in the back of our minds. More than the specific University, however, we could only hope that Jonathon would find a Professorship where he could be happy with his work. He is a good teacher and an innovative researcher, so we were searching for a place that he could develop both of those talents and hopefully make a difference in the lives of his students. 

We found that place. 

And it just happened to be at our alma mater.

Now that he has been working full-time for the last 6 weeks, we can honestly say that all those years of school were worth it because he loves going to work every day. He is excited about getting his lab set up. He enjoys being with his coworkers, and he looks forward to having students join his lab. He is thriving in this environment, which makes him and our whole family happy.

I was one proud wife on the first day of his new job {although technically it was the second because day 1 was spent turning in paperwork, getting his keys, etc.} I begged him to let me come take pictures of him, his lab, and office. When I mentioned it, he gave me the same look that my kids give me on the first day of school. I think he was a little embarrassed, but he agreed because he loves me. It is a wife's/mom's job to celebrate and make a big deal out of life events, and I definitely wanted to document this one.

First, he took us through the new Life Sciences building. It is a really beautiful building and has a lot of perks like: an underground parking garage with bike parking, showers so he can change after his ride to work, and brand new lab spaces. 

Next, he showed us his lab, which was empty until he can order all of the equipment that he will need. Just down the hall from his lab is his office space. It is a nice space with a great view. His window looks out over the new waterfall that they landscaped when the building was built. It really is lovely.

View from Jonathon's Office

Andrew enjoying the new office chair

The department put a sign on his door to welcome him, so we made sure to get pictures with it. Several people also came up and introduced themselves as we were getting the tour. Everyone seems very nice, and I think it will be a great working environment for him.

Congratulations to my awesome husband. I can't wait to see what the future holds and know he will do great because he will always work hard to succeed.

So, yes, we finally made it... We finally made it to the beginning of another long journey in the world of academia. There are grants to write, lesson plans to prepare, students to teach, and discoveries to be made. There is no more time to sit back and rely on past successes. It will be hard work, but we are up for the challenge. In fact, we are so thankful for the new challenges, and thankful that Heavenly Father has led us to this point.