I think this page is self-explanatory. We had a great time in Hong Kong after we got our visas in hand, Which was a difficult process for us. But after we had them, we could relax a little bit, and it didn't cost us an arm and a leg to go to Disneyland so we went. About 50 bucks for kids each, and 60 bucks for adults so it's actually a little cheaper than what they charge in America. But the place is a little bit smaller, Has less rides, In some cases shorter rides, but what a memory! What a great time we had! We are so thankful that we could do something fun for the family after all of the busy government paperwork etc. It took so much time and money. In fact, each visa cost each of our six family members $200 each. Ouch. Disneyland was less than a third of that.
FRONT PAGE NEWS!! we made front page in the ChongQing Newspaper today. Topic is Home School, Music, and Family. If you know Chinese, read all about it!! It's also on the QQ (like twitter) and Weichat throughout China. This was apparently a big deal. The fact that my wife was in the International Women's Group and met some ladies there, and the fact that she ends up telling them that she has 12 kids does not go lost on their memory of her. Surely this was part of the reason that we were interviewed by the Newspaper reporter and their photographer came to the home. I was there too, on my lunch break. The city of Chongqing's newspaper did a story on our family's home school program this Sunday! It was very positive! We had a really nice reporter over here last week, a young lady, a reporter, who is very interested in our homeschool program and what we do as a family. She was also very interested in our upstairs creative studio. So here are some photos of the printed newspaper, the website, as well as China's biggest instant message or service, QQ and wei chat. Here is the article in Chinese on various websites: http://cqcbepaper.cqnews.net/cqcb/html/2013-11/17/content_1693744.htm
自由思想，随时体现。让孩子们回归到自然社会，不要去学校被洗脑。(Freedom of thought, ready to reflect. Let the children return to the natural community, do not go to school to be brainwashed.)
My daughter Emily was listening to songs from lds.org/youth the other day at home here in Chongqing, and I asked her what her favorite song was there... she said "I AM HIS DAUGHTER" and as I listened, I remembered it was one of my favorites there too. Kindred spirit stuff. SO I made this video to celebrate the truth of it, that she (and her sisters) are His daughter... These kind of things help keep our family ties strong because they reinforce the truth that we are an eternal family no matter how many miles separate us on the earth. In this video are some of my favorite samples of videos that I have taken each of my daughters at one time or another in recent years.
7 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earthshall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.
Comments: 18 shares
SRA Oh I loved this so much. Thanks for putting it together guys
GJ It was a group effort, getting ALL KINDS of suggestions from Emily and Christa, helping me remember clips from the past that would work with this wonderful song, Emily's favorite from Strength of Youth. So I made a vid with that song. I love that we are an eternal family...
SRA Me too
NP Love this!!
SJT Stop making me cry!!!! I am ridiculously emotional right now at 7 months pregnant! Ah who am I kidding it has nothing to do with being preggo, I always cry super fast when I feel the spirit. Or watch a sappy commercial. ...or anything to do with kids & it makes me think of my own. This was just beautiful for being a thrown-together Hodge podge collection of video moments you've taken over the years dad. I love how you can slow down the video and zoom in, etc, it really adds so much.
SJT I actually held it together until the last second when I saw me with K flying the kite. Then the tears came. Thanks. Lol
DJ, GJ you are a genius, and we're sure missing your family. RRJ and I have very fond memories of our family fun together as young married couples. My how time has flown by, our kids are the jewels on our lives. They bring us youth and joy. YOU know how to put it into music and video better than anyone I know. wow Love you Guys
CM I hate it when I can't find anything to criticize in your work.
TJT Amazing!!!! loves to you and the family!!!
KMW This is beautiful, Dad!! It made me cry as well. I love our family I do have to say that one of my favorite parts was with N. One of the only scenes with her in it, and she was moving so much the camera couldn't even focus on her! lol
KJF Really very touching, and so well done!
NP Hahaha yeah...I must have been talking about something very important...
KSR I am overwhelmed with emotion. I feel so blessed to know your family and your example and strength has been my rock on many occasions as I look to your family, I know I can persevere in the hardest of times. I love you guys!
SJT KMW, I thought the same thing. I was cracking up (until I started crying at the end) because N, you are always talking like that! ...about very important things! Haha!!
TSB I love this! My cousins are all so beautiful. It made me feel close to them even though we are so very far away.
MP Great work, one of my favorite songs as well.
GJ at first this vid was going to be about Emily but the words "part of the bigger picture" kept ringing their spiritual truth, and so this daughter has sisters and a mom who are also daughters, and they all found their way into it.
RJ That was really neat Dad, thank you! Audrey is just the cutest ever! Boy I miss all my sisters and Mommy so much!
NP I miss everyone too Nae!! Someone make a darn teleporter already!
MJLH Oh GJ that was the most beautiful video of portraying the truth written in that song. I miss you all so very much. Thank you for bring us together again even if it was in a visual sense. I felt closer to you guys than I have since you have moved so far away. I love you and am thankful for your talents and abilities, that enables us to share these moments because of them.. love xoxo aunt N..
LLC bEautIFul!
DDB Love it!
CH You are so talented, GJ, and you have such a BEAUTIFUL family.
GJ We showed this to a new family we met and had them over for dinner this week, and "formally" introduce them to the rest of the family…
LJ Beautiful. Who is singing the song?
GJ LJ that would be an artist from Utah who participated in the Strength of Youth music available on lds.org. It is from the EFY 2010 "Courage to Stand" album, produced by Russ Dixon (who I really like the way he produces), and it was sung by Nicole Sheahan. She is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesheahan Nicole Sheahan Event and Publishing Coordinator at Refinement Records Studied Media Music Studies at Brigham Young University Lives in Provo, Utah
Now while she SINGS this, the artist who made up the song and the lyrics is STEPHANIE MABEY and the sheet music is here: http://www.yourldsmusicstore.com/.../EFY2010...
CS I needed to hear/see this today...coming off kidney stones and feeling a little blue...from far away you have reached me and lifted me. Thank You so much.
http://cqcbepaper.cqnews.net/cqcb/html/2013-11/17/content_1693744.htm