Oh What a Beautiful Weekend!

That's a play off of a song from a famous musical. Know what it is?

I love and treasure my weekends simply because Michael is home and we are all together as a family. This weekend was particularly wonderful because it involved conference. I used to struggle with the fact that we would sit for 4 hours a day and just listen. It was difficult as a child and even an early teenager. But since I got into college, my attitude has taken a complete turn-about. I love what I learn from their spiritual words. I love what I learn from the kinds of jokes they tell. I love what I learn about their families and their wives (or spouses). I love what I learn by the way that they dress and speak to each other. How I yearn to be a better person! Conference always gives me a few ideas right off the bat of how to be a better wife and mother. I love that my priorities seem to become more clear that I can better accomplish them.
I was reminded very forcefully that my children need to be LEAD in love and kindness. That they need to be LEAD by my example. I need to spend more time with them doing the things that THEY treasure and love to do. In this way I build memories and love that will keep them close to me and to the Lord. I was also reminded that my prayers need to change. I don't remember how Elder Bednar phrased it, but it was something to the effect of: prayer is not a wish list or a list of hopes, but a conversation in which we learn how to change our wants/wishes and tendencies into something that will be worthy of the blessings that Heavenly Father has stored up for us. I'm starting to understand what the definition of prayer means. "Where the will of the Father and of the child come together." He is ever constant and will not change. It is I who needs to do the changing and the adapting. It is daunting to have so much to change, but it makes me ever grateful for the atonement and our agency. In this we have a way to change and a reason to change.