2013-2014 in Review

So you might be thinking its 2015 and I'm reading about 2013. Yep, well that's our blogging record for you.

Here's our top most memorable moments of Sept 2013-June 2014 in no particular order:

-       Iron chef challenge 

Our friends Marianne and Lance Von Bracht, Jordan and Hailey Mabey, and Matt and Haley Langton competed in a date night iron chef. Our challenge was to use sour cream and they had to use cottage cheese. Not to be cheesy, but it was a treat to spend time with our friends.

- First and Last BYU Football Game
Curtis had never been to a BYU game, so finally our friends let us have their tickets and we went, despite the snow storm. Curtis rubbed my feet during half time since they had frozen- (I've got the best husband around.)

-       Hike up Farmington mountain
Momma Ferrin had finally recovered from her knee replacement. She wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of climbing up the mountain peak just south of Farmington Canyon. What we thought of as a two hour hike turned into a day long trek that challenged our spirits continually. The troop consisted of Jacob, Jacob's girlfriend Mo, Curtis, and Momma Ferrin. After we had hiked for about 3 hours up steep hills and rocks, the trail ended. We then had to bushwhack up the rest of the mountain for another couple of hours. No one escaped being all cut up by the tough, sharp, bushes and trees that we forged through. We finally made it to the top and were rescued and brought down the mountain by Grandma Peterson (Momma Ferrin's mother) and Avery.

-       Stuart Called to Serve
December of 2013 is when Stu gave a talk in a sacrament meeting that would be his last before he went to serve in the Omaha Nebraska Mission. It was a blessing though, that upon entering the MTC, Curtis was one of his teachers, which meant that Curtis and Elder Barrett left the MTC for good at the same time.

Stu's mission call

-       BYU graduation

April was the mark of 5 years at BYU for me, Avery. I extended my education to include a Bachelors of Art, ESL minor, and an Art Education Teaching Certificate. It's a weird combination, I know, but with it I hope to have a variety of opportunities available to me.

-       Another trip to NAEA in San Diego
Avery got to go to San Diego with the Art Educators and had a blast!


-     Awesome Halloween Costumes
No description necessary

-       Curtis- Cutco
After I ended my time teaching at the MTC I was referred by my cousin for a position with Vector Marketing. Thus I began showing and selling the world's finest cutlery, a challenge for both me and my family. I am deeply grateful though for all those that were willing to listen to my presentation and those who chose to become part of my Cutco family.

-    Assistant Manager and Secretary
After working for Vector/Cutco for awhile and attending the leadership academy they have, I became the Assistant Manager for Vector Marketing in the Provo, UT office. Avery was a saint and decided to support me in my work for Vector, so she became a receptionist and secretary for Vector.

-    Chicago and RDC Conferences
When Curtis was first made an Assistant Manager for Vector he got to go to Chicago, IL and then Dallas, TX. The seminars that he attended were both motivating and inspiring, and after returning from the conferences and and returned to showing Cutco, he became more successful.

Chelsie, Kameron, Curtis, and Josue on the way to Chicago

One of the weeks during the summer in the whole Central Region

-    Avery- Taught an ESL High School Class 

For a semester I observed and taught three ESL classes with my classmate, Jana Crofts. We taught a beginning, intermediate, and advanced class with students ranging from speaking no English to foreign exchange students that were fluent but still learning culture specific words. Due to smaller class sizes (13-18 students) I was able to get to know the students better which made the experience so much more rewarding. They acted up a little bit, but I came to love them in my short time.


-    Avery- Art Specialist for a 3rd Grade Class
 I loved coming weekly to do art projects with them because they were so bright and creative.These kids got so into art! I have a separate blog with all of the art lessons and activities we did.

-    Curtis- 1st grade practicum
"You ar the best stoodet teecher" was one of my first and favorite things a "stoodet" wrote to me. Teaching first grade was a good introduction into what it means to teach using baby steps.

-    Curtis - 6^th practicum
Some of the most memorable parts were having classroom meetings, teaching with my great friend Craig Bell, and doing my guided reading groups with stories like Maniac Magee. Leaving the school with a torn shirt and pants from the intense way that I played zombie tag was also a major memory.

-       Read The Hobbit

After watching the second Hobbit movie, we wanted some resolve in our lives so we borrowed The Hobbit from a friend and relived Bilbo's adventures. Reading aloud was great, even if Avery was asleep 1/8th of the time.

