The Johnson's!

Monterey!

2010-03-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

We've moved to Monterey! It's pretty much amazing. We are within a mile of the ocean and are close to the aquarium and all! For those of you who don't know, this is basically what happened:

Kevin and I graduated this past December from Chico State University and up until recently were living with our parents. With the economy really not doing well, it was by far difficult for Kevin to find a job. (He graduated in accounting). So, for the month of January we applied all over the USA through craigslist, newspapers, etc. Side note, last Summer we stayed with my parents while I took some Summer classes at ARC so our church records were sent to Antelope. Then, while in Chico this last fall, we were attending the Spanish branch a little and ever so often would attend our ward. Our records never really left Antelope and were eventually sent over to Salt Lake. Anyway, this January, while Kevin was applying for jobs, I told him, "You know, I bet as soon as we put our records here, you'll find a job because we have not really been attending a 'permanent' ward since the Summer."

So, in the beginning of February, we decided to go on a trip to celebrate graduating (using our American Express points we had saved up..BEST idea EVER!!). We signed up for one of those last minute 7 day cruises which was heading down to Mexico. The day before we were leaving for the cruise, Kevin received an email from one of the places he had applied to. It was one of the partners of the accounting firm "Bianchi, Kasavan, Pope LLP" and he was not only asking to meet Kevin, but wanted Kevin to call the following Monday (we would be on our already paid for cruise...ahh!) So, it ended up working out that the partner told Kevin to go ahead an have fun on the cruise and to stop by the office when we got back from it. We drove down to Long Beach for the cruise and so we decided we'd stop by the office in Monterey on the way back up to Sacramento. Late at night on the way up from Long Beach, we arrived to Salinas at about 1am, about 30 minutes out of Monterey to stop for the night. We woke up the following morning and were eating the continental breakfast at the inn we were staying at when we heard on the Today Show, "Good morning it's Presidents Day!" That was a scare as we instantly thought that we were not going to be able to stop by the office... Luckily, after calling to see if the office was open, they were open! Kevin dressed up to be ready in case it was an interview he would be going to, since he did not know what it would be being told he was to just stop by.

All in all, he had an interview that day. Two days later he received a job offer. I asked Kevin's parents if our records were read in the Sunday just three days before, and they said yes. Isn't that amazing!? Kevin was supposed to work at a firm in Chico. The entire time that Kevin was at school in Chico, he was told he would be hired at that firm...but something fell through and he wasn't...leaving him hanging mid-October.. not having applied for any other job (which many other jobs he could have applied for, the application deadlines had already passed). We found out recently that that firm has been laying off many people, including first years... So, talk about a blessing in disguise! We are truly blessed to be where we are and that the Lord has provided a way for us. We are so grateful!! It was scary for a while not knowing if we would have enough money to pay our bills for much longer, but we made it! I am currently finding work to help save up to buy a house here in Monterey. We are shooting for a year from now to make that happen. I am undecided at the moment if I want to do student teaching for a multiple subject credential (I graduated in Liberal Studies for teaching Elementary) or attend cooking school.

If anyone decides to visit Monterey, give us a call!

FINISHED!!!

2009-12-17T23:56:00.000-08:00

Hooray for:

-FINISHING school!! I did it! So did Kevin!

-Each of us getting a Bachelors Degree!

-Making it through the year 2009, non-stop schooling..winter, spring, summer, fall..

-Being able to sleep in now :)

-Getting over a cold that finals week made worse

-Adjusting to a new way of living

-Moving by the end of the year

-Visiting with friends and family now that we are done with school

-Reading what I want when I want (goodbye textbooks!)

-No more essays!

-No more school tests!

-Watching TV and renting Redbox movies

-Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Nothing Like Procrastinating

2009-12-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

There actually is something worse than procrastinating..not finishing what you started, but that's not an issue :)

Only 9 more days of school!

I did tell my mom during Thanksgiving week, "Mom, I think I'm going to drop out of school" to see what she would say and how she would react. She kind of knew that I was joking, but she still exclaimed, "Meghan! You're almost done! 3 weeks left!" Oh it was amusing. Of course I was planning on finishing the last few weeks. It would be incredibly dumb of me not to.

I continually think about all the last homework assignments that I have to do and I keep putting them off. You would think, "Geeze Meghan, just do them and get them done so you can be done!" But, I don't. I'm waiting for the pressure to be on apparently. I'll do well on the assignments anyway.. Just 5 essays to go :)

Hope everyone's holiday season is going well! Remember to keep the 'Christ' in Christmas.

