Wasn't that a great conference weekend?! We sustained our new prophet and first presidency and heard lots of wonderful talks. I kind of zoned out a bit in the afternoon session yesterday (I'll have to be sure to read those talks, especially Elder William Walker's talk), but I was more alert today. I enjoyed all the talks, especially Elder Uchtdorf's talk about "Faith of Our Fathers." "True religion should not originate from what pleases man or even what pleases our ancestors...the 'faith of our Father' is on the earth today." Elder Uchtdorf has such a commanding presence, and he did such a wonderful job in conducting the sessions and, especially, the solemn assembly. Pres. Monson gave a great talk. I liked how he said that each one of us can feel the Lord's inspiration if we live worthily. He gave us good counsel saying, "We need to show kindness and respect for all people everywhere, especially within our own families." Our homes should be places of peace and love, "where the storm stops at the door." He reminded us that "in order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties, but together we shall move forward, doing His work." In the afternoon session I especially liked Elder Neuenschwander's talk about the crowds of the world and how we can have the Savior's blessings in our lives, even as we are part of the crowd, if we seek Him out as the woman did who desired to be healed of her affliction. Elder Ballard's talk about "Mothers" was a different kind of talk for him and I thought it was especially good. He gave great counsel to mothers: (1) The joy of motherhood comes in moments. Don't rush past fleeting moments. (2) Don't overschedule yourselves of your children. Take time to listen, play together, laugh. (3) Find some time for yourself to cultivate interests. (4) Pray, study, and teach the gospel. To husbands he said: (1) Show more appreciation. (2) Have regular time together to talk about each child's needs. (3) Give your wife a day away. (4) Come home from work and take an active role with the family. And to children, he said: (1) Help your mother by picking up your toys, making the bed, doing the dishes, etc. (2) Say 'thank you' more often. (3) Put your arms around your mother and let her know you love her. To Church leaders, he said: Be watchful of the demands on mothers. I liked all the talks and look forward to reading them when they come out in the Ensign.
After the last session, the Barretts came over for Sunday dinner. We had bean soup and some wheat bread that I made with the breadmaker. It turned out kind of funny looking but actually tasted pretty good. We had fun afterward playing hide 'n' seek, etc. It's so funny to see Sidney when we play hide 'n' seek. She wants to be in on it, but it's kind of scary for her because she doesn't know what to expect. When she and Grampa found me in the closet she had just the most worried/scared look on her face as if she didn't know what they were going to find. But then she was happy when she saw that it was just Gramma in there.