Benjamin and the Cadbury Egg

He started to open the foil and it was so entertaining I had to just sit back and watch.  Once he took the wrapper completely off he went to town.  Seriously one of the funniest things I've seen him do.

Benjamin Loves the Ocean

General Conference Jeopardy

For Activity Days last week we played Jeopardy. The girls did great!

It was so much fun I thought I would share. And since I can't figure out how to attach PDFs or other documents to a post you get it all long hand here. I should also note that we had the pictures of all the Church officers (from the Ensign) that we allowed the girls to reference for most questions.

Hope you enjoy!



Historic Moments
100. Elder Oaks used historical accounts in Bible scriptures to teach us how to be righteous followers. Who do we follow? (Jesus Christ)
200. Name one of the two temples President Monson announced will be built. (Cedar City, Utah; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
300. Elder Scott said it’s amazing and wonderful that the scriptures can fit on the small electronic devices in our pockets. He then counseled us to do this as often as we send text messages. What should we do? (review/read scriptures)
400. We saw something that has never happened before during the closing prayer of the first session of conference and again at the opening prayer of the Sunday afternoon session. What happened? (women offered the prayers)
500. Sister Dalton’s husband had the privilege of laying the carpet in the Conference Center. When he was laying the last piece of carpet under the pulpit he asked her what scripture he should write under the carpet. Which scripture did Sister Dalton suggest? (b. Mosiah 18:9)
a. Helaman 5:12 = build upon a sure foundation
b. Mosiah 18:9 = stand as a witness of God
c. Articles of Faith 6 = we believe in prophets and apostles

Initial Letters
100. What does the S stand for in Thomas S. Monson? (a. Spencer)
a. Spencer b. Stanley c. Stephen
200. What does the F stand for in Dieter F. Uchtdorf? (b. Friedrich)
a. Francesco b. Friedrich c. Faviolo
300. What does the K stand for in Boyd K. Packer? (c. Kenneth)
a. Kyle b. Keith c. Kenneth
400. What does the G stand for in Richard G. Scott? (a. Gordon)
a. Gordon b. George c. Grant
500. What does the D stand for in D. Todd Christofferson? (b. David)
a. Dean b. David c. Daniel
 
Story Time
100. When President Monson was only 8 years old he and one of his friends started something at Vivian Park. What did they start? (a fire)
200. Bishop Davies told about driving in his car one day and he thought he had a flat tire. What was really happening? (there was an earthquake)
300. President Packer has a nest of finches in his yard. One day the birds were chirping loudly and sounding very distressed. What caused their alarm? (a snake was in their nest)
400. President Uchtdorf was in a meeting in West Africa when the lights in the building went out. What did the people do while they waited for the lights to come back on? (sang hymns)
500. Elder Cook told about a family who was living just a few blocks away from where airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. Where did this family go to seek peace and refuge? (the church house)

Called of the Lord
100. Name the three members of the First Presidency. (Presidents Monson, Eyring, Uchtdorf)
200. Name three members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. (Packer, Perry, Nelson, Oaks, Ballard, Scott, Hales, Holland, Bednar, Cook, Christofferson, Anderson)
300. We had the opportunity and privilege of sustaining a new presidency in which women’s auxiliary organization? (the Young Women’s)
400. Sister Rosemary Wixom spoke about how to teach children. What is her calling in the Church? (general primary president)
500. Who is next in line to become the President of the Church? (President Packer)

Sweethearts
100. Harriet Reich U. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)
200. Frances Beverly Johnson M. (Thomas S. Monson)
300. Kathleen Johnson E. (Henry B. Eyring)
400. Patricia Terry H. (Jeffrey R. Holland)
500. Jeanene Watkins S. (Richard G. Scott)

 
By the Numbers
100. How many men make up the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles? (15)
200. This conference was the _____rd Annual General Conference. (183)
300. How many sessions of general conference are there during the two days? (five)
400. How many temples were dedicated in 2012? (6 = 4 new temples and 2 temples rededicated)
500. Rounding up, about how many members of the Church are there in the world? (15 million, 14.78 million)

Apply It
100. Many speakers talked about families. What is one thing you can do to help your family today?
200. Many speakers talked about missionary work. How can you be a missionary right now?
300. Sister Elaine Dalton said that “we are daughters of our Heavenly Father.” What does that mean?
400. What was your favorite talk? Why?
500. What was your favorite song sung during conference? Why?