-       Stay with grandpa Adams
We got to spend time during the summer staying with Avery's grandpa, Monroe Adams, at his home in Alpine, Utah. This included trips driving up the canyon, visits to friends and family, learning how to use an oxygen pump, drawings with Grandpa, games(And he beat us!), picking his own flowers to take to the cemeteries in Idaho, walks around the park, listening to stories, and more stories, and more stories. We learned a lot from him in those 10 days and we were grateful for the time we had before he passed away later that summer.

-        Avery-  Art Student Teaching 
From January to April Avery taught the art classes at Reagan Academy for 1^st-8^{th grades (Almost 600 students). It was challenging teaching the various age groups each day but it was such a rewarding experience.  The first graders would wave at Avery in the hallways and forget to use the restroom before class because they were so excited for art class.  The 3rd-4th graders learned art from various cultures- such as Medieval playing cards and Kalimbas(African instrument) out of clay. The 5th-6th graders gave me a run for my money. With the 7th-8th graders we focused on more difficult concepts and techniques, when they were willing to work.}  

These are just a few of our favorite memories.  

The Ferrin Fancy Reflection

We've enjoyed one year of marriage while living here at our 

"Ferrin Fancy". 

The first couple of weeks we enjoyed some challenges in our home: finding the right angle to turn the handle of our sink so it would turn on, making sure the left refrigerator door closed before the right, and also learning how to flush the toilet without a handle.

But when all was said and fixed our home became a place where we now enjoy the luxury of working appliances. While its been important to have working appliances, we know that to have a happy home our home needs Jesus Christ's power and help.  

That's why we made a goal to have to have a Christ-centered home.

  

And so, after a year of marriage we wanted to share some of our favorite memories we have made while living at this home.

Here are our top 20 memories: 

• Trip to Cancun 

The T.V Ads are No Joke

Aunt Diana sent the Ferrins (Grandma Peterson, Momma and Papa Ferrin, Lance, us two) to her timeshare in Cancun. We realized the beaches in Cancun really were as beautiful as they showed on T.V- they even combed the sand every morning! We got to explore Chichen Itza , one of the new 7 seven wonders of the World, swim in a Cenote (cave diving), snorkel along the coral reef, and share a Book of Mormon and our testimonies with a few friends we met. 

• Avery added a Teaching Certificate and TESOL minor 

                          More School?                          

After Avery's art portfolio disappeared the week it was due, she was directed by the Lord to add a Art Teaching Certificate. Then while starting those classes another option to add a ESL endorsement was presented, which is required for teaching in many states. This option sounded like a good idea and could be finished within the summer terms, so Avery seized it.

• Callings: Choir Director /Nursery Teacher 

Director of Babies?

We went to the married student ward and within weeks Curtis was asked in a spiritually powerful and overwhelming interview to be the Ward Choir director and Avery got precisely what she wanted: to be in the Nursery. With the fate of the children and the choir in our hands we tried our best to serve the Lord.

• Learning to Cook

Burned a Few Here, Ate a Few There 

Pinterest became a new friend to Avery as she has developed her cooking skills.

• 4.0 Semesters       

                      Benefits of Marriage                       

Sometimes when couples get together their grades plummet. For us, this was not the case. In our first year of marriage, with the help of the Lord, both Avery and I were able to achieve terms/semesters where we got 4.0 GPAs. 

• Family Reunions

Double the Family, Double the Fun

• Ferrin Family Celebration of Life for Grandma Ferrin up in Eden, Utah
• Peterson Family get together at the Farmington pool
• Adams family reunion up along Snake River in Burley, Idaho
• Barrett Family reunion with a BYU professor speaking about one of our ancestors, John Lowe Butler

• Ran Sub 5 min Mile

Curtis' Bucket List Item #10

After a summer term of working out the pay off came. I ran my sub five minute mile (4:50.78 approximately) . . . on a tread mill. Despite the somewhat easier nature of a tread mill, the requirement for me is met, but is it possible for me to run a sub 5 min. mile off of a tread mill?

• The Mormon Manti Pageant

Spirit"hill"

With our friends the Blacks, von Brachts, and Judds we made the delightful journey down to Manti, home of the Manti Temple. The Savior's descent in the play was the crowning event and as the children ran to him to be blessed our eyes welled with tears. Though it was a little outdated, we still learned from the Holy Spirit.

• Intramural Teams  

Covetousness at BYU

Perhaps the most coveted item at BYU, given only to those athletes who win championships in the athletic tournaments that happen during evening competition on the fields of BYU, is an intramural champion shirt. We competed on many of the team events  (soccer, ultimate frisbee, football, inner-tube water polo, volleyball, kickball, track, dodgeball, and softball) securing championships in: football (Curtis), inner-tube water polo (both), kickball (both), and track (Curtis- 100m). 

