Dear Kids,
          It’s been very cold here. We hit -9 Thursday morning, but it was -16 at the cabin. Funny how it’s so much colder there, even though it’s the same elevation. People tell us it’s the cold canyon wind. Nora says they’ve been burning lots of wood. Luckily there’s a big stack. When Dad and I were piling it all up last summer, we figured there wouldn’t be anybody at the cabin to burn it. We should have known!
          The cousins’ Christmas gift exchange is this Saturday at noon at the cabin. There will be sledding, of course. For food assignments and other details, call Nora, if you haven’t heard from her. Thanks, Nora, for putting it together!
Dad and Tom and Nora and I have been diligently practicing the Messiah, and our performances are this coming Saturday and Sunday nights. (The 14th and 15th.) Saturday it’s at the Tompanogos Valley Theater bulding, 90 North 100 West in Heber, and Sunday night it’s at the Heber Stake Center, at the corner of 200 North and 200 West, also in Heber, of course. I think both performances are at 7:00 pm. Both of them are sing-alongs, so bring your music, if you have it! We’ll probably have an after-party Sunday night, time and place as yet unknown. Dad and I would be happy to host it here, but Heber or Midway would be more convenient.
          Christmas itself isn’t that far away! Dad and I hope some of you will join us on our Christmas Eve climb up Memorial Hill. (I know, it was always Ensign Peak before, but we’ve relocated the adventure.) I’m sure we’ll have hot chocolate somewhere afterwards. Then, for Christmas Day, I’m not sure what we’re doing. Does anybody want to have Christmas dinner here at our house? That might be fun. Let me know! The day after, of course, will be our sledding party at the cabin. (I know we’ll be sledding on Saturday, but this is the "official" sledding party. Besides, is it possible to have too many sledding parties?) I’ll have more details later.
          So much fun! Such a family! Love, Mom