Wordles

Have you ever seen a Wordle?

Click HERE to see the General Conference Wordle.

Thank you, LDS Media Talk!

In case you don't know, the largest words are the words

most repeated during the General Conference Talks.

Has it only been ONE week since LDS General Conference? Wow...this week flew by! I am wondering what a wordle for my past week would contain....

PTA, Answer Email, Send Email, Laundry

Bake Cookies,

Decline TV and Newspaper Interviews/ Comments..again

Homework, Attend Chorus Concert, Find Chorus Uniform

Work on Halloween Costumes, Public Library

Approve letters, expenditures, and events

Shower, Make Bed, Watch The Biggest Loser,

The Nielsens on Oprah, Work on Christmas Cruise

Read Scriptures, Crossword Puzzles, Journal

Worked on Book Project(s)

Check voice mail, Facebook

Said NO more than anyone would believe!

OH MY WORDLE could be huge and very out of balance...

illuminating for certain.

I am going to change the Prominent words in next week's wordle,

since I am the only one who can change MY wordle.

What words would be most

prominent in your recent WORDLE?

For the record...Spellcheck does not like WORDLE..

Want to create your OWN Wordle????? Click HERE! Have fun!

Conference Quilts

Conference Quilts

Mother-Daughter Night.

When we are not in Salt Lake attending LDS General Conference,

(which happens at least once per year lately)

this is a tradition I hope to continue during

April and October General Conference.

While Ron was at the Priesthood Session on Saturday Night,

Katherine and Megan each made a Tied-Quilt,

with a little help from yours truly.

They selected the fabrics (so true to their personalities..Katherine's

with Cupcakes on it and Megan's with sports for a baby boy).

Each time we work on a project, the girls are more confident

to try a new skill and work on their own.
Above and Below are the Finished Products.
They chose great flannel prints and coordinating fabrics for the
backs. I did not give any input in this department. I showed them
the rows of fabrics that would be appropriate for making tied
quilts and off they went. I was impressed with their choices.
Megan's favorite part is using the sewing machine. She already
has such control as she guides the fabric. It took me years to feel
as confident on a sewing machine as she already is at 9 years
old. She was able to use many of the sewing supplies she
received for her Birthday in August.
Her own pins and pin cushion were a highlight!

Katherine liked using the sewing machine, yet LOVED sewing

with the large needles when it came time to tie the quilt with yarn.

Note the "Conference Tent" in the background..... The idea

came from this month's Friend Magazine Watching Conference

"King Benjamin" style made the weekend even more fun.

Where will these quilts go? We are hoping to children affected by
Hurricane Ike. We have a few others to add to this collection.

In years to come, I am hoping the Conference Quilt Tradition will be one

we plan and look forward to as our Mother Daughter General Conference Tradition

during The Saturday Night Priesthood Session.

Oh....

Of course....we had YUMMY take out food, also!

It's not a Mother-Daughter Party without the Food!

Can I just say... General Conference alone brings such a powerful spirit

to our lives and our home.

However, the sweetness of that powerful spirit was magnified

as we were making these quilts with the desire to serve someone in need

. Do you ever have a weekend that you just don't want to end?

This past weekend would be in the category!

It was wonderful.

Quilts, Questions, and General Conference

A Breath of Fresh Air....

Inhale Deeply

No Politics, No Debates, No Economic Bailout,

Put It All Away and Say......

Hooray For

LDS General Conference Weekend

How Do You Prepare for General Conference?

Do you have any General Conference Traditions?

Have you ever attended General Conference in person?

This is Alison and Me in

The Tabernacle on Temple Square last October.

We were there for General Conference.

