Education Week

I LOVE education week.  Like really love it.  I'm going to be honest here.  Sometimes in life it's hard to feel the spirit frequently because life is, well, just crazy.  I try not to let it be, but that's just how it happens.  Having spiritual experience in church can be hard.  Sacrament meeting can be plain crazy between wrangling 3 older kids and trying to keep Gabe from running up to the podium.  Then it's off to nursery to watch 12 kids under the age of 3. Not the most spiritual experience, for me anyways.  Even General Conference this year was hard- Gabe is just so crazy!  He never stops unless he is asleep.
But Education Week is different.  It's like the windows of heaven are open and the spirit is just poured down.   Maybe it's the great speakers, maybe it's the topics, maybe the location, or the temperature of the room is just right, or maybe it's that I can actually listen!  Any how, I love it.  And I make a major effort to go any year I can.  This year the stars aligned and Marilyn was able to come.  We had such an amazing, inspiring time. 

Here is a picture of where Marilyn met David for the 1st time.  Isn't she beautiful?  I just love Marilyn.  She is an example of, well, everything good.  Everyone that meets her loves her and wants to be her friend.  Marilyn is an absolute inspiration.  I'm so happy she is a part of my family. 

 One of the first classes we went to was one of my favorites.  Marilyn, Laura and I went together- It was about being a mom, and the three of us cried pretty much through the whole class.  It was so touching.  And I felt so honored to be sitting next to Laura and Marilyn in the class- I felt like standing up and saying- "These two women here are 2 of the best moms that I know!"

The teacher was an AMAZING woman who had- I think 11 kids? She was so cute! She was older- and wore a bright yellow dress with a fun yellow flower in her hair.  She was so fun and energetic and happy and had so many amazing stories.  She loves being a mother and you could just feel it! She was so inspiring.   I loved these quotes and ideas.

One thing she talked about that I really liked is turning Sunday into a Gospel study day.  A day to teach your children the gospel.  She called it a Mini MTC.  I loved this idea.

So, another class I went to that I really enjoyed was about a guy who is a professional photographer and he went to India to help a Leprosy Foundation.  His pictures were amazing, and so touching.  I am so excited that Darren became a Nurse Anesthetist, cause I have ALWAYS wanted to do a humanitarian trip- like Project Smiles or something.  So it's defiantly on our list of things to do- our goal is to do a trip before Paul's mission and take all our kids.  I think it would be so good for them to see how most people in the world live.  It cures a lot of material desires.  I think every American person should travel to a 3rd world country. 

This was a great class about the Jewish religion in Jesus day.  It was fascinating. 

This class was amazing.  It was about the power of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.  Since I was about 14 I have had a testimony of Jesus and His love for us.  I haven't ever worried about getting more of a testimony about specific things, like the prophet, or Joseph Smith,  because I feel like, if Jesus is real, and the Gospel is true, I know the rest of it is too.  So I have never prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true, or Joseph Smith is a Prophet- Cause I know the church is true, so I have never worried about it.  But as I sat in this class I had the Spirit bear witness to me that Joseph Smith was a true prophet.  And he did translate the Book of Mormon.  And that he was an amazing, honorable man that God chose.  I felt so much love towards him for all the sacrifices he made.  He lived a hard life.  I can't wait to meet Joseph Smith. Thank you God, for speaking to him and bringing us the truth.  And for giving my family a foundation to live by in a crazy world.

These pictures say a thousand words.  Notice the ages.

Of course- I had to go to a couple of these classes.  I have to admit though, they are getting kinda old, and I am not as near interested in the subject as I used to be. 

This was a FASCINATING class about Satan. I went on Tuesday, and the class was about 1/2 full.  By Friday every seat was taken and people were standing around.  I could do a whole post about this class. Maybe I will.

Education Week selfies! Ok, so you are supposed to be 14 to go to Education Week.  Paul is physically 12, but emotionally he is.... about 21.  So I lied on his registration form and brought him with me 2 days.  He loved it!  He went to a bunch of John Bytheway Classes, and John Anderson, and other great speakers.  In fact, he took a picture of John Bytheway and got him to sign it! So anyways, we are sitting in this class about Satan- there were like 300 people in there.  The teacher was talking and asked a question and Paul raised his hand! I pretty much almost had a heart attack.  Paul made his comment into the mic, he said that once he saw a bad picture on a computer, and felt really yucky, so he quickly closed the computer, then he prayed and talked to me about it, and the bad feeling went away.  Then the teacher trying to prove a point about how young our kids are exposed to pornography said, "how old are you?"  ahhh!!!!!!!   Paul, being a good boy and lying like I told him to do, said, "14" and the teacher said, "really?" I was shaking my head-no! - the teacher got the hint and changed the subject. It was a pretty tense situation- for me.  LOL Everyone else got a kick out of it and loved Paul, in fact 3 people came up after and thanked him for his comment.

I had an amazing week.  I love the Savior and I love this Gospel.