Dear Kids,
      It’s happening again: multiple events on one day. Donna will be graduating from USU on Saturday, May 4th, and of course Paul is also graduating from CEU on the same day. As if that weren’t enough, Julie is also being baptized that day. Heather says they’re locked into that day and time (12:30 pm,) and since Dad and I had already agreed to split up for the graduations, neither one of us will be able to go to Heber. Heather says they’ll wait until the next day for Julie’s confirmation, so we can be there, and they’ll plan it as a special “event.” I’ll find out more and put it in my letter next week, so any of you who are free can also come. It’s pretty great, having your first grandchild baptized.
      Donna has officially started her landscape design job, and she spent her first day looking at a site in Deer Crest--one of those multi-million dollar homes you and I will never get to see because we’d never get past the guard house. The budget for the landscaping is $35,000, which seems like a lot, until you start buying mature trees at $600 each. There’s a wholesaler who supplies them with plants, and Donna offered to get what I need to landscape around the front of the cabin, but of course I can’t afford mature trees. So I’ll stick with the tiny little mugo pines from Home Depot that you can get for $5.00. They’ll grow.
      Vanessa is still training for the Ogden marathon on May 19th. One of her running buddies dropped out because she found out she was pregnant, but the other friend is still going strong. They’re following the famous training schedule that some of you have already used. Trent’s dad, who is a physical therapist, is moaning about how Vanessa is going to ruin her joints, but then of course he always sees the bad end of these things. After the marathon, Vanessa is still planning to do a triathalon in August, which she says will be a piece of cake.
      Remember Stephen Wright, Vanessa’s old boyfriend from before her mission? We were wondering about him the other day. I guess he still lives in Alaska. We were just remembering that pasta he cooked for us, with some kind of alfredo sauce. I still remember how good it was. Does anybody remember for sure what it was? I wish I had the recipe.
      Paul got a 1/4 tuition scholarship to USU. Yay! He hasn’t nailed down a summer job yet, though. He might go to the Tetons, even though they sent him a rejection letter, or maybe he’ll work here in Salt Lake, and live at home. That will be fine with me, because then I can have him mow the lawn.
      I had my spring piano recital here in our living room last Saturday. I have the greatest lineup of kids now: 4 Fultons, 3 McGettigans, 2 Nguyens, and Stacy Menlove. Couldn’t be simpler. They all practice. They all fit in our living room. What more could I want (except maybe for a few grandkids taking lessons from me.) Just before the recital on Saturday, John and his family showed up, with their grey van, which is now parked in our driveway, with a “for-sale” sign in the window. John’s advertising it on line, but we haven’t had any callers yet. Dad drives it to work every day.
      Jana McGettigan has had three rounds of chemotherapy, so of course she’s wearing hats now. And wigs. Usually she wears both. Sunday she looked really nice, with her new long dark curly hair, and a nice hat. Kara was wearing a hat, too, and of course her hair is always long and curly. I was wondering about Jana’s curly wig, and I asked if she has to curl it, and she said no, it came that way. So I asked Stacy how they get wigs to be curly, and she said they use curly hair to make them. Duh! So what do they do with hair like mine, when I donate it? Is there any use for straight hair? I doubt it.
      Our bike ride to Antelope Island is coming up Monday afternoon. I hope some of you can come. I’m really excited. Life is good.
      Love, Mom