The Other Side of the Bridge

The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I declare myself a Mary Lawson fan. She knows how to weave a story and immerse the reader in the setting and the lives of the characters. So much so- that this one left me with a melancholy feeling for days after finishing it. The chapters go back and forth between the 40’s (during World War II) and the 60’s set in a small town in Canada. The two worlds come together in an explosive ending. Comparing the two Lawson books I’ve read, I think I liked Crow Lake better, but this one was also very good. Because of one scene in it that I would have rather not read, I give it four rather than five stars.



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Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love Auggie. I love Auggie’s family. I love this book. Frankly, I was afraid to read it. I was afraid it would have too much cruelty in it. It does have some of that, but the goodness outweighs the bad. I really think every child and adult should read this book. I hope this isn’t a spoiler, but I have to share with you my very favorite part of the book. It is a scene where Auggie’s school principal, Mr. Tushman is giving a speech. He quotes Henry Ward Beecher: “Greatness,' wrote Beecher, 'lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength. . . . He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts . . .' " And again, out of the blue, he got all choked up. He put his two index fingers over his mouth for a second before continuing. " 'He is the greatest,' " he finally continued, " 'whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.' I won’t continue, because that would be a spoiler, but I just love that quote. I think that could be a mantra. Ah, this book. This book! For me to rate a book five stars, it needs to:
Be well -written - Check
Call to me to keep reading it – Check
Make me want to be a better person- check, double-check

I not only give it five stars, but I give it a standing ovation, because as Auggie says, “Everyone should have a standing ovation at least once in their life.”




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Temple Ordinance Worker

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as a temple ordinance worker in the St. George temple.  Ken has been serving since August.  I just started, with my first day being April 6th.  I love that that was my first day!  I have a kind and patient mentor and am learning all I need to learn from her.  It is a sacred privilege to serve in the temple.

I Will Sing Unto the Lord as Long as I Live

When I first started doing mantra posts, I mentioned that before I started on this wonderful mantra journey, I would have said I had two mantras that I lived by. I have since realized that I have many others and I have adopted many new ones (I've written about 17 others on here!)   But I wrote about the first one I had to begin with here.  This is the second one I've tried to live by for many years:  I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live.   It comes from the book of Psalms 104:33,34 :
"I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live;  I will sing praise to my God while have my being.  My meditation of Him shall be sweet:  I will be glad in the Lord."

That is a mantra I think of when deciding if I should participate in a stake or ward choir, or sing at sacrament meeting during the congregational singing, or whenever I'm asked to sing.  It is a commitment I've made. The decision is already made.  I will sing to my Lord as long as I have breath to do so.  It's not about how I sound or what others think or how I feel at the time.  It's between me and the Lord.  And it is one way I can praise Him!  It is one way I can worship Him!   It is one way I can thank Him!  I truly will be glad in the Lord!

This is a picture of Keynotes- the women's group I sing with.  We all have this commitment and it is a goal of our group to bring joy to others and to share our love of the Savior through music.  

To see those 17 other mantras, click here.

Ken's Adventures: Hiking and Birding

Now that Ken is retired, he spends a good deal of time hiking and birding.  He and his brother, Don, do a lot of it together.  A few weeks ago, they got up in the wee hours of the morning to be out near Cedar City to watch the mating rituals of the Greater Sage Grouse.

Petroglyphs at the Gap

  They saw these petroglyphs on the way out. 

Mating Ritual of the Greater Sage Grouse

Flight Path Arrows on Shinob Kibe Hill

On another day, he and several friends from our ward hiked Shinob Kibe, a hill in our area.  On the top of the hill is a cement arrow.  These arrows were featured in the April National Geographic.  They were placed on hilltops all throughout the United States before WWII to guide pilots on their flight path.

East Rim Trail in Zion National Park

Ken's brother, Rick just this last weekend organized a hike of family members on the East Rim Trail in Zion National Park.  It is the one Zion trail that many of them had never hiked.  Ken's brothers Don, Rick, and Jim and his wife Leslie all hiked it.  It's about a 13 mile hike.  Many of their children went as well.  

Randy, Bryan, Leslie, Jim, Rick, Ken, Randy, Brett, Melanie, Don, Travis- all Hintons!

