I am out of town then this weekend to attend the General Conference for my church in Salt Lake City. If you want to watch what will be inspiring me this weekend you can watch online HERE. I will post again on Monday when I return.
Till then may I share a favorite conference tradition in my little family. I would also love to hear your favorite conference tradition if you are LDS. If you are not LDS, consider tuning in or watching some on the internet. How often do you get to hear a man who 13 million people believe to be prophet like Moses of old speak to the world? Look for talks by Thomas S. Monson if you want to hear the current prophet. See his photo below.
I believe he is the Lord's mouthpiece on the earth today to give guidance and direction to us. I will be seeking the Spirit of the Lord to confirm that truth to me while I listen to him speak. I hope all of you will be seeking for that same Spirit to confirm truth to you as you listen as well.
Our conference tradition is to make homemade cinnamon rolls for Sunday morning. I also print out activity packets for the kids and have them draw pictures or write notes about 3 things each speaker says. What are your conference traditions?
29 comments:
Wow the first comment! I love to watch conference and luckily we have cable so we can watch it on the BYU channel. Our tradition is to make a nice big brunch and invite a family over that is in our ward (since we don't live around family). We lounge around in our PJ's and enjoy the day with each other.
I just finished watching the first session. My son is working on his primary packet and having a lot of fun coloring the speaker's ties! Now that you mentioned cinnamon rolls, I will be making some too. Great idea! As a young kid, we lived in the mission field and always had to drive about 30 minutes to see General Conference - that was a chore. I love living in Las Vegas and being able to watch it on tv. How wonderful! Enjoy your weekend and the intense spirit that must be up there in SLC right now.
One of the traditions that my family has during conference is to have a women's night during priesthood session. We usually all get together and enjoy each others company. Since I don't have any family here anymore in Vegas my daughters and I along with some of my 2 year old's friends will be having a girl's night with toe nail painting and popcorn while daddy goes to the priesthood session.
Also here is a site that my friend emailed to me with some neat conference packets and activities for kids of all ages:
http://www.jonlund.com/blog/Lunds/Favorites.html
Steph - I've continued the cinnamon roll tradition in my small family ... the rolls are rising right now! That was too yummy of a tradition to stop once I left your home! ;) I hope you and your family will enjoy them as much as we do!
one of the traditions that my family does is we meet at my parents house and everyone listens to conference while chopping, cutting and cooking our homemade clam chowder. We make enough for everyone to take home and continue eating and remembering the spirit within.
Way to go at being a great missionary to all the non-members who read your blog. I am impressed. I am on a mission in Ukraine, we just got home from watching the first session in our Chapel. All the missionaries were crowded into a tiny primary room so the members could watch it from the Chapel. It was awesome. Next Conference I will be at home. I was so honored to be amoung these wonderful missionaries. When they all stood to sing I couldn't hold back the tears. what a blessing for us to be here.
We have always gotten together with my extended family and watched conference. Now that I am older with my own little family, we get together with my parents and sisters and their families for breakfast, then naps then lunch. We have had homemade tacos for lunch every Sunday since my mom was little. It is so much fun. We also do the packets and coloring pages for the kiddos. Keeps them interested. For the little little guys, they watch church cartoons. It's a fun family day!
I am afraid to say my kids call conference Sunday,baseball sunday. Every conference for as long as I can remember we get together with our family that lives here at the park. We have a good time playing baseball together in between conferences. Then we go to Grandma and Grandpa's house that night for Grandpa's famous homemade doughnuts !!! Yummy can't hardly wait!!
I hope that conference is as uplifting and inspiring for you, as it has been for me. I learned this week that my husband's cancer (which he had beat last year) is probably back. We are waiting for biopsy results, and have been pretty upset. Today's conference was a spiritual feast though. I felt many of the speakers were talking directly to me. President Uchtdorf's talk on hope, and Elder Holland's talk about angels supporting us.........Wow. I know now, that whatever my family is called to go through, we can do it. I'm glad you're sharing the word with those not of our faith. I found myself wanting to have everyone I know hear what I was hearing.
