So I really love General Conference. It always seems to come at just the right time. You know, when you are about to lose all sanity ever granted to you and you need a loud dose of (righteous) reality thrown in your face.
Conference never fails me.
This year I was determined to make the weekend meaningful for all of us (including the two-and-under crowd). We set up our tent (which has never been slept in outside... or anywhere for that matter) on Saturday morning. It was a hit. We loved pretending we were Nephites listening to King Benjamin. We also did "subject jars" with pictures of general subjects (family, prophets, temple etc) and candy inside. It was the ploy to get Raymond to try and listen for key words. (It worked pretty well. Until he was so sugared up he just starting to throw fits for more candy...).
I also put together a simple little coloring book of conference themed pictures for the kids to color on. Ginny loved this most (which I was surprised about). Oh and we set up the easel right by the computer (since we don't have TV that's where we watch conference) with the spreadsheet from a previous conference Ensign of all the General Authorities taped to it. Every time a new speaker came up we found their picture and colored over it. This kind of petered out at the end, but was great while it lasted. Raymond loved to hunt for the picture (which he was only once successful at finding on his own, but coloring over it always made up for getting help finding it!) Lots of fun (ahem, junk) foods readily available also worked as great ploys to distract the young, and keep awake the old.
I feel like conference was a success for the mere fact that Raymond can now recognize by face all the first presidency. And because Ginny can say their names (so cute) and would chant over and over "prophet time" and point to the screen. What can I say? I am wooed endlessly by the cuteness of my children.
And it was a success because it helped me to put my feet back under myself a little bit. So far (of course I need to go back and read/watch a few that I was too distracted during) my favorite talks were President Packer (never fails to unashamedly say it like it is. Rock on.), Elder Holland, and Elder Ballard.
Being in the midst of a(nother) pregnancy and sometimes feeling a little stressed about day-to-day living, and what lays ahead when this little fellow comes, it was comforting to hear so many messages about the family; so many reminders that choosing to have children (even when it seems extremely unpopular to do so, not to mention down right hard) is the right choice; so many uplifting words about the happiness and blessings that will come from adding another to our little flock.
Isn't it amazing how we always hear just what we need to hear? I'm sure some of you are wondering when there were even messages on the family since it wasn't what you needed to hear most. But they were loud and clear for me. And I feel buoyed up and grateful for the "lot in life" that is mine right now.
I hope that conference weekend was uplifting and "successful" at your house too.
3 comments:
I noticed all the family comments - and they were comforting to me, too. And you aren't alone, Carly. I think of you often. We are in the planning stages of getting ready to go back to school ourselves, so we've stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment and will most likely be in some form of student housing for several years. We can do this! It's been done before, and we can do it again. My husband's grandparents had 4 kids while in PhD school, and if I'm not mistaken they had all 4 in bunk beds in one room. It's hard, but it's doable. Hang in there, my friend!
I too noticed the subject of family brought up often. Rearing children is overwhelming to say the least. We are in the midst of selling our house and trying to find a new home 100 miles away. Stress is really rocking our family. We are trying to remember to stay calm. I have to pray for my faith to be strengthened and to have peace come what may.
Oh, I just loved it too. Loved it. I love all the fun things you did. I always say "When we are prepared it always goes well, when we are not, it does not." That is my General Conference moto pretty much. When I have things planned and ready to make Conference fun for the kids and as a family, really and truly we have a good experience. The few times I haven't...it wasn't pretty. Thanks for talking ideas with me before hand. We did a lot of the same as you and honestly, it went so well. I heard a lot on the family too. Actually, I am pretty positive every single talk (minus maybe one...) said at least 1 thing about families or marriage. It was pretty incredible to me. I just love the strength General Conference brings. I needed it too.
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