I survived Conference - April 2008

I'm thinking of getting a shirt made that says this.

I hope my May Ensign doesn't get lost in the mail. I'm really going to need to read the Conference talks since I didn't get to hear many of them. I spent all of yesterday torn between wanting my kids to be at least NEAR the TV (so maybe they'd accidentally learn something), to wanting to send them downstairs - FAR AWAY from the TV (so I could accidentally learn something).

Then I had a grand idea to force some reverence on the kids by going to the church for one of today's sessions. The lazy part of me was screaming, "ARE YOU DELUSIONAL?" The CTR part of me was bursting with pride (which may not be "CTR" in itself) over such a reverent goal. So we got dressed and drove to the Stake Center this morning.

Apparently, we were a little too lofty in our attempts. Our building was only broadcasting in Spanish. We would have had trouble as soon as they finished with "Hola." So, while the opening song was being performed, we drove to our old Stake to catch the broadcast there. We arrived during the opening prayer and discovered that they'd gone all out and set up a TV in the Relief Society room. There were 4 missionaries and 3 other small groups of people there. I couldn't help but think, we could watch it on a TV at home!

But the kids were MUCH more reverent than they were at home. They suffered and endured to the end, as did their parents. We at least got Sunday to feel a little more LIKE Sunday and I heard a few more words during that session. We watched the last session from our couch, surrounded by the remains of our 72 hr kits (which we eat once a year during conference to help rotate the contents). By the time the prayer was given, most of the kids were downstairs playing and I didn't even feel guilty.

I console myself with the belief that any experience with General Conference is good and that we will sit better and longer in about...10 years.