Church Attendance in Witch Shoes

Out of the last 7 weeks of Sundays and church, we have only been to a regular church day 3 weeks. !! I was telling Ben this morning that I hoped our children remember what it's like to go to Sacrament Meeting and Primary. :)

The reasons for these different days were: a special Conference with all the wards in Utah County; the dedication of the Brigham City Temple; General Conference; and today, a Stake Conference that was presided over by a seventy. We have had such great Sundays lately and have felt the Spirit very strongly. And I'm grateful that our kids have been so good in the 2-hour sessions, especially in the chapel.

However, as far as my fear of our kids forgetting what a normal Sunday is like, it's unfounded. Today as we were walking out of the church and out to the car, Paige broke down in tears and begged for nursery. :)

Another sweet thing I have watched the last few weeks is my boys jumping up after the closing prayer and immediately start folding chairs. And while I'm proud of them helping, even Tyler, I have been extremely proud of all the youth in our Stake - it seems there are several each time, both Primary children and teenagers, who help put away all the chairs and pick up garbage before leaving the building. It's something I haven't seen in many other wards we've lived in. It's cool.

Today I got out what I was planning on wearing and laid it on the bed. I had my shoes by my bedroom door. Paige and Tyler wanted to try them on. Ben told Paige they were mommy's 'witch shoes'. Of course then Paige kept asking me all day if those were my witch shoes. I took these pictures after church as we were changing today. She's only sad because I pulled out the camera - she put the shoes on herself. And she desperately needed lunch and a nap!

And over the past few weeks her hair has been losing it's curl. I used to be able to wet it and it would curl right up, but I'm sure she's getting older and her hair is getting longer, both of which are making it harder for those cute little girl curls to just magically appear. So sad! However, today I curled her hair for the first time, and it took about 2 minutes to get it to the previous amount of curl. They're just too cute not to. :) 

One common thing that was brought up at Stake Conference today was about the recent changes of the missionary ages made at General Conference. So, I thought I'd share my thoughts.

I had two thoughts when that announcement was made: First, was about my sister, who just three days before that told me she thought she might like to serve, but didn't think it was likely to happen so many years away. It was just funny to me that we had had that conversation so recently. Second, was about my sons - especially Trenton. He will graduate (like me) when he's still 17 years old. With more than a year to wait until a mission I have often thought and wondered how he would stay on the right path all that time. I know many who have done it, but it has still worried and concerned me (in a way only mothers could know looking this much into the future!). So, my thought about Trenton was that he'd be able to serve just two months after he finished school if he wished and Tyler could serve the very moment he graduated. I know that's still many years away, but I was grateful that even as Heavenly Father is answering so manys' concerns and prayers now, He also has calmed my heart 10 years before any actual plans could be made. I'm so grateful for a living Prophet today.