I recently finished reading a book series called Uglies. I know, I know it is a total teeny-bopper book (not fantastically written book or terribly complex) but it certainly has made me think- really think about how I define beauty and why. Let me explain.

The book is set 300 years in the future. The story is told by a teenage girl named Tally. In Tally's world physical beauty is paramount- the end all be all of every ones existence. Beauty is so important in fact, that people are separated by their age and appearance. And at the age of 16 everyone undergoes an extensive operation to transform their bodies from their natural ugliness to a government agreed upon ideal for physical perfection. They are lengthen or shortened, thinned out or filled in to meet a standard. Their eyes are widen, check bones defined, lips made fuller. Hair color, eye color, skin color are all standardized as well. In addition to changes in their physical appearance the operation also makes them healthier and stronger. Anyway, the story is about Tally's struggle to overcome the social conditioning she has about beauty and accept the truth about what beauty really is. That is the story. Here is what has been tumbling around in my mind since I read it.

At first I thought the story was simply a funny piece of pop culture taken to the extreme. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that (minus the extreme mandatory "pretty" operation) our society is not much different from the one described in the book. I mean, isn't beauty on our day defined for us by someone else? The media. Aren't we all, in one way or another, striving to achieve some preconceived notion of beauty? Don't we all experience some sense of dissatisfaction and shame when we simply don't measure up to our societies "pretty" standards. I didn't want to admit it at first, but the more I've thought about it, the more I realized that I am a product (perhaps victim is a better word) of our societies views of beauty. I think this reality hit me hardest when we were in Rome a few weeks ago.

I had been thinking about beauty for some time and had been asking myself how I define it, not how the world defines it for me. But I was struggling to define physical beauty in my mind becasue my feelings about people, my experience with them, my knowledge of who they were made it difficult to see their physical features the way they really are. So I was excited to go to Rome and do some "people watching" and see if I could come up with a definition base solely on appearance. Was it their height or hair color or size or facial features that made someone in a crowd stand out as beautiful? Was it the way they carried themselves, their nationality, their clothing or style of dress? What is it that makes people pretty? These were the questions I was seeking answer to.

In any case, as I walked around Rome and watched the people around me I discovered that indeed, my views on beauty were base on society's standards. I discovered that for me beauty is about size, hair and skin quality, facial features and style. I discovered that the greater the combination of these qualities a person had the more beautiful they seemed to me. This realization startled and up-set me.

I think it was up-setting for two reasons. 1) it meant I had been conditioned by society to think about beauty in a certain way and 2) becasue don't want to those ideas to govern my thinking about beauty. I want to think differently about beauty than the world says I should. I want to be able to look at my pale, imperfect skin in the mirror and not be embarrassed. I want to see my not-so-thin hips and not feel ashamed BUT the conditioning is real and it is deeply rooted in me.

Toward the end of the first book Tally faces some of the same realizations I did. She spends the rest of the series fighting to overcome her beliefs and come to terms with the fact that our definition of beauty really is our choice.

Anyway, I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I certainly don't have it all worked out yet in my mind and heart but I am grateful for a book series (written for youth) brought the subject out in the open. I think the more aware we are of how we feel about things the more empowered we are to change our thinking.

How do you define beauty? Have you thought about it lately? Are your thoughts on the matter really your own? What can we do to redefine beauty for ourselves? I'd love to know what you think.

My friend Ada and I went to see The Last Song this week. It was a fantastic movie! The story is incredibly tender and the message very touching. What is more, the movie was completely appropriate! Both Ada and I gave it two thumbs up.

This picture is from one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

If you need a good cry or are just looking for a good way to spend two hours, consider seeing this movie!

We took our seminary students to Rome last weekend for a field trip- it was so much fun! Aside from a few minor hiccups (we forgot our TomTom (which could have been a disaster but wasn't) and I got separated from the group (or they got separated from me depending on who you talk to) a handful of times) I think the day was a success!

It really was a perfect day to visit Rome, it was sunny and warm and the all the flowers were blooming- it was quite beautiful! What is more- we had Robert as a tour guide and he did a great job. He shared his vast knowledge of Roman and Biblical history and helped us see where they overlap. His understanding really helped bring the scriptures to life for me- I hope it did for our seminary students too!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the day.

Clark, Regan and Abram looking at the chains that bound Peter before his death.

Robert as our guide- it doesn't get better (or less expensive) than this!

Regan, Abram, Camille, Clark and Spencer inside the Colosseum.

This is a picture of the Colosseum from the Forum- it is one of my favorite places to take pictures of the Colosseum.

Spring time in Ancient Rome.

Regan, Clark, Abram and Camille on Palatine Hill overlooking Rome.

Abram and Clark at Trevi Fountain.

Walking the back roads of Rome.

A picture from the top of St. Peter's Basilica.

We recently saw, "How to Train Your Dragon" and loved it! The animation is incredible, the lines hilarious, and the story engaging. What is more, it is family friendly and has a great message. As a family we gave it two thumbs up. If you haven't see it yet (and it doesn't cost a million dollars to see a movie in your town) we highly recommend it!

Spencer had a lesson on limericks this week- it was an incredibly fun activity! I decided since good writing skill run in the family- I had better try my hand at limericks to see if I was lucky enough to be in the family "good writers club". I am not sure if this poem proves anything in that regard but I sure had a fun time writing it and every time I read it it makes me smile.

I once met a man in Pari,
Who walked right up and kissed me.
His breath was all fishy,
His lips wet and squishy!
Why, oh why did he have to kiss me?!

The funniest part about this limerick for me is that it really happened. When I was 16 and visiting Paris for the first time with my family, a man walk up to me, grabbed me by both shoulders and started kissing me. I am not sure what he was thinking but the fishy, squishy bit really summed up me feelings about the experience. Yuck!

For more fun limericks check out Spencer's blog.

Over the years we have developed a family Easter tradition that we love. It is called the Easter Nature Walk.

Here is how it works: take your family on a nice long walk (any activity that starts this way is a winner in my book). While you are walking look for and collecting these items. Be sure to take a basket or bag to keep the items in- you will need them later.

• A branch with leaves
• A piece of bread
• Something red
• A thorn
• A stick
• A nail
• A brown leaf
• A piece of white cloth
• A rock
• Three dark things
• Something white
• A green leaf

There are some items you will likely find on your walk (a nail, a piece of cloth, bread, etc) you will have to prepare these things ahead of time.

When you get home, set aside thirty minutes or so to use the items you collected to tell the story of Easter. Here are some notes to help you remember what each item represents.

The branch with leafs- represents the palm leaves that were place before the Savior as He rode into Jerusalem for the last time.

The piece of bread- represents the last supper and sacrament He shared with His disciples before His death.

Something red- represents the blood Christ shed as He suffered for our sins in Gethsemane.

The stick-represents the cross on which our Lord was crucified.

The thorn- represents the crown of thorns that was placed atop His head.

The nail- represents the nails that were driven into the hands and feet of the Savior as he hung on the cross.

The brown leaf- represents death, a necessary part of Heavenly Father’s Plan that comes to all living things.

The white cloth- represents the love and care with which Christ’s body was prepared for burial.

The rock- represents the rock that was placed in front of the sepulcher where Jesus’ body lay.

The 3 dark things- represents the three days of darkness that followed the Savior’s death.

Something white- represents with perfect, glorified body of the resurrected Lord.

The green leaf- represents the new life made possible by His glorious Resurrection.

We hope you enjoy this activity as much as we have-Happy Easter!