Sunday, April 29, 2012

BYU Women's Conference

Our Women's Conference Group:  Hannah, Katie, Caroline, Me, Marianne, & Clarissa

I love BYU.  I graduated from there 12 years ago this summer.  At the time I graduated, my dear cousin Hannah and I were roommates.  This week we reunited as roomies and had the time of our lives as we walked around campus, stayed up late laughing until we cried, and fueled up on inspiration and hope as we attended the great classes at BYU Women's Conference (we cried a lot at those too).  As Hannah and I palled around and ate BYU Creamery ice cream, it was as if no time had passed.  The only difference between those 12 years was that we no longer look like BYU students, I was 34 weeks pregnant and waddling between classes more than racing, and instead of talking about boys and classes and our dreams for the future, we talked about husbands and kids and our dreams for the future.

We had a great Women's Conference group.  Clarissa (my wonderful neice who got to go for the first time and room with her mom and my dear sister Marianne) enthusiastically called us the "best group" of the whole conference.  Katie and her friend Caroline joined us from Boulder, Utah.  As always, Katie was a lot of fun, and her friend Caroline is lovely.  We immediately discovered that we have the same maternity shirt (we are both wearing them in the picture).  Caroline is due a few weeks after I am, but is handling her pregnancy with a lot more grace and patience than I am.  I think she's a very cute pregnant gal, and there's nothing cute about the 80 pounds I've gained!  Note that she and Marianne kindly let me hide behind them in the picture.

We missed my mom, my sister Thelma, and my sisters-in-law, Jennifer and Melanee, at Women's Conference.  They were all busy with more important things.  We look for them to join us next year (except for my mom who will still be serving a mission).  Hannah and I also had to call my cousin and her sister Britta to reminisce about old times and tell her we were thinking of her as we laughed about the crazy things we've done together.

As always, I came home from Women's Conference refreshed, determined to be better, and so excited to be home again with my Edgar and our children.  The kids were all playing outside when I got home--even though it was almost bedtime. 

Yesterday Lili said, "Do you know why we were all outside last night when you came home?"

"No. Why?"

"We were waiting for you.  Everytime a car came (not a real common occurrence here), we thought it was you."

What a happy thing a family is to come home to!

4 comments:

Cnbztribe said...

I still have your message on my machine. It makes me laugh out loud every time I hear it. We were (are) so nutty. Hopefully next year I can join you.
Your family is so sweet!

Thelma said...

I am glad you had such a nice time. I hope I can be there next time. (And I think you're gorgeous--80 pounds more of you to love!)

Moore Family said...

Very jealous! If I come to Women's Conference sometime, will you let me join the "best group"?

Hannah Stevenson said...

It was in one word: Perfect. I loved being with you and I can't believe it's been 12 years...HOW IN THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN?!