Great Weekends

Weekends are becoming my favorite. No longer filled with the stresses of tests and studying as it is the calm before the storm of finals. Its my favorite time of year. Walking around campus is actually fun! It makes me think I'm going to miss college life a lot more than I have been thinking I would.
It's so nice to sit outside and feel the sun on my face, or bounce around a little on the tramp with the nieces and nephews. Tractor rides are becoming more frequent around our house, and Marshall or Camron up in the barn playing the drums while we all dance have been some of my favorite memories for sure!

This weekend was filled with family time for Conference. Friday night we met up with Dan and Andrea Hill to go see Jimmer and the Kings play the Jazz in SLC. Such a fun night, but then we all stayed up way too late chatting and playing games--I loved it! I could talk to those two forever. We stay up way too late talking to them way too often!

On Saturday I surprised myself and Marsh by waking up early ( not necessarily by choice ), but it was the first time all year on a Saturday! And before Marsh woke up I had cleaned the whole house! Luckily for me there were no dishes; I really just cant stand dishes! I don't know why, maybe someday I will learn! But I even managed to clean my "closet room" as Marsh calls it; it's always a disaster, but I started to get control and even put away some clothes I won't wear until next fall again. It actually made a big difference!

Conference sessions were all amazing! I only slept through one talk in the morning but Marsh said it was amazing so I am really grateful you can already go back and watch them online! We watched conference, ate good food, and talked with family; there were more kids on tractor rides, more drumming, and then we gathered to have a little FHE lesson and discuss the things we have learned this conference! Dad and Mom drove down for Dad to go to conference with Marsh and the boys, and mom and I met up with cousins and aunts to go to dinner. It was a great time, we came home, chatted, tried on clothes, and then drove up to Layton for Sunday.

Once again a great day! Relaxing, delicious breakfasts, great talks by amazing men! Elder David Evans, the man who married us, spoke in the Sunday Afternoon session and it was AWESOME! We love listening to these men and the things they teach us.  I know that the things that they teach us are true! I can't wait till tonight when Marsh promised we could talk about all our notes and the things we learned. It's going to be a great FHE.

Doctors Club Night

Last night was phenomenal! It was the annual  Collegium Aesculapium dinner in Salt Lake. The name is quite interesting, but what it is a Medical Professionals foundation for LDS doctors around the world to get together and talk about issues and help the church with medical needs. Our doctor used to be the president of it, and after Marshall shadowed him a few times he convinced Marshall to join. We got to go last year as well, and the people we have met are amazing! Like really, last year we sat by this sweet old man, and he was just nice the whole night.  Then at the end of the night his wife started bragging about him--he worked as a heart surgeon with Elder Nelson and has a whole cardiac wing in the hospital named after him. Same thing happened this time. We sat by the sweetest people that are so inspiring and so helpful as we start our journey into the medical world. The doctor we sat by this time was also more amazing than he let on, but he got started talking to us about when he went to medical school at Stanford and tuition was only $200 a year! That's right only $200.. it's gone up just a little bit since then.

Each year a General Authority from The Church Of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints comes and speaks to the organization at the dinner. Last year it was President Dieter F. Uchtdorf and this year it was Elder Jeffery R. Holland. I really can't begin to tell you how amazing this was to here him personally in such a unique and wonderful setting. He had this picture handed out to everyone there. 

He gave so many amazing insights about the Savior Jesus Christ as not only the master teacher but the master healer, and how we can become like him and be healed by him as well. He pointed out so many things I have never noticed. I could never word it as eloquently as he did but a few of the things he pointed out and what I learned from it was: 

How the two focus points of the picture are the Savior and the man in the red hat.  The man in the red hat is not the one actually being healed, but he gives the idea of wanting to be healed and wanting to turn to the Savior but something is holding him back. We cannot let anything hold us back from turning to the Savior and being healed and taught by him. 

He pointed out the figure on the bottom left next to Jesus's feet ( you probably can hardly see it ). It is a man coming towards the Savior through the crowd on his hands; he has pads on his hands to help him crawl. We should do all that is in our power to come to the Savior

Finally, he made notice of the family on the right--the mother carrying a pot and her child, followed by a grandmother figure in the very back. He spoke almost randomly, but it really touched me last night, of the role that mothers and grandmothers play as healers and teachers, that they must be like the Lord, and they must bring their children closer to Him. "All those dishes and car rides and meals really do heal souls!"  I loved how important he made the role of mothering to be. I'm glad that that little side story was part of this painting. 

The night was wonderful all together! We are so grateful to Dr. Cook for getting us involved and for our friends Marie and Isaiah for sharing the night with us; it really was one to remember. Now I just can't wait for General Conference this weekend! Hope you enjoy too!