I LOVED CONFERENCE!!!

What a great weekend! Conference was wonderful and the kids actually did pretty well through out so we could really listen and get a lot out of each of the talks. Ok MOST of the talks (they weren't THAT good :) They really tried to listen and every once in a while they would hear a familiar phrase and get all excited. Like at one point Emma heard her name and was very happy about that. Then another time Emma heard someone say "Called to serve..." and she broke into song singing that hymn. The funniest was when L. Tom Perry said "...renewed escape from the overtly complexities of life" (or something like that) and Emma piped up and said "What's a nude?" Very funny :) I think this is the first time they have ever really enjoyed/listened/been remotely good for conference. Luke's favorite was one of the activities I gave him where he had to make a tally mark every time he saw a neck tie, glasses, a necklace, flowers, the organ pipes, the temple, the Prophet, a handkerchief in a pocket, etc. He was amazed by how many points the neck ties won by :) In fact halfway through he decided to stop counting the ties because there were way too many....he called it a victory early on. (The Tabernacle Choir were a little overwhelming for him to count because the camera was scanning a little too fast) The glasses were a close second.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes: (of course these are from my notes so they are not word for word)

• L. Tom Perry - he was quoting Henry David Thoreau, someone asked him if in his life he felt he had made peace with God to which he replied "I didn't know we were quarrelling"



• Neil L. Anderson - I loved his story about the little girl who couldn't hear and saw a boy without legs. She went and told him that Heavenly Father had made her special without hearing and him special without legs and that when Jesus came they would both be able to hear and walk



• Dallin H. Oaks - speaking about Sacrament meeting and how we should be prepared and then focus on the Savior during the Sacrament. He said "It's sad to see people violating their covenant of always remembering Him in the very meeting that they are making the covenant"



• Loved President Uchtdorf's talk on Hope



• Joseph B. Wirthlin - He was soooooo funny with the story about how his daughter was going on a blind date, when he came they all thought he was a little old. After she left they sat in the car for a bit and then she came in....the guy they thought was the date was actually the guy that was coming to pick up their other daughter to babysit so he could go on a date with his wife! He was making the point to laugh about situations instead of taking them to be hard. How we react to adversity can be a measured factor in how happy we can be. "Come what may and love it!"



• Jeffrey R. Holland's talk about the angels administering to us and the angels among us...we should try to be some one's angel



• Todd Christopherson - we are to become not only good but Holy!



• Elaine S. Dalton - she was quoting a marathon winner..."The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare"



• M. Russell Ballard - I loved when he made the comparison of our hardships to those first members of the church...instead of us having to walk across the continent, we need to walk across the street to our neighbors and share the gospel. Instead of us having to give all we possess to build temples, we need to give of our time and attend the temple.



• President Monson - "Nothing is as constant as change". Whatever God has granted unto you take it with BOTH hands.



• Russell M. Nelson - Mortal misunderstandings can make mischief in a marriage. You can "upgrade" your marriage.

I thought it was all wonderful and I felt the spirit so much. I am so grateful for conference and the renewed energy and excitement for the gospel it gives me. It makes me want to be a better member, neighbor, friend, mom, wife, daughter, sister, and person in society! I am so grateful for a Prophet to lead us in these latter days and remind us it's not old fashioned to have virtue, and to not be distracted by the world but focus on the Savior!

Here are a few of the kids pictures/projects that they worked on during conference. I actually counted 30 worksheets that they colored and worked on so here are a few of my personal favorites....

They made things out of pipe cleaner...a mom and her daughter on the left, and the two figures on the right are Iron Man :) And then of course the glasses that Matt made for them.

Luke's tally sheet that Gavin and Emma also helped with, as you can tell by the "scribble, scrabble" as Luke calls it.

Luke's picture

Luke, Emma and I all worked on this one together

As well as this one

Emma's masterpiece....I always find her color choice very interesting

And another Emma original....I hope this missionary isn't choking or something :)