General Conference Thoughts:

• Over the years, I have been blessed to attend many sessions of General Conference in person. I have attended at the Tabernacle on Temple Square and at the new Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Whether I attend in person or watch in my chapel or from my home, my experience is greatly enhanced when I prepare my spirit and heart. The week prior to General Conference, my prayers are focused on those preparing messages and most of all for my own heart to be open and receptive to the teachings of the spirit.
• Take your Questions To Conference. A few years ago, while speaking at a Conference in Orlando, Sister Wendy Nelson (wife of Elder Russell Nelson) told of how she took a life changing question to General Conference. She received an answer and later when she went back to review the message, the message was about a completely different subject. She received personal revelation at the moment she needed it most. Taking My Questions To Conference has changed my entire General Conference experience. I actually WRITE THEM DOWN and make each question a matter of prayer for the weeks prior to General Conference. (yes, they are written as I type) The spirit will speak to you when you are prepared to listen.
• Ron has had the blessing of taking each of our sons to the General Priesthood Meeting in the Tabernacle and/or The Conference Center. I plan on taking each of our daughters to the Young Women General Conference Broadcast at least once while they are in the Young Women's Program. Katherine turns 12 in March, so it is looking like we will head there in April.
• Quilts.....Tomorrow while Ron is at the Saturday evening General Priesthood Session, Katherine, Megan, and I are going to make a quilt. This is a tradition I want to keep going. I remember going to my Aunt Marilyn's house and the women would be sitting around working on a quilt while listening to the Saturday Sessions of General Conference.
• Sunday Morning Breakfast. We make Swedish Pancakes or Belgian Waffles. With the sessions not starting until noon EST, we have plenty of time to have a lazy morning, enjoy a wonderful breakfast, and be prepared for the Spiritual Feast that is sure to be served.
• Our Ward Young Women make and sell Conference Bag Lunches for Saturday. It has been a nice tradition to enjoy lunch made by the Young Women. When we are out of town (in Utah for Conference) I still order the lunches for those here at home, or for another family who may not have the means to enjoy this Conference treat.
• When I am in Utah for General Conference, I love Ladies Night at Deseret Book during the Priesthood Session on Saturday Night.Oh yes! Authors, discounts, samples, artists, book signings, etc. As soon as the Priesthood Session is over, I meet Ron (after enjoying Ladies Night) and usually a few friends, for dinner. Being on Mountain Time makes it perfect for going out after the Priesthood Session. At this moment, Downtown Salt Lake City is completely torn up due to Construction. Thank you, Deseret Book for finding a place for Ladies Night while you are displaced....The Joseph Smith Memorial Building was perfect!
• Mission Reunions! Attending Ron's Mission Reunion (after ALL these years) continues to be one of the Highlights of our trips to April General Conference.
• Seeing people I have not seen in years....I ALWAYS ALWAYS meet up with people I have not seen in years.
• Satellite TV! Now I can watch General Conference (and any other LDS Church TV Programming) at home. And now.....I can DVR all sessions and replay, replay, replay! I have re-watching last week's Relief Society Session over and over this week! No more waiting for the Ensign Magazine to arrive. ( I can still remember the days when General Conference was Broadcast to our Chapels via phone line....NO VIDEO. We would sit for the entire 2 hours and LISTEN. We've come so far! I remember President Kimball teaching that advances in Technology would be for the benefit of The Church Members. This is one HUGE example of technology blessing my life!
• Watching General Conference at home can have disadvantages. Preparing my Physical Surroundings (a clean orderly home) is vital to having a the spirit present for General Conference viewing. I also find that when my house is clean and orderly, I am not distracted by feeling like I should be cleaning or organizing. Preparing my Children with and attitude of respect and reverence. This is a no friends running in and out weekend. This year, I prepared Conference Packets for them to work on as they hopefully listen or at least are present while Conference is on. Of course, there are prizes for completed packets. I don't expect them to listen attentively to every message, however, they are expected to show reverence and respect while General Conference messages are presented.
• SING Stand and sing with the Congregation!!!!!
• Take Notes! I have a special General Conference Journal for taking notes. Every time I review the notes, I am taken back to the time I first heard the message and how I felt when the spirit was teaching me. I am starting a new journal this Conference.
• Andrew lives next to the Conference Center. Unless you live IN the Conference Center, no one lives closer than my son, Andrew and those in his complex. I am so excited for Andrew to be in that area. I can't wait to hear how he gets Tickets to General Conference (we did not request them far enough in advance). It will be a story worth hearing....I am sure! After all....it is Andrew I am speaking of. His life is an adventure, which means, being his mother is an adventure!