Fill-in-the-Blank
100. General Conference held in the ________________________. (Conference Center)
200. President Eyring said that he feels the Savior’s love and the comfort of the Holy Ghost when he takes the _____________ each Sunday. (sacrament)
300. Elder Perry taught us that we will be blessed with freedom and liberty when we ________ the commandments of God. (obey)
400. Elder Nelson counseled us to “catch the wave of ____________ work.” (missionary)
500. Elder Holland said we must have the ________ of a mustard seed. (faith)

ABCs
Think of one word that relates to things we heard in general conference and begins with the
100. letter A (agency, atonement, apostle)
200. letter R (repentance, restoration, redeem)
300. letter J (Jesus, Joseph Smith, judgment)
400. letter F (forgiveness, faith, fathers)
500. letter O (obedience)


Baby Face
100. President Thomas S. Monson
200. Elder David A. Bednar
300. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
400. Elder L. Tom Perry
500. Elder Quentin L. Cook

Her Potential

A sister in our ward told an incredible story about her daughter in the Relief Society lesson.

She has eight kids; one of her youngest started into her terrible twos and never left them. This daughter, we'll call her Katie, became a preschooler and continued to be a holy terror to her parents. She fought with her siblings, talked back to her parents, disobeyed all the household rules, couldn't be taken out in public, threw things, hit others, and was just all around a very difficult child. The mom didn't know what to do with her so she prayed. In her prayers she felt that she needed to positively reinforce the good but she also felt impressed to help Katie realize her potential.

Every night, just as Katie had fallen asleep, the mom would go into her room, kneel by her bed, and quietly tell Katie what a kind, gentle, obedient, helpful, beautiful daughter she is. She would use adjectives that certainly didn't describe Katie right now but they were adjectives full of hope for how Katie could be.

Within a few days this mom began to notice a difference. Katie was becoming kinder to her siblings, she was more gentle and more patient. Her tantrums lessened and her obedience increased. The mom continued to enter Katie's room every night for almost a year and quietly tell her of her potential. Katie's behavior continued to improve during that year. Now Katie is all grown with children of her own. She and her mom are best friends and Katie is the kindest, most gentle and patient of all her siblings. It's amazing all the good that came out of those little nighttime whispers that reminded Katie's spirit of her incredible eternal potential.

Tight Places

I can't figure out why but lately Benjamin has been trying to squeeze his little body and head through every narrow space in our house. Between the fridge and the counter, the chair and the desk, here between the rocking chair and changing table, and many more places--and that was just today. I really wanted to take photos of the other incidences but he was in trouble most times and you would have known what a bad mommy I am had I paused to snap a picture.

Springtime Swinging

Our First Parents

I just had a couple of sisters from the Jehovah's Witnesses come knock at my door.  When they asked if they could share a thought about Jesus Christ, I said, "Why not," and she opened her Bible to 1 Corinthians 15:22.  Our pleasant conversation quickly turned to our beliefs regarding Adam and Eve and their necessary role in the Plan of Salvation.

I know that Adam and Eve and the Fall are an integral part in the Plan.  I know that their actions paved the way for the Savior to come to the earth, who lived and died for each and every one of us.  I am so grateful for the additional insight we receive about our first parents through the teachings of the Book of Mormon.

Though in the end the JW's and I agreed to disagree it was a fun few minutes for me as I bore a strong testimony of the truth.  Even now I can still feel the presence of the Spirit in my home.  As we parted ways I was certain to invite the sisters to watch General Conference this weekend with questions about Adam and Eve in their hearts; through the gifts of the Spirit they too can receive a witness of the importance of the Fall in the Plan of Salvation.

For more information about Adam and Eve and The Plan of Salvation, click here.

For more information about the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here.