The sessions for General Conference are ready for download! Go here http://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2012/04?lang=eng

I enjoyed General Conference probably the most I have in a long time. I didn’t feel as rushed. It comes from finally having the chores arranged so that I don’t do any dishes on Saturday or Sunday. Two of the boys and dh do them on those days now. It was nice not to have to feel like I had to fit serving lunch and get dishes done before the 2 PM session. I like to have them done before it starts again at 2 PM, but dh is more laid back and let them go until after the afternoon session and then did them. It also helped that my toddler stayed asleep for most of the afternoon sessions. 🙂

The cinnamon rolls before the frosting.

I’ve always wanted to fix something nice and yummy for the family on General Conference morning and I finally followed through on that good intention and made cinnamon rolls, not only the whole foodsy way (no white sugar or white flour), but with whole wheat flour that was soaked the night before in a culturing agent (kefir) so that the whole wheat would be super-digestible. I was super tired after going to my dh’s mission reunion with him, but I forced myself to remember I had committed to the kids that I would make cinnamon rolls and stayed up late to mix up the dough and soak it. So I mixed the dough up while I practically had to hold my eyelids open with toothpicks. 

I used the recipe from my friend Caralee here http://amodernpioneeringfamily.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-soaked-wheat-bread-recipe.html (scroll down on her Soaked Dough recipe to get the variation for cinnamon rolls), frosted with sour cream sweetened with honey and flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. Mine turned out a little too doughy, next time I will bake them longer. The dough is really sour so you will want to slather on the honey butter/sucanat on the inside and maybe even melt some honey butter to put on top before you do the sour cream frosting, which you apply after they are cooled. Maybe I will make them again this weekend for Easter breakfast.

The night before at my husband’s Finnish mission reunion we saw a woman with a nametag with the last name of “Andelin.” So we wondered if she was related to Helen Andelin of Fascinating Womanhood fame. I had to wait a long time to talk to her, she was very popular, and it turned out that she told me she was a daughter-in-law. I was dying to ask her  for more info and have a long conversation about what she likes about FW and what she dislikes, because I agree with most of it and but there are a few little things I don’t like about the book. She was very nice but didn’t want to talk much so instead of gushing and rambling and fawning I backed off politely and held my tongue.  I thought maybe it was because I had brought up a sore topic with her  but my husband said she was just being the traditionally reserved Finnish way. (She said she was from Finland and had come to Utah to go to BYU, where she met Helen’s son.)

My absolute favorite talk was Elder Holland’s. My friend Tara and I were talking about him that night. She mentioned how a few years ago he gave that amazing talk (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng&query=hyrum+smith+(name%3a%22Jeffrey+R.+Holland%22)) about the Book of Mormon and Hyrum and Joseph Smith and bore his testimony. She said that you could feel the electricity coming out from him. She remarked how every time he stands up in Conference, she wonders, “Oooh, what is he going to say this time?” That is exactly how I feel about him!

I love what he said this time, “God’s greatest thrill is giving mercy.” Wow, that is really something to think about. So if I am going to be godly, then I want to be always looking for places and times where I can be merciful. I have always had a hard time with the parable Elder Holland spoke about, it didn’t seem fair to me, I feel his talk was just for me. He really helped me understand why envy really is not in my best interest, or anybody’s interest. I have often had a problem with feeling jealous of other’s good fortunes. “We are not diminished when someone else is added upon.” That really helped me. It reminds me that we, meaning people with good intentions, are all on the same team. 

My daughter Virtue fixed my hair for a mother daughter YW party this week. I asked her to snap some pictures of the ‘do while I was reading to my little guy. I think she did a great job.

Here are some of my favorite lines (some of them are paraphrased) from General Conference. I am eager to hear what yours were.

“Like the Prodigal Son all of us find ourselves outside of our Father’s kingdom wanting back in,” -Elder Hales

“Don’t dwell on old issues and grievances…don’t hyperventilate about an issue that happened at 9 AM when God is preparing to bless you at 6 PM.” – Elder Holland

“Praying with children is probably the most important thing  you can do for your children.” -Elder Quentin L. Cook

Here we are after the YW party. My little guy stayed home but he wanted to be part of the picture.

“The feelings of hurt, anger, and defensiveness drive the Spirit away.” -Elder Richard G. Scott

“Have a clean life so the Lord can inspire you.” -Elder Scott

“When it comes to faultfinding, gossipping, wanting to hurt others…Stop it!” -Pres. Uchtdorf

“When our hearts are filled with the love of God. the easier it is to love others with the pure love of God.” -Pres. Uchtdorf

“The degree of our gratitude is a reflection of our love and awareness of God.” -Elder Nelson

“Death is not as we imagine. It is like going into another room, full of loved ones.” -Pres. Monson

“When people make family and God a commitment they do better spiritually and temporally.”  -Elder Ballard

“There is always someone to thank, someone to forgive, someone to serve.” -Pres. Eyring

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