I recommend this book to everyone. It reminds me of what is important in life.

p.s. The job hunt continues. Dun Dun Dun...

Mighty Excitin! What?

2009-10-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

So, basically, we are up in the air with where we are going right now.

Approximately 2 months left here in Chico.
(That means we are almost done with school)
I wish we could know where we are going,
but Kevin feels my anxiousness of wanting to know as stress on him...
So, I have decided to watch and listen on the sidelines instead.

(google images)
It is so hard to do!
Here is the happenings:
He's applying for accountant jobs outside of CA, UT, ID, and small states.
The options currently stand in:
Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Alaska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, Oregon, Montana

Previously, we were seriously looking into going to the Cayman Islands for a few years,

(http://www.davidstanleyredfern.com)

as Kevin emailed a few recruiters to find out...
but they are not taking entry level accountants right now...
BUMMER!!
Anyway, anyone who moves there,
they ask of you to not bring any furniture.
All places there are fully furnished.
Just bring the clothes on your back.
Kevin and I did come to an agreement, however,
about this idea and dream...
Someday in the future we will move there.
~~Even if we have a child by then.~~
Yes cost of living is slightly expensive there, but
that is the only thing that is.
The US dollar is not as good as theirs.
There are excellent Montessori schools there...
(~~where I could have been student teaching~~)
The spoken language is English.
It takes an hour and a half to get to Florida, or to the Cancun area.
Not bad I might add...*sigh*

Enough of that...it is too wonderful to think about right now.
I would like to share with you that
I was accepted into the multiple subjects credentialing program for
Spring 2010 here in Chico.
Hooray for me! and that $500 put into it...

We will not be here for me to do the program, so
I'm not doing it!
Yesterday, I dreaded and avoided as much as possible in going to
the credentialing office at Chico State University
to tell them that I will not be doing the program with them,
and pretty much,
NEVER (in CA anyway).
They hold my folder of info on their file for 3 years before tossing it in the garbage.
I asked them for my application papers back and got back my:
TB Test page
Livescan ($72)
Letter of Recommendation
References
Resume
2 handwritten responses (a page each)

They could have given me the official transcripts from
American River College ($2), Sierra College ($5), and Butte College (Free..*whew*)
but, they are no good now for me to use...being that they are open.

The application for the program was $50-$100..
The CSET subtest I took was about $90
The CBEST subtest I took was about $60
Luckily I did not take the other two CSET subtests (another $200)
...EEEEEKK!!!!
So really, we only ~~lost~~ spent about $3-400...but still!
It was a lot of time and work and effort to make the application deadline
(especially since I did it within a matter of days)
Oh, and, I also had to apply for graduate school
here at Chico State for the program,
and was accepted...
but
OH well......

And yes, they made me write and sign on a piece of paper ~~just to rub it in~~
that I will not be doing the program.
Here is what I wrote:
"I, Meghan Johnson, will not be participating in the multiple subjects credentialing program for Spring 2010 here in Chico, CA or thereafter."

I literally almost started crying walking out of the credentialing office..
I was so close to getting student teaching underway.

But, as I repeated to myself over and over and over and over..
"the lord does not want us here in Chico any longer,
it will be okay,
he will provide a way for us..."
I was pulling out of my slight, but ever so existent, depression
and soon wondering what will be happening next!

(Right Angle Photography!)

I hope we move somewhere totally COOL!
That will be full of FUN people,
abundant opportunities,
lakes, rivers, or water locations for sailing and rafting,
or for playing in the snow or rain or sand dunes,
and a place where we will be ready to MOVE on with life.
I want to be like this girl, reaching high! and ready to conquer!

(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212672/)

This next year will be both FUN and EXCITING as
Kevin prepares for his CPA exams and takes and passes them.
If I am not going to be going through with credentialing,
~~since I am not really planning on teaching anyway and since it would be there as a back-up in case we need it for various reasons~~
I will be working my lil' hiney off at a job.

Thanks for enduring this LONG blog,
but I have to say,
it was quite the adventure, right?

Graduation Teaser!