I look forward to the Spiritual Feast of General Conference.

Do you?

How do you prepare?

What are your thoughts as this Breath of Fresh Air, aka General Conference, approaches?

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Joy and White Blouses

Joy...And White Blouses
Today I feel a profound sense of happiness and joy.
Last night, the messages at The Relief Society General
Broadcast spoke to my heart. The Words AND the Music.
My Ward hosted a dinner prior to the Broadcast.
My Ward Relief Society leaders will never know
how much I appreciated sitting with my Ward Sisters
for a simple meal (delicious) and delightful conversations.
I don't tell them enough, yet, my Ward Sisters are a
breath of fresh air to me..... each one of them.
With so much of my time spent working and serving
in my Community recently, I just needed to sit with my sisters and soak in their goodness
of their spirits last night. It felt so good and was the perfect way to set the stage for
the messages of The RS Broadcast.
After dinner, I left to come home and view the RS Broadcast from my own sofa.
There I sat, in my PJ's, crying tears I have needed to cry for oh so long.
From the Opening Song, to the Closing Prayer, my heart was open. My heart
was being touched and filled every minute.
If I had to pick a favorite message, it was, hands down,
President Uchtdorf's. It will go down as one of my all-time-sure-to-be-quoted-favorites.
Oh My....has he been following me around and reading MY thoughts????
Seriously....he READ my MIND and HEART!!!!

Am I the only one who needed to hear about overcoming my FEARS?????
Oh, and.....YES, I am way tooooooo hard on myself. Time to work on that one!

I also love the quote he used from President Hinkley after Sister Hinkley died
and he was speaking to a recently widowed woman,
WORK WILL CURE YOUR GRIEF...GO SERVE OTHERS.
I have LIVED that quote and can testify that when I am
WORKING and SERVING others, my pain and sorrows are dwarfed compared
to the joy and satisfaction I receive.

If you did not have the opportunity to hear President Uchtdorf's message.....
make the effort to HEAR, not just read his message. His delivery was powerful.
Not only was his message packed full of wisdom and encouragement,
he is simply delightful as a person.

Speaking of hearing.....DON'T FAST FORWARD THROUGH THE MUSIC!
Angels joined that choir.

Here is the reason the choir members were wearing
WHITE BLOUSES and BLACK SKIRTS....
Sister Beck asked the choir members to wear white blouses and black skirts in honor of the sisters around the world. She said that wherever she travels, the Sisters in the Relief Society Choirs are always wearing white blouses and black skirts. Regardless of the circumstances, the sisters unite in this choir "uniform". She said that in the poorest of circumstances, sisters find and wear a white blouse....or perhaps a T-shirt turned inside out. What an honor not only to participate in that choir, but to wear a white blouse and black skirt.
Next time I am in a white blouse and black skirt, I will have a different perspective. I will be thankful for all my sisters in this World Wide organization, The Relief Society. I will be thankful for the countless lessons I have learned from sisters here in my back yard and sisters across the globe.

Just when my well is running dry....The Relief Society Broadcast comes along..
and.....bam....my cup is full and my battery is charged!

What was your favorite part of the RS Broadcast?

Did you LOVE the music?

Charging My Battery

A Spiritual Feast
Fall and Spring are marked by two of my favorite events of all time....The Semi Annual LDS General Conference.
Tomorrow, The Relief Society General Broadcast for all Women is the appetizer for the spiritual feast..
General Conference seems to arrive just when I feel myself in
need of a Spiritual and Emotional Boost.
How blessed I feel to have access to each session of General Conference right in my own home via satellite, however, I enjoy viewing the Relief Society Broadcast with Sisters at my chapel. I look forward to the day my daughters and I will view The Relief Society Broadcast together. It will be a fun Girls Night Out.
We've come a long way from sitting in our chapel listening (with no video) to General Conference Broadcasts over a phone line.
One wish....I would love to see The Relief Society Broadcast (and YW in the Spring) held on the Friday night of General Conference Weekend. It would be one big weekend Spiritual Feast.
For those who travel to General Conference (like I do) it would make attending the Relief Society and or YW Broadcast possible.
Regardless of when it is, I am excited for The General Relief Society Broadcast tomorrow and General Conference next weekend.
Get ready...Get set... Charge! My Battery, that is.

