What a super Conference weekend!! Jonah got to go to his first General Conference Priesthood Meeting in the Conference Center. Thanks to the connections Collins has in his family we got tickets that put us in the 10th row - center aisle - from the pulpit. WOW!

Of course the thing that was best for me was to get to spend some time with Jonah, Collins and the Stewart side of the family - and then to get to go to Priesthood Meeting together, well it all made for a Celestial weekend. Thanks to all who made it happen.

After Priesthood was over I asked Jonah what he learned. One of the stories President Monson told involved a teenage boy putting his lunch (which had an egg salad sandwich in it) into the vehicle's back window in the summer sun. The young man ate the sandwich much later in the afternoon and became very sick! Jonah decided he would never do something like that. I agree whole heartedly!

I want you all to know how grateful I am for the Priesthood of God being on the Earth at this time. We are soooooo blessed! I am grateful for the time we all had together (got to shoot some hoops, throw a football, eat some food, visit). Thanks to Wendy, Cam, and Lisa for supporting their men in such a venture!

BTW, the photo shown was taken in the Tabernacle, not the Conference Center. We had a full fledged camera with us in the "T" but not in the CC.

Spencer James

Spencer James celebrates his eighth birthday today with his baptism at 10:30 a.m. This will most likely be the last baptism in the old LDS Church in Chillicothe where Spencer has attended Primary these past years. The ward will be moving into their new church house very soon with Spencer now Chillicothe Ward's newest Cub-Scout.

Spencer can bring a quick smile to my face. He is a fun-loving boy with great heart and bright mind. He truly desires goodness. If there is a job to do and Spencer is in the mix, you find an effective hard working boy.

During my last visit, the kids and I spent one morning cleaning up the play room. We all worked pretty hard to get things straight. The rest of the day was pleasant and we enjoyed a variety of activities including some games of UNO Attack and reading a few chapters of "The Tale of Desperaux." As Bryn, Spencer, Kes and I were busy, Will was also involved undoing some of the work we had accomplished that morning. Late in the afternoon, I asked Spencer if he would like to earn a dollar for an extra job. Money talks and Spencer was quick and thorough! In no time he had that room looking top-notch again and excitedly took his dollar bill in hand.

The next day was Bryn's birthday. When she opened up her hand-made card from Spencer, she found a dollar bill tucked inside. This took me by surprise. Spencer is a boy who really enjoys giving and the happiness that shone in his face that December day was delightful.

This fun picture was taken in May of 2007. One day Spencer's school teacher was surprised to find Spencer sporting a new pair of glasses. She wondered that they seemed a little big on him but chose not to make any comment that might discourage Spencer. The puzzle was solved when Bryn was walking down the school hall and looked into her brother's classroom. She saw that Spencer was wearing his dad's specs and set the record straight. This "like dad" moment touches my heart.

Spencer James Stalcup is a family blessing for sure.