October General Conference

I developed a very personal love of Conference when I was a student at BYU. Since then I dreamed of what I would like conference weekend to look like in my home. All the family gathered around, yummy food, quiet planned activities for the kids. An environment for the spirit to touch each heart, and a time to create wonderful memories. I dreamed of instilling my love for conference in my children. Well, things rarely go as well as you hope and plan they will. Though conference is always wonderful, I've been sort of disappointed over the years trying to create that perfect environment for the family to enjoy it. This year I looked forward to it as I always do, and didn't expect much more than just getting to listen to it. Saturday I woke up early to make French Toast for Mike because he's been working super long hard days this week and had a small job Saturday morning. We enjoyed breakfast together and sent him off with hugs and kisses, and started to clean-up the dishes. Lily says to me out of the blue, " I'm so excited for general conference!" Of course she can just barely pronounce it. I was so touched because I don't think I'd even mentioned it yet that morning, but she was obviously aware of my excitement for it. We were dog-sitting my sister's 2 dogs over the weekend and had them shut behind a gate in the back room where the TV is, and Lily went over and told them: "You dogs go outside so me and my mom can come watch conference!" We didn't kick them out, and conference wasn't for a couple of hours still, but I thought it was funny.

Lily did so well. For those of you who don't know what conference is it's a special meeting of all the members of our church twice a year when we get the opportunity to listen the the prophet and his counselors, the quorum of the twelve, and other church leaders share messages they have prepared by the spirit of the Lord for all members of the church to hear. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to listen to these inspired messages for our times. There are always certain portions in various talks I feel were meant just for me, and I always come away from it with a strengthened testimony, a fresh hope for the future, and a desire to strive harder to be a better person than I am. So you can understand how I want my children to love it as much as I do. But conference is also essentially extended church. Yes - we get to stay home and watch it in our pajamas if we want to, but it's still long for kids - Two 2 hour sessions, with a 2 hour break in the middle, over 2 days. Saturday and Sunday. Lily can be so stubborn and contrary at times I was blown away by her enthusiastic attitude this year. She did really well. She packed her own little backpack of stuff to bring into the TV room, and sat drawing quietly or snuggling with me and eating candy corn. When she got bored she and Grandpa made their way to the front room and soon as we were listening to the children singing "I Am a Child of God" in the conference center, we heard Lily singing it and other Primary songs over the Karaoke machine. I had no plans to make things extra special this year, but it turned out that way. I couldn't have asked for a better day. I am so grateful for my family and for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Lily drawing

Lily explaining her picture to Grandpa

I thought this was a pretty cool drawing. It looks like a couple of many eyed monsters, but it's really a family portrait with some neighbors thrown in.

Me and my snuggly girl