Dear Kids,
      It seems like I’ve been obsessed with birds lately: baby ducks along the river, sandhill cranes, Reggie (cry, cry), magpies . . . my life is filled with birds. And so it continues. Monday night we were escorting the McGettigans home from a bike ride (they don’t have lights on their bikes, and it had gotten dark) and a lady walked by us with a box full of little brown baby ducks. I thought they were hers, and she was gathering them up, but it turns out she was dumping them! A wild duck had hatched them, and then abandoned her brood. The lady dumped them in Halling’s yard (Jennifer Longhurst and Micah) and she said the neighborhood cats would take care of them. The ducklings started to scatter over the neighborhood, so Kara and Sam and I gathered them up. (One had already been mutilated by a cat, awful sight!) Glen McGettigan, who seems to hate all animals, said they definitely weren’t going to stay at his house, but Jana was all sympathy and found them a box. I suggested that when they got a little bigger we could take them to the Jordan River and let them go. I don’t know if they’re river ducks or not, but who could abandon them to the wicked neighborhood cats? (who were scowling at Dad and me as we rode away on our bikes.)
      I called Vanessa and left her a message because we want to know: (1) Is she having a boy or a girl? (2) Are they living in a house or a motel now? and (3) When is Sterling being baptized? So far, I haven’t heard anything. Vanessa, are you out there? Please communicate with us! We want to know!
      Fathers Day is this coming Sunday, and if you don’t have a present for Dad, and you want to go in on something, I’m collecting money for an air compressor and nail gun to give him. Sure, we already have both of the above at the cabin, but they’re never here at our house when we need them. I know it’s not a very exciting present (unless you’ve discovered how exciting and fun a nail gun can be) but if you want to go in on it, let me know, and I’ll put your name on the card.
      Sunday dinner was a blast. Thanks to all of you who came! The food turned out exactly right (meaning there was enough for everybody, but hardly a crumb left over) and there was no stopping the fun.
      I love you all! Mom