four things on a Tuesday

1)  We were out of town for conference.  

And while we got to watch most of it while we were away, we missed the Women's session.

So on Sunday morning my girls and I sat down and watched it before church.
IT WAS SO GOOD!

These pictures can't do justice to the thick beauty that gathered around in the air of that room as we listened.  I adored every single talk, and would highly recommend listening (you can find those talks HERE.)

One of my favorites was Joy D. Jones who talked mostly about ministering to others, and loving them as God loves them.  But my biggest take-away in my notes was that the greatest need in the world is to foster a personal relationship with God. 

I loved that Michelle Craig talked about "divine discontent" vs. "destructive discontent," and how BEING MORE doesn't equal DOING MORE...and how our weaknesses can turn us to Christ if we let them.

I loved that Christina Franco talked about the Widow's Mite, and how to give our hearts.

I could go on and on about all of them as well as Elder Oaks and Elder Eyring.  They all spoke right to my heart.  But right here I want to talk about the actions that President Nelson invited us to take, including reading the Book of Mormon by Christmas.

My mom, being the awesome mom that she is, emailed us all to ask who wanted to join her in that reading.  My girls and I are going to do it (in varying ways).  Here's the schedule if anyone wants to join in:
The girls plan to read to the best of their abilities to keep up, but we will supplement in our scripture study each morning.  I pulled out all these "helps" to help us keep caught up:

I'll have to come back and report as we continue...that's a lot of quick reading in a busy time, so there may be some skimming, but I'm excited.  Already there are some great thoughts going back and forth about what everyone's read so far in our group email my mom started.

2)  Halloween is a holiday that I have a love/hate relationship with.  By the time I clean up all the paraphernalia and candy lingering around after the big day I get grumbly about it, but each year when I pull out the decorations I kind of love it.


First of all, it means Fall is in the air, and that slight crispness that seeps in when we reach October is SO WELCOME in the desert!
But I also love the sentimental stuff.  Like this little "family" Max, Elle and Grace each made in their high school "clay" class in their own respective years.

...and this goofy witch I picked up at some grocery store when my kids were little...she makes jokes and we're all a little attached to her...except for Dave :)
There's also Mr. Bones who is quite adored around here (not pictured but more about him back HERE.)

Yep, fall is in the air.

3)  My mom is amazing.  Someone on this blog recommended this book, and she saw the comment and bought a copy for both of us:
(THANK YOU to whoever sent that recommendation!) 

Not only did she have a copy sent to me, but she read it and sent me an email with her favorite parts on her favorite pages to read so I can help Lucy with some of the things she's struggling with right now. 

One of those excerpts in particular affected me in a pretty profound way with an experience recently, and I'm just so grateful for the added insight I had in dealing with it from that book.

I love my mama.

4) Last but not least, I got to meet up with my mom and a couple sisters for a couple days and we went to a really cool museum.  This was my favorite sculpture:  
Why?  You might ask?

Well, because this was the title:
I love how that gnarled wood suspended in air to me represents life, and the extending metal sprawling out this way and that from the closed-in "life" represents the spreading glory we can take from the moments we often take for granted.  Not worrying about what's past or what's to come, but appreciating the very NOW that is so beautiful.