Sunday, May 4, 2008

Guess where I've been?

May 1-2
I have been at the BYU Women's Conference held in Provo, UT. It was so awesome! It is a conference filled with uplifting talks about how to become a better person, pretty much. They have 4 Main Speakers (this year the speakers where Sheri Dew, Julie Beck, Mr. and Mrs. Bateman, and President Thomas S. Monson) that everyone attends at the same time and then you break off for 3 different hour classes during the day...and you have to CHOOSE among the many choices of classes offered for that one hour...and you have to do that for each seperate hour session...I HATE making up my mind between good/no fail choices...I never know which one is right for me to do because it's not black and white...woe is me!!! lol!
A couple of months ago my sister-in-law called me up and asked me if I wanted to go to Women's Conference...I usually say NO to these kinds of extra curricular activities because I usually try to spend the least amount of time I can with my in-laws...okay I'm totally kidding...(read back through my blog history and you will note that I hang out with my in-laws quite a bit because I love them!)...well I did say Yes to her, and then forgot about it, which I tend to do...luckily my sis-in-law is incredibly on top of things and reminded me to register before time was up! I registered in the nick of time!
I had my flight all ready to go for the first flight out in the morning...because the first speaker of the day was Sheri Dew...and I so love to hear Sheri Dew speak, the plan was this:
I was suppose to take the early flight Thursday morning and
arrive at the airport where my mother-in-law (Viv) would pick me up. We
would then go and pick up my sister in law KT and drive down to Provo to make it
just in time for the conference to begin! Easy enough plan right?
Wrong!
I wake up 15 minutes after my flight had already left. The next flight didn't leave for another hour...so it was inevitable that I was going to miss Sheri Dew.
I didn't want to make my in-laws wait for me...and they did offer, which is a step above me, because I wouldn't have...I just told them to go ahead...I would pay for the consequences of turning my alarm off like a zombie (I swear, I NEVER remember turning it off, but MountainSport Man always assures me that I did)...it's sorta creepy...
Long story short and $80 something dollars later, I have a car rented and I am on my way down to the Conference, after flying in on the next flight out!
If I was a smarter person I would have thought that a sign not to go to the conference...but I tend to ignore those types of things...hahaha...no REALLY I'm glad I went...it was so good for me!
Anyway, it was incredible! I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints "Mormon"...and the thing I brought back most from everything I attended and heard from the conference is that our challenges here on earth, our trial and tribulations, are just "refining" us, or preparing us to meet our Savior, Jesus Christ! The "hard times" make us better people...hmmm, that is where faith comes in, right? Correct me if I'm wrong please, because I don't see the instant outcome of that... :)--Knowing this still doesn't make our trials and challenges easier, but it is necessary to find joy in our journey, find happiness in the moments! Now THAT I can do!
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Of course, I had to take SOME pictures!


This is a picture of the Mountains in Provo...this is what I took for granted when I was going to college at BYU and also when I was first married and saw these beautiful mountains everyday on my way to work or school...this was my home...they are incredible right? I forgot the majesty of these mountains until I stopped and really looked at them this weekend...then I had to take a picture and share their beauty with you!

I had to share this photo...I got Viv right before she is about to lecture me...I'm not sure about what...I was laughing to hard at the picture after I shot it to pay particular attention to what she was saying...sorry Viv...I really do have the utmost respect for you...but this shot is perfect...this is your...I'm about to say something you are not going to like, but I'm going to say it anyway face!

This is KT and Kal deciding which class to go after Friday Morning's beginning session. Deep in thought... :) or ummm...not!

Kal was ready for the shot...but everyone else was moving...so I thought it looked cool...kinda...plus her cheese ball grin is a crack up!
This is Viv and I...Friday morning...just chillin'

Here's the rest of the crew...in a diagonal...Furthest one down is Mind's Mom, then Mind, then Kal, then KT, then VIV...cute crew...we had fun together!

This is a shot of the Left side of the Marriott Center Friday morning before it all started.

This is the right side shot of the Marriott Center!

Kal and I chose our class and we were off! It was a swarm of women trying to get to the different classes...so it kinda felt like Disneyland in a way, because you were waiting in lines wherever you went...lines for the bathroom, lines for the food, lines to get into the classes, and finally lines to cross the street...that is where we were, waiting to cross the straight, so we took a pic of ourselves...natural beauty if I do say so myself! ha (rolling my eyes)!

This is Friday afternoon, us waiting for the last session where our Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson spoke.

This is a shot of President Monson walking in to get seated before the podium...the thousands and thousands of people stood up...complete silence...and then we broke out into "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet"...some dust must have hit my eyes...okay I bawled like a baby getting its diaper changed...it was such an incredible moment!

Here is a shot of the Right side of the Marriott Center when President Monson was going to speak...compare the difference from above!

This is the Left side of the Marriott Center all to hear President Monson Speak! Compare above!

I really, really thought that it would be one of those times that the President of the Church was getting up to talk and he would say those words we all want to hear...at that meeting that we all should be attending...and they say, "I feel prompted to say that all of you attending this afternoon at this meeting will be twinkled up at the last day" :) Didn't happen...but his message was incredibly inspiring and motivating...even though he didn't give me my "golden ticket"! lol!

Here we are...the girls...what a good weekend!!!



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