Steph-- so glad you will be having garff rolls this weekend. you better believe we are too! We were on the same wavelength... I just posted the sour cream roll/cinnamon recipe on my blog.
enjoy conference. I thought of you multiple times while listening to conference this morning. Elder Uchtdorf is on a roll. loved what he had to say, again.
bug hugs! -e
Our tradition is to make it a great party. To pitch our tent and enjoy. I have four little ones and I wanted them to always look forward to it, not to be a punishment. So we have our special treats that are only for this day. I also have General Conference binders for them that have a picture of each of the twelve with paper behind it. They draw pictures/or write little things about the talk. I also do packets.
They earn CTR dollars for being reverant, taking small notes (oldest is 9) finishing pages. I have a little basket of goodies they than turn in for their dollars. We play bingo.
The kids look forward to conference every year. We make it a huge deal they get to hear the prophet, and we try to read the account of king benjamin the week before. We have even had balloons. My hope is that they will find a love for conference, that it will be something to look forward too not dread. It is amazing that they can sit through all four sessions.
The last thing is that we let them pick a new thing to try every year. This year it is the conference tent. They know that they can have quite toys/voices while they are watching. I hope this works, it would be a fun new tradition.
Hey Steph!
I haven't posted in awhile but I thought I would today! I am also up here in SLC for Conference. When I was getting my master's degree here at BYU we had all of our students watch all sessions of conference and write down anything the speakers said that had to do with parenting, child rearing or children. Since then, we have continued to do that...when I have a rough moment with Jacob, I go back to my conference notes about what the speakers have said.
Now that Jacob is getting older, he loves to do the packets, especially the matching ones.
Conference weekend is one of my favorite weekends of the year!
Steph, thank you for your friendship.
Loves!
Liz
I heard about a families tradition to change out the 72 hour kits each Conference and eat everything in there while you watch conference. I want to start this as a way to keep up on the kits. I always did the Conference Bingo growing up.
I go to Deseret Books "Ladies Night" during priesthood session. It is a ton of fun!
I might have started a family tradition tonight! My husband's family (well, the men) go to his grandparent's house after the Priesthood session and have banana splits. Tonight I took my 4 girls out to eat....AND we had DESSERT!
I wish the weather was cooperating this weekend for you...or maybe you like the rain? I live just south of Salt Lake County (Lehi) and it was gorgeous weather a couple days ago. :)
This is my first comment on your blog and I want to tell you I'm so sorry for your loss of beautiful Camille. I am also the mother of 4 girls and I can't imagine losing one. Your posts have touched me deeply and have shown me the things in my life I need to change...because we never know what will happen tomorrow.
I love what you are doing with your blog. I don't know if you went on a mission before you were married, but you are definitely on one now! Sharing the gospel and helping those who are mourning. You write and express yourself beautifully. My husband is a writer and I wish I had your talent.
Oh, how fortunate for you to be there in Salt Lake! Our tradition is to watch Conference on the internet all snuggled as a family on the couch. I love it.
What a great tradition. I, like so many others, just enjoy the fact that I get to stay in my pajamas all day and enjoy the words of our great leaders. I love that I get to spend the whole day together with my family and hear uplifting messages in my front room!
I will have to work on some fun traditions. I think we may start one tommorow though. Making cookies during the second session and delivering them to friends and neighbors after conference is over.
Great post!
Our tradition has carried on since I was a young one. We gather the children together and watch every session together in the family room. The kidlets do their packets and conference bingo with M&M's (had to make a last minute run to the store for those!). Adults take notes, and we enjoy snacking on fresh apple slices with peanut butter, or cheese. I love the cinnamon roll idea as well!
Hi, Stephanie. I am a friend of Morgan and Elizabeth's (they are our home and visiting teachers). I have been following your blog since June and am always amazed and inspired by you. I wanted to introduce myself to you last Sunday but the opportunity didn't present itself. Maybe next time you are in SC. One of our family's traditions for conference is we pitch our tent toward the prophet, like the people of King Benjamin in Mosiah. We have a big beach tent that my kids set up in front of the TV and pile in their pillows and blankets. It makes it fun for them. We also make pumpkin pie waffles for breakfast on Sunday morning. (also a traditon for Thanksgiving breakfast). Thanks for inviting us to share our traditions. And for allowing me to learn and grow from your story.
hmmmm...fun question. i'm mostly just looking forward to reading everyone else's answers. i love trying new traditions with my new little family.
our traditons have been...
going to the conference center
going out somewhere fun while the boys are at priesthood session
eating my mom's yummy picnic in my dad's office between sessions
discussing, discussing, and more discussing our favorite talks
I have a Girl's Night Out with my extended family during Priesthood session, and then I usually work on some kind of craft during the other sessions.
