General Conference Weekend

What a wonderful Conference weekend!
Yesterday we took the kids to a park for a picnic lunch. It was a wonderful sunny day after waiting and waiting for Spring to finally come to Rapid Valley. So we were excited to be outdoors.
We also spent time outside at home later that day...riding bikes and drawing chalk. And playing with our water table we made this year. They get to play in the water on our back porch and they love it.

We chose not to watch Saturday's session of General Conference this year. We made a fun family day instead. And I will read some of the talks when they come out on the internet.

Tiberias was dreading General Conference. He doesn't like having to sit and listen or be reverent or be calm. So school, church, conference...they are all hard on him.
But when it came to it he found Conference isn't so bad after all! Even though I always give them fun games and activities to do to stay with us during the sessions he found this time it wasn't too hard on him. I think it's because he's getting older and more mature.

This time we had mini picture conference bingo cards. They had to get three in a row. They had a maze to draw their way through and a coloring page each (the boys). Cheerios to eat. Blankies to cuddle with. And it was easier to sit the two hours because he had gone on a long walk beforehand.
This morning we ate our traditional blueberry muffins but I added blueberry pancakes to the mix. Then we went on a family walk to the school (about 20 mins walk with the kids). We played just a little while at the school park before walking home again. Then they were ready to sit and rest for the two hours. And after the session of Conference I took the kids outside for more leg stretching fun. Luke played chalk drawing while Athena and Ty took me down the street with their bikes.

I use to think outside play (playgrounds, bikes, etc) were not appropriate for Sundays. But now I think it's good for them. It helps them prep for having to sit reverently. And it's also fine because we did it together. As a family.

And near the end of the morning session I allowed the kids to use all the couch cushions to make a house. I helped them build it so it wouldn't fall too easily. All three kids enjoying sitting in it, under the tv, where they could still hear the talks. And we ended that session with a picnic lunch in the tv room. The kids sat on a blanket to eat their homemade croissant roll pigs in a blanket, peas, apples and a single chicken nugget (we ran out of chicken nuggets today).

During the last session of conference we had a dessert break before it ended. I baked some yummy fudgy brownies from a box and threw some mint ice cream on top. As Ster and I sat down with our dessert to hear Elder Holland's talk he spoke a funny coincidence. He talked about how the audience was probably anxious for him to get his talk over with so we can go eat our after conference ice cream. I had to laugh. We don't usually have ice cream after conference or even every Sunday. It was just a coincidence.

A little while ago Sterling decided for our family that we cannot foster other people's children at this time. I was hurt because I want to help and I feel I can handle protecting other people's children and giving them what they need while at the same time protecting our children from those children.
But after I got over the hurt and started looking forward to the day that will be right for our family to foster I came to see that it was right. And now I appreciate even more how perfect our little family is right now. How much love, peace, fun, innocence and perfection we have right now.
Luke is the least physical of my family. And he is quiet about what he thinks and feels but I think he too enjoys being hugged and told "I love you" now. He didn't as much when he was a toddler. He would push me away when I hugged him.

Tiberias was the opposite. He has always wanted to be permanently attached to me.  And Athena is just as cuddly and affectionate.

At the end of every day we have our nighttime prayers. Each child says a prayer and then we have a big family hug. Everyone loves it.

Athena will come up to individuals and latch on to them and say in a dreamy voice"love."
If Dad is laying on the couch she will climb on and lay with him and cuddle up and say "love daddy!" It's so precious!

Sometimes she even does it to friends. The other day a neighbor boy was over, Gunnar, and she went and hugged him and said "love Gunnar." He pushed her off.