Dear Kids,
      John traded cars with us for the week, well, not actually cars–he took our truck and left us his MR2. You know, the little yellow sports car that makes him look like a rich young doctor, although he says it’s 20 years old and not worth anything. Well, Dad has been having a blast driving it around. We drove it to Church Sunday morning, but Dad was disappointed that nobody saw us arrive. But later I heard rumors that he was out in the parking lot with a bunch of the guys between meetings. Maybe I even heard the car roar around the block, who knows? Anyway, Dad has been in his second childhood, driving it to work and back, and anywhere else he can think of. I even went for a ride with him, but I didn’t like it much. It’s noisy and uncomfortable, and you feel like you’re sitting right down on the ground. It must be a guy thing.
      We had my spring piano recital last Saturday, in our living room! Earlier in the day, Dad and I moved out the loveseat and plant stand, and we turned around the sofa, and slid it back against the fireplace. Then we had room for three rows of resin chairs, plus a bench from the dining room. (You can see it on ackerson.org, on the page with pictures of Dad and me.) We crammed in 33 people! It was lots of fun. Maybe even more fun than usual. People sat around and talked afterwards, instead of going home, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Oh, and all the kids had done well on their songs! And my piano sounded wonderful, since I finally got it tuned. Everything worked out! And we had lots of punch and cookies, which they don’t let you do at the recital halls, so it was a great success.
      While you’re looking at my recital pictures on ackerson.org, you can check out the pictures of our Easter picnic, which Tom added to his photo gallery. He always puts the newest set on top, so they’re easy to find. The pictures of all the grandkids are all so cute, I don’t even have a favorite one. Even some of us grownups look pretty good. Thanks, Tom!
      Sharon was in charge of a spaghetti dinner and cake auction to raise money for her ward’s young women to go to camp. She says the girls have to pay $150 each (which is for 5 days, with food), so the auction was very important. Sharon didn’t want people to eat off paper plates, for such a high-class event, so she used the ward’s nice plates and cutlery, but then of course she was in the kitchen washing dishes during the auction. She said people went berserk, paying up to $60 or $70 for a cake! Hey, I thought we paid a lot, back in the days of the cub scout auction, when we paid $5 for Jimmy Simko’s cake that looked like a mountain. Besides our own, of course. But Sharon’s ward does it big time.
      Last Thursday Nora held her preschool graduation (a month early, because she’s supposed to be taking it easy), and there were at least 50 parents and little siblings and grandparents in her back yard. It was a great success. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time there at Nora’s house, doing odd jobs, hanging up pictures, and spray painting brass light fixtures. Anything to get rid of the 80's look (you know, it was sort of country, dutch blue and pink, with lots of flowers and lace.) It’s lots of fun to help out.
      Still no news from Vanessa. She says she’s holding out for Friday, May 5th, El Cinco de Mayo (since we all have such warm feelings towards the Mexicans right now.) Then she can name the baby Maria. Or Isabella, I suggested. She’ll keep us posted.
      Hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it! Mom