Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Florida Week

Dad and I had so much fun in Florida! We went to the YPO GLC (Global Leadership Conference) so we found friends from all over the world there. Here is a quick synopsis of what we did:

We've finished our three days of hard work and "appearances" and "moving around" amongst 2000 YPOers at the GLC (Global Leadership Conference) and have gone from the YPO paying for a fabulous modern chic/slick hotel with a huge balcony overlooking the ocean and lovely beach chairs, fabulous food complete with steel band and incredible singer serenading us all afternoon yesterday at the pool to a totally hilarious...us paying... walls-paper-thin, noisy refrigerator and blasting air-conditioner duct tapped to the wall, pink-plastic-roses-on-the-table-slumdog hotel where you have to run a mile to find any kind of food at a Walgreens...BUT with a gorgeous beach about 30 yards away.

We did meet lots of old friends from previous YPO events and got some really nice offers (lots from South America and some from Lebanon, Bahrain and Oman), a cruise and a family event in the Bermuda, but who knows what will actually materialize. There's lots of work for Dad to do between invitations and actually showing up at the event. We did get some people excited about Orange Sky and we hope fun things will come of that! We'll just see how it unfolds!
We did get to visit with the wife of the guy who wrote "The Last Lecture", Randy Pausch before he died and the former President of Mexico came for a little chat. Also we heard both in word and song from a famous ragae singer from Haiti, saying that he ate dirt paddies for dinner sometimes and is now working on a foundation for kids in Haiti. Lots of good people with great ambitions. The final speaker was the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and he was animated and taught us a lot, not only about music but about leadership. My favorite speaker was a gorgeous woman who was born without bones in her lower legs so they had to be amputated just below the knee. She then became a champion in the para-olympics with fiberglass legs to help her run. A truly remarkable story! She's about 32 and forging her way forward even though she's not racing anymore. She came out and walked around the stage on perfectly beautiful wooden legs and high heels. Except for the ankle not bending, you would never know that they weren't real if she hadn't told us.

We've found a church to go to a 1 o'clock and I've got to go out for a little jog for my exercise goal before we go. (I forgot to bring the SS lesson reading lesson and the food has been scrumptous and too tempting so my points aren't going to be good this week). We are praying mightily for Jonah and Aja as they clear out their house entirely and go to the closing tomorrow. Let us know when you have that money in your hot little hands Jo and Aj! The Lord is in the details on Lucy...so glad that you found that great guy Shawni and can't wait to talk to you tomorrow night! Eli and Julie are enjoying Orlando together. Eli had work there and Julie had the weekend off so they're loving having some time in the sun, not far away from us. As you know Tal and Anita ended up in the Sports Illustrated box at the game last night in Madison Square Garden with Syracuse and Louisville. We were sorry to see all those overtimes come to an end...especially for the Jazz...with such a sad outcome yesterday. Too bad they couldn't have played that game at home. They'd have won for SURE!

Saren and Jared have the new website for PowerInMoms.com up and running and it looks fabulous! Take a look! This is going to be fantastic! Josh has an incredible post on his blog about the wonders of the heavens that is way past incredible! Saydi is meeting dad to help him with a Father/Daughter retreat in Miami, just down the street from where we were. They're looking forward to that! Noah is making me look happy and he and Kristi have posted the most adorable pictures of McKay sleeping! I missed the one by the gong in our house guys. ADORABLE! And Charity is slogging away with enthusiasm and joy in Reading...."Ah to be in England, now that spring is here!"

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