• Avery's NAEA trip to Fort Worth, TX

Accidentally Blessed 

The Art Education program sent out applications for entrance into a few art education conventions. I applied thinking it was for one in St. George that I was already planning on attending. I was blessed to receive a scholarship for a paid trip 3 day trip to the National Art Education Association Convention in Fort Worth, Texas! A couple teachers, some fellow classmates, and I went to the convention and got lots of ideas from art educators and artists from all over the country and in addition took a visit to the Fort Worth Museum. I also got to pray for and invite our cab driver to look into the LDS church. 

•  Curtis Wisdom Teeth Surgery

                       Two Minutes Flat  

The dentist gave us a 45 minute window for Curtis's wisdom teeth surgery so Avery brought her laptop to do homework. She got to go right into the operating room and within 4 minutes after the numbing was done,  the doctor had the 2 teeth pulled. Curtis went to work within the next hour. 

• Bishopric/ Relief Society Presidency 

Full Enough?

As if our lives weren't full enough after a few months in our ward Curtis was called to the bishopric of the ward. Lance's response in finding out: "So, now the only time you had with Avery is also gone." Not too long afterwards Avery was called to the Relief Society Presidency and the  two of us find ourselves with many rewarding and challenging opportunities to help God's children in our ward.

• Curtis: Dominated as Drama Class President

First to the Board

I discovered a new talent during my education classes: Drama. After a semester of drama I enjoy telling stories with my voices, using puppets, acting out books, and ultimately just being dramatic. I got to inspire and help others to be dramatic as the class president. Truthfully the reason I was class president was because the first day of class with Lisa Bean, PHD, everyone had the opportunity to write their name on the board to decide which classroom positions they wanted and I was the first one to write on the white board.

• Avery: Learned to cut Curtis's hair 

A Little Off The Sides and a Nice Nick in the Back 

Curtis felt just fine letting me cut his hair. So we bought our own cutting kit at Walmart. Curtis' sister and mom both showed me how. Even though I had cut his hair a couple times during one haircut I cut a line down the back of his head. Fortunately my aunt Kay (also a hairdresser) came to the rescue. I'm a little more hesitant these days.

• Benson Invitational 1/2 Marathon

Half Way There

Our friends, Claire and Kyle Benson put together their own half marathon up Provo Canyon. Without training we decided to participate. The catch was Avery wanted to do 9 miles and Curtis didn't want to do it at all. But at 6.5 miles into it, we thought "we've already gone this far, why not finish it?" So we did. We were happy to finish, but our muscles regretted it. 

• Curtis: Zone Coordinator

Staying Put

There have been many activities over the past year I have done and running track for BYU was on the horizon multiple times. After starting to prepare though, the Lord redirected me, telling me to stay at the MTC and disqualifying me from running by the simple requirement of hours that the missionaries need. After choosing to stay at the MTC my life changed as I was asked to be a zone coordinator, enriching my life with more opportunities to help both missionaries and teachers at the MTC.

• Paintings from our talented grandparents

It Runs in the Family 

Curtis and Avery both have grandparents that have an art streak in them. We received a nice watercolor of a chapel for Christmas by Avery's Grandpa Barrett , which he painted from his mission in Stockholm, Sweden. When deciding what Avery wanted to keep from Grandma Jeanne Adams' possessions, all Avery wanted was one of her paintings not only because they were rare and beautiful but because making art with Grandma was one of her sweetest memories of Grandma. We also asked Grandma Jeanne Ferrin to paint us a picture and she let us decide what we wanted. We chose of landscape of the Tetons and a lake that was one of the last completed before her death (Curtis's dad ended up wanting and getting one just like it for Grandma's last painting).

• Missionary experiences

Every Member a Missionary

Avery wanted to go on a mission but then married her mission prep teacher! Part of marrying Curtis though ensured that there would be other missionary experiences along he way. We constantly pray for opportunities to help others "come unto Christ" and we have been blessed with a plethora of them. 

• Anniversary Road-trip through Oregon 

Honeymoon Reunion

For our 1 year anniversary or as we termed it " Honeymoon Reunion", Curtis planned a road trip to the Oregon coast. We decided our activities and places to sleep along the way. Of all the things we did this year, this was probably the most spontaneous.

Marriage- We recommend it!