It was supposed to be General Conference

It's General Conference weekend. Mark is still out of town, but we have stuff to do. Somehow we had to fit in the Pumpkin Run, a birthday party for a classmate of Anna's, a marching band rehearsal and dinner with the Flynns.

No worries.. we got this. We just need to wake up a little earlier than usual we'd like. We need to be dressed, fed and out the door by 7:10 for the Pumpkin Run.

We made it for the school photo! (Anna's in the front row, second from the end. Laney is poking her head up behind the girl with the pink pants)

Mathew didn't want to run this year. He did want to go to the booths and get free water bottles which he then filled with free hot cocoa. He showed Everly his ways.

The plan was for me, Ethan, Megan, Laney and Anna to run together. Courtney and Aidan were going to run with us.

Laney disappeared with her friend, Peyton. She's the other half of their duo known as "Lay Lay and Pey Pey".

Megan left us in the dust.

Ethan left us in the dust.

Aidan ran ahead with his dad.

So Anna and I ran our race together. She got a boost of energy and encouragement from each motivational sign we passed. She would say, "What does that one say?!?" and she would get a little pep in her step after I replied, "Every journey starts with one step!" or "Smiling makes you run faster!" "Believe in yourself!"

She ran the entire 5k and her tough little spirit encouraged me to do the same. I was so proud of her.

Courtney and Kylie ran near us. She was more of a sprinter/walker, but still managed to finish right with us. We plan on still meeting for a run until the weather is too cold. Then maybe we can drop the pretense and go get cocoa and talk over our parenting woes.

Megan finished way before us all, she even passed Todd and Aidan. She's a speedy one! I think I almost have her convince to go out for track.

Since Mark is out of town, I made sure we had a designated meeting place after we finished the race. It worked like a charm. Soon all the Huffords were reunited. And the Johnsons and the Flynns and the Diggins. And the DeVere's. Mormons always seem to find one another :)

We tried to take a selfie. I managed to include half of Everly's face and one of my eyes...

Then the Diggins offered to take the photo. Yes, Mathew is still swigging his hot cocoa bottle.

After we dropped off Ethan to band, changed our clothes, picked up a present for the birthday girl, dropped Anna to the party, back to the high school to pick up Ethan, realized Ethan had walked home, and drove back to pick up Anna......we settled down to listen to General Conference.

We've ditched the big conference board. I'm overwhelmed by all the changes I would need to make to it...callings and releases, new apostles and young men's presidency....

So we are trying this: if you are sitting in the room when one of the apostles or first presidency speaks, you get to have the treat assigned to that person. 

We've got: 

President Monson: 'Lil Smokies

Henry B. Eyring: Apple toaster strudel

Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Milano cookies

Russel M. Nelson: chocolate milk

Dallin H. Oaks: toasted marshmallows

M. Russell Ballard: english muffin pizza

Robert D. Hales: fortune cookies

Jeffrey R. Holland: pringles

David R. Bednar: mini butterfinger

Quentin L. Cook: kettle corn popcorn

D. Todd Christofferson: fruit by the foot

Neil L. Anderson: saf-t-pops (bank suckers)

Ronald A Rasband: mini kit-kat

Gary E. Stevenson: koolaid squeezies

Dale G. Renlund: apple slices and caramel

It works pretty good. They are excited for the treats and are willing to listen (or at least be present) in the hopes of a fun snack. That's good enough for me.

When the second session was over, we took a bowl of fresh fruit and a chocolate lasagna over to the Flynn's and hung out until the priesthood session.

I brought Ethan and the girls back home for an early bedtime. Megan brushed hair while I read stories.

Then I set my alarm to wake up every 15 minutes or so until Mathew returned from the Priesthoood session. I was too tired to trust myself to stay awake.

Tomorrow we will wake up and spend the day in the house and just listening to the final speakers. It sounds like heaven. I have plans for several naps.