General Conference!

Well, this last weekend was General Conference and what a pleasure it was to sit and relax and hear words just for us! What a great two days of instruction and peace! My favorite talk was by Elder Ballard - directed towards the mothers. I think that talk was especially for me - definitely EVERYTHING I needed to hear and much more.

We were so excited getting to sustain a new prophet! Only 15 other times in the history of the church since it has been restored to the earth has that happened. I tried to explain to the kids what an AWESOME opporunity and privelege they had to be able to stand up, and raise their hand to the square, and sustain the new prophet of the Lord. They love President Monson already and all of them (except for little Tyler - but we're working on it), know his name and his face.

I love to hear the apostles speak. I REALLY love President Monson. Since I was a little child, for some reason, he is the one apostle that always stood out to me (maybe because he was significantly younger than the rest of the apostles). I have grown to love his sweet spirit, soft heart, and his great stories! We can all relate to him so well. However, I really missed President Hinckley this conference. It was almost as if I was just waiting for him to get up and talk, and conference kind of felt like it was missing something. But, President Monson certainly filled the "prophet" shoes well and seemed to be a good fit. He has such a different approach and spirit about him than President Hinckley. Although I LOVED President Hinckley, I love President Monson as well. And it was eminent that he has been reserved to be prophet at this time...during these latter-days.

To occupy the kids, I got out the Bingo cards that I had made for them last conference. We had to alternate between goldfish, raisins, and marshmellows as far as markers go. Somehow Tyler kept coming up with missing markers - (you don't suppose he ate them???) Each session they got a different snack marker and when they got Bingo they got to have a treat! The three older kids did very well and sat through just about all of the sessions on both days, which was absolutely FANTASTIC! Tyler, on the other hand, well... he would put a few markers on, and then eat a couple... put on a few more, and then eat a couple... and repeat that until all of his were gone. And then he would sneak a few from the other kids when they were focused on who was speaking (and not watching their boards!) So, Tyler definitely had his feast for the day - not so much spiritually though!

Just a little evidence that he actually had at least one marshmellow on his board! Look closely and you can see it!

The kids watching conference. Well, maybe not Tyler. This would be about the time he would just "borrow" one of the other kids' markers.

More pictures of Bingo. And hey, Tyler still has in own markers! FANTASTIC!

Ahh, caught in the action. Notice Tyler's hand - not quite putting the marshmellow on his Bingo Board? Hmmmmmmm....

This is Sunday's second session when Kimberly and Tyler are napping. I had made little books for the kids with various activities - coloring pages, word searches, pictures of the prophets, etc. Bryson is trying to find the 12 apostle that was speaking and circle it - that way he could learn their names and their faces.

Megan is coloring the past 15 prophets pages. That way she can learn the names of pictures of the past 15 prophets! Check out the beautiful colors. If only all of them wore Fuschia suits with Turquoise ties and had yellow lips - STYLISH!!!

I know that our family truly enjoyed this conference, as we usually do. It is so refreshing to sit and listen to the council and instruction that is just for US! You can imagine how anyone on the outside of our religion could look at our church organization and just be amazed at the true order and organization of it all! No doubt that it is purely divine! I definitely walked away from conference with blessings of peace, comfort, hope, faith, and a desire to be closer to my savior... and just to be better!