2009-09-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from our Graduations Ceremony in May. It was hot, especially in a black gown, but well worth the tease. I say tease because we enjoyed doing the ceremony and getting our fake diplomas. We wish we could have done a graduation ceremony in December when we actually graduate, but Chico State just is not into that sort of thing. They are sticking with the spring ceremony only rule. So we either had to do the graduate ceremony the semester before or after; we chose the before. Kevin received three special ropes and a pin for being part of cool business accounting groups at Chico. I got a medal for honors in general education. I would have gotten another medal for magna cum laude, (top 3% of the school)...but it was not my last semester and they could not count me as that "yet". If I had it, I would have been just as cool as Kevin to have all the doodads. But life moves on..besides his stole was stolen at the ceremony, bummer! I did not take it; everyone was supposed to have one. And, I got a lei.

This was Kevin's ceremony. Graduates were still coming into the stadium. The stadium was loaded with people this day.

Kevy and Me!

My medal! Kevin was scared of his sisters hurting him here or something...

Kevin and his parents

Kevin poking his sister Holly (the one with her little girl, Valerie, her daughter)... He just cannot stop picking on his siblings, even though he is the youngest of them all (8 total).

So here, I am wondering, "why oh why is he so crazy?" haha.

Just be glad that we're almost done! It looks like we can barely count..

My parents and little brother

My mom and me with my goober face

My dad and me

This was a fun picture and the last I'm showing... Sorry about the glare. Just 20 units to go...and then some, with preperation for the credentialing program.. and kevin has 18 units.. poor guy.. Advanced accounting classes and all of that unfun stuff!!! He's workin hard! We are both just barely holding on as the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter...just 100 days or so left...

Reminiscing on the Old Days

2009-09-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some old pictures and found some from YSA dances. Now, these dances were totally fun with the gang of friends we went with I must say. Without them, they just were not the same. Although I was the underage one for part of the time, I had wonderful friends and a bf (now husband) who got me in. Good times :)

This first one is Cookie and Me at Van Maren with one skate on a foot each. We did not hit too many people. Only one was severely injured.

This next one is Ashley and me at Wisemen. This was my first YSA dance.... also my first dance with Kevin. If only I had a picture of his HOT pink button up shirt that he wore that night...

This next one is Kevin, at least it looks like him. I actually did not know him at this stage of his life. haha. This, I believe, was a picture from a year or two before I met him. He used to be able to do the splits like MJ.. okay, maybe not, but it looks like it!

Here you go Mel! haha, had to include you in here somewhere :) Unfortunately I did not have a picture of the two of us together... lame! This was a pre-dance picture.

2009-07-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am absolutely terrible at using blogger...but hey, I enjoy looking at everyone else's blogs to see what they're up to. We have currently been staying in Sacramento for the Summer so that I could take 2 summer school classes and am excited to say that there is 1 week left, with 1 class already completed. Hallelujiah. We have been taking a trip to Chico once a week for the past 2 weeks and have finally found a VERY nice place to live that is also quite convenient for attending church and for Kevin's firm that he hopes to work at in January since it is literally just around the corner... walking distance. Hey hey! Pretty exciting. Oh and by the way, it is a marvelous little 2 bedroom 2 bath house. SO EXCITING :) Better pictures will eventually be shown. The kitchen is missing in these picts unfortunately and is amazing. Also, the significance of the washer and dryer is huge because we have never had our own washer and dryer yet.

Halloween!

2008-11-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is our first blog! I haven't had anything exciting or new to add for a while so that's why it's been so long. I carved my first pumpkin on Tuesday night. I was pretty excited about that. I started with a simple design and was fairly pleased with how it turned out! The pumpkin is a silly pumpkin.

Here it is all lit up! It was quite rainy outside though, but it still looks cool!

So, on Halloween night, we went to a couples party. Everyone's costumes looked great! Farmers, indians, zorro and zeta jones, pirates...and of course, kevin and I did not match. Kevin had to be someone silly and I did not want to be what he was. Can you guess? Probably not.

He was 'Glenn' from the movie "The Ringer". Glenn was very funny in the movie. However, in real life he is actually how he was in the movie. So, don't be offended! Besides, the movie was funded by the special olympics and supposedly is based off of a true story.

So here I am as an 80's sports girl. I was so mad that I could not find some shiney spandex pants or a spandex body suit!! But, I improvised and it turned out okay :)

We had so much fun with our friends. Tons of sweets and lots of games. We were all so pooped out at the end of the night. Luckily Kevin and I survived getting up early this morning as we went out for Prop 8 once more. It has been busy! Hope you all enjoy these pictures!