General Conference!

I don't think I could look forward to General Conference any more than I already do. After five months of studying the talks I am itching for new insights and direction. I am so grateful that we can stay current with the Lord both through the Gift of the Holy Ghost and through modern day revelation. Our leaders are all such powerful teachers! I am SO GRATEFUL to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! 

This time to prepare for conference I did a media fast for two weeks. I LOVED IT. I am so grateful for the perspective it gave me. I have started my personal progress program and I am contemplating what I can do for a project to expand upon what I learned through this experience. 

This is a silly picture, but what I want to show is in the background: our conference poster from the Ensign magazine. For the 15 days before conference started we studied about the lives of each of the members of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and the First Presidency. They are all such amazing people! The things the kids loved to hear about most was how many kids they have, where they grew up, and what job they had before they became an apostle. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and their family sizes are just as diverse!

We updated our 72-hr kits. I also talked over emergency plans with my neighbors and the sisters I visit teach and encouraged them all to make car, work, and school kits to get their families through the reuniting process more smoothly after a natural disaster. 

Seth can only stand for a second with his backpack on lol!

The General Women's Session was amazing. I was impressed by the powerful doctrines they taught with such poise! I LOVE all our women leaders! Every time I listen to or read their talks I am schooled! Next time we go we will make sure to get tickets instead of trying to wait in the standby line, because it was cool but it could have been cooler. =o]

The weekend of conference Jenae and her boyfriend Joseph came to stay with us! Jenae flew in with some friends from California, and Joseph drove down from BYUI and gave Jonathan a ride too. They went to 3 of the 4 general sessions though, so we only saw them in small doses. He is from Tennesse and went on a mission to Brazil so Kent likes him, he is the oldest of 7 kids so he knows how to play so the kids adored him, and he is super polite and also kind to Jenae so I approve as well. As if our opinions mattered lol!

Here is our General Conference breakfast goodness! Kent got donuts from Dunford's the night before because we weren't going to have time in the morning before Jenae and Joseph had to leave. 

We set up the tent of course, which unfortunately probably caused more problems then fun. 

Natalie and Caleb built places for their legos to watch conference. See the little guy sitting in front of  a screen?

And Natalie has a whole little family watching. I just love both of their smiles in these pictures!

It was so exciting to get to sustain all our new apostles! (I have since gone back through and listened to all the talks they have given in conference, and as I listened I remembered each one. They are inspiring teachers as well!) 

Then after picking up Jenae at temple square, we had a girls night at the Murrays while all the guys were at priesthood session! Rebecca is the coolest aunt! I felt so bad that we were so late, but it was still such a fun time doing all the things she and the cousins planned.

We got home super late on Saturday night so everyone slept in a bit Sunday. Then they hit the ground running after another yummy breakfast giving Joseph the grand tour of the house. He was so patient and funny. Caleb especially had a great time basking in his attention!

The kids did their traditional treat bowls. The drawings just keep getting more and more adorable as they now add captions. 

Even Seth got in on the action! He loves getting to be involved in everything!

Here is a little sneaky picture I took of the seating arrangement, at least to start out lol! 

I am so grateful that we got to hear President Monson speak. It was an answer to our prayers! And I am so grateful for the example he set in giving your ALL in the service of God. (I have since started a project to read/listen to every talk he has given as the prophet, and then mark the scriptures that he uses, and in his first general conference talk as the prophet he promised to give all his strength to the service of God and building His kingdom until his very last breath! He is remaining true to that commitment!) It was all I could do to stay in my seat with tears running down my cheeks as I watched him endure through his talk. I couldn't even concentrate on what he was saying because what he was doing was such a powerful testimony! It was the epitome of meekness. I love him and I am grateful for his example!

After the afternoon session everyone came to our house for dinner and dessert and fun times!

We had a semi-family council talking about conference and what stood out to each of us. We discussed everything from holiday plans to world events, and we missed our missing family members. We sang together. I know that I am bias, but I just LOVE my family!! They are the best people I know, and they make me want to be my best self. 

After we said family prayers and everyone headed home the house was so quiet. Being with the people we love the most was the PERFECT end to the general conference experience. 

The next morning Joseph and Jonathan got up super early to get back to school and so we didn't get to say goodbye or even give them breakfast! And only the girls were up soon enough to say goodbye to Aunt Jenae. At least we will get to see her at Thanksgiving! I love getting to see little glimpses of the woman she is becoming! We love her!!

When Caleb woke up he was devastated to find that Joseph was already gone! But this thank-you note that Joseph had left him helped to ease his pain. He asked me to take this picture of him with it (trying not to cry) and the ghostie that Caleb had let Joseph borrow to sleep with while he was here. =o]

I don't know about you, but I feel like once the end of September hits, it's like a fast and furious slope to February; BRING IT!