2012-2013 District Convention - Safeguard Your Heart

This years convention really lived up to all its expectations. While I love them every single year and I always look forward to them. January comes around and everyone gets so excited to find out when our convention dates are announced. The closer it gets the more excited everyone gets. This year, the boys were old enough to actually get excited, well...Joshua is. In a previous post I wrote about the coloring book I made for Joshua...it was a hit. It was used all three days.

The Convention as a whole was quite the eye opener and has me really contemplating and pondering how to make some much needed changes in my life spiritually. I know that no matter what some major changes will be made all with a lot of prayer to Jehovah.
So, Thursday night I made sure my big bag was packed with diapers, wipes, blankets, and books. I got lunches all made and ready to throw in the cooler, then I set out all our clothes. Raul went to work and I got up and got ready. Then fed the boys breakfast and before walking out the door made sure to set them down to get a picture since I wasn't sure if I would get one since it was just me and the boys.

Day One

I thought the boys did amazingly well. And Jehovah blesses the efforts to get there even though it would have been so easy to stay home since Raul wasn't going to make it with us. I had two attendants come and ask if I was by myself. While I had offers from friends to help with at least Joshua, which I took them up on, it was Joshua who ultimately made the decision and he wanted to stay with Mommy and Matthew...so one of the attendants had a sister that watches their 3yr old nephew and said he would have her come and sit with us. She came and sat with the boys and I. Joshua fell in love with her and her friend. They managed to get him to sleep while I got Matthew to sleep and we enjoyed the last half of the afternoon sessions.

The boys having lunch

This is one of my favorite...the music was playing to have us come to our seats

so Joshua grabbed his bible and acted like he was singing the songs.

The second day went even better than the first seeming we went alone again. The boys were amazing and took their naps. Joshua woke from his nap in just enough time to hear about the new DVD he was going to be watching that night. 

The boys on Day Two

The boys and I on Day Two

Matthew being a train before sessions

My big boy with a big smile

The boys after getting their new DVD - Being Jehovah's Friend

The DVD was watched six times before going to bed that night. Joshua loves the song at the end. I give him a week of watching the DVD before the words are memorized and he sings it all the time. I can't wait to be able to download more for him to watch. 

Day Three was hectic. I luckily packed everything up the night before since now we would have four of us to get out the door on time. I got up earlier so that I could make breakfast tacos so everyone would be well fed and not be begging for food before lunch. Although, the boys did get small snacks in the morning. The boys watched the DVD again while I finished up breakfast. When we got to the Expo Center Joshua insisted that he get to "drag" the cooler inside. He did wonderful. We found seats we will probably sit in from now on...they are up against the wall so we only have to worry about blocking one side so the boys can't get out and run away. The boys were a little bit more hectic in the morning.

 "Dragging" the cooler inside

 Daddy managed to get Matthew to sleep and Joshua laid down on the seats and fell asleep.

 The family (wish the picture wasn't so blurry)

Me and my dear friend, Sabrina. We met in 2005 at my Chiropractors office, where she works. 

A couple of years later we found out we were both sisters in Jehovah's organization.

It was a wonderful convention and I look forward to next years and I hope to have my goals being met and the boys better trained to handle quiet, sit still time.