“By small & simple things…

…are great things brought to pass.” (Alma 37:6-7)

This was the theme for BYU Women’s Conference 2011. This is a two–day conference held each spring on the BYU campus. It is an amazing experience to meet with thousands of sisters (about 17,000) as we share gospel messages through sessions, service, and friendship. I have attended this event many times through the years but the past few years I’ve especially enjoyed it with some of our daughters. This year I was already in Utah celebrating the birth of our 23rd grandchild but, thanks to Paul, I was able to participate in Women’s Conference with five of our girls…




It is a great “bonding” experience for the girls without the distractions of kids in tow. (Many thanks to those who watched the kiddos & allowed everyone to participate - we missed you girls who couldn’t make it this year.) Even though Tdolly wasn’t able to come, we still managed to spend some time with her as all the girls wanted to meet Jude & celebrate his arrival with a little “shower.” She was also able to join us for dinner each night.





We are not only enlightened & uplifted at the conference, but we pack in a lot of fun, too. Part of that fun is eating at our favorites - like Kneaders & Café Rio.



Women’s Conference allows us to “fill our cups.” In addition to the opening & closing general sessions (with awesome speakers), there are 96 other classes to choose from on a variety of topics according to your interests/needs. It is sometimes difficult/overwhelming to narrow those choices down to just ONE per hour & we don’t all go to the same classes but we share our notes from our favorite sessions. It is exciting for me to see that our girls have a desire to build their testimonies as they learn how they can draw closer to the Savior, improve their lives, & strengthen their relationships.

Some of the most memorable things I “heard” this year…

• Keep it small, keep it simple, give it time!

• We NEED God – prayer works.

• The only person I need to be better than is the woman I was yesterday.

• Nothing is more important than the atonement – it gives us hope.

• Ideals are stars to steer by, not sticks to beat ourselves with.

• Are you a virtual woman or a virtuous woman? (Avoiding the time traps of technology…does your “online time” distract from your “real life” relationships?)

• It is only with the heart that we can see correctly.

• If we are hard on ourselves we are more likely to be hard on others.

• The world teaches us that it’s all about winning. The Lord teaches us that we should help others win.

• Establish a forgiving heart long before you need to forgive someone.

• Our ability to forgive draws us closer to the Savior.

• There is a profound spiritual pattern in all things.

Elder Bednar was the closing speaker. He is one of my favorites. He said, “We should find great comfort in the fact that ordinary people who faithfully, diligently and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results.”



We met up with Cindi’s SIL Kristin & another Florida friend, Lorren, who are with us in the above picture.

Of course a trip to Utah wouldn’t be complete without a little shopping at Tai Pan Trading Company – awesome home décor & fun accessories! I found a few treasures…



We met up for sushi to say our goodbyes – until next year…



Thanks for sharing your home, Leah - & many thanks to all who made this wonderful experience possible.