Only Child

Tomorrow we leave for Salt Lake City to go to conference and see the prophet. This is a special trip. It is just for Emily and her mom and dad. For the next four days she gets to be an only child. There was talk of bringing Benjamin, but Emily decided she really wanted it to be just her, and Benjamin loves his babysitters almost as much as me. My mom and sister will stay home with the rest of the gang while we visit the sites of temple square, go to general conference, swim in the Marriott pool and go to the buffet at Little America Hotel. The reason for this special trip is Emily turned eight and was baptized four months ago and that has become the tradition in our family. We took Jordan on his special "see-the-prophet-only-child" maneuver when he was eight and he still talks about it like it was the trip of a lifetime.

A Little Lesson:
Growing up a member of the church in Vancouver means you will learn to be the only kid in your high school who is Mormon, a small Sunday-school class and many opportunities to serve in significant ways. Going to conference in Salt Lake City where the church is strong and the gospel is a part of hundreds of thousands of people's lives is a very special experience. I remember when I went into the MTC before I served my mission in Japan and sat in a room with two thousand other missionaries from all over the world how incredible it felt to be with so many other people who believed and loved the things I loved. I am excited for our little Emily. Only one more sleep!