Conference Weekend

i truly believe going to conference is one of our family's favorite traditions of all time! not everyone can be there every time, but i believe that makes us appreciate it more the next time we get to go. we definitely missed mike, kristen and lauren this trip. maybe in april:).


we got up early friday morning and made our way north in time for tod and jon to play some golf with david in heber. i heard the course was beautiful, but i didn't get too many details. the girls and i hit a few of our favorite spots in provo that afternoon and then went to brenda's where brooke made us all beautiful again. sadie finally joined us and we got to enjoy a little los hermanos for dinner with brooke and brenda. the men were pretty into the games by that time! we missed them!


saturday morning we all got to attend the first session, together. that was a special treat and pretty unusual, actually, to have enough tickets for one session. what a great session! i learned a couple of years ago, the weekend after matthew passed away, how much i could feel and how focused i could be on each speaker, when i really had a need! i don't have a really great memory, (just ask my family) but talks that were given, specific things that were said, are all still very clear in my memory. i almost felt that way again this past weekend, but i'm not sure why. i wasn't expecting to be so emotional, so i didn't come prepared for my tears. i thought i was doing ok. tears just rolling down my cheeks, and sniffing i guess. i was still able to be tickling and such, but then, when we stood up for the rest hymn, a very sweet woman from behind me, shoved several tissues into my hand. seriously, how did she see me from behind? embarrassing!!! anyway, i appreciated it very much. between the music, "redeemer of israel" (a new favorite), the speakers, (loved the prophet and elder anderson and elder oaks, and the lady, and...), and being there in the conference center, i guess i was a little oc.

one of the reasons i love downtown salt lake so much is that we can get around without a car, either by walking or using traxs. this didn't work as well saturday, because by the time we got out of the 1st session in was raining! no, we don't own umbrellas!!! and by the time we got inside the zcmi center for some delicious lunch, we were pretty much soaked!:).


we really did start out looking good though :)!


the afternoon was another exceptional meeting!!! i fell in love with elder worthlin two years ago, and he hasn't let me down since. i will not forget..."come what may...and love it." then elder holland, elder bednar...all of them! i was very touched. the children's choir totally did me in! :). a two hankie meeting! i was very glad i had taken some advil with lunch, or i can only imagine how my head would have felt!

then we left jon to meet up with tod for priesthood, hailey went to spend the evening with her "bby" camp counselor, and megan, sadie and i went to dinner and a movie.



i must share a couple "meganisms" that had us laughing for awhile :)!!!
megan has gotten into the habit of wanting ice cream after dinner (immediately after dinner) on the weekends. so we were trying to figure out what kinds of ice cream options we had! i had really wanted to try sub zero in provo, but i was too lazy to drive all the way back there after los hermanos in lindon. so, she remembered the dairy queen in the food court at gateway, but then thought better of it and said, "there isn't a dairy queen, it's a julius caesar!" (orange julius-close!)
next one; we were talking about a friend from our ward (because she had liked him back in middle school, she was thinking she wasn't boy crazy when she was hailey's age) anyway, i said, "you know he walked-on byu's lacrosse team!" she said, "he didn't walk-on! he had to try out! you can't just walk on the field and then be on the team!" i had to explain what walking-on means :).
she is so funny. she immediately knows she said something wrong, usually, and then we all laugh and laugh! she is a good sport! after, we saw a good movie "forever strong". i will recommend it. no swear words, but some partying and difficult things happen. we liked it!

sunday, we watched conference in the morning from the hotel. president eyring was really sweet wasn't he? then some lunch and off for home. we listened to the afternoon session while driving! TRADITION! all of it, where we stay, where we eat, and what we do.


this is the girls on the drive home! after they actually listened to the afternoon session. hailey later said to me, i think this is the first time i listened to all of conference except the priesthood session. there is hope...she is 13 almost 14. like i said, it helps when the purpose of the weekend revolves around watching conference. it is most definitely different when we are at home!