Monday Memories: The Conference Edition

         In honor of a wonderful conference weekend, I thought I'd document some of my conference memories. Growing up I loved general conference...for all the wrong reasons. We didn't have to go to church! Not that I didn't like church. I just didn't like all the dressing up and sitting still for three hours. Conference felt like a holiday. A celebration. Instead of waking up to mom calling us to get a move on, we woke up to the smell of Dad's waffles or roll up pancakes and the tabernacle choir singing on our staticy old radio. I loved that radio. It was one of those heavy, boxy 80's radios with a silver finish that was fading to gray. It had lots of switches and dials and round speakers with black plastic mesh over them. Best of all it was always splattered with some sort of cookie dough.
    There were a few rules at conference time, but nothing stringent. You had to stay in the piano room and listen for the entire session, but that left your hands and eyes free for puzzle building or cross stitching or, as I hinted above, cookie baking.
Yes the kitchen, dining room, and  piano room were basically one big room, so snacking was a part of conference. One year Ben and I made menus and took orders from everyone. Granted the menu was as limited as our cooking skills. It had milk, water, and PB&J with variations, and maybe a cheese crisp. We even strapped on our roller skates (that was pushing it) and pretended to be car hops. This lasted for like one order and then we decided waiting on David and Anna was more like slave labor than service.
The saturday sessions were even more fun. Sometimes we would pack a lunch and get in the car and listen as we drove up the mountain to look at the aspens changing color in the fall.
     I don't know when the excitement of not going to church changed to excitement for listening and feeling the spirit, but it did. I remember when President Benson died and I felt like I'd lost an old friend. I sat close to the radio, hanging on every word, thinking, "What now?" I was relieved when another old friend was sustained as the prophet. They were all my friends! I could hear how much they loved me. I recognized their voices. Some gravelly, some lilting, and even some monotone, but they were familiar to me. Familiar, because I listened to them twice a year for eight hours, but even more familiar because I could hear my Heavenly Father's voice through them.

The Zoo!

 We met up with Medsil and Mead's families at the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium in Phoenix this weekend and had a wonderful time. The weather was so perfect down there! It was just right, even in the afternoon.

The kids had fun feeding the animals. We were able to get quite close to a lot of the animals and have a good view. In this case we got a little too close. This lama thought Ellen's bows looked tasty and tried to eat them! We rescued her and her bow but didn't get a picture.

Here are my ducks in a row. Note Ellen's tousled hair.

Here we are feeding the giraffe. The girls weren't to keen on its long curly tongue, but it was quite a thrill for them even if it was a little scary. We got a ton of animal pictures and videos. I'll have to post some more later. We had such a fun time and really enjoyed all the animals and the aquarium was really neat too. You could easily spend all day there, but we ran out of gas after five hours. The girls were on their feet the majority of the time and they still had enough energy to play on the playground before we left!

Hannah Mae

Last week was May's spring break and I started the break by taking off with my family to visit Ben and Amy and Anna and Carl in Provo. Little Hannah Mae was being blessed and we were moving all of Anna and Carl's stuff up for them. Mathan stayed home with the kids, because McKay had just gotten home and he had responsibilities at Stake Conference. Oh, and our kids don't travel that well. As in screaming and whining and car sickness and numerous bathroom visits. It was a short trip so we both agreed that it would be easier on everyone to have the kids stay home. I was kind of excited for a break from the kids but man I missed them! I feel like such a fish out of water without my kids around me and especially without Mathan! I think next time I'd rather brave taking the kids along rather than splitting up like that. I stlll had a nice time and I was glad to see everyone! I tried to stay busy helping and I loved doing that! It's nice to have your hands free to help with cleaning and babies and whatever needs to be done. So often I'm busy looking after my own kids and I just can't be of much use to anyone else. Hannah was so beautiful in her blessing dress. It was great to get to hold and rock her. It was good to see Anna and Carl too. I hope that thing work out well for them and that they learn to love their new home!

A little late...

These past weeks have been a little crazy, and I'm kinda behind in posting some major family events! 

Uncle McKay is home from Madagascar!

He flew into Flagstaff after something like 26 hours of travel and was understandably jet lagged for a while. He gave his mission report yesterday in Sacrament Meeting. We're so happy to have him home safe. May and all of the grandkids were so excited to see him! Ellen was not quite two when he left and we've tried to keep him fresh in her memory and I think she remembered him. Even if she didn't, she warmed up to him fast. Thomas was born after he left so we were excited to introduce them. We had fun looking at pictures from his mission and learning a little more about the culture. He brought a bunch of fun souvenirs for everyone. It's been fun to listen to him and see how much he has learned!

