Ferrin Family Birthday Parties

One of the really wonderful things about living in Utah are the Ferrin Family Birthday parties. The Utah kids have been having monthly parties for all those who have birthdays during the month for several years. When we moved to Utah two years ago, they moved the parties to our house, mostly because we are central to all of the kids (we live right in the middle with three kids 20 minutes north and three kids 20 minutes south), and also because the numbers had grown from around 12 to closing in on 30.

This month they had a pool and play party. They brought over a couple of swimming pools and we set up the "bounce house". It turned out to be the coolest summer day since early June but it was still in the low 80s and very wonderful weather. Besides the pool and bounce, they had Nintendo DS shared video games where they challenged each other to Mario Cart races, the regular games and toys downstairs, and food. There is always food at these parties. Everyone contributes something and we usually have a lot left over.

Each month a different family is the planner and host. Stef and Josh did the pool party. They decide what to do, what to eat, make all of the assignments, and are generally in charge. Next month Neil and LeAnn are planning the party. It does get to be a challenge getting a date where all seven families are available. We have to work around Kalin's football, Braden's soccer, and BYU football games!

Over the last year, we have had Pirate and Princess parties, picnics up the canyons, game nights, and several parties around different food themes. As I said, there is always food...

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

A jewel that Mary Ellen and I discovered a little over a year ago is Thanksgiving Point Gardens located just north of us. It is a 55 acre garden that starts the year with about 250,00 tulips arranged in the most breathtaking colors. Later in the year it changes to hollyhocks, roses, and other summer flowers that are equally beautiful. On a warm summer evening, the walk through the gardens is generally cooler than the rest of the valley and makes for a lovely two mile walk through various themed gardens and meadowlands. In addition, there are six or so waterfalls that are the largest man-made waterfalls in North America.

On Monday nights in the summer, they also have "Family Home Evening" nights with various themes. They had a artist night where kids could paint and sculpt, a pirates night complete with a wild bird show, a jello fight night (we skipped that one), a waterslide night, and a rocket launching night.

I have taken a number of pictures at the gardens. The spring pictures are located here and the summer pictures are located here.

Ward Single Adults

Our calling in the Church is to advise the older Single Adults in our ward. We actually received this call before we even moved into the ward. We got a cell phone call as we were crossing Kansas on our way to Utah. The Bishop of our ward at the time had 33 older single adults (35-99) and was concerned that someone was looking out for our needs. We had a few in the 35-50 range but most were in the 60-91 range, and most were female. The Bishop asked us to hold a monthly family home evening for the group and to alert him, the Relief Society, and the Priesthood of any needs they had.

Our monthly meeting were quite enjoyable. We usually had about 5-7 out in any one month. Single Adults in the 35-99 group divide themselves into various groups: those that don't want anything to do with any group called Single Adults, those that feel they are too old to participate, those with families that are too busy to participate, and those that like to have the companionship of a group. It is the last group that attended our monthly get-togethers.

The ward was split last April. While we had half the members of the previous ward (350 out of 700), the number of Single Adults fell to 8. One didn't want any contact, 2 didn't want to be involved with the Single Adults, and the rest are pretty active in the group. A few months ago they asked if we could meet more often, so now we meet twice a month. we now have a wonderful group of members, one older male and the rest middle aged females. They are very supportive of each other and we have some really wonderful discussions during our meetings together.

Abi's Dance Recital

Today after working at the Church Office Building for a few hours, we went down to Orem to see Abi's Dance Recital. They had all of the dance classes from the Orem Fitness Center perform a couple of numbers. Unfortunately, before they had to go on stage, they had them watching a princess movie of some sort on a wide screen in a room backstage. Abi didn't want to go out for the first number because she was too busy watching the movie. She did participate in their second number.

Mary Ellen is Going Back to School

Mary Ellen has been accepted back into BYU and will return to (hopefully) finish her degree starting in January. Last week, before she was even accepted, we had gone down to BYU so that I could get a hair cut. While she was waiting for me, she went over to the Art Department to see if she could talk to an advisor about which emphasis she should be applying for. The advisors were either not there or busy, but the secretary gave her the materials that she needed to be able to apply for entrance to the art program. She was told that she couldn't take any art classes until she was accepted into the program, that those decisions wouldn't be made until April, and that she needed to fill out a multi-page application and submit a portfolio.

She was really discouraged that she would have to wait until spring or next fall before taking art courses. While walking down the hall, she noticed a professor had his door opened. She asked him if he could answer some of her questions. After talking to her, he said that even though she was interested in Illustration as an emphasis, it seemed to him that Studio Arts would be a better fit for her varied interests and background. He asked if she had anything with her that he could see what her talents were. She was carrying her journal with a drawing of Wilford Woodruff in it that she had done for the Church. When he saw her work, he left for about 10 minutes. When he returned, he told her that she was "in". Mary Ellen asked "in" what? "In the Art program". It turned out that he was in charge of the art program admission and had already admitted her based on what he had seen. This even before she was accepted into BYU!

At this point, Mary Ellen doesn't know how long it will take her to finish but she is really excited to go back and get her degree. Tim really doesn't know how to feel about his Mom being at BYU the same time as he is.