Provo - Our Home in the Mountains

Posted by Hanna and Tracy

Well, we've been out here in Provo, Utah now for over a year and half and we've loved every minute of it. As hard as it was to leave family and friends behind in the East, it has been a true adventure making new friends and learning to love our new home here in the mountains. Today we went out to Utah Lake for a Sunday stroll and it really got us thinking about the time that we've spent out here.

We arrived in Utah Valley in the beginning of August, 2005 and moved into Wyview, a family housing complex for BYU students. We'll never forget Wyview as it represents our very first year as a married couple on our own. We have a ton of memories and made friendships that we hope will last forever.

Then, as Wyview was being turned into single housing, we left before the fall semester of 2006 and moved into the C&L complex just south of campus. The apartment is really nice and although it costs more, it has its own perks. I can walk to campus in three minutes, the vaulted ceilings, the dishwasher, being able to do laundry in the comfort of your own home, and more.

All in all though, Provo really has become our own little home here in the tops of the mountains. We were even talking about how hard it will be to leave this place someday (don't worry moms and dads - we will be coming back). Beyond reminding us of how much we love it here, however, our little walk this afternoon out by the lake reminded us of the beauty of this world.

So much of what we think about the world comes from the news on CNN to the newspapers and magazines we read: war, death, infidelity, pollution, hatred, misunderstanding, and how technology is making up for the shortcomings of humanity. But it is moments like our walk today out on that lake that reminds us of what a beautiful world it is that we live in. How great is our Lord God - for the beauty of His creations is awesome and they truly are endless. It is just so refreshing to spend some time pondering about the beauty of this world, and the marvel at the detail of every living thing; the magnificence of every place; and the love God has for every one of us - even as small as we are in this great world.

Anyway- we hope you enjoy some of the memories we've captured from our walk on the lake this afternoon. May God bless you and keep you always. And may your heart and mind be filled with gratitude for the beauty that surrounds us.

(Here is a small video clip of Utah Lake and Utah Valley)

KPMG National Audit Case

Posted by Tracy

So back on January 16, 2007, I got an email from one of the masters students in the accounting program regarding a competition that KPMG was doing. Just so you know, KPMG is another of the Big Four accounting firms. The competition was going to be an advanced audit case, in which students would play the role of a preliminary audit team. This was the first year that the Firm was doing a college level competition, similar to the xTax competition that I did with PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Since it was the first year that KPMG was doing the competition, 22 schools were invited to participate but could only sponsor one team of students. Since there would not be competition within each individual college, students were nominated by faculty to be a part of the team. Fortunately, I was recommended and was made part of the four-person team.

The competition involved 3 modules, each lasting 2 weeks, wherein the team was asked to make preliminary assessments regarding business, accounting, and audit risks of a fictional company and present reports to management. At the end of the six weeks 5 finalist teams would be announced. The great news? Our team was chosen as one of the finalists to go to compete on the national level in New York City!

Our New York trip was from April 14 – 17, 2007, and was a real blast. KPMG put us up in the Waldorf=Astoria and covered everything. I actually had my own room up in the Waldorf Towers which provided quite a nice view. Beyond competing we had some extra time to check out New York. Our team went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway, and hit some of New York’s fun restaurants. I learned a ton about KPMG as well as discovering attractive career paths in the accounting field.

Even though our team did not place first at Nationals, I had an experience that I will never forget and it only fed my ever-growing desire to enter the accounting field. I have been so very impressed with all of the Big Four accounting firms, and am excited to continue learning more about possible careers and internships with these amazing people.

Visit from Mom Farr and Amanda

Posted by Tracy and Hanna

We were really lucky to have Amanda and Mom Farr come to visit with us this past week! They came out for conference but came out early - giving us plenty of time to simply 'hangout' and enjoy one another's company. It was so nice to be able to hear what has been going on in Amanda and Pete's life (which has been a lot in case anyone has been wondering), especially in person rather than over the phone. Although, as much as we want them to move out here to live near us, the idea of them living in Florida does have its perks. *wink* *wink* And having Mom out here has been nice for the obvious reasons - Let's face it - People just need their Mothers.

We both kept saying to each other this past week how wonderful it has been to have family here. Living out here sure has taught us the importance of family and spending time with each other. It is pretty hard to let either Mom or Amanda even go home. We made sure that they both got their Haircuts, though, so we suppose they are allowed to leave now.

We all got to attend conference together which was a blast and of course very uplifting. Temple Square was simply beautiful and the conference center - breathtaking. We packed a lunch and had a picnic in between the Sunday sessions of conference right in temple square. The talks given this conference were just awesome. The theme seemed (at least to us) to be around Repentance and Forgiveness, which of course is so desperately needed in this world. The talks also seemed to focus on testifying to the world that 'Mormons" are indeed Christians. The focus placed on Christ throughout the meetings truly brought the Spirit into the conference and touched our lives.

We are just so grateful to have family and miss everyone so very much. Now, if we can just survive until the beach . . .