Dear Kids,
      Thanks to everybody, I had a wonderful birthday on Sunday. I’m so grateful to all of you who called me and posted Facebook greetings and sent cards and presents and came to dinner. It was my best birthday ever! On Monday, the whole Relief Society presidency of the Lighthouse Branch showed up at our door, to wish me happy birthday a day late! They gave me a flower in a pot, actually an orchid, that looks like a “Feed me Seymour” type flower–I hope I can keep it alive. And they sang “Happy Birthday” to me in Spanish. I was amazed. When I was in 5th Ward, it was great if even one of my visiting teachers remembered. (And I’m sorry to say I often forgot the birthdays of the sisters I visited.)
      Saturday night Dad and I went to my 45th year high school reunion in Provo, at the Marriott Hotel. There were lots more people than 5 years ago, when we met in the park at South Fork in Provo Canyon. Funny–I liked that one lots better. But the Marriott was OK–just a lot more expensive. The governor came. I sort of remember him–mostly that he played football. And all the talk was about football: who threw the winning pass against what team, which year. So some things never change. But one cool thing about Gary Herbert–in his bio, which he e-mailed in, like the rest of us, he put down that he worked in state government and lived in public housing near the capitol building. Just for that alone, he’ll definitely have my vote the next time around.
      Dad has been riding his bike to work practically every day since we junked the Windstar. That was the deal, so I could have a vehicle at home if I needed to go anywhere. Dad says he’s learned to ride more slowly, and enjoy the trip, rather than pumping hard to get there a few minutes earlier. I think I learned that lesson! Sadly, I’ve hardly ridden my bike at all this summer. I’ve been too busy. Maybe things will calm down in the fall, and I can have some good rides along the Jordan River.
      We’re really getting excited for the family reunion. I think everybody is. I heard that Monica bought camp chairs! I think Dad and I have a couple somewhere–I’ll have to go look. We haven’t really camped in so long, it will be a whole new adventure. (Our trip to Florida didn’t count, since it wasn’t cold, and we never had a campfire, and we never cooked.) We’re really looking forward to seeing so many of you and enjoying those glorious Tetons!
      Life is good! Love, Mom