Two Champions

For soccer loving people like us these last weeks have been spent enjoying game after game after game.  The European Football Championship, commonly called the Euros AND the Copa America happened during the same weeks.  National teams from Europe compete in the Euros and teams from South American countries (with a couple of guest teams, like the US, Canada, and Mexico) compete in the Copa.

With multiple games every day it has been a soccer lovers dream. Games from Europe in the morning and then in the evenings from the US.  I printed out brackets to keep track of all the results and dutifully filled them in each day.

No surprises who are two favorites were. 

Spain in Europe

Argentina in the Copa America.

Both teams won all their games leading up to the final so both were favorites.

There were some thrilling games.

Including a shoot out that had me pacing the floor.

Thanks to the heroics of Emil Martinez, Argentina won that one, even after Leo Messi missed his shot!

This was likely Messi's last international tournament as he has reached the ripe old age of 37 - normal retirement age for a professional soccer player.

He didn't have the best tournament but is always a threat on the field.

Then in the championship game he was injured and subbed off.

Broke my heart to see him crying.

But his teammate Lautaro Martinez scored and that was enough to see the team lift the cup for the 16th time and the 2nd time in a row.

As team captain, Messi could have lifted the cup on his own.  Showing his true class and team spirit, he invited the other two 'old guys', his age mates Otamendi and Di Maria, to lift it with him.

Messi will forever be one of my all time favorite players.

On the field he has been mesmerizing and off the field, from all I can read and observe, he is a genuinely nice guy and a great father and husband.

Monica was thrilled to see her country lift another international trophy.

John and Isabella are big fans as well. Lots of happy smiles at their house!

Meanwhile in Europe, Spain kept racking up the victories.

Eventually defeating England in the final.

This year the Spain team had some fantastic young talent.  #17 is Nico Williams (age 23) and the young man on his back is Yamine Yamal, who turned 17 the day BEFORE the final.  And is a 1st team starter for our beloved FC Barcelona. 

I love that he still has braces!

He was named Young Player of the Tournament, was the youngest player to register goal involvement in a major tournament final and his goal against France in the semi-final was voted the Best Goal of the tournament. 

It was a stunner!

Nico and Yamal are good friends.

We would LOVE to see Nico join his buddy as a Barcelona player!

Fingers crossed.  

¡Viva España!

George's contribution was to wear the appropriate shirt while he watched each game. 

Spain in the morning

Argentina in the evening

Worked like a magic charm!

Two games! 

Two shirts!

Two victories!

What A World!

 My good friends the Schwendimans were in London the week before the coronation.  I had asked them to bring me a commemorative mug and a tea towel.  They did!  I have mugs from Charles and Diana's wedding, William and Catherine's and from the Platinum Jubilee. 

The most amazing thing is that on Tuesday morning May 2nd I was sitting at my computer in Eagle, Idaho while I was

Texting with the Schwendimans in London to pick out a mug

Watching a funeral over Zoom that was being held in Salt Lake City

Following a soccer game in Spain on my I-Pad

and 

Receiving photos over What'sApp from Kenya!

What a world we live in!

Wedding in Salt Lake

We thoroughly enjoyed our short little trip to Salt Lake.  The main reason we went was to be there for the wedding of Judea Abellán Pardo, one of the sweet little girls I loved in our Primary in Barcelona.  She is now a beautiful returned missionary and was married in the Salt Lake Temple.  Incidentally that is where she served her mission - Temple Square.   Two years ago we attended the wedding of her sister Canaán also in the Salt Lake Temple.  At that time Judea was on her mission but her mission president gave her permission to attend the ceremony.  This time another sister Nain is serving her mission in the Provo South Mission and she also got to attend her sister's wedding.  The youngest sister Nazaret is serving her mission right now in California.  Have you gotten the idea that this is a remarkable family?  Six girls, all but one have served missions, all who are married have married in the temple!  Two sons, one passed away a few years ago and the other soon to be married in the temple!  I give much credit to their parents Isabel and Antonio.

 

Daughter Nain, mother Isabel, me, father Antonio, and daughter Canaán

 I asked Antonio the secret to raising such a fine family and he said, "Libertad"which means freedom.  He didn't mean that he let his children have total freedom but that his children had their free agency and they choose wisely.  Joseph Smith said, "I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves."  Antonio and Isabell can take credit for being wonderful examples and teaching correct principles.

