Women's Conference 2010

Random male passerby grudgingly took this picture for us. He was trying desperately to avoid eye contact as he walked by. . .but we didn't let him.
Chelsea and Alysia masterfully crafting stockings at the service project

Allyson. . .nearly finished

Me and my mom

Another mom with her little family. Apparantly she didn't get the memo that you can't bring infants to Women's Conference. This little family was strolling across the parking lot.

Mom said she'd adopt Chelsea for the weekend.

Me and my super cute mom

The North Las Vegas ladies

I just love this annual post!

BYU Women's Conference 2010 was fantastic. I'm pretty much set on it being an annual tradition, so if you want to join the party, just let me know. I drove to Utah with friends from Vegas and met my mom there. We stayed in the dorms for the first time this year. Somehow, they did not seem as magical as they did when I lived in them. And the towels were absolutely miniscule. Perhaps they just gave us the hand towels and forgot to hand out the bath towels. But, the nostalgia was great. We stayed just across the street from my own freshman home. Lots of great memories.

The classes were fantastic, as usual. My three favorites were the keynote addresses. I'm sure that everyone took away the message that was meant for them, but these were the high points for me:

Sister Beck, who is an absolutely amazing woman, spoke about priorities. She talked about how many years ago she realized that she needed to evaluate her life. She prayed and studies and came up with three categories: essential, necessary, and nice. Those things that were essential were things that would ensure eternal life for herself and her family (personal revelation, scripture study, prayer, fasting, making and keeping covenants). Necessary things were those that would make her environment a place where the spirit of the Lord can dwell (think "homemaking", smiling, teaching, self reliance). Nice things were reading a book for pleasure, going to lunch with friends, etc. these are things that are nice to do, but will not save us. I have pondered these ideas over and over, realizing that where our heart is will determine what we do, and what we do will determine what we will be and where we will ultimately end up. Some of these things I do well, and some I need to change. I have some priorities to shift. I also have some paradigms I need to readjust.

Sister Renata Forste spoke about sisters being perfectly joined together. She talked about sustaining each other in our choices and how charity and thankfulness creates a bond of perfectness. She spoke about how we're all at different levels and we all have different talents. I may be a 7 at sewing and you might be a 4, you might be a 9 at patience and I am a 2, she might be an 8 at missionary service and another is a 6. But together, we are all a perfect 10. Why do we as women always feel inadequate and why can we not just be happy for the good things others can do? Is it jealousy of each other or a lack of confidence in ourselves? I need to work on this!

Elder Dallin H. Oaks was the concluding speaker--what a beautiful privelege to hear an apostle of the Lord speak, to be in the same room and feel the spirit. His message was about selfishness. He had many amazing things to say, but the one that has been rumbling around in my head for these last weeks is, "IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ME." As a parent, a wife, a friend, in my calling, in my family, it is not about me. It's about other people. His mother used to say, "It's amazing how much you can get done if you don't worry about who gets the credit." If I didn't have a moral standard against tatoos, I'd put this one on my forehead. I can work on this.

So. . .these and so many other things to learn and think about. If you want a run-down of the rest of my notes, call me up and we can have a cup of hot cocoa together and I'll tell you all about it.

Thanks, Mom, Chelsea, Allyson, Alysia, and Karen for a great weekend with the girls.

Thanks, boys for holding the fort down and letting me get a spiritual uplift.