Dear Kids,
          It’s Groundhog Day, and here in Kamas Valley the groundhog will definitely see his shadow, because it’s a beautiful sunny day. I think the sunshine is supposed to mean that we’ll have six more weeks of winter, which is very good. We need even more than that to make up for our deficient snowfall so far. We had a pretty good storm Wednesday night, with maybe three inches, and we’re grateful for that. But we’re still praying for more.
          John had his back surgery Friday morning, and it went really well. If you didn’t hear, he had a bulging disc that was pressing on a nerve, and he’d been in terrible pain for several days. He was able to keep seeing patients by taking lots of ibuprofin, and then lortab, but we were relieved when he went in for the operation. I had been asking what we could do to help, and John finally said we could go buy him a new bed. (His old mattress was somehow damaged when they moved.) So Dad and I drove the truck to Murray, to the Costco right next to the Death Star, (where John was out of surgery by then) and we met Heather at the entrance. Heather and Dad went to get the bed while I checked out the samples. It was two days before the Super Bowl, so there were lots of hot wings, pistachios, sausage balls, and all types of guy food. Dad and I have been considering changing from Sams Club to Costco, and I was almost convinced to make the switch, until that night, when all the greasy and spicy food caught up with me. Well, we still might change. Costco has a wonderful assortment of leatherbound books at Christmas time. And a much better collection of chocolates, too!
          So, back at the Death Star, John was ready to go home by evening, and by then Dad and I had driven the new bed to his house in Heber. We needed Julie and Jacob to help us haul in the mattress, it was so gynormous, and then Julie and I put on the sheets and blanket and quilts. It was all ready when John got home. The next morning he called and said he and Heather had slept very comfortably for ten hours, and he was up and walking around, with no pain! We’re so grateful it went well!

Dad and I are looking forward to Sunday dinner this afternoon, with lots of you coming. Our next official Sunday dinner will be four weeks from today, March 2nd.
          Lots of love, Mom