Dinosaurs and Jesus

Every Sunday, we ask Caleb what he learned about in Sunbeams.  His answer never varies, "Dinosaurs and Jesus."  Week after week after week.  And more than once he brought home a picture of a dinosaur to prove it.
Oh, I guess there was one time he varied:  On Easter Sunday, his parents asked him what he learned about and he said, "Jesus."  Little two-year-old Lily (who knew she'd even been listening to this conversation each week?) piped up, "You didn't learn about dinosaurs?"  "Nope, just Jesus." was the response.
So, are there REALLY dinosaurs in the Sunbeam manual, or is Caleb hearing what he wants to hear?  We may never know . . .

What Did the Prophet Ask Us to Do? April, 2014

What Did the Prophet Ask Us To Do?

April, 2014

Saturday Morning Session: Welcome to Conference

Listen and Learn from Conference

Priesthood Session:  Be Strong and of Good Courage

Put ourselves in places and participate in activities where our thoughts are influenced for good and where the Spirit of the Lord will be comfortable.

If you ever find yourself where you shouldn’t ought to be, get out!

“Everyday courage has few witnesses.  But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

“Just be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light.”  Jabari Parker’s father

May we declare with the Apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”

May we follow Paul’s counsel, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

May each one leave here tonight with the determination and the courage to say, with Job of old, “While my breath is in me . . . I will not remove mine integrity from me.”

Sunday Morning Session: Love- the Essence of the Gospel

I would hope that we would strive always to be considerate and to be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings and circumstances of those around us.  Let us not demean or belittle.  Rather let us be compassionate and encouraging.  We must be careful that we do not destroy another person’s confidence through careless words or actions.  Forgiveness should go hand in hand with love.

Sunday Afternoon Session: Until We Meet Again

I hope that we will take the time to read the conference messages . . .for they are deserving of our careful review and study.

As we ponder the messages we have heard, may we resolve to do a little better than we have done in the past.  May we be kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and our standards.  May we ever follow [the Savior’s] example.

May our homes be filled with love and courtesy and with the Spirit of the Lord. 

May we constantly nourish our testimonies of the gospel that they will be a protection for us against the buffetings of the adversary. 

May the Spirit we have felt during these past two days be and abide with us as we go about those things which occupy us each day, and may we ever be found doing the work of the Lord.

May we realize how close to us He is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, and how much He loves us.

My Story: Elizabeth Smart

My Story by Elizabeth Smart

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I watched, horrified, along with the rest of the nation when the news reported Elizabeth was abducted from her bedroom. I followed the news day by day and listened to the news stories and interviews. I prayed for Elizabeth often while she was gone. I happened to have the television on the afternoon she was rescued and stayed absolutely glued to it. I rejoiced with her family and with the rest of the world when she was recovered. I was personally invested and wanted so much to read her story. It was difficult to read. I found myself hurrying through the pages because I knew the ending and knew this torment had a happy end. I am in awe of Elizabeth and her strength. I think the hero of her story is her mother. The things she had taught her daughter and her love is what got Elizabeth through that horrible ordeal, and helped her to recover afterward. Elizabeth has turned her tragedy into triumph by becoming an advocate and voice for children who are abducted, and by going on with her life and choosing to be happy. Her attitude is exemplary for all of us, in whatever trial we experience.



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October, 2013 Conference Report

"These conferences are always under the direction of the Lord, guided by His Spirit.  We are not assigned specific topics.  Over weeks and months, often through sleepless nights, we wait upon the Lord.  Through fasting, praying, studying, and pondering, we learn the message that He wants us to give." These words of Elder Robert D. Hales, an apostle of the Lord, given in the opening session of this conference illustrate why I think it's so important to read and study and ponder the words given at these conferences.  "Oh how we need general conference!"  He said later in that same talk.  We do need conference.
Some of the highlights for me from this conference:
-This talk by Elder Hales about General Conference.  I marked it up like crazy.
- The Moral Force of Women given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson Two quotes from it:
"A woman's moral influence is nowhere more powerfully felt or more beneficially employed than in the home.  There is no better setting for rearing the rising generation than the traditional family, where a father and a mother work in harmony to provide for, teach, and nurture their children."
Elder Neal A. Maxwell:  "When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies?  The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods?  Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling that what happened in congresses?"
- When I was raising my children, I used to say, "I wish someone would give me a list of all that I need to be teaching my children."  Well, now they have.  There's a marvelous, meaningful list of Family Home Evening topics in Sister Linda K. Burton's (love her!) talk, The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping
- This may be the first time an opera is referenced extensively in general conference.  Elder Quentin Cook's talk brought a Verdi opera to life.  Way cool!!!
- To me, the earth-shaking highlight of the conference, though, was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk, Like a Broken Vessel.  He addressed the issues of mental illness and gave thousands of people comfort and hope.  Thank you Elder Holland.

