General Conference

I am so thankful for our Prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson. What peace and security it brings me to know that me and my family have a servant of God to follow. It is one more way that my Heavenly Father shows me how much He loves me. And I love our Prophet.

This year it was difficult to fully listen to all the talks, due to our high maintainace small children. Thanks heavens for TVO. But here's a few thought that touched me.

I must make and reinforce good family tranditions for your family. My example has such a great influence on the outcome of my children. They are my greatest concern.

I must seek to increase and strengthen my testimony. And one of the best ways I can do that is by bearing my testimony daily to my children.

Elder Ballard, I love you. I had to rush right the computer to put down my thoughts from his great talk.

Our role as mothers is essential and fundimental to the plan of our Heavenly Father. These formative year are only one tenth of their life, so we must make our mark by helping them develop a testimony. It is so important for us to be involved. We as mothers have moments of feeling inadequate in this great calling. Our comparisons to one another make it difficult to appreciate the things we do do right.

He address four questions that were something like this. First, what can mother do to help them be better mothers?

• Keep it simple! If the simple things are being attended to you will find joy. Joy comes in moments. For this I am grateful for blogging, it helps we capture and create simple memory making moments with my family. Doing a little more of things thats really matter, and enjoying a little less of the worldly things.
• Don't over book us. Families need unstructed time to learn laugh and listen. I can already feel the pressure to get my kids involved in a hundred activities, but I see how this can take away from quaility family time.
• Make time for yourself. Water can not be drawn from an empty well. He warned us to avoid addtive substance....is he talking about my Coke substance abuse problem? Keith and I both laughed when he said that. I'm working on it but I don't want to talk about it yet.... Give me time.
• Pray. He encouraged us to pray deeply about your role as a mother for guidance and support.

What can your husband do?

• Notice things and say thank you.
• Give your wife a day away.
• Help out went you can.
• Come home and take an active role.

I have to say that Keith does a really good job at all of these. Not that he doesn't have room to improve, but I can't complain about not feeling his love and support.

What can children do?

• Pick your toys
• Make you bed, dishes
• Say thank you
• Hug your mother and tell her you love her

What can the church do?

• Considerate of the demands you put on them. And I can't remember the rest.....

I need to remember that " by small and simple things are great things come to pass." It really is the little things that we do with and for our children that makes the biggest difference. The family is centeral to the Creator plan for our happiness. I want to be happy, and inorder to be even more happy than I already am, I need to improve my family sitiuations.