The Harding Family: Conference prep FHE, and an answer to my prayers! :)

Is anyone else as EXCITED as I am about conference this weekend. :) I remember complaining about conference weekends when I was a kid and now it is my FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!! How lucky are we to have a modern day Prophet to help lead and guide us along our journey?!?! This week I have been trying to get the kids excited about conference, we've been having special treats and talking about it all week! Ryker is genuinely excited and it feels like maybe all of (our hard work, with FHE's, church lessons and just trying to teach them the gospel in general) is starting to pay off. There is no better feeling IN THE WORLD than seeing your child "choose the right" or "seek whats good" all on there own!! Tonight's FHE was FUN FUN FUN!!!

opening song- Follow the prophet

Lesson- The kids and dad built the annual tent (facing East, like they did in Jesus' time) and dad told the story of King Benjamin. I love hearing Kaj tell the scripture stories to the kids. I think I end up learning just as much as they do by the end of the night:)

Activity- After the lesson we played "follow the prophet", pretty much follow the leader and the line leader gets to hold a picture of the prophet and everyone has to follow them.. The kids LOVE THIS GAME (Dugi especially)

Dessert- cookies. During dessert time I had each of the kids think of a question they wanted to be answered during conference. Ryker was really excited about this and I LOVED that he came up with soo many questions!!

This week was a little bitter sweet for me.. I was trying to get the kids super excited about conference and hearing from the prophet and IT WAS WORKING!! Ryker has never seemed so interested and everyday he would tell me he "couldn't wait, to listen to conference" I was SOOO EXCITED but the thought kept lingering, its Rykers dads weekend to have him:( :( I have been feeling sooo sad knowing in the back of my mind that Ryker isn't going to be able to participate in conference with us this year. Recently (probably after a VERY LONG rant from me about how worried I get when Ryker goes with his dad) my mom told me that I need to just pray for Ryker. Pray that he will be safe, pray that he will be able to handle the things that he sees and hears while he's with his dad, and just pray that Heavenly Father will watch over him. Since I knew I couldn't change the fact that its his dads weekend, all I could do was pray that Ryker will keep the "desire to know and listen to the words of the Prophet". SO that's what I did, I have been praying and praying and last night (right before FHE) Rick text Kaj and said he isn't sure if he is going to make it to pick up Ryker this weekend and this morning he confirmed that he wont be picking Ryker up this weekend!!! WHAAATTT, SOMEBODY PINCH ME!! Is this for REAL?!?!?! It may not seem like a big deal to anyone else but this is HUGE FOR ME!! I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers, no matter how big or small the desires of our heart our he listens to them ALL!! This small little wish of mine was just as important to Heavenly Father as it was to me. It is so nice to know that if something is important to me it is important to Him, no matter what it is... I'm sure there will be years that Ryker will miss conference weekends with us but I am soo grateful that he will be here this year. :) I couldn't be more excited for the fun family weekend we have planned!!