The Rick Hintons: Rick, Travis, Bryan, and Brett

Jim took a picture of Ken taking a picture

The Hinton Hikers at the end of the trail: Don, Ken, Melanie, Lavar (Randy's son- so there were three generations), Randy, Rick, Brett, Travis, Bryan, Jim, Leslie

They had a great time.  They even got home in time for dinner.  They, along with all of us non-hikers met at Chuck-a-Rama for dinner.  There was quite a crew.  We filled five tables.  Then many came to our home to visit after.  Some stayed with us that night, then headed for home in the morning.

Let Us All Press On

Last Sunday, our ward choir sang the Richard Elliot arrangement of "Let Us All Press On."  I am the choir director in our ward.  It was a monumental task to learn this beautiful piece.  It challenged me, it challenged our fabulous organist (Sister Burdick,) and it challenged the choir.  We worked and worked on it for weeks.  I did everything I know to do to get the "beat" inside each of the singers.  I marched and yelled and clapped and screamed and made a total fool of myself . . . and I prayed.  Oh, how I prayed.  And it went so well.  I was so happy and felt the spirit so strong.  Just before we sang it for the last time at the final rehearsal just before sacrament meeting on Sunday, I had a sister from the ward, Sister Staheli, who was present when Cody Judy jumped the railing and threatened President Howard W. Hunter at a BYU fireside years ago, come and tell us the story.   She said a single voice in the Marriott Center started singing this song, then the entire congregation joined in, singing with great fervor. That music help diffuse the situation.  There is great power in music.
This group sings it pretty well, but you should have heard us!!!  Ha!

So many brothers and sisters that were in the congregation talked to me after.  They wanted to hug or take my hand as they expressed how the spirit spoke through that song.  One sister, with tears in her eyes, said she was given inspiration as to what she should do in her life as we sang.  Another called me that evening.  She was at death's door just a week ago, but recovered enough to be at church. In a shaky voice, she told me that she was so grateful to be there, that she wouldn't have wanted to miss that!
Nearly every time our choir sings, I feel that we have divine help.  I feel like after we've worked hard and done our best to learn and prepare that we are lifted beyond our abilities.   I love each of those who participate in our choir and feel so grateful for them. I am humbled by their dedicated service.  I am so grateful for my calling and for music in my life!

Easter Weekend

We had such a fun Easter weekend.  The Camerons came from Logan and the Princes came from Vegas to celebrate.  It was so fun to be all together.

The Easter bunny came on Saturday morning.  Man, he sure left a lot candy-filled eggs.

Jaron was delighted.

The babies:  Shonna and Blake's Hannah and Michelle and Brian's Kenny

The Easter bunny even brought them their own scriptures!

Lily Kay

We all watched conference downstairs.

Michelle, Brian and Baby Kenny all swaddled for a nap.

Grandpa and Hannah

Grandma Kay with Caleb, Gabbi, Lily Kay and Jaron

Just resting his eyes during conference.

Easter Picnic at the park between sessions.

After the picnic we had the Grandpa and Grandma Easter egg hunt in our yard.  More candy!!

Do a Dot Painting during conference.  These kids churned out a ream of artwork!

Sweet Michelle giving me a pedicure during conference.

Saturday evening was crazy while the men were at Priesthood session.  We were trying to get the kids fed, bathed and ready for bed AND get tomorrow's Easter dinner ready (funeral potatoes, ham glaze, ham sauce, salad.)  Shonna had the four oldest kids in the tub, Michelle was nursing Kenny, I was tending fussy Hannah in the kitchen.  Shonna had to run get something downstairs, so she left them playing with the tub toys.   So after a bit, I called to the little tubbers, "How's it going in there?"  Caleb's immediate reply I dub the quote of the weekend: "Jaron's peeing and Lily won't share!"  I just keep giggling over that quote.

What ever happened to GNO's shopping with daughters during Priesthood session???? 

After the men were home and the kids were in bed, we cooked the "adult" pizza and enjoyed a quiet dinner with a couple of games after.  But then we were all tired and went to bed.  Kids kind of wear you out!

I guess we didn't take pictures of our nice ham Easter dinner on Sunday which we ate between sessions.  It was delicious.  Then Shonna and Blake and family headed back home.  We enjoyed Michelle and Brian for the second session and the rest of the afternoon.  That evening, we all attended a baptism for a cousin's son.  It was nice to see so many family members.  Michelle and Brian left after the baptism.  

It was such a nice weekend.  Thank you so much for coming!  Happy Easter!!