general conference 2014

I love general conference. It is so wonderful to hear the words of our Prophet & Apostles and to have my testimony strengthened (yet again!) that our leaders know exactly what is going on in the world, and what we need to hear. It's amazing. 

Max & Avery are still quite young (4 & 3) but I hope that they recognize the importance of conference (and don't love it just for the treats!) We do have a lot of fun with our conference bags though (I think this is the 4th conference we've done them!) and the kids were counting down the days until "Uchtdorf Day" (I promise I don't have favorites... :) 

We encountered a few technical difficulties, but the kids were wonderful & it was just the spiritual boost that I was needing. Plus, it's hard not to feel close to heaven with this sweetie around:

conference weekend // fall 2013

i love general conference. it's right up there with the fourth of july & christmas and i really hope that i can convey the importance of it to our sweet kids. i've tried to make it fun for them since they are still so young (and we expect them to sit through eight hours in a two-day period!) so i go all out with the traditional conference bags:

saturday morning we had our friends mark, chylo & their daughter clarissa over to hear the good word and feast on lots and lots of sugar. i made cinnamon rolls for the first time ever (without my mom's help!) and using shawni's recipe, they turned out absolutely delicious.

after the morning session, we packed up and headed to provo to spend the remaining three sessions with my family. after the afternoon session, the kids were slightly stir-crazy so we loaded them into the big red wagon and went for a walk to the park. 

// max was terrified to do this by himself, but he did it!! we were all so proud. himself included! //

// ave insisted on pulling the wagon home...barefoot! she did an amazing job, until she stubbed her toe //

besides the obvious reasons that conference is spectacular (good food & family time!) wasn't this conference weekend incredible?!?!? i am amazed at how in-tune the brethren are with all of the crazy stuff that is going on in our world and felt like so many of my questions and prayers were answered.

though i loved all of them, some of my favorite take-aways included:

+ elder oaks touched on so many things that i have been thinking about lately. i loved it. so, so much. marriage is between a man and a woman. the world is trying to change that. "Our understanding of God’s plan and His doctrine gives us an eternal perspective that does not allow us to condone such behaviors or to find justification in the laws that permit them. And, unlike other organizations that can change their policies and even their doctrines, our policies are determined by the truths God has identified as unchangeable."

+ elder christofferson's talk, "the moral force of women" was also incredible. i feel so blessed to be a mother and wouldn't have it any other way.

+ "like a broken vessel" by elder holland was inspiring, comforting, and beautiful. 

how grateful i am for a living prophet, president thomas s. monson, who leads & guides our church. i love him!! 

...

and isn't it crazy to think that just next conference we will have a brand new babe in our home?!? ahh. i can't wait. 

conference is the best.

conference weekend 2013

i look forward to conference weekend and i hope that my children are catching on to the importance of it as well! friday night i stayed up a little later getting the semi-annual conference bags ready! they are always a big hit. 

max stayed like this with penny (the doll) for a good ten minutes straight!

in between sessions:

we also tried our first star fruit! not sure if it was totally ripe, but the kids gobbled it up. we'll have to look for them again because they were so much fun (and cute!)