Words of Wisdom Wednessday

I was reading in "Jesus the Christ" and happened upon this quote by James E Talmage in the footnotes. It kind of goes along with the post I did a little while ago, but he is speaking more about sinful pleasure. I think what he says applies equally to the innocent, but empty happiness that the world offers.

Pleasure Versus Happiness. -- "The present is an age of pleasure-seeking, and men are losing their sanity in the mad rush for sensations that do but excite and disappoint. In this day of counterfeits, adulterations, and base imitations, the devil is busier than he has ever been in the course of human history, in the manufacture of pleasures, both old and new; and these he offers for sale in most attractive fashion, falsely labeled, Happiness. In this soul-destroying craft he is without a peer; he has had centuries of experience and practice, and by his skill he controls the market. He has learned the tricks of the trade, and knows well how to catch the eye and arouse the desire of his customers. He puts up the stuff in bright-colored packages, tied with tinsel string and tassel; and crowds flock to his bargain counters, hustling and crushing one another in their frenzy to buy.




"Follow one of the purchasers as he goes off gloatingly with his gaudy packet, and watch him as he opens it. What finds he inside the gilded wrapping? He has expected fragrant happiness, but uncovers only an inferior brand of pleasure, the stench of which is nauseating.



"Happiness includes all that is really desirable and of true worth in pleasure, and much besides. Happiness is genuine gold, pleasure but guilded brass, which corrodes in the hand, and is soon converted into poisonous verdigris. Happiness is as the genuine diamond, which, rough or polished, shines with its own inimitable luster; pleasure is as the paste imitation that glows only when artificially embellished. Happiness is as the ruby, red as the heart's blood, hard and enduring; pleasure, as stained glass, soft, brittle, and of but transitory beauty.



"Happiness is true food, wholesome, nutritious and sweet; it builds up the body and generates energy for action, physical, mental and spiritual; pleasure is but a deceiving stimulant which, like spiritous drink, makes one think he is strong when in reality enfeebled; makes him fancy he is well when in fact stricken with deadly malady.



"Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repentance, contrition, and suffering; and, if indulged to the extreme, it brings degradation and destruction.



"True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish.



"Happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light- minded mirth. It springs from the deeper fountains of the soul, and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. Have you never been so happy that you have had to weep? I have." -- Article by the author, Improvement Era, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 172-73.

Tuesday's True Confessions

* TV shows involving food are a bad, bad thing.
* I'm craving sugar in the form of baked goods.
* My sister Anna is moving to Provo and I'm a little bit jealous. It must be so exciting to start a new adventure in a new area. All of the art and culture of BYU at your fingertips, All of the bakeries and creameries, General Conference and MoTab live, Temple hopping, Ben and Amy, a real spring with real blossoms! (They all blow away or freeze here) Boy is she going to have fun!
* I really hope that the windy season goes fast! It can be miserable.
* Thomas's room used to be the messiest in the house, but now it's the cleanest! I finally moved all of our storage out of there and it's so nice!
* My room is next. I want it practically empty, but thats not really practical given the space that we have. Sigh.
* I love to read and I love having my own books, but I don't like how they look on bookshelves. It makes the room feel cluttered because they are all different colors and sizes.
* I don't like some phrases that are in style like, "get your ___ on" or "I know, right?" They really irritate me for some reason. I also don't like the journey metaphor. Do we have to describe all of our experiences as a journey? Just sayin... Ugh, that's another one.

 So have you added all of my confessions up and come to a conclusion?
craving sugar+ restlessness+organizing+irritability= We're having a baby girl in June!

The BYU Ballet came to Snowflake last weekend and we got the girls all dolled up to go see it. They did excerpts from Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and a couple other fairy tales and they invited the kids to dress up and meet some of the dancers. The girls were both excited to dress up and watch, but May made it clear that she did not want to meet the dancers or dance on the stage. Ellen, on the other hand, ran right up on the stage and danced without a care. May didn't mind meeting them after she saw how pretty and nice they were, but she still didn't want to dance during intermission. These girls are opposites in a lot of ways!

Poor Thomas dressed down (in pajamas) and went to bed at Grandma's house. Not so fun, but it made things a lot easier for us. Thanks Uncle Andrew for babysitting!