This weekend was a new experience for J and me:  The first General Conference* weekend since we've been married that we haven't spent with one of our families.  I feel like I have often measured the cadence of my life by the spring and fall meetings - conference weekend has been a peaceful time of self-reflection and pondering.  This years sums up the fact that nothing is peaceful with a tantrumming two-year old and a rambunctious five-year old claiming your constant attention.

Ethan did enjoy president Monson's talk however, as he referenced the first song that Ethan learned on the piano, and told an excellent story about gratitude.  Ethan's picture of president Monson's talk-

President Monson, a table with- a lamp bread carrots and strawberries-, lamps in the attic, lots of rain, hay, a baler, a dishwasher.

One of my family traditions growing up was that my mom made homemade cinnamon rolls on conference weekend.  Not being with my mom this year, I made cinnamon rolls for my little family.  Now, once-upon a time, I prided myself on my excellent cinnamon roll.  However, I haven't made them since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease five years ago.  Making them was worth it for the smile on Drew's face and the smell in the house.  John paid me the ultimate compliment when he compared my cinnamon rolls to Beethoven's 9th symphony. -Which he wrote when he was deaf and could not longer hear the music he composed.  I can sympathize with how Beethoven might have felt, as I was dying to try the rolls, and kept asking for a description of their taste.

Last Week-

Every year, we wait for a warm September beach day.  We thought that we had missed it this year, but last Saturday hit eighty. So, we hit the road for a beautiful afternoon at the beach. 




























*(The semi-annual conference of my church, where the prophet speaks to the twelve-million-member- world-wide congregation.  We often watch it via internet.  http://new.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng )