General Conference Weekend...April, 2013

General Conference is a world wide broadcast where Mormons everywhere have the opportunity to listen to their Prophet, Thomas S. Monson and his Apostles deliver spiritual and profound council.  Our family loves General Conference so much.  It occurs twice a year in April and in October.  

We have built our own family traditions around conference weekend.   There are two sessions each on Saturday and Sunday.  We listen to all the sessions and on Saturday morning I always make a big, special breakfast.  During the last session of conference on Sunday we go over to Grandma and Grandpa Klippel's home, where she feeds us lunch and has made special conference activities for the kids to do, like conference bingo.  They love it.
 

This year I made Cinnamon Roll French Toast, featured on Val So Cal, with strawberries, bacon and eggs.  We have bacon a couple of times a year, this is one of those times.  :) 
 

Conference starts at 9:00am in California.  The kids bring down their cozies, blankets, pillows, etc.  They got comfy and settled in to hear the messages.
 

 

Keeping busy...
 

 

 

These two are always with me.  I love it.
 

These two are inseparable, I love it.
 

We are always moving around, and getting adjusted during the talks.  William is in this picture, can you see him?
 

My favorite talk this conference was by Jefferey R. Holland.  He's my favorite apostle, I have such a love for him.  He spoke about faith and doubts.  But his ultimate message was, "whatever you know to be true in the gospel, trumps what you don't know."  Doubts will always be a part of this human experience, questions will always arise-and through this we have to have the courage to exercise the faith that each one of us has. 
 

In between talks on Saturday the kids rode scooters and bikes. 
 

The big deal is that Shane learned to ride a two wheeler.  He's three.  We didn't have a bike for him so his dad went and thrifted this little bike for a few bucks.  He was riding it within a half hour.  Yeah, for Shane!!
 

We don't have the pictures to document every happening this weekend, but it was such a wonderful weekend.  I cuddled in bed with Kalen and Reece on Saturday night talking to them about what they would be when they grew up.  Kalen loves children, as you can see above.  He says he wants to be a children's doctor, a P.A. or maybe a nurse.  Reece said he wants to be a dentist.  We joked and laughed and laughed some more. 

On Sunday to get some sunshine with the kids, in between conference, I drew a four square with sidewalk chalk and we played four square forever!!!!  I loved four square when I was a kid and they love it too.  I loved this weekend.  I love being together as a family. 

Tonight for Family Home Evening we read out of the Book of Mormon.  We are in 3rd Nephi.  Afterward we reflected on conference and what messages stood out to each one of us.  To end the evening we played the name game.  There is so much joy in being part of a loving family.  I love our family, I love our traditions and nothing brings me more happiness than knowing that our children love to be together as a family, making memories.   Being part of a family doesn't go without it's hardships, but all the same it is the biggest blessing to have each other.   It's been another wonderful conference weekend.

I love you kids, so much.