Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Posted by Tracy

So God gave me a concrete sign the other day; a sign confirming that Novell was the right place for me to be working. Apparently, Novell purchased quite a few Indiana Jones tickets and it ended up that my boss took our little department out to see the movie the first day it came out. How much more of a sign do you need!?! If an employer supports the adventures of Indiana Jones, then they've already done enough to earn my earnest devotion.

**Movie Spoilers Below**

So, I thought the movie was a real hit. Harrison Ford did a spectacular job, of course. And bring Marion back into the picture was very clever and provided some closure. Shia did well too, but I held my breath at the end when he almost put on Indy's hat... phew! That was a close one.

I felt that the movie was spectacular in all areas but two:

1. Villain: Indiana Jones is Indiana Jones because he fights the forces of evil single handed. Due to this expectation, it is important to correctly establish the villain as a part of something much bigger than themselves. Nazi's were the perfect example. When you saw Indy fighting a Nazi, he wasn't just fighting the soldier, but the entire force of injustice and evil. However, in this film, the small group of renegade Soviets did not live up to the expectation. You didn't connect them to anything bigger, and even when considered individually, they just didn't cut it.

2. Quest / Subject: UFO's and Aliens? Uhhh.... Indiana Jones looking over the UFO was just a little too much for me, and the ending closed too quickly. For whatever reason (even though I actually enjoy the legends of the Crystal Skulls), the subject felt a little too sci-fi for me.

All in all, I thought it was a great movie and deserving of my anticipation these many years. Who knows? Maybe we'll see Indiana again...

Sophie Update: Pictures and Videos

Posted by Tracy and Hanna

Well guys, I’ve been saying I would post some videos of Sophie for a while now. Sorry about the delay. I was trying to figure out a way to split some of the videos so that you could just watch the fun parts, but then again, she’s always fun. So here are some videos of Sophie trying to smile and talk to us.

** Please ignore the baby-talking, obsessive parents in the background (us).

Here is Sophie trying to Smile. The video is long and the best parts are early on.

Here is Sophie trying to Talk.

Here is Sophie trying to Talk; Part II

Hanna has also taken some pretty amazing pictures of Sophie lately, so I wanted to show you a couple of those as well. Sophie never stops surprising us with all hr new faces and sounds. She really is the most wonderful little angel, and we couldn't be prouder of how good a baby she is.

She's recently taken quite a liking to the miniature teddy bears hanging from her mobile on her Pack 'n Play. It's probably one of her favorite things to do: just lay down and watch the Teddy Bears go round and round.

Sophie is sleeping quite well and is growing so much each day! She misses you all and can't wait to meet everyone!

Goodbye Junior Core, Hello MAcc

Posted by Tracy

Well, for those of you who haven't heard, I finished the BYU Accounting Junior Core on April, 23 when I took my last final. Words cannot express my relief that on that Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, I couldn't completely relax because I was enrolled for the Spring term (which started up shortly after that) and I was still nervous about my application to the MAcc.

The MAcc is the Masters of Accounting Program which has two different stems: Tax and Professional (audit). I applied at the end of March for the program and haven't slept well since. It is a great opportunity to continue my education, especially considering BYU's high ranking reputation in the accounting field. Well finally, on Thursday, I heard back from the School of Accountancy with good news: I will be starting the Master's Program in Fall, 2008. Things are going pretty fantastic in my little world.

So right now this is the plan: I'm going to finish my Bachelors in Mandarin Chinese, and I'll of course finish my Bachelors and Masters in Accountancy. I'm also planning on getting a Minor in Information Systems, which is a definite along with the others already mentioned. The big variable is the Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic) Minor I was hoping to get. Any extra time that I have beyond my very full plate will be spent shooting for that, but given the current tasks at hand, it is going to be a miracle if I can finish it. Graduation is still set for Summer 2010, with us heading back East at the end of Summer that year. I should be able to finish (or at least mostly finish) my CPA certification by our move back home as well.

As for the short term, things at Novell have been going great! I am learning so much and I am beginning to see how wonderful of an opportunity this job will be for me. It'll definitely jump-start my career in public accounting, which I am excited about. This Summer will be busy as well, packed with work, Spring classes, and Big Four recruiting events. Spring classes end in about a month though, so things should cool down after that.

I have some fun recruiting events coming up as well. In the beginning of June, I am heading back to Pittsburgh for a couple of days for a Leadership event with KPMG. Later that month, I am visiting Pittsburgh again for a different Leadership program with Ernst & Young. Then in late July, I will be heading to Hollywood, CA for a few days to attend KPMG's National Fast Forward Leadership Program. I have been extremely lucky to have so many opportunities with these firms, and I am very excited for this packed Summer.

So things are still busy, but I'm getting plenty of experience and having a blast! Hope everyone is enjoying the Summer and having fun.

Sophie Rolls Over [Front to Back]

Posted by Tracy

Hello all! Sophie began trying to roll over from her front to her back at the beginning of May. On May 4th, we caught this video of her doing it. She sure is cute, and Mom and Dad couldn't be prouder of her!

The New Job: Novell Internal Audit

Posted by Tracy

Well, it's back to work for me! After long consideration and discussion (about two months long) Hanna and I decided that it would be best if I went back to work and she stayed home with Sophie. Originally, our plan was to have Hanna continue working at Remedez while I was still in School, and we would juggle the baby. Eventually, we decided the baby was too delicate to be juggled and our lives would be much simpler if each of us could tackle a priority head on. So Hanna left Remedez, which a sad day for Hanna, but I think she's gotten over it pretty quick.

The job at Novell has been quite the opportunity though. It's in the Internal Audit department and couldn't be more perfect for me at this point in my life. I first heard about the job at a friend's Marine Commissioning, to be honest. I ran into one of the current interns at that time, and somehow we got to talking about accounting and how we were both in the program. He told me about the position and how an opening was coming up in the Summer, and here we are! I was actually quite nervous during the interview process because of the competition for the job and simply how great of an opportunity it would be. But everything worked out for the best and on Wednesday of this week, I started working.

The position has me responsible for assisting the Director of Internal Audit and the Audit Manager in the documentation, testing and evaluation of internal controls and business procedures. We conduct research, perform analyses, flowchart processes and maintain a SOX database (Access database). The position actually mostly revolves around maintaining this SOX Database for the company and assisting in the SOX audit performed by external auditors. In fact, this Summer we're going to redesign and deploy an entirely new database, and I will be able to be a part of that project. There are only two Internal Audit Interns there at a time and the position is usually a two year gig. The interns also perform a variety of operational audits and side projects. All in all, I feel like I am going to be learning so very much and I couldn't be more thrilled for the opportunity.

The great thing about the job is how perfectly it prepares me for what I want to be doing. I couldn't ask for a better job to help me prepare for Public Accounting, and the opportunities to advance my IT and Information Systems knowledge are abundant. Anyway, both Hanna and I are quite excited about the new change and are sure it will be for the best.

This is a picture of the building I work at. My office is on the 4th floor.