Statistics (simply to satisfy my own interest.)
References used in General Conference talks:
Book of Mormon: The highest with 151
New Testament: 125
Latter-day apostles:  This was the biggest change.  There were way more references from apostles than there ever have been before: 99
Doctrine and Covenants: 98
Old Testament: 53
Pearl of Great Price: 28
Literature: 27
Preach My Gospel:  Since so many referenced it, I decided to make it a separate category: 7
Other manuals and handbooks: 8
Hymns: 6  Boo!  Hiss!  This represents a decline.  Sad story.
Family Proclamation:  3

Now, a slightly different approach is how many speakers referenced each:
New Testament and Book of Mormon:  33 each
D&C: 32
Apostles: 27

Elder Russell M. Nelson had the most references with 78.

I received my May, 2014 Ensign today.  I can't wait to dig in and learn all I can learn.  Happy Conference studying!!!

The Whistling Season

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This story transports the reader to another time (1910) and place (Montana). It’s Ingalls, MacLachlan, and Stegner all rolled into one. The reader is immersed in the world of the homesteader, the one-room schoolhouse, and the life of a family of a widower raising his three sons. He responds to an ad for a woman housekeeper, and gets much, much more. The narrator, the oldest son, is a genius and child prodigy who tells the story in beautiful, almost poetic language. The book is full of wonderful characters and delightful humor. I read it because someone suggested Doig’s writing reminded them of Wallace Stegner’s. The writing style is wonderful and I will definitely want to read more by this author. As an aside, I loved learning more about the Latin language and Halley’s comet. I would give the book five stars, but the ending troubled me a bit. I can’t say more without giving it away.



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Two Old Women

Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I just reread this book- one of my favorites- for our book club. It is a powerful affirmation of the strength of the human spirit, the value of the elderly, and the survival instinct. It prompted a gratitude-filled book club discussion on these things and made us all want to learn more about our ancestors and pass on their legends.



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35 Weeks and Still Counting!!!

This poor blog has turned into a book review blog.  It's really hard to blog from an ipad, so I wait until I'm home. I'm home for a few days now.  Shonna is at week 35 in her pregnancy and still doing fine.  Baby Girl Cameron is showing signs of wanting to come, but, so far, so good.  It's been an interesting few months of living in two places and trying to keep both homes up and running.  I am just so grateful that I am in a position that I can help.  I see how the Lord has blessed that little family.  I've loved getting closer to my precious grandchildren.   They are cute and funny and, I'll admit, exasperating at times.  What kids aren't?  But I love them and miss them when I'm home.  Let me see if I can capture the highlights of the last few weeks/ months?  I don't know- however long it's been.

 On Wednesday,  the 9th, Joan came for a nice visit. She left Boise at about 7am.  We met up at the Logan cemetery and decorated my parents graves after the kids got out of Joy School at 11:30am.

Lily, watching for the return of the scary lawnmower.  

  It is such a lovely cemetery.  A young girl was driving a huge ride- on lawnmower while we were there, which frightened little Lily to death.  So I had a barnacle attached to me the whole time we were there.  It was a sweet little barnacle, though. . . and very kissable.  I tell her when I kiss her that I’m leaving a “grandma mark” so now she says it.  “You left a  Grandma mark on me, Grandma.”  She’s impossible to resist.

 Shonna came along for the ride.  I’m afraid it caused contractions that afternoon.  She had been having a lot before, too, so maybe that’s just what her body is doing.  But I felt bad. I just wanted her to have a little outing.  Anyway, Joan followed us to Shonna’s house after, and we had taco salad, quesadillas, strawberries and the traditional scotcharoos for lunch.  Joan is now on the BYU alumni board.  She was on her way to her first meeting in Provo and had to be there by 4:30.  So she left Logan about 2:15.  It was so fun to spend a few minutes with her.  Caleb and Lily loved her.  Ever since, Lily has been pretending she is Aunt Joan and Caleb pretends he is silly Uncle Tom. 

During this bed rest, the Camerons have been finishing their basement, so we've had workers in and out.  It  is all but done. It is just beautiful.  They have set up a fun play room down there that Caleb especially loves.  One afternoon, Caleb was down there a LONG time, so I went to check on him.  He was hiding his little, colorful pom poms and then finding them again- like an easter egg hunt.  I taught the FHE lesson on Monday evening where we did an Easter egg hunt.  He remembered that.  So he was hiding them himself and then finding them.  . . makes for a high success rate in finding them!  So I played a few rounds with him.  He is so cute and loves his play room- especially if he can lock the door and have it to himself.  He is really into door locking, and it’s caused some tense moments.  I’ve become quite proficient at lock picking. . . and I didn’t even have to go to prison to acquire the skill!  Just had to hang with Caleb for awhile!!  Boys like girls with skills.

