Just a quick entry to tell what we are up to these days.

Yesterday my sister, Elizabeth and I went to Women's General Conference at my stake center.  First we had a dinner in the cultural hall, and I enjoyed introducing her to people.  Then we went into the chapel to listen to the talks.  President Uchtdorf's talk was especially good.  He talked about forget me not flowers and how they are small, but together they make a garden spot beautiful.  He told us things we need to "forget not" that may seem small, but will make our lives beautiful.  Things like remembering how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and remembering to give up good things for things that are better.  Elizabeth and I loved the talk and I'm so glad we went together.  I wish all my sisters, sisters-in-law, my mom, and I could have been together!

General Conference of the LDS church is next week, and I am so excited about it.  We heard many people in church today bear testimony of the prophet, Thomas S. Monson.  It was a wonderful sacrament meeting, and I have been inspired with new ideas to incorporate the words of Conference in our home for the next six months.  Our home teachers also talked about our opportunity to hear living prophets next week and ways we can prepare for Conference.  I really feel like these things were answers to my prayers for my kids.  I'm hoping that we can have a family home evening lesson tomorrow that will help us prepare more for conference.  

We are also gearing up for Halloween.  With the holiday being on a Monday, we plan to all stay together this year and go trick or treating and then build a fire in the fire pit afterwards and roast marshmallows and tell "scary" stories.  When we planned all this I didn't really consider the fact that my kids are a bit too old to trick or treat.  Oh well, we're just planning to go around to people we know.  Getting out for Halloween is kind of like a big block party and we have lots of fun.  Anyway, with these plans, the kids are having fun coming up with costumes to wear.  Miriam, our rich working girl, bought herself a Marine costume at the store, Katrina is in the process of making herself a Cleopatra costume with my help, and Thomas and I are going to make him a Frodo, the hobbit, costume.  The kids say that Brian and I have to dress up too...we'll see about that.