Growing up in California, my experience with Conference was our family loading into the Vista Cruiser Station Wagon and driving to our Stake Center in Fresno which was 60 minutes away to watch conference. It was pretty fun because we got to go to McDonalds in between sessions on Saturday. But on Sunday it was sack lunches. Then our stake got changed, so we went to Merced which was 30 minutes away. I was older, so I remember the girls shopping while the boys went to priesthood. During conference my Dad had us take notes. Then after conference he'd quiz us by asking questions and giving treats for the answers. It did help me pay attention. While at BYU, I actually got to see the prophet in the Tabernacle and we sang "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet," as Spencer W. Kimball walked in. Dates to conference was really a common thing. I also remember hearing rumors every conference that the mission age was going to change for girls to 19 instead of 21. These rumors were from good sources, you know my brothers, bishops, stake presidents, wife's, dogs, owner. I kept hoping. It never happened. Then on my mission I really learned to love conference.
So when I got married, I wanted to make conference special to our kids. We got serious when Kate was about 6 and Anna 4. I made copies of pages from the Friend to make packets for them to work on. This one session was not broadcast on TV for some reason, so we had to listen to it. We were sitting around the table in the Fox Hollow house and Katelyn was trying to take notes like Jeff and I. She kept saying things like, "How do you spell Jesus, how do you spell family, how do you spell, love, temple? " The Spirit was so strong, I thought, " Life doesn't get any better than this."Since then the kids also do bingo when they want to take a break from notes or packets. The reason they like to take notes is because I give better treats to note takers. The little kids write key words and check them off every time they hear one. Then ,like my Dad I ask questions about the talks and give gum. It is pretty much a party, but it's our party. This has been years in the making and it has been hard sometimes, but so worth it. I really love conference, and I think my kids do too.
Kyle's favorite quote was "Two people can do anything if one of them is the Lord" Neal L. Anderson"True love must involve permanence" Jeffrey R. Holland
Mary's was "Women of the church, It is not for you to be led by the world, but to lead the world with everything that is edifying and virtuous. Home is the most important place to prepare the youth to be successful in everything." M. Russell Ballard
Anna's was, "Our hands become His hands, our eyes His eyes, our hearts, His heart." Deiter F. Uchtdorf
Kate liked, "Be a simply devoted Saint." Richard G. Scott
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