Today is the date of our traditional sunrise service.  This year we celebrated the date by rising at 5:30 to watch conference on BYUTV.  The conference sessions are broadcast live at 6:00 am, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm for priesthood.  The conference weekend started with a conference pancake breakfast with our YSA branch. 

Conference in the Little Theater on Campus

The tradition involves arriving just after 5:00 and getting ready to cook breakfast for the YSA branch members.  We are always surprised how many show up at that hour.  We flipped pancakes as the members showed up with bacon, sausage, hawaiian hotdogs, scrambled eggs, juice and fruit.  What a feast.  It is a good tradition and sets our branch apart.  I did notice students coming from the stake center in church dress feeling a little smug (or jealous?) as they saw our crew in PJ's, sweats and full of good food and conference. 
Here is a photo of Kaye and me at the morning conference session.

Kaye and Dennis at YSA conference breakfast

The conference events ended a rather ordinary week.  The only big events related to final exams and the end of the winter semester.  We know have some time off before the hectic summer semester begins.  This semester went much better than last semester.  I finally adjusted to the aloha spirit of school at BYUH and focused more on the students.  I enjoyed all my classes but especially the missionary classes.  These young freshmen who are putting in their papers were delightful students.  They were so anxious to fulfill assignments like talking to strangers at the mall or practice teaching the short version of a missionary lesson or giving a spontaneous sacrament talk.  It was fun to see their energy and excitement.  Almost all of them will be in the mission field by the time Kaye and I finish our mission in December.

The big event of this weekend and next week is the visit of Elise and Reid's family.  They filled our little apartment making it necessary to have our Sunday dinner outside on picnic benches near the Education building.  I BBQ Costco salmon which turned out okay.  We watched the second session of conference and enjoyed a tour of the campus.  

Kaye and the girls

After their visit Kaye and I had to have a little nap.  Tomorrow we will hike with them and then take them to China town for dim sum at our favorite restaurant.  Their visit came at a great time with BYUH in finals and no classes.  We will report the events of the week next Sunday.  I am sure we will have adventures to report. 

 We were grateful for conference and the messages of instruction, testimony and inspiration.  So nice to have technology that links the whole world together.

Reid Elise and girls in front of BYUH