Man Shall Not Live On Bread Alone

Word on the street is that we're moving. It's probably time I explained.

Most of you know that Joel has worked for the Olive Garden our entire married life. When he came home from his mission January 2003 he decided he needed to date me. So, he left his parents' home in California to move in with his friends in Mountain Green so that he'd be near me in Ogden. There were two things on his list of things to do: date me and get a job.

Dating me was easy. I didn't put up much of a fight. But getting a job proved to be a little trickier. After lots of searching, he finally got a job with the Olive Garden as a server less than 2 months before our upcoming wedding. We were so grateful! He has been with them every since. He worked his way from server, to certified trainer, to bar tender, to manager and finally, general manager. He even earned a bachelor's and an MBA through all that. We are very grateful for the opportunities we have had thanks to the Olive Garden, including eating a bread stick now and then.

Working in the restaurant business is not easy, but the hardest part for us is having to work Sundays. While we have always expressed our gratitude to Heavenly Father for a good job that pays the bills, all these years we have also prayed to one day find a job that does not require working on Sundays. He wants so much to be able to keep the Sabbath day holy, be able to serve the Lord better, and be home with his family. I'm so glad he has those desires!

We often hear how the Lord doesn't answer prayers on our own time. Well, that is definitely true in this case, but our prayers have finally been answered. After working with the Olive Garden for over 10 years, he quit his job and accepted a new one with...

So it's goodbye Alfredo sauce and hello pastries, pastries, and more pastries!

Joel's brother is friends with the owners of Kneaders, and when they heard about Joel's mad business skills they wanted to meet him. We first met with them here in AZ when they came down for the opening of the Gilbert store, and Joel and I were both impressed and excited about the prospect of working with them.

They continued communicating with Joel, including flying him up to Utah, and this last week they offered Joel a job to open a store in San Antonio, Texas! Eventually, he will be opening two other stores when they are built. It is a great opportunity for Joel's career but especially for the number one reason: KNEADERS IS CLOSED ON SUNDAYS!

Before Joel officially accepted the offer, he went to the Gilbert store to check things out. On the front door where it shows their hours of operation, underneath "closed Sunday" it says:

"Man shall not live on bread alone."

He felt like that was further confirmation that this was the right path for us.

Then, we took the kids there so they'd see where Dad would be working. On the wall by our table was a wall hanging that said:

"See ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

That scripture has always had a special place in Joel's heart, and now it does even more. We feel like this is what the Lord wants us to do, and even though it won't be an easy change, we feel confident the Lord will see us through.

So, what now? Joel will train in Utah for 6 months starting in September, and then it is on to San Antonio in March! We are, of course, so sad to leave Arizona. We have made such wonderful friends and learned to love this crazy hot place. Right now I choose not to think too much about leaving because I don't want to cry. It gives me a headache. I'll save the tears for later.

The kids were pretty sad at first, but we got them excited about it. The pictures of San Antonio look pretty cool! And from people have told us, it's a fun place. I guess we'll find out!

So, that's the big, exciting news in the Orton family! Looks like I'll need to change the name of this blog.