  He and I had a fun “Grandma date” to the library one afternoon.  He had a fun time, but was so worried that Lily didn’t get to go (she was napping.)  “I wish Lily was here cuz this is fun.” He’d say.   I joked with them a lot about “Grabbing a hamburger and then heading to St. George” whenever we’d get in the car.  Lily was all for the adventure, but Caleb always protested loudly that he didn’t want to go to St. George.  I think he understood better what leaving his parents would be.  The day I left, Lily was all for sneaking in my car and going with me.  She’d come up to me and tell me she wanted to sneak.  She even told Shonna goodbye.  “But I’ll really miss you.”  “I’ll come back tomorrow!”  She teased. One day, when I was buckling her in her car seat, she told me "I'm in heaven."  "Oh, really?  How did you get there?"  "I went to Sam's Club and then to China, and then I got to heaven."  So, there you have it!  You now know how to get to heaven.  

The Litigators

The Litigators by John Grisham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist, David was moral, likable, and even kind of heroic, but a “real” and average guy. I think it not an accident that his name is David as the theme of the book was “David versus Goliath.” I won’t tell you who wins, but if you like Grisham, you’ll probably like this one. The premise of the book, the colorful ensemble of characters, the humor, and limitless supply of ideas for law suits would make a great weekly television series. “Finley and Figg” would make a great title for the series. You’d need a younger Ed Asner -type to play Finley and a younger Danny Levito- type to play Figg. I was picturing it throughout. Remember, you heard it here first!



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Recovering Charles

Recovering Charles by Jason F. Wright

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I listened to this book, read by the author. With Luke, son of an alcoholic, I traveled to New Orleans to search for Luke’s missing alcoholic father in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I learned much about that horrible disaster and what it was like there then. I liked the characters Luke meets – his father’s friends- and appreciated all Luke learned about forgiveness, love, and the importance of family. I thought it was a well-written and powerful book.



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Chasing Redbird

Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Though it took a while for me to “get into” this book, once in, it soon became an “Is it really 1:30am? I’ve got to go to sleep, but I’ve got to find out what happens” book. The theme is beautifully subtle, but by the end you want to give it to a youth who is struggling with the death of a loved one. . . or to someone who is dealing with a youth who is struggling with the death of a loved one. Everyone deals with grief differently, and Zinny’s way is certainly unique. She is prickly, determined and stubborn, but somehow loveable, too. I sort of miss her now I’m not living with her day to day!



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The Spectator Bird

The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have started this review no less than ten times. As in the other three Stegner books I have read, I feel consummately inadequate to review such a fine author. It’s difficult to put into words the poignant emotional journey I take when I read his books. His writing is processed not just with the mind, but with the heart and soul. The Spectator Bird is the story of an old codger who at first seems unlikable, but who I really liked, and his reflections on his life. He reminded me a little of my Dad. The book brought back poignant memories of a talk I had with my Dad in the last year of his life- as he reflected on his life.
I think the timeline of the story is only about three days, but much of the book is flashback (through the reading of a journal) to a trip to Denmark he and his wife took many years before. The book is about aging and life, in general. And, as is true of all of the Stegner books I have read, it is a study of marriage and love, fidelity and devotion. . . and forgiveness. I have read Angle of Repose, Crossing to Safety, The Big Rock Candy Mountain, and now this one. This may be my favorite of all, though I think I have said that about each one. I can say equivocally that Stegner is one of my favorite authors of all time.




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Raising Up a Family to the Lord

Raising Up a Family to the Lord by Gene R Cook

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I’m kind of cheating saying I’ve read this book because I didn’t really read the whole thing. We read it for our family book club, so I thoroughly read my two assigned chapters and reported on them and I read or skim- read the rest. Elder Cook gives lots of good ideas and examples- practical advice. Since he raised his family (as did I) a while ago, some of the examples are outdated, but the principles still apply. The book generated a great discussion for our book club. I didn’t agree with some of the book- especially the chapter on teaching children about work and finances. I guess that illustrates that there is more than one right way to raise a family. Advice: Skip (or skim) Chapter 1. It may discourage you from reading the rest.



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Hey, Diddle Diddle

Close to Famous

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If the beautiful, delicious-looking cupcakes on the cover don’t pull you in, the first page of the story will. Bauer has a gift for creating young, talented, flawed and likable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this young adult novel about a young girl who is a talented baker, but who has problems that she needs help overcoming. Any young reader will relate with her and be inspired by her as she perfects what she’s good at and faces her obstacles and challenges. I loved Bauer’s Hope Was Here, and liked this one almost as much.



