General Conference Weekend

(Once again I have fallen way behind on writing....this is starting to drive me nuts! Its very hard to find the time lately...Thomas never lets me get on the computer when he's awake, without, you know, pounding on the keyboard, opening the CD drive over and over, or turning the computer off completely! So that leaves me with naptime or nighttime, during which I always seem to have a million other things to do! *Sigh* Anywho...)

General Conference weekend was great...my two older brothers and their families both came into town, so we had all 5 siblings together for the weekend, which was fabulous! This is a very rare thing since Josh lives 5 hours away and Zane lives 10 hours away. It was so great that they were all able to come. It was definitely a crazy household at my parents' for those few days, with 9 adults and 7 children under one roof, but it was so wonderful to be all together. As each of our families continue to grow I know getting everyone together will become harder and harder, so I love it when we are able to make it happen!

Just for fun, here's a breakdown of me and my brothers and our ages:

Josh: 31 (almost) - has 3 kids

Zane: 29 - has 2 kids

Darci: 25 - has 1 kid

Travis: 23 - lookin' for a wife

Jared: 12 - just enjoying life!

A big highlight of the weekend was that me and my three oldest brothers and our spouses (and a date for Travis) were able to attend the Sunday Afternoon session of conference. Zane brought some tickets from Montana and my parents had several as well. My parents and Jared were wonderful and stayed home with the 6 little kids so we could go. I have been to the Conference Center for General Conference sessions and other events in the past, but it has been a couple of years, so I was very excited to go! The feeling in that building and on Temple Square during Conference is amazing. So many people are gathered in one place for one special purpose: to hear the inspired words of the leaders of the Church. The excitement and eagerness of the occasion combined with the reverence and respect everyone shows for our leaders is such a wonderful thing to experience.



As we were driving and then walking to the Conference Center, we of course saw several people or groups gathered nearby with signs to protest against the church. To be honest, these protestors provide more humor than anything! What I love is that so many LDS members stand up for the church by standing right alongside these protestors, sharing a positive message--they sing hymns in groups or wave inspiring or humorous signs of their own. One girl with a huge grin held a sign that said "Mormons Love Jesus," and there was even a man fully decked out in a kilt, playing hymns on a bagpipe. Probably one of my favorites were the people standing all around the Conference Center wearing signs that read "Free Hugs!" (and people were taking them!). I love to see this kind of spirit at Conference time--that we can brush off what negative things others may say about our beliefs, and respond with positivity and lightheartedness.

Of course the most wonderful spirit I felt during Conference was inside the Conference Center. I don't think I'll ever get over the enormity of that room and the massive number of people that can congregate there. We found our seats quite early, and the room was abuzz with conversation...but the moment that the First Presidency entered, the hush that fell over the congregation was instant and amazing. You can feel the love and respect that everyone has for those men, and for the many other leaders present, who have come to give counsel and support to the members. Of course one of the highlights was to listen to Thomas S. Monson in his new role as the Prophet and President of the Church. It was wonderful to see how the prophetic mantle had truly settled on him...this was mentioned in talks all throughout conference, and I could really feel it as we listened to his words. President Monson is a wonderful man and leader, and I have always had a great admiration of him. I couldn't help feeling a little sad, thinking again of our dear President Gordon B. Hinckley and his passing, knowing that never again would he address the church from that pulpit. But I am so grateful for the wisdom and laughter he gave us for so many years, and I am glad he is home with his loved ones. I will always miss his wonderful spirit. He was the prophet of my youth, and I will have fond memories of him my whole life.

One of my favorite talks given during the session we attended was by M. Russell Ballard, titled "Daughters of God." When he said he wanted to focus his talk "primarily on mothers, particularly on young mothers," I felt so excited and eager to hear his words. As he spoke, I felt he could have written his talk just for me. Like every other young mother out there, I have many struggles and challenges, and his words were encouraging and uplifting and exactly what I needed to hear. I felt such gratitude for Elder Ballard and for the inspiration he had to speak on this subject. To have a General Authority speak so specifically about the challenges in my life strengthens my testimony of and faith in the church even more...it helps me to know that Heavenly Father is aware of me, that the leaders of the Church are aware of me, and that they care about and support me. It seems every General Conference carries at least one message that feels especially tailored to me, and I love Conference for that reason...even if that's the only talk I remember, it makes me feel recognized, re-energized and ready to work harder. You can read Elder Ballard's awesome talk here.

So, it was a good n' busy weekend! Another fun thing during the weekend was watching all the little kids together...I love watching Thomas play with his cousins and imagining them growing up together. I really hope they all grow up to be good buddies! Right before Josh and Jenise got ready to leave on Sunday night, I asked if we could try to get all the kids together for a photo...they were all kind of grumpy and it probably wasn't the best time, but they've never been all together for a picture! So, we snapped a few shots of them together on the couch...most of the kids are pouty and crying and trying to get away, so its not a great photo, but at least we'll all have a good laugh when we look back at it someday!

From Left to Right: Josh's kids (Aiden, Zander, Anika), Zane's kids (Ciara & Dalin), Tommy and Uncle Jared.