Dear Kids,
      Since Fathers Day is this coming Sunday, Dad and I will be driving to Orem about 5:30 pm to visit Grandpa Allen. If you want to visit Dad there, (and Grandpa, too!) you can just meet up with us. Or, we’ll be at our house earlier in the afternoon, from about 2:00 pm, when we get out of Church, until we leave for Orem, so if you want to call Dad or visit at our house, feel free.
      Dad and I finally made it to one of Carson’s baseball games (machine pitch, Pinto League) on Wednesday night, and were we ever glad! It was the very last game of the playoffs, and Carson’s team was ahead when we got there. (Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Carson hit his triple.) Carson’s team is the Cincinnati Reds, and of course they wear red shirts. They’re also pretty good! They held off the other team and won the championship! Carson got a nice little trophy, and then we just sat on the grass and hung out for a while. You’ve gotta love these long summer evenings. Especially when it isn’t raining.
      Dad had an unpleasant surprise at work today. One of the UTA dispatchers called him and said they needed information about his drivers license renewal, which should have happened on (or before) his birthday. What a shock, for a UTA bus driver to realize he’s driving with an expired license! They could’ve probably even put him in jail! What they did was have a big laugh, and Dad went right to the Drivers License office when his shift ended. He had to answer 20 questions about school bus driving, pay $56.00, and have his picture taken. Luckily it wasn’t any worse than that. Usually you get a letter in the mail several weeks ahead of time, but they must have forgotten him this time around.
      There was a strange small black and white bird walking up the side of our cherry tree this morning. Walking? I swear he was walking. I think it was a baby magpie. There’s been a magpie couple swooping in and out of the tree for a while, terrorizing our cats, but I didn’t know they had hatched any babies. Too bad for them. Baby robins are cute (ask Nora) and baby kingbirds, too, but I don’t feel any love for baby magpies. I hope they disappear quietly, so Dad won’t have to borrow back the pellet rifle from the cabin.
      “The Ackerson Kids Grow Up,” which is making all you famous, is now listed on Goodreads, since 3 people have reviewed it. (Sharon, Rachel DeBuck, and one of Sharon’s friends, Andrea). One of Rachel’s friends marked it as “to read.” Who would’ve thought? By the way, if you sign on to Goodreads, do a search for Barak Obama and see what his favorite books are. It’s pretty funny. (Nobody thinks it’s the real Barak Obama.) Here’s the link: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1607516?sort=rating&view=reviews
      Lotsa love, Mom