Time Out For ME

So as if I didn't get spoiled enough last week with my birthday, this week Dirk was totally okay with me going out to dinner with my friends. Then the rest of the week he was super supportive as I prepared for a weekend away to Reno! On Thursday, the day before I was supposed to leave, I was supposed to help with a church craft night, but I woke up with a horrible migraine, so Dirk picked up all of my responsibilites for the day and took care of everything! He and Ginny took my craft supplies to the church and told the ladies I wouldn't be there, then he picked up Hayden from school, then came home fed the kids and put Ginny to bed. Then he took a very scared Hayden to the dentist, then went to Costco and did some grocery shopping! During all of this I was passed out in my dark room trying to get rid of the migraine so I could have a fun weekend in Reno. I felt so bad b/c Dirk was already going to be home alone with the kids for 3 days, but this just made it an extra day of non-stop kids for him. I finally woke up around 4pm and was able to get some preparations done for my trip the next day, which involved me still not helping out with the kids so I could pack, shower, etc. Dirk didn't complain once. Then the next morning he sent me off to Reno so I could have fun with some other girls from Church, eating too much yummy food, staying up late talking and having a slumber party in a hotel room, and of course taking a little Time Out.

In Reno we went to Time Out for Women, which is a very energetic, funny, spiritual, fulfilling conference for Latter Day Saint women. I can't really describe it all to you and for most of it, there are just no words to describe how incredibly amazing it is! They try and schedule these spread out all over the country so women can find one relatively close to them. Last year I traveled 3 hrs to go to Spokane for my very first one, and after that I wondered WHY I'd never gone before and knew I needed to go every single year if I could manage. This year, I was lucky enough to get to move here to Oregon just in time for the event in Reno which is 5 hours away. I STRONGLY urge you to go if you have the chance. It's hard to find the time, money, and to leave the family behind, but it is so so so so worth it. I feel like it gives me more spiritual strength and fulfillment than general conference. Seriously. While I'm listening to the wonderful speakers I'm thinking of all of the wonderful women in my life... friends and family who NEED to hear this talk as it is just for them!  There is one coming up in November in Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and St. George.  

GO! You won't regret it! 

We were able to get to the conference early enough both days to get seats right in the very front. It was so fun to be able to see these presenters right up close and personal and not on the big screens. We were able to visit with every single one of them during the breaks. I was able to chat with Virginia Hinckley Pearce (President Hinckley's daughter) for quite a while. While I felt silly treating all the presenters like a celebrity (like so many of the other women there), I still wanted to get a picture with Virginia as she is just so special to me!

This year the main musical performer was Hilary Weeks. I'd never really gotten in to her music before... it just wasn't my style, but after hearing her live and all her inbetween commentary, I think she's just amazing. At the very very end she was soooo nervous as she got on stage because she was going to solicit to us to buy her cd, and this just isn't her style, but she said as she was writing her newest album she felt she needed to write the music for a broader audience than just LDS women. She is attempting to be the first LDS musician to get on to Christian Radio stations to show the world through music that we are indeed Christians. She asked us, if we were thinking of buying her new cd, if we could buy it during the week of October 23-28. The way to get on Christian Radio stations is to make it high in the billboards, which means she needs lots of sales all in one week. They chose a week to solicit when not very many albums are being released. Anyway- I tell you all this, because I think it would be such a good missionary tool to have an LDS artist on the mainstream Christian radio stations. I love that she's trying to do this, so if you are wanting to buy her album or like her music, or just want to support her cause, buy it NEXT week! Plus, her music is really good.

I hope you will all be able to find the chance to go to Time Out in your own area very soon! If you're not a member, you are welcome to go too. They won't hassle you or try and convert you. It is very generic spiritual guidance and teachings that applies to ALL women in the world... in fact, on of the main speakers at my event isn't even a Mormon!