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Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Esther Forbes captures the excitement and danger, the commitment and courage it took to free this country from English rule. This historical fiction story won the Newberry Award. I recently read the book for the third time and enjoyed it. Johnny Tremain, a gifted silversmith’s apprentice has the world by the tail until he is badly burned. The story is told from his perspective. Though he is a fictional character, the leaders of the revolution are characters in the story. The story makes that period of history come to life and gives the reader an appreciation for all who helped establish our freedom.



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Calico Joe

Calico Joe by John Grisham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


What? A Grisham novel without a single lawyer in it? That’s Calico Joe. It’s a story of baseball, intermingling fictional characters with those that really played in the 1970’s. But more than that, it’s a story of abuse and forgiveness and transformation. A departure for Grisham, not only because it’s not a law story, but also because it’s short, this is a deeply moving story of forgiveness and repentance. Baseball fans and non -sports fans alike will like this moving book. I only wish my dad was still alive to read it. He loved Grisham’s other non-lawyer story- A Painted House. Being a big Cubs fan, he would have loved this one. I fully expect to watch this story on the big screen someday. It would make a great movie.



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Grandpa Ken Comes for a Visit

Ken came to Logan for a visit last weekend.  Our nephew, Kyler got married in the Rexburg temple, so Ken drove to Logan on Friday and he and I drove to Rexburg on Saturday to attend the wedding and luncheon.  It was so fun to be there.  Kyler and Ashley looked so happy.  I didn't get a great picture, but this is the happy couple emerging from the temple:

Have you ever seen the wind?  I know they say you can't see wind, but, in Rexburg, you can see the wind.  I swear.  All of my pictures outside the Rexburg temple are blurry and I swear it's the wind.  

It was so fun to visit with the Rick Hinton cousins who made the trek en mass to be at the wedding.  Here Ken is telling his Grand Canyon adventures to Travis, Brett, Bryan, and Stacy.  Love these people.  What a great group!

It was so fun to see and enter the Rexburg temple.  I attended school in Rexburg for two years, but, of course, the temple wasn't there then.

After the wedding, Ken drove me around Rexburg so I could see the old stomping grounds.  I hardly recognized a thing.  I did find the apartment building where I lived.  But that was about all.  

It used to be called Village Apartments, but now it's called Rockland and it's now housing for men.  How dare they mess it up?  I swear they shrunk the hill I had to climb from there to get to campus.  It just didn't seem as steep and long as I remember it!!!  Maybe it's because there was no ice being blown in my face.

Sunday was Ken's 60th birthday.  After church, I made him his favorite lemon meringue pie.  It always has fissures.  Oh well, it still tasted wonderful.  

Wishing for another 60 years!

When I was making the pie, I let Caleb lick the filling spoon.  He didn't like the sour taste.  When I asked him what he'd like instead of lemon pie for a treat, he said he'd like a pear.  So he ate his pear while we ate lemon pie.  This kid is THE best eater in the world.  He loves healthy foods.

Lily is also a very good eater, but she LOVED the lemon pie.  

It was plate-lickin' good!!!

The kids were thrilled that Grandpa got lots of yummy treats for his birthday and that Grandpa is a good share boy.

Happy birthday, Ken!  I love you more than that!!!!

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The House on Willow Street

The House on Willow Street: A novel by Cathy Kelly

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I picked this book up at Costco, hoping it would be an enjoyable, easy read. It turned out to be just that. The setting is a quaint , now touristy village in Ireland. This is the story of four of the women of that village. I found it a bit difficult at first to keep track of the characters, but once “into” the book, I found them to be quite distinct from one another, and people I enjoyed spending time with. Though maybe a bit predictable, I loved the happy ending.



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Austenland

Austenland by Shannon Hale





This book is certainly a departure from other Shannon Hale books I’ve read. I picked it up at the library thinking, “I’ve heard of this.” But I couldn’t remember what I’d heard and had no idea what it was about. Though I admire Hale’s writing, I’m not much of a fantasy fan, so this somewhat “real-life” play was refreshing and I was pleasantly surprised at the setting and the premise. It’s a must- read for Austen fans (which I reticently admit I am not.) You can’t help but like the main character, Jane and enjoy her immersion in the English world of yesteryear. It may not be the best book I have ever read, but it kept me entertained and turning the pages. I look forward to the movie, though I’m not sure I should subject my husband to it. He’s a pretty good sport, but this one might be a little much. I just saw on goodreads that there is a sequel to this book. Now I know more what to expect, I just may pursue that.


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