Dear Kids,
I won’t be writing a letter next week, because Dad and I will be off on our trip to the east coast. Right now I’m getting things ready, but there’s lots of news, too. Donna has left for the Tetons. I drove her as far as Pocatello, and Vanessa took her there the next day, along with both kids. I haven’t heard yet how that turned out.
We went to Pocatello by way of Logan, so we could go to Mark’s wedding. It was very nice. I’ve never seen a bride and groom smile and kiss so much. Tamri is #6 in a family of 11 kids, so there were lots of people in the “mob” picture. Sharon and Seth represented our family at the luncheon, since it wasn’t until 3 in the afternoon, and Donna and I had to be on our way. Sharon says they had a good time.
Dan and Amanda were in town for the wedding, and we’d arranged to get together and talk about his “novel,” so they came for Sunday dinner. Andrea and Dan came too, and all the kids, so it was pretty wild. After we ate, everybody left but Dan, so we could talk in peace. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I had asked him to read “The Firm” and “Enders Game,” and like a good student, he had read them both. I asked him to give me the plot of The Firm in one sentence, and he did it. Same with Enders Game. Then I asked him if he could give me the plot of his novel in one sentence, and he said, “My book has a problem.” He wanted advice, and he took notes on everything I told him. We worked out a plot using the characters he already had, and he’s going to start over from the beginning. I told him to keep me posted.
Saturday night, Dad and I and Donna and Bevan went to Trent’s football game in Orem, against the Wasatch Wildcats. Dad and I got our first senior citizens discount–it was 55 and over. The Pocatello Predators played hard, but only about half their team was there, and Wasatch had some ex-BUY football players. So the score was pretty lopsided, unfortunately, against Pocatello. But it was fun to see Vanessa and the kids, and watch Trent and Troy play, and walk around in the dark. Dad even bought a couple of over-priced hot dogs. Bevan was really interested in the game. It turns out he’s a rabid sports fan. Everything he wears is BYU. His cell phone plays the beginning part of the Cougar fight song, and it inspired me to program my own phone to play “Rise and Shout.” (Nora thought it was “Take me out to the Ball Game.” She said it’s my fault because we didn’t send you kids to BYU, like my brothers did.)
Tom and Bentley went on their fathers’ and sons’ campout, you know, the Aaronic Priesthood weekend. (Our stake only does service projects.) Tom says they slept in a tent, played games (including an egg toss), ate, and came home. You can’t beat that.
Dad and I are still replacing windows in the cabin, and last Friday we did the big one in the moose bedroom. I was there by myself early in the morning, and Dad had wanted me to wait for him to take it out, because he didn’t like how I was going to do it. But of course I did it my way, anyway. I stood in the bedroom and threw a brick through the window. It was 2 panes thick, so the first time it only broke one pane and bounced back into the room. I threw it harder the second time. The neighbor dogs went crazy when they heard the crash. From there, it was easy to push all the broken glass out, and the window frame. Then I spent a long time outside on the ground, collecting it all and hauling it to the trash cans down the hill. On Memorial Day we might do another window, but it won’t be as dramatic.
Speaking of which, I’m sure you all know about Dad’s (and Grandma’s) birthday party Sunday night, (the 29th) starting about 6:00 pm. If you want to see Dad’s reaction to his presents, be there on time! If you want to go in on either present, the one I have or the one John has, let us know. We’re having a barbecue the next day, probably about noon. If I haven’t contacted you with a food assignment, call me. My cell (and Dad’s) should be in range most of the time we’re on our trip.
Hope you’re all “doin’ great and lovin’ it.” Love, Mom
