Fun Spring LDS General Conference

LDS General Conference is a fun and special time for our family. We spend the weekend together, feeding our spirits, eating yummy food, napping and being together and feeling blessed. This precious time that we spend together connects us to our Heavenly Father, His words for us, and to each other. I love the spirit that conference brings into our home. Here are some of the fun things we did for conference this year.

My conference basket is ready with everything we need - packets, pencils, scissors & treats.

You will need:

empty toilet paper rolls

Small candy & toys

decorative tissue paper

wrapping ribbon that matches your tissue

scissors & glue

(I can not find the link to the wrapper around the tube - it is so cute. 

You could use scrapbook paper.)

Cut squares of tissue large enough to go around the tube twice.

Stuff the candy & toys into the T.P. rolls. 

Apply a line of glue on the roll and stick the tissue to the roll rolling the roll 

over the tissue as you go. Apply one more line of glue at the end. 

Twist ends and tie with ribbon. 

I used this cute wrapper that says:

Conference time comes twice a year

A true blessing for us all...

Once in the spring when the flowers bloom,

and again when the leaves start to fall.

Oh please listen to the prophet

I know he will show us the way.

Our Heavenly Father will lead him,

and help him to know what to say. 

In the spring we usually have a gourmet hamburger bar with finger foods & treats. 

Happy Conference - enjoy your precious family and the spiritual feast.

The comfort of predictable tradtions.

We had a fabulous Christmas. There are so many beautiful people in our lives that it would be impossible not too! This year we had our fun family tree with our handmade decorations and precious things the kids have made or collected over the years, and we also hand picked the most gorgeous tree ever off of the mountain behind our home. Our awesome nieghbors, that are more like family, took us up to get it. It is huge and beautiful.

As I reflect on our wonderful Christmas, I think about all of the traditions that we have, and we do them every year. They are so predictable. We all open one present on Christmas eve and of course it is PJ's. (Smart mom's can guarantee great Christmas day photo's that way ;) Then we change into jammy's and read the Christmas story out of the Bible just like my father did when I was a child. We leave Santa milk and home-made cookies on his special plate, and he leaves us a really neat book to add to our Christmas collection. We feed the reindeer too, they don't leave us anything but we are awfully glad that they get Santa to us. Actually they did leave us some reindeer droppings this year which was a real added bonus in the believe department. We either make or collect a special ornament each year.... and the list goes on.

We celebrated New Years in our traditional way as well - together. I am so glad we have always done that and I hope my kids want to do that every year. We eat snacks and watch movies. At midnight we watch the ball drop and drink Martenellis sparkling apple cider. The kids love it and it is our tradition. And as life goes on I realize that those predictable things are the things that bond us and keep us close, they keep us grounded and moving forward, the things you can always plan for and count on. When everything in life gets crazy - and it usually does - there are things you can count on. You will get a new pair of PJ's every year even when you are to old to out grow them, Santa and the reindeer will always be able to fuel up at our house Christmas Eve, baby Jesus is always lying in the manger Christmas day, Christ comes before everything especially presents and Santa, we celebrate everything together, and family always loves you.

CHEERS!

Black Friday FUN!!!

I couldn't help posting this picture. Bethany and I are pro's! We sooo know how to do this.

Tip #1 Bring your best friend/shopping buddy/sister - (they are few and far between! )

Tip #2 is be first in line. (Here we are a few years ago first of course!) 

Tip #3 Bring camp chairs and blankets, it will be a while.

Tip #4 Get a breakfast sandwich and very hot hot cocoa at the Maverick before you get to the store of choice (first of course =).

Tip #5 (MOST IMPORTANT) Have a blast! Really we do it just for the fun of it. We have laughed about our "Black Friday's" for years later!

Family is EVERYTHING!

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.     ---Marcel Proust