Conference Weekend

I love Conference Time!! I love the spring and fall seasons, I love spending time with family, I love our traditions, and I love feeling inspired and uplifted! I remember the family gathering that my great Grandma Wasel Amelia Washburn used to have on Saturday nights. We would meet after the Priesthood session and go around the room and everyone would tell something they liked or learned during conference and the men would all share stuff about the priesthood session. Then we would eat beans and biscuits and she always had popcorn there. I couldn't wait to turn 12 so that I could go and then I remember my parents saying each time we went, "This might be grandma's last conference." She lived so much longer than most people d. I believe she was 98 when she died. It was a week before I went to the MTC. 

Now that grandma Washburn is gone, we gather with my parents to their house on Sunday mornings. My mom makes griddle cakes and we have a yummy breakfast and then watch the Sunday morning session together. After conference in the fall, we all go out and pick pumpkins from mom's garden. It is such a fun tradition! 

 Hema wanted a huge pumpkin. Vela chose a little 3 inch pumpkin - but I guess I didn't get a picture of her with it. She called it her baby pumpkin. 

This year, Sunday conference fell on Joe and Josh's birthday. So I made a cake for them (although Josh is in California - we still celebrated for him too). I tried a new recipe for the frosting that had flour and cornstarch and you cook it....well it wasn't that great.  

Rindi, Joe and Beckam with the cake. I forgot to bring a candle and this is the best we could find! 

Here is the back of our van, loaded up with pumpkins, squash, gourds, tomatoes, peppers, onions and all sorts of other goodies from the garden. That is a HUGE box of tomatoes - just to give you some perspective on the size of those pumpkins. And check our the cool dark green ones!  

I canned 33 pints of salsa tonight. (Which is why I am still up blogging - the last batch is processing right now!) Thanks mom and dad for all the produce! 

I loved all the conference talks too! I especially needed the reminder to slow down when life gets crazy, to remember to consistently stick to the gospel basics and to take my children by the hand and lead them by example. What a great weekend!