General Conference October 2013

So as general conference came around, I realized that if we were going to even have a prayer of listening to any of the messages, I was going to have to do some major prep in advance.

 Let me try to explain how excited I was to listen to general conference: For the last 5 months neither Kerry nor I have really been able to get much out of our church attendance because we have either been at home with the boys (before they started coming to church) or we have been going with them to their classes, then simply surviving sacrament meeting at the end, praying that nobody has a major meltdown.

 It's been getting a lot better, but we've just been on our own to keep our testimonies from withering.  So I looked forward to conference as a major opportunity to be spiritually fed.  Somewhere along the mental line I latched onto the fairly unrealistic idea that if I put enough effort into having activities for the kids, they would somehow morph into not 5 and 3 year olds and instead sit and listen quietly.  Yeah, not so much.

Sunday morning, when things were going much more smoothly (and occasionally quietly)

The good news is that after having my unrealistic expectations shattered on Saturday, we made a different game plan for Sunday that ended up working out pretty well for the kids and us.  And, miracle of miracles, there were even a few moments where kids sat and listened!

Soccer!

As the schoolyear rolled around and it was apparent that Tam wasn't quite ready to start kindergarten (we'll revisit the decision in January.  Please pray that he'll be ready! :)), we decided that he still needed some sort of activity that was his own.  We signed him up for rec soccer, and made it into a family activity.  Twice a week for a month we packed everyone into the car to go see him play. 

This is what happens when everyone wants to be picked up at the same time.

 I was a bit worried that the 2 younger kids would be bummed that they didn't get to play, too, but they were fine.  They actually enjoyed hanging out on a blanket on the sidelines and playing with matchbox cars or whatever else they decided to bring to entertain themselves with.  The actual soccer experience for Tam was par for the course, but it seemed like he had fun, so hopefully he'll be excited to do something like this again.  What really motivated him was the fact that there was juice after each game.  And he enjoyed sharing his treat and drink with all of us and making sure that everyone got a sip or a little bite.  He really is such a sweet kid!

Practicing her hair skills during the game

Kate's 1st year in Preschool

I'm really playing catch-up with blog posts, because this is really news from 2 months ago, but Kate started preschool and is loving it!  She only goes 2 days a week, but that is perfect for her (and me) right now.  She was pretty excited to start school, and after a couple weeks of getting to know the other kids at school and getting used to the routine, she's done fabulously.  Kerry's work schedule makes it so that he gets to walk her across the street to school, and then the boys and I pick her up before lunch.  She likes to talk about the songs they sang, whether they went out to recess or not, what they had for snack, and about her friends at school.  

My Priesthood Session Notes Before & After Adopting 2 More Kids (by Kerry)

April 2013

Robert D. Hales - Armor of God

Ted R. Callister - Priesthood

 Story - priesthood in a boy same as in man

 Greater Trust, Greater Expectations, Greater Training

 If you want revelation, do your homework

 Entitled to revelation, duty to rescue the lost, allow to teach

 Do not get released with your leadership skills still in you

Create leaders at camp & in the ward

David L. Beck - Ministering

 Story of Shy Johnson

 Start in your home - attitude when asked to help

 Story of Gladwyn

 We are always priesthood men. Ministering is not just something we do, it's who we are.

Dieter F. Uchdorf - Titles

 4 Titles that apply to all

 Son of Heavenly Father

 Satan would have us define ourselves by our sins, not his divine nature(toddler learning to walk)

 HF rejoices in our attempts to become more like him

 Disciples of Jesus Christ

 Healers of souls - our first and most important duty

 Heirs of God

Henry B. Eyering - Gospel to all the world

Thomas S. Monson - Teach All Nations

  The challenge is to be more profitable servants

  To Ensure Success

• Search the Scriptures with diligence - Alma 17
• Plan your life with purpose
• Teach the Truth with Testimony - story of Bro. Pollard
• Serve the Lord with love

Today have I increased in knowledge, faith, love? Story of Craig Sudbery

October 2013

Repentance - think of how many good things come from things being broken. Broken soil to wheat, broken wheat to bread, broken bread to sacrament

Pres. Uchdorf

Story - You can do it now!

Worldly sorrow leads us further into

(Pretty sure I blacked out at this point, because the next thing I remembered was the closing song :) Oh well, there's always the conference Ensign to look forward to...