Dear Kids,
     It's dang cold here in Michigan! This afternoon I made a trip to Sams Club, Target, and JoAnns, and the wind cut through me like a knife. Later I found out that with the wind chill it was -1.
     But here inside Sharon and Seth's house it's cozy and warm. Matthew is bowling with two balls and some spray cans and light sabers for bowling pins. Charlie just came home from a Batman birthday party. Sharon was gone too, for a couple of hours, and Lucy Jane let me know she wasn't pleased. It didn't matter that Sharon had just fed her, minutes before leaving. She sucked furiously on the pacifier that you put your finger into, and the tip of my finger went numb. No matter. At night, I'm on the Lucy shift from midnight until 2:00. We walk back and forth and practice Primary songs in Spanish. Lucy doesn't like the Spanish, or the songs, either. She only wants Sharon, so about 2:00 am, we wake up Sharon, and I go back to bed. It all works. This morning I slept in until 7:30 am, and was surprised to open my eyes and see that it was light outside. I thought it was just a porch light.
     Monday morning, before I came to Michigan, I went snowboarding with Donna and Bevan. Nora had planned to come, too, but Addie was sick, so she couldn't get away. We had a great time. Here's a first: once when I crashed and went down, another snowboarder used me for a jump. I didn't even know until I saw him flying over me. Down at the lift, I confronted him about it. He said he could have gotten around me, but it was more fun to jump over me, instead. Is that why snowboarders have such wild reputations? Tuesday, on the plane from Salt Lake to Chicago, I sat by a cute young couple from Alabama. They were on their way home after a long weekend of snowboarding. I said, "Hey, I'm a snowboarder too! I was up at Brighton yesterday!" They were absolutely dumbfounded. The young man kept saying, "I just can't picture you snowboarding at Brighton. I just can't picture it." I don't know if he thought I was too old or too well-mannered or what. I'm not sure I ever really convinced them.
     I'll be home again Tuesday afternoon, Groundhog Day. On the 7th, I'll be cooking Sunday dinner, and we'll be eating at 5:00. Hope to see most of you then!
     Love, Mom