Saturday Session Of General Conference

We got up this morning and had omelets for breakfast.  Then Lexie got out some “homework” for the kids to work on.  Andrew did great writing out letters & numbers.  Autumn started out strong but eventually started drawing pictures and doing artsy things.  It’s funny to see the difference between the 2 of them but how they’re both so good at different things.

While they were doing that, Lexie was playing w/ Jackson.  He would push this walker type toy through her legs like she was a tunnel.  He was having so much fun and smiling like crazy.  I love it how kids are so happy and easily entertained w/ such simple things.  This is such a fun age.

Autumn had been walking around w/ 2 of these empty soda boxes on her legs to look like a robot.  After she was done playing w/ them, Jackson wanted a turn.  This looks like some kind of Halloween outfit gone wrong.  LOL!  He’s so stinkin’ cute.

Lexie got cleaned up and then we gathered everyone around so we could watch the Saturday morning session of General Conference.  Lexie was such a good Aunt & let Autumn brush her hair and style it.  Jackson cracks me up b/c he insists on wearing Autumn’s old Tinker Bell necklace.  He loves that thing.  I was so pleasantly shocked and surprised when Pres. Monson announced that the age limit for missionaries has been lowered.  Worthy young men now have the option to go at the age of 18 instead of 19.  The bigger news for me was that worthy young women can now go at 19 instead of 21.  That is going to give so many more young women the opportunity to serve missions instead of waiting around to either finish school or maybe get married.  I am so excited for those young women that will choose to serve a mission.  It was one of the best things I’ve ever done w/ my life.

Jackson wasn’t too into watching conference b/c he’s so young and had no idea what’s going on.  So, he found creative ways to entertain himself.  Attacking Autumn while she was laying on the floor is one of those ways.  Autumn was a good sport and played along, and it was so funny to watch them.

Autumn & Andrew got bored after a while, so we printed off this General Conference bingo game from The Red Headed Hostess.  Mom had gone shopping earlier and brought home a bag of candy corn, so we let the kids use that to cover up the spots.  It’s hard to see w/ that busy tablecloth, but they had a great time.  Lexie helped them to point out what some of the speakers were saying so they could fill up their boards.

My favorite talk this morning was by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  He talked about Regrets & Resolutions.  It is EXCELLENT for any body (not just Mormons) to listen to.  His message is so timely and wonderful.

After the morning session of conference, the kids were restless and wanted to go outside.  It was chilly today (in the mid 50’s), but that didn’t stop them.  They both got brooms and went around cleaning up the leaves and branches that were left on the ground when Gilberto was trimming the hedges.  Such good helpers!

For lunch we had ham bone soup, b/c that’s what Lex had requested.  It completely hit the spot on such a cold day.  I know this picture isn’t perfect b/c Andrew & Jackson have their eyes close and you can’t see the bottom 1/2 of Autumn’s face.  But I LOVE this picture for what it represents…family sitting down together to share a lovely meal.  We’re happy, healthy, have enough food to eat, etc.  We are so blessed.

The 2nd session of conference today was really good, too.  I spent most of the time knitting w/ Autumn’s thing that Mom & Aunt Jeri got for her.  I made a super long line and had to keep going upstairs to drop it over the landing so it could unwind.  Aunt Jeri’s been crocheting the long line I made together to turn it into a blanket.  I like having mindless work to do that keeps my hands busy while I listen to conference.

My favorite talk from this session was by Elder Larry Echo Hawk, b/c he talked about his American Indian heritage.  I told Autumn she for sure needed to listen to that one.

After conference, Dad left to go to the priesthood session.  Mom & Aunt Jeri were getting ready to go to Hobby Lobby and told Lex she should come w/ them to get out of the house.  Lex decided she had had enough of all the noise and commotion and that she needed to go home.  So, we helped her pack everything up and load it in the car and she and the boys left very spur of the moment.  We were sad to see them go, but wanted to support Lex in her decision.

After they left, Autumn and I stayed for a while and then decided that we needed to go home too so we could sleep in our own beds and shower and change clothes in the morning.  I had to get a picture of this, b/c it was the first time this season that I turned off the A/C and turned the temperature dial over to heat instead of cold.  It finally feels like fall is here.