Dear Kids,
      I just came back from having a crown prep at Dr. Condie’s office, and it will be my 14th crown. My mouth is nearly filled up. According to Grandpa Allen, once your mouth is all filled up with crowns, you can eat all the candy you want. Sounds good to me. But I’ve got a temporary tooth where my new crown is going to be, and they told me to avoid all the traditional Halloween candy, like caramels, pumpkin taffy, all the good stuff. (Christmas, on the other hand, is mostly chocolate. Easter is jelly beans.) So I’m licking a butterscotch candy to get rid of the bad dentist taste in my mouth. Dr. Condie, by the way, was all dressed up, ready to go to a funeral at noon. His nephew was the kid swept over the waterfall in Alpine, if you heard about it. He was trying to rescue his dog, who had fallen into the stream. Sad.
      It’s that time of year when the mice come inside. They smell winter coming. Now, Dad and I don’t have that problem, here at our house, because we have Xena and Rat Cat. No mice. But Allen and Missy have had a few. Missy says that twice, when she’s been reading her scriptures in their bedroom, a mouse has run across the floor. So, did that put an end to her scripture reading? No, Allen got those sticky strips that you put along the floor, and the mice’s feet get stuck to them. And then what do you do with the wiggling, squeaky mice? Allen seals them in a zip lock bag. I guess there’s no pretty way to get rid of them. There haven’t been any at the cabin, ever since Ramona’s stay there. I guess she put the fear of death into all the mice for 50 miles around.
      Ramona is enjoying the weather in Tucson, where it’s 80° most days. Their neighbors have a bunny, and when Ramona goes out for walks with Monica, she plays her own version of “whack the bunny,” through the fence. That’s even more exciting than watching pigeons. Other news from Tucson: Monica is going to buy a scooter. She said Tucson is very “scooter friendly,” and the weather is pleasant most of the year. Go, Monica! She plans to get a new car next spring.
      News from Pocatello: There’s going to be a new little Sutton on or around May 1st of next year. Congratulations, Vanessa and Trent! I’m always excited to hear that there will be new babies. Hey, the last batch is getting pretty big. They’re lots of fun, but they really aren’t babies any more. Vanessa reports that she’s been able to swim about four mornings a week, and it’s helped her feel better, during those icky early weeks. She made her first machine quilt, too, as a result of Renae’s class, and also as a result of having a brand new sewing machine. It’s a baby quilt, and she said it went pretty fast.
      I’m enclosing a copy of the Christmas exchange list, made up by Missy, Kim, Nora, and Vanessa, during conference weekend. If you have any complaints, talk to one of them. Christmas is on a Sunday this year, so we’ll be having our annual sledding and present-exchange party at the cabin on Monday, the 26th. Dad and I will probably drive up there on Sunday night, any anybody else who wants to stay over, you’re welcome. But wait–Thanksgiving comes first! Thank goodness it’s such a nice, informal holiday. Just let me know if you want to have Thanksgiving dinner with us at the cabin, and I can give you a food assignment. We’ll probably eat around 1:00 in the afternoon, like we usually do.
      Poor Paul, you’re going to miss the holidays again. But I’m sure the members will take good care of you. We’re so proud of the work you’re doing! Thanks for your weekly letters!
      Lots of love, Mom