Dear Kids,
          Dad and I have parked ourselves at Tom and Kim’s house until the crowd gets here after the block. Eli had a very nice blessing in Sacrament meeting, and then Dad and I cut out. Since I’ve been in Primary, I’ve gotten out of the habit of sitting through Sunday School and Relief Society. Plus, we’re both really sleepy. I have no better excuses than that!
          One reason we’re so worn out is that Dad brought both our cats to the cabin. Don’t worry, you people who are allergic to cats! They won’t be stepping even one paw into the cabin. They’re living in the greenhouse and outside. Right now, they’re both mostly under the cabin, most of the time. In fact, yesterday afternoon I heard a horrible screeching of magpies. Several of them were gathered around the hole leading under the cabin, scolding Xena, who was trying to come out. They plan to make life plenty miserable for both cats. But the cats are definitely better off at our cabin. At home, they were alone nearly all the time, sometimes for as long as three or four days without a human there. Here, they’ll at least have me most of the time.
          Don’t ask Dad what it was like bringing the cats, though. He staggered in Friday night with both of them in carriers. First off, he didn’t know that when you put a cat into a carrier, you shove it in behind first. So he had a real circus getting them loaded up. Then, they both howled the entire trip, and Oreo panted like he was dying of the heat, even though the AC was on high. Dad was a wreck, so the cats will be staying at the cabin for a long time. He’s not anxious to re-do THAT trip any time soon.
          Our cabin remodel is still going really well. We’re about 2/3 done with the tile, and our new cabinets are supposed to be installed this coming week. I was getting nervous, because the cabinet guy wasn’t returning our calls, but he finally called us and said he was working on them. I’ve already arranged for Chris and Dick’s to do the countertops, and hopefully everything will go off without a hitch.
          Don’t forget the big Allen Family Reunion in Riverwoods Park on July 14th. I don’t have much information, because I’m never home to check our e-mail, but if I find out more, I’ll pass it on. If you have any questions about how to find the park, call me. I know there’s going to be a fish pond for the kids. Bonnie seemed to hint that this would be the last of its kind. I think it’s just too hard to organize, with Grandma Allen gone.
          There are wildfires all over Utah, and the air is filled with smoke. I’m using my inhalers all the time, and the nebulizer, too. Thank goodness for modern medicine.
          Lots of love, Mom