Through the Ages

While we were in Mexico the girls made a video entitled, "Through the Ages".  The video is fantastic!  Luckily, Mormor (who was filming) also took some pictures.  The pictures are priceless too.





It starts with childhood, each girl representing something of childhood.

Then we enter the tumultuous teens...

Then comes motherhood.

Adele is a working mother at Mademoiselle Magazine

Ceci is a busy stay-at-home mom

Tennie is a mom keeping in shape and in contact with friends

 And then come the Golden Years.  The video is hilarious as their impromptu commentary about "high prices and saggy boobs" goes on and on.  Look at each of their faces in these pictures!

I sure love these creative little ladies of ours!

Mexico

Last week Geoff and I returned from a week in Mexico for a Young Global Leader and World Economic Forum conference.  The conference was held at a beautiful resort in Nuevo Vallarta.  Geoff has been to many of these conferences and has brought home stories of amazing people who are changing the world in their own way.  It was a PLEASURE to accompany him and experience it myself.

A view from our balcony

The Young Global Leader group is really an amazing group of passionate, interesting, diverse and genuine people.  Everyone has a remarkable story.  Many are high profile so our hotel was surrounded by military holding machine guns, and military boats guarded our beach.  This was the same throughout all of the World Economic Forum hotels and routes.
In addition secret service were everywhere.  The cool part was I couldn't tell who was a princess of a country or a high official in another country.  All seemed to be at ease and themselves.
 

This is a new and dear friend, Nina, from Geneva

One day a group of us participated in Dignity Day, a program a few YGLs created a few years ago.  We went to local middle schools, broke into groups and did a workshop on the meaning of dignity, and the importance of treating others with dignity.  It was a very powerful day.

Geoff and his group, which consisted of a few unique individuals (one who was in a wheel chair, and another who was deaf and mute) whom were the targets of a lot of bullying

We spoke briefly to the whole school and got a group of the students together for a photo

A few of us presenters with the school principle (in white)

 At another school a YGL named Michael, from Venezuela, told a story about himself.  Let me introduce Michael before telling his story.  Michael life is a miracle in itself.  The doctors told his mother he would never live because he could never breathe.  Then when he did the doctors said he would never walk.  In some way his body doesn't effectively build muscle, so he has very little muscle.  He cannot move his arms other than swinging them with his few back muscles.  But he can walk, and to teach others that anything is possible he knows how to swim, AND he runs multiple marathons a year around the world.  It takes him 15 HOURS!!!  But he doesn't stop.  This guy went out into the ocean with Geoff and a few others (he had a few people with him all the time) and was getting knocked over by the waves.  A person held each of his arms.  He is a giant in a frail, little body.  Most definitely one of the coolest people I've ever met.  

So Michael told the kids he taught a story of when he was walking down a busy street alone, and fell.  He can't get himself up when he falls so he called for help.  "Can someone help me?"  People saw his mis-shapen body and walked on by.  After 40 minutes (!) he felt two strong hands lift him up to his feet.  Michael smelled something horrible and turned around to see a homeless man.  The homeless man said he didn't have much but in this small way he was happy to be able to help someone.  Michael asked what the man needed.  The homeless man said, "I'm hungry."  Michael responded that he could help with that problem and he took the homeless man to lunch.  After that Michael saw to it that this man got back on his feet, and he no longer lives on the street.

Geoff and Michael on the beach

The Mexicans in the Dignity Day group suggested a local favorite restaurant...all raw food (mostly fish dishes).  I love the workers in the background!

Geoff had told me about this amazing couple who are extremely courageous (and in great danger every day) in their country as they stand up to a dictator.  (I'm being purposely vague.)

Lastly, a picture of Geoff announcing a "Dad's Group" meeting, a group he and another guy spearheaded to help the dads in the group stay focused on what matters most.

Easter

We had a great Easter week studying the last week of the Savior, acting the stories out, eating foods people of that time ate, coloring Easter eggs (a project the girls did entirely by themselves from set-up to clean-up - hallelujah!), Easter baskets and egg hunts, a delicious crepe breakfast, and fish and honeycomb for dinner as we wrapped up with the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Everyone searched for their own colors of eggs

I wish life slowed down more for Easter.  It seems this time of year there is always a lot going on, and we're squeezing in our Holy Week.  Squeeze or not, it was a lovely celebration.

Adele's Birds

Adele can whip out an adorable bird painting.  Geoff's mom asked for one for Christmas and it now hangs in one of her bathrooms.  Ingrid saw it on the wall during her visit and commissioned Adele to make two.  Will her simple art change over the years?  If so, I wanted to make sure to capture these birds.

Adele does her painting on the laundry room floor

Finished product

A Visit From the Wells Family

Geoff's sister Ingrid and her family were in town several days last week, and I only took one photo to prove it.  Mostly that is because when they are around our kids disappear except when we holler for meals.


It is so fun to watch nieces and nephews grow and change over the years.  They just get better and better.  So do their parents...

Hollywood

Geoff's brother Christian is the guide for a tour of famous star's homes, and Tennie and Geoff got to take the tour.  Tennie claims she saw "The Rock" in a car that went by, but other than that found it lacked excitement.  Christian's funny remarks were the best part.

L.A. Temple

Tennie and Geoff spent several hours in the L.A. temple doing over 170 baptisms for the dead! WOW!  Tennie didn't want to leave.  "It felt so good in there.  I couldn't worry about anything in there even if I wanted to!"  It was a stark contrast to the city in which they had been exploring, and Tennie felt the holiness of the place.  She had so much individual attention and doting.  It was a perfect first experience, and she'll soon go back.