a favorite family tradition: general conference

It's true, we love General Conference.  Not just me (though I undoubtedly love it the most), Lia and Nora also love it!  How did this great thing happen?  Well, it happened because I was SICK TO DEATH of having kids who made it impossible for me to pay attention the way I wanted to.  In other words, it happened because Katie can be quite irritable and selfish.  Hey, I'll take the consequences that came with this one!

As conferences came and went, I would VOW to have something for my girls to do that was even better than the conference before.  We started years ago with conference bingo and progressed from there.  My April Conference Store was quite successful, as shown here.  I decided this year that I would try to improve on it even more, and was delighted to find some ideas online that ended in my ultimate creation:  Conference Binders!!!  (Gosh, I feel like I need to rename those--that just isn't doing it for the big unveiling....)  Well, name notwithstanding, these binders were a Godsend (literally).  Here's how they worked:

I put some general pages in them for taking notes and keeping track of the different sessions and such.  Behind these pages, I added sheet protectors, each filled with pages which showed the pictures and names of the first presidency and Quorum of the 12.  Behind each of these sheets was a single sheet of paper which the girls couldn't see.  When the corresponding General Authority got up, they were able to get out the activity sheet and do it while he spoke.  It was a GREAT success!  This way, they never truly got bored of their packets and always had something to look forward to.  Most the the activity sheets were just something I'd printed off the internet--the usual conference bingo, tally sheets for words they'd hear, color such and such when so and so says 'x', etc.  But then I threw in a few fun things, like making their own butter while they listened, weaving with yarn (which didn't work but the yarn was rainbow so it didn't matter), and temple origami.  Lia and Nora did their best ever at sitting still, listening and not plaguing me during the talks. 

I focused Lia more on taking real notes, and she did a great job--far better than 9-year-old Katie would have ever dreamed of doing!  Nora is funny because:  As the most handsome apostle by her estimation, she is in love with Elder Bednar, she announces every conference how much he looks like her Daddy, and she will listen to his talk in it's entirety, regardless of the subject. 

The girls' completed binder activities earned them beans to buy things in the Conference Store.  I went to the DI and bought some knick-knacks for them to purchase.  I also got a few things from the Distribution Center.  The rest of my items were food.  This year I didn't buy any of the food--made all of it.  It was too much work!  But the girls didn't once ask why there wasn't any candy, so mission accomplished!  We had three kinds of fruit and nut bars, guacamole, fresh salsa, and chocolate chip cookies over the four sessions.  I did buy a bag of pretzels to go with cream cheese, so I guess that is my store-bought item.  Interestingly, the girls were far more excited to purchase the non-edible items; I must have done a good job shopping!  Oh, I also made roll up holders for colored pencils, and had colored pencils for them to buy.  (This solves the colored-pencils-breaking-at-church problem.)  They were a hit! 

The girls working on their packets.

Lia's very exciting purchase!  They had to buy all the pencils separately :)

Every time Nora sees this picture, she exclaims, "GUACAMOLE!?  WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE SOME GUACAMOLE?!"  That's my Nora :)

My enormous over-sight was not realizing that Porter would be a little terror while conference was on.  In April, he was totally mellow, enjoying the fact the the whole family was centered in the living room for two days.  Not so in October.  Next conference, I have plans to be clever on his behalf!  (I think this picture is hilarious :)

Nora, going above and beyond:  L-R is Elder Bednar, President Monson, and Elder Holland (my favorite!).  She made this just for fun.  It is connected in the back by Popsicle sticks.  It's my favorite! 

What happened the day before April Conference began sums up how great the payoff has been for working at making conference memorable.  I had taken Nora with me to Walmart, to pick up some last minute items for our store.  After a while, Nora said to me, "What are all these people doing here?"  Confused, I asked her to explain and she said, "Don't they know it's going to be Conference?!" 

Thanks Lia and Nora, for loving General Conference!