Dear Kids,
      I was a slacker last week and didn’t write my letter, but now I’m back on track. My new year’s resolution is that my life will be organized and purposeful, and so I’m sitting diligently at the keyboard, doing what I need to.
      It was lots of fun seeing almost everybody at Christmas, and talking to the rest of you on the phone. It was a wild and fun holiday! We received a Christmas card from Ulrich’s that said, “We hope you have a wonderful season with your fun family.” Yep, we do have a fun family! Our sledding party the day after Christmas was a total success. Marla and Carla and Cathy came, along with Nick and Nichole. They raved about my sloppy jo mix, and after we ate, Cathy said, “Time to hit the slopes!” That was the sledding hill, of course. They did great! They had to leave early because Nicole was “meeting somebody” in Sugarhouse. But they want to keep having our Christmas get-togethers at the cabin.
      Yesterday Dad and I were back there with the McGettigan kids, and Glen. (Jana was supposed to have a day of rest and recuperation at home.) There was new snow on the hill, so we tromped it down and did some great sledding. Later in the afternoon I was looking out an upstairs window, down to the backyard of the cabin, and it looked like an Eric Dowdle puzzle. Tom and Kim were working on an igloo. Bentley and Kara McGettican were sledding. A man was coming down the road on skis. Eric Dowdle would have added lots more, maybe people making a snowman, kids having a snowball fight, somebody bringing out hot chocolate for everybody, but you get the idea. Everybody was having fun. It’s the magic of the cabin.
      We’re gearing up for Sharon’s arrival on January 8th (And also Charlie and Matthew. Seth is coming the next week.) She has lots of fun adventures planned while she’s here. I’ll be fixing Sunday dinner on January 20th, instead of the 13th, because that’s the day they’ll be here. So, let me know if you want to come. We’ll have room for everybody!
      Simba is still living the good life, here at our house. But she’ll be returning to the Hawkins’ pretty soon. I would love to keep her, at least until Donna and Bevan have a house, but too many people are allergic to cats. And of course she can’t stay down in the basement–she has claimed the basket chair in the den as her own private lair. Paul almost sat down on her. Speaking of Paul, he’s living the good life at Deer Valley, working as a liftie, living at the cabin, going back and forth with Donna and Bevan. But next Monday he’ll be back in Logan going to classes again. I guess he’ll need to get a degree before he can become a permanent liftie, like Donna. (Just kidding.)
      I hope you all have a wonderful new year! Love, Mom