Hello there,
You guys don't know us, but I wanted to post a comment on your blog. We are the Adams Family, and unfortunately on Sept. 16, 2007 our precious Trinity (almost 6 year old) passed away being unable to recover from open heart surgery. We just passed her 1 year mark of her death. It's been an enormous struggle learning to live on without our precious daughter to hold, hug, and kiss. Her story is on her website www.trinadams.com if you are interested. I keep my blog private, but if you wanted to be apart of it, you could always e-mail me at adamsfamily97@yahoo.com. I just wanted you to know how very sorry I am for your loss of your sweet precious Camille. She is a beautiful little girl...if you ever need another "Angel mom" to talk to, I would be more than happy to be there for you. The pain wont ever go away because the love for your baby wont ever go away, you just learn to live with the pain.
Our traditions are to snuggle on the couch while watching wearing the most comfortable things we can find. When my husband falls asleep, I very quietly get up and take yet another picture of him "listening". He did make sure I caught the part of Saturday's talk that quietly drifting off is not disturbing others so is not so bad. I reminded him how loudly he snores! Then have a good meal with all family that can make it.
I am a slow learner and still figuring out what makes sense so this year we used the packets Michelle Grant had emailed around as we watched both Sunday sessions with the 13yo and 2 9yo's. I usually make breakfast, but we had such a busy day Sat that when I woke up Sun and no one was up, I went back to bed for an hour and got up just before conf came on at 9AM, enough time to get some dinner things going and during the break between sessions prepared more (so eating is important in our house, too!).
My 9yo's complained bitterly about having to watch BOTH sessions (mind you we were at sports games and birthday party all day Sat so they didn't watch ANY of those sessions!), but they seemed to do OK with the packets and it was a success and that's even with DS going into adjacent dining room and laying down ON TOP OF THE FORMAL TABLE for the entirety of President Monson's final talk to listen from there because he was tired.
Now I'm more excited to try different things with the kids since they took that pretty well. To narc on DH a little, he was content to let the kids scatter at 9AM when the conference came on until I questioned him on that.
Hope you had fun!
Hi Stephanie,
I guess one of my favorite Conference traditions is one that you took part in last Spring!
I love having the YW over for breakfast on Saturday morning. We eat about 8:30 and then lounging until Conference starts at 9:00.
The girls really seemed to look forward to it too. Especially waffles with ICE CREAM and fresh fruit.
I miss serving with you, and hope you find many new friends in your new ward!
xxoo
Cynthia
cinnamon rolls sound yummy!! can you send me a recipe. I need a good one. can't wait to hear how your conference experience is.. please do email me the recipe for the rolls.. my husband would love it if i would make those..
Stephanie, You don't know me but we have much in common. I am so sorry for your loss. I am suffering too. On June 22, 2008 my baby 2 1/2 yrs old was hit by a car and declaired dead the next day. We donated her organs, just her kidneys were used. We are so very thankful for our Savior who has carried us through this very difficult time. My husband and our 8 other children are dealing pretty good with it all. Our oldest daughter left for the MTC on Sept 3rd. I thought it was going to be tough having her go, but that was nothing compared to having Holly go. For some reason she had to leave on her mission first. I know she will be there helping her sister in Italy. I have had many on the same feelings and experinces with love and peace as you have. I still cry often and feel that hole in my chest and my empty arms ache. But like you I do look forward to the millenium when we can have her again. You can email me if you want to. I would like that. Later Jeanenne Doxey jsd.notechmom@yahoo.com
I print out conference bingo for my kids... we've done it for as long as I can remember. They love it.
I'm not sure if you remember me, but I was in your Long Beach ward and you were the very first non-family babysitter for my Brooke when I had New Beginnings. I love following your site and have been strengthened by your insights following your recent tragedy. When I watched President Monson's talk on change, I thought of your family and how applicable this was to your particular situation. Thanks for being such wonderful examples and rocks in a world that would teach us to be bitter and depressed.--Jackie Rama
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