Everything was beautiful. Some of the pieces the choir sang this time were astounding.
Thank you, my friend, Jan, who sang. I was moved to happy, happy tears to see you there.
We had all three meals both days and I didn’t have to do anything hard. That was a miracle, and I was able to focus on conference, not food.
There was a terrific windstorm which really started picking up during Priesthood session. That added a little excitement to our day.
Not As Big As This One, But We Had One In Our Dry Pasture Yesterday
My best friend from college had her baby one hour after the last session. So beautifully sweet, because Joy was born on a conference Sunday, too.
Added Light To Our World...A Lovely Soul Trailing Clouds of Glory...
I came with questions, and most were answered. The ones that weren’t were not unanswered, just
“it’s not time to know that yet because you would probably explode from being completely overwhelmed with life if you knew those answers right now.”
So, I was good with that.
I learned some things about myself that needed changing–and while this may come as a shocker to all who know me–I found out that I need to repent. About stuff.
So, I am good with that, too.
Overall, it was great. The kids were great. I did not prepare for conference the usual way, looking for fun or cute ideas that I can never pull off successfully, and I wasn’t doing the candy/treat/tailgate party thing…so preparing for conference this year was purely spiritual, and although it seemed like a lost cause at the time….
[Me: Okay, we're going to watch a conference talk to keep preparing for conference!]
[Them: Is it going to be the twenty minute one or the ones from Mormon Messages that only last five minutes? Please let it be the five minute version!]
[Me: Nope, the whole talk. Okay, listen because there are going to be questions...]
[Them: Yea. Do we have anything to eat?]
[Cue nearly three year old running in the room having gotten into raw chocolate and bouncing off the walls....]
Raw Chocolate May Cause Some Extra Merriment and Over Exuberance During Conference Preparations
That really happened, by the way.
But, somehow, in this crazy, mixed up house, it actually worked, and conference was the most enjoyable ever.
And you know, I think I even began to understand the true meaning of Conference this time:
It came without ribbons or candy or tags!
It came without bingo, or packets, or bags!
And she puzzled and puzzed, till her puzzler was sore.
Then Mom thought of something she hadn’t before!
“Maybe Conference,” she thought, “doesn’t come from craft stores.
Maybe Conference… perhaps… means a little bit more.”
Even with three children under the age of five, two “teenagers…”
(we don’t believe in that word in our house…I don’t believe there is any such thing. I always tell my young men and young women that “teenager” is not real, but a social construct, blah, blah, blah…I am guessing the “blah, blah, blah” is what they sometimes hear...)
…and some other ages thrown in for plot twists.
I should also add that they had to deal with last trimester mom and tired dad, too.
But, it was really great!
We actually heard President Monson’s last address regarding contention without having any!!!!
THAT IS A MIRACLE.
Also, here is one of my favorite things I need to remember daily–and I mean DAILY–at least until the end of my pregnancy and post-pregnancy season:
So, hooray for us and hooray for all of you who had a great weekend of spiritual feasting!
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Again and again- it’s like you read my mind! I kinda looked into cutsey stuff for my kids for conference, but in the end didn’t do more than print a coloring page or two and we just listened. I had the kids make tally marks for when they heard certain words and that’s it. I came to conference for the first time with questions and a prayer in my heart and boy were they answered! I didn’t hear everything, I did too much shushing though I tried not to, but it was wonderful and spiritual anyway.
So…you want to make me a print of the pickle juice quote? ( : J/K I did a post on my blog about how I really need that. Though that part wasn’t really uplifting like little prints usually are. The best part was, “We are not diminished when someone else is added upon.”
It was a great conference for me and I’m thrilled that it was for your family to- which I’m sure is no small feat!
I didn’t do much activity prep for my kids, but it kinda backfired. We’re still learning!
I was so excited to post this because it is really our first all out successful conference adventure. We have had some major backfires (including one year where we just bagged it and watched it the next weekend…). We are ALL still learning!
Conference was so beautiful! It filled my soul. I am so grateful for the technology that allowed me to replay Elder Scott’s talk again and again and again.
For some reason I missed the doctrine that conference was supposed to be cutesy or crafty or sweet. It’s only with looking at pinterest over the last week or two that I started to get the impression that I have been out of touch. We just always listened, played with legos and ate cinnamon rolls. Maybe it comes from never being in Utah.
Round here, all families gather together for conference, and while that is probably good for them, it just doesn’t work for us. Our family does much better at listening and hearing if we are just us…fun cousins are just too much of a distraction at times, lol.
I just bawled when they released Sister Beck and co.! (I blame that on pregnancy hormones, hehe.) I am grateful for them and all I’ve learned and am excited to learn with the next presidency.
We actually have a rule that it is just “us.” When we have extended family gatherings, it is in between sessions or afterward.
You actually did what we were thinking about doing, meant to be doing, wanted to be doing… and didn’t.
(curses.)
BUT. This was the first time it occurred to us to prepare the kids for conference by watching conference, so I’m not actually surprised that we didn’t quite figure out how to get it done. I hate perfectionism.
AND. We tried to make for all the chaos of the weekend by watching Pres. Monson’s talks tonight for family night. They were angelic. It was great.
-confession- My mom sent us crafty bingo thingamajigs & erasable crayons, and they came a day late. So, yeah, it was all about the bingo for the big kids.
hmm…
hahahaha!
So funny. In hindsight.