Introspection-mostly notes for me

I just finished watching general conference. Yesterday was a great experience, being part of the solemn assembly. It was something I hope the girls will remember. I felt privileged to be able to sustain President Monson and the other leaders. We were almost giddy waiting for our turn. It was exciting to see who the new apostle would be also. I really liked Elder Christofferson's responses during the press conference. If you didn't catch it, try Googling it.

I felt more than ever the focus was on our individual progress. Elder Nelson's words on an individual's matter of salvation were powerful. He also said "do not try and control your children", “Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life.” Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one they're talking to. I liked Elder Rasband, speaking on the building blocks to your faith and our own experiences. Reminding us they will be our strength when we face challenges.

We talk to the girls about being compassionate to others. Emily has a girl in her class with special needs. Some of the kids aren't always nice to her. Truth be told, she isn't always nice to Emily. Emily though fortunately understands that her body and brain work differently than hers. She has told me that "Alyssa is my friend, she just sometimes forgets to be nice, she can't help it". Elder Wirthlin's anecdote of the boys teasing another boy was another reminder to them of the power they have. They can stand up for others and have love for everyone. Well, we all can. Elder Uchtdorf also had some great words. I'm glad that the girls could hear them. He said “Our Heavenly Father loves His children. He hears the prayers of the humble and sincere of every nation, tongue and people.” He added: “He grants light to those who seek and honor Him and are willing to obey His commandments. We joyously proclaim that the faith of our Father is on the earth today.” We paused it and had a discussion about what that meant to them.

Elder Ballard's talk was great! The picture he painted of him sitting with his kids was awesome. I like when we see the personal side of the speakers. Ryan and I both have the habit of rewinding things. Some might say it is annoying. We wanted the girls to hear his words when he spoke to the children. I did some rewinding when he was talking about mothers. What- how could I resist?

Another cool thing was seeing the girls' ears perk up whenever someone would mention the articles of faith. They'd swing their heads around from the conference packet. I think it was emailed around the LDS world twice.

Great weekend! Out of fear of boring you since most of you watched it I'll leave you with some cool photos that I've found (they make me smile) and a question. This is from Elder L. Tom Perry “When we think of eternal life, what is the picture that comes to mind?”