Now with Canaán's husband Kevin in the group....

 

And here is the beautiful bride Judea and her handsome husband Victor! 

So happy to have shared this day with these people we love so much.  As I was leaving Isabel hugged me and said, "Te amo un montaña".  I love you a mountain!  Igualmente!  Me too....I love this family a mountain!

Merry Christmas from Sagrada Familia

Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

 Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us  16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.  

Luke 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God…….     

Matthew 2: 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.                                                                                                         

Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:                         Matthew 2:16 ¶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.                                        

 Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

 

Gaudi is a Genius #3 - His Masterpiece

 "Antoni Gaudi had one main objective: to convert the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia into the perfect temple.  To accomplish this, he dedicated the last 43 years of his life to building what would become one of the masterpieces of art and architecture of all time."

When we moved to Barcelona in 1995, Sagrada Familia was just a beautiful shell of a building.  The passion facade and the nativity facade were a sight worth seeing but the inside was essentially a construction zone and home to lots of stray cats!  Nothing much had changed by the time we moved back to the USA in 2000.  What a difference 13 years can make!  

Now Gaudi's dream to create a link between heaven and earth has become a reality!  And it is stunning!

His goal was to establish a close relationship between heaven and earth by means of height and light.  To do this the windows had to be so large that the outside walls could not be load bearing.  To overcome this problem, Gaudi came up with a 'tree like' system where loads could be transferred down to the ground by means of the branching out of columns.  Efficient and so beautiful!  Reminiscent of the forest he had envisioned, it is easy in this beauty for you thoughts to go heavenward!  I'm sure that is exactly the goal he had in mind.

  

The words inscribed on the outside are reminders of what a Christian life should be.

Sacrifice

Prayer

Charity

Antoni Gaudi was not only a genius but a spiritual giant whose dedication to and love for God is perfectly illustrated by the beauty and spirituality so easily found in La Sagrada Familia.  Generations will be blessed to worship here.

Gaudi is a Genius # 2 - Casa Batlló

Of all the houses designed by Antoni Gaudi, Casa Battló has always been my favorite!  Something about the dragon roof and the mask balconies just makes me smile. Like Parc Guell, this architecture is pure fun! When we lived in Barcelona it was not open to the public but that has changed and on our recent visit we got to go on a tour of the inside.  Because I had pre-purchased tickets on line, we bypassed the LONG line, showed our tickets and went right in.  Now George says that skipping that line was one of the best parts of the whole trip!  My value as a trip planner went way up in his book!

Gaudi designed this home for a wealthy Catalan industrialist and his family between 1904 and 1906.  Actually he took a relatively ordinary looking building and transformed it into this fantastical, imaginative masterpiece.  The Batlló family lived in this house until the 1950s.

A few favorite photos from Casa Batlló….

Mushroom shaped fireplace with courting benches, a double seat on one side for the courting couple and a small seat on the other for the chaperone.  This actually reminds me of something that should be in Hobbit house!

Tile flower pots built into the wall on the patio

Interesting columns in the dining room and doors leading out to the patio 

Gaudi enlarged the light wells and added tiles which vary in shades of blue from the lightest on the bottom to almost navy blue on the top so that the distribution of light is even.  Also the windows are larger on the bottom where more light is needed.  Gaudi was not only an architectural genius, but an engineering marvel as well!

No ordinary chimneys for this building!

Look at that blue Mediterranean sky!

Street lights along Passeig de Gràcia
These were designed by a contemporary of Gaudi.

Gaudi is a Genius #1 Parc Guell

 I'm not sure how many trips I have taken to Gaudi's amazing Parc Guell. Since it is mandatory to take any 1st time Barcelona guests I am sure I have been many times. A stroll through Parc Guell gives one a real taste of the playful genius of Antoni Gaudi.  On our recent visit I tried to take a few photos other than the normal 'lizard' shot to try and capture some of the tile fun!

But we couldn't resist one 'lizard' shot!

I am sure my house needs more tile.

                                   

 What could be more beautiful than tile undulating benches?

 I also am sure that a window like this would add a lot to our house.

 And maybe a tile wall in the garden….

And lets top the house off with a roof like this!   Do you think the architectural control committee for our neighborhood would agree to a turret and a cross?