One Whole Year!

One year ago today completely changed our lives!  Johnathan got his dream job!  I still remember what we were doing when he got the call.  Johnathan was working with Gold Cross and was at work.  We knew that if he got the job, he would get a call.  If he didn't get the job, he would get a letter in the mail.  From the time he started the first test in the hiring process until we got the call was seriously like 3 months.  And it was high stress the entire time!  Anyways, back to the big day.  We had been told they would make a decision before the weekend, and we didn't get a call.  According to their hiring list, after all the tests and interviews, Johnathan was #8, but we knew there were 3 people in the #3 spot.  There was still a chance of him getting the call, so we waited...  The kids and I were eating dinner and the phone rang.  Caller ID said it was from Provo.  My heart started pounding as I answered.  They asked for Johnathan and told me they couldn't reach him on his cell phone, but he needed to call her back in the next 20 minutes (before she left for the day).  I took down her number and hurried and called Johnathan.  Johnathan had gotten her call but accidentally hit 'decline' instead of 'accept'.  He was panicking in the ambulance because he didn't have her number to call her back!  I called and was also panicking and gave him the number.  Then he called me back and told me that he was offered the job.  The kids had been waiting on the edge of their seats.  I told them the news and we all yelled as loud as we could!  We were so excited!

In the fire industry, being hired for one year is a big deal.  For the first year, you are on probation.  You're the 'boot'.  You show up earlier than everyone else and leave last.  You do all the jobs that nobody else wants to do.  You work your hardest to prove you can do this job and that you deserve to stay.  Johnathan also had to read a HUGE firefighting book and take lots of tests on what he read.  If he got less than 80% on 3 of them, he would be fired... No stress :)

Well, I'm happy to say, Johnathan made it through!  He is no longer on probation!  Today is the day he has been counting down to for an entire year!  He remembered the exact date all year, which is a big deal for him to remember.  He still has to think about our children's birthdays.  It doesn't bother me, I know why.  I had to work for our children to get here (labor), so I definitely remember the dates.  Well, he has had to work hard for this date, so that's why he remembers it.

It's been really neat to see him grow through this past year.  A year ago, he was unsure if he could really save someones life.  He didn't like to step up and take charge, and would second guess himself.  I think this is common in the medical field.  The only solution is just getting experience, which is what the last year was.  I really admire people who literally have people's lives in their hands.  They have such a huge job, and I know I could NEVER do it!  Now, Johnathan is so much more confident in his abilities.  He's really shown the guys he works with that he can do his job and that he loves his job.

We are so proud of you Johnathan!  You've worked really hard!  We're so glad that you've found a job you LOVE and are good at!  We love your schedule that lets you be home a lot more so we can do lots of fun things together.  CONGRATULATIONS! 

To celebrate, we are going to have dinner with Johnathan (who's at work) and bring some peanut butter bars for us and his crew.  Tomorrow we'll go skiing!