BYU Women's Conference...and other things...

BYU Women's Conference was this last week.  I REALLY love going.  It seems I go just in time to need specific direction or answers to things I am stuck on in my life.  Then after going, I get to work on that for a year until next year and then new questions come up and they are once again answered.  We had a great time.  Here are a couple pictures of us.  I don't have all the pictures because, well...I didn't bring my camera.

We had Me (of course), Scott's sisters - Heidi, Wendy, and Kathie, our sister-in-laws Rebecca and Laura, and Kathie's friend, Laurel, and Wendy's friend, Annette (they are both more like family, too!).  We had a great time.  Lots of good food, laughs, and learning.  The weather was PERFECT!  Usually it rains or even snows one of the days, but this year it did it the day before we all came.  It was perfect.  There are a couple stories that I think are so funny...

First, there was a class on controlling your tempers.  Kathie, Rebecca, Laura, and someone else decided to go (can't remember the other).  You aren't supposed to save seats, but Kathie and Rebecca were saving them for the others and this lady comes and starts pestering them about "you can't save seats".  Kathie and Rebecca said the people are right outside and basically ignored her...or tried.  So, she stood at the end of the row and was glaring at them!  Kathie had to go to the bathroom and left Rebecca there all by herself.  The lady didn't budge and she stood at the end of the isle glaring.  Rebecca kept looking the other way and didn't want to make any eye contact with the lady.  As I was hearing this story, I started laughing because I realized two things...1.  This was a class about controlling your temper...this lady was in the right spot!  2.  In all the time she used to glare at them, she could have easily found another seat!  I really hope she found one after all...she needed that class!

Then on Thursday we were doing the service stations.  We were making "Cold Kits" for those who need to bundle up (probably homeless).  So, we were cranking them out (there were about 11,000 kits that were being made...it was AMAZING.  Rebecca has my pictures of that).  Anyway, as I was helping, one of the ladies that was next to me said "have you ever lived in Las Vegas?"  And I said, "Yes, for about 3 years".  She said, "Do you know the Bennetts and the Pattersons?"  And I said, "YES!"  She said, "I recognized your name from the ward cookbook because I use your recipes all the time!"  I about died!  She is now in that ward and so we were able to talk about all those I knew and who had moved and who had stayed.  It was so fun.  Then we said our goodbyes.  Then the next day, we went to go hear President Eyring speak and I go to sit down and who is beside me?!?  Yep, Pat Hammons....the lady I was talking to the day before.  It was fun to see her again and so she took our picture together (again...no camera) to show our friends back in Vegas.  I thought it was funny that she recognized my name from a cook book! 

I got to eat lunch with my friends from Oklahoma, Amy Bingham Jensen and Tonya White Jones.  It is so fun to talk to them and the experiences they are having with their kids and family.  Amy is my favorite and I truly treasure her friendship.  She took me to my first concert, Huey Lewis and the News and then to Chicago's concert.  We had fun together and still do.  She married a "Scott", too and we laugh about that all the time. We try to get together every Women's Conference and it is something I truly look forward to.

I brought goodies home for the kids, including BYU mint brownies...two little pans full, but did anyone get any?!? Only Ashton!  He ate BOTH pans of brownies all by himself.  I couldn't believe it.  

Other things...Here is our Chicken Coop finished...well, almost finished.  Scott forgot to put on a door so that we could get in and out.  He didn't think it was a big deal until he had to figure out how to get the food out that they placed in the coop.  So, I am sure this next weekend, he will be adding a door...But, here it is now...

We moved the chickens in and they are SO happy with all the room.  They are fun to watch and the dogs, especially Angel, love to see them.  

We are going to get a couple kittens soon, too.  They keep the mice away which keep the snakes away, which is good considering I just saw a rattlesnake not too far from our property...YIKES!  We will have to keep them in the garage until they are a little bigger because the owls and hawks take them away as well as other animals.  Crazy!  Then my friend told me yesterday that Dallen can "have her horse"!  WHAT?!?  I told her he needed to pay something for it and so we came to the agreement that we would re-address it in September or October because then Dallen can work all summer and see where he is for buying all that goes with the horse.  It is an older horse, but perfect for a first time owner.  Dallen was so excited and more determined than ever.  My friend also said that she would sell him the bridle and all the stuff (except a saddle) that go with the horse for really cheap.  She said she understood that if the child pays for it, he will be more likely to take better care of things.  So, we are going to be working on seeing whether or not we can do this for Dallen...it's asking a lot, but I would really love to give him the opportunity.  Sometimes I think I'm crazy!

The other night for Family Night we made Funnel Cakes.  For some reason I have been wanting them, reminding me of Oklahoma, missing Oklahoma.  So, we made them.  I was not feeling well, but we were going to do it or bust!  

We were chuckling because the boys seemed to not understand what "a dusting of powder sugar" was.  They didn't care, though.  And, can I just tell you....they were the best I've had in a long time.  Calvin and Alec missed out because right after prayer, they ditched us to go play basketball.  So, Scott, Dallen, Ashton, and I played a game and ate some yummy funnel cakes.  It was perfect.  

So, Calvin is now thinking of staying here for next year.  Things are falling through for his place to stay in St. George and the others that have offered, he would have to go to church and stuff, and he doesn't want to do that in his life, right now.  So, I am glad. He and Alec took the ACT test.  Alec got a 25 without studying and Calvin got a 19 (he wants to take it again).  Alec is just planning to put everything on hold and since he is going to just go to a Junior College his first year back, he isn't going to worry about applying before he leaves on his mission.  We are hoping his call comes this week.  It has been assigned...they just need to mail it.