Will you be watching The RS Broadcast at home or at your chapel?

Do you get excited for The Relief Society Broadcast?

Airports

Distinct Airport Demographics..

The two airports I travel in and out of the most often are

Palm Beach International

and

Salt Lake City International.

If I did not know where I was going (blindfolded, ear plugged, etc), just entering the Jetway from the plane would tell me exactly where I am.....

In Salt Lake City,

these are the most common gate-checked items and they jam the jet way as we de-plane..... they carry lots and lots of babies.... (story on that later)

Last night, I knew I was home...arriving at Palm Beach International...the Jet Way in Palm Beach is always jammed with these.....

Carrying generally pushy, old and crabby passengers....
Ah....Welcome Home....Palm Beach County...there is just nothing like it! Mmmmmm
I am happy to be home. Salt Lake was great (COLD), General Conference was fabulous, and being with Ron was the best!!!!!
Time to hit life again.....
More on the trip as the week allows.
We are on spring break now. The Beach is calling our names!
I do have an Airplane Ride From H#%* story to write.

Charging....

I'm Off To RE-CHARGE....

And not a moment too soon!!!

I was packed, but now I read that I am packing for snow and 30 degree weather... so much for the white skirts and open-toed cute shoes!

**Time to Take Care of Myself=Time To Be Unselfish!!!

Next week, I will return with lots to write about.

When I return, my girls will be on spring break.... another time I am looking forward to!!!

I hope to hit the beach more than once and get some serious fun in with Katherine and Megan...Andrew, too! The sunscreen is re-stocked and ready to go with us to the beach!

I am headed to Utah early tomorrow and Ron will meet me on Thursday!!!!

We will attend his Mission Reunion and LDS General Conference on Saturday and Sunday.

LDS General Conference in April and October are my two favorite weekends of the year..hands down.

Sunday, April 6, we celebrate the date that Ron asked me to be his wife 28 years ago. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can't wait to spend some much needed time with just Ron, my best friend!!!!

TIME TO RECHARGE....HOORAY!!!!

My spirit, body, mind, and marriage!!!

I am always amazed at how I feel when I charge my batteries. Usually, I don't realize how badly I needed it until I look back and see where I came from. As I wrote in my 90 Day Body Challenge Essay this morning..... **I am of no use to others if I do not take care of myself daily. If I want to live a life of serving others, I must first make time to serve myself.

The most selfish thing I (or anyone else) can do is to NOT take care of myself physically.

Broadcast Excitement

Relief Society Satellite Broadcast This Week!

There is nothing like April and October LDS General Conference to refresh and recharge my spirit. I look forward to these weekends with great anticipation.

The weekend before General Conference is a special session for Young Women in April and for Relief Society Women in October. As each General Conference approaches, I spend great care to be prepared for the upcoming messages.

Daily, I pray for:

• Those who are speaking and preparing messages.
• My heart to be prepared to receive the messages.

This Saturday, 6pm MDT, The Relief Society General Session will be Broadcast to women all over the world. Words of comfort, counsel, and encouragement will be presented. My experience is that the more prepared my heart is, the more my spirit is lifted and I am given the strength and courage to go forward in my life.

This Saturday, I will attend the Relief Society Broadcast at my local Chapel along with the Sisters in my Ward. Next week, I will enjoy the blessing of attending General Conference live in Salt Lake City, Utah. Whether live or on a big screen, I am always touched and lifted. When my heart is prepared with prayer for the speakers and my own understanding, General Conference is the best!

Enjoy your preparations and attendance at these incredible presentations.