Dear Kids,
      I’m finishing Day #2 of 40 days without sugar and chocolate, and I’m hoping it gets better than this. People have been asking me why I’m doing it. They thought Hell would freeze over first. Well, I just want to see if I can. I’m planning to report on Facebook at the end of the 40 days, saying whether I made it or not. (People are always announcing that they’re going off diet coke or mountain dew, or whatever, but you never hear back from them.)
      Tuesday I went snowboarding at Brighton, because their snow report said they had six new inches, but that was only in their dreams. On the ground, it was maybe an inch. I rode the lift with one of the employees, and he said it was definitely a “groomer” day. I didn’t stay long. It’s that season pass I bought–I keep hoping I can get my money’s worth. There was a new storm today, and they say they got 11 inches, so how much is that, really? Maybe two? But I’m gullible. I might get Donna and Bevan to go back with me on Monday, and we’ll see if it’s any better. It’s a strange winter when there’s more snowfall at the cabin than at Brighton!
      I visited Grandma and Grandpa today, and they seem to be doing fine. Meals on Wheels came while I was there, and Grandma was disappointed that it was spaghetti and meatballs. She said even their cat won’t eat those meatballs. Since their meals from the day before were still in the refrigerator (meatloaf, which they don’t like,) I persuaded them to bail out of Meals on Wheels. Too much of it gets wasted, and it spoils their day when it’s something they don’t like. Grandma and I went to Smiths and bought up a whole pile of Lean Cuisine-type meals that were on sale. At least they’ll know what they’re getting! Grandma was excited about everything we bought.
      Thanks to all of you who sent in your afghan pictures to Bonnie. If you haven’t seen the book yet, I have a copy. It’s really fun! There are 30 years worth of pictures, starting in the 70's, with Grandma in her big glasses knitting in the living room of the alligator-pit house. All the pictures of you kids turned out really well! So thanks.
      I’ll be fixing Sunday Dinner on March 7th. I know it’s the first Sunday, not the second, but we’re having stake conference that day so it will work out well for us. We’re planning to eat at five. Let me know if you can come!
      Lots of love, Mom

Dear Kids,
      My brother Charley sent out an e-mail announcing the birth of Bekah and Dave’s new daughter, Amelia Grace, born on Valentines day. It’s only remarkable because she’s #200 in Grandma and Grandpa Allen’s family. (I think there are almost 100 great-grandchildren, too.) It would have been nice to have #200 come from our family, but Sharon wouldn’t have wanted to wait three more weeks to have Lucy, not matter what the honor.
      Last Thursday I tended Meg and Macie while Vanessa went skiing with her friends (plus Tom and Donna and Bevan.) The girls were really cute. Since I’m now into jewelry making (thanks to Donna and Sharon,) I took orders from Meg and together we made her a bracelet, necklace, and earrings. The earrings were my first, and they turned out great. Meg wore them all day, along with the necklace and bracelet. That girl is devoted to glamor!! Macie climbs on everything, and she usually falls off. The poor thing had several new bruises by the end of the day. It reminded me of the poem I used to recite about Vanessa, when she was a toddler: “She climbed before she walked, and she sang before she talked.” I haven’t heard Macie sing, but Vanessa says she loves music. Sarah and Sterling stayed home in Idaho because of school.
      I’m still having fun leading the Primary music in the Lighthouse Branch. I keep trying new gimmicks. I’ve used the primary lamp and the house puzzle, and we’ve done fishing (with real water in a fish bowl,) bowling, and the treasure bag with polished rocks. I’m going do a rhythm band next week, with borrowed instruments from Nora’s preschool. Anything for variety! I’m starting to know some of the kids by name now, and they don’t all look alike any more. I’m enjoying Relief Society, too, and it looks like I’m the chorister in there, too. They call on me every week. I’m “the tall lady with the unpronounceable name,” since they can’t say “Ackerson.” I found out I’m not supposed to have any callings at all, since my records aren’t there, so I’ve been trying to get my records transferred. You’d think I was trying to rob Fort Knox! I finally had to talk to President Bassett about it. He said they want couples to go to church together. I said, “So, if we get divorced, there’s no problem? You’ll transfer my records?” He said this is one of the strangest cases he’s ever handled.
      Dad and I are in the middle of printing more Murphy-Ure ancestor books. There are the usual problems with toner and drum cartridges and recalcitrant printers. We’re moving ahead, though. Life is good!
      Lots of love, Mom

Dear Kids,
      I can’t believe I’ve been home from Michigan for a whole week. I miss all the Thackers, especially the little ones, especially the very littlest one. But life here is good. I’m back to teaching piano and playing chess at the Harmon Home and visiting Grandma and Grandpa and working at the cabin. I nailed up some more wood on the inside of the ag shed, and it’s looking really good. If you plug in a heater it stays pretty warm inside, because it’s so well insulated. I think Dad and I are going to have a winter campout in there, as soon as I take down the scaffolding.
      Sunday dinner was really fun, especially because Monica was here. Allen and Missy came by to say Hi, before their Superbowl party, and then we had quite a gang for dinner, with John’s family and Nora’s family and Donna and Bevan, and Monica. And all the kids. They took Reggie out of his cage and gave him a good workout, flying around. He was especially excited to have ten kids racing after him. In fact, had more excitement in one day than he usually gets in several months. Can you believe he’ll be fifteen years old next month? I think he spent about five years with John and Heather, five years at Nora’s house, and five years here, off and on.
     More of our family keep signing up for Facebook, with Bevan as the latest one. He already has 19 friends! I probably spend way too much time surfing around Facebook, and Dad is even worse. Last night he was laughing over a video of one of his bus driver friends doing yo-yo tricks. Then he was fascinated by another video of the same friend’s toddler twins banging on the piano. I said, “This is crazy. We’ve sunk really low.” He didn’t agree. At least we ended up turning off of our computers to watch Perry Mason. We can always agree on Perry and Della.
     Life is good! I love you all! Mom