Dear Kids,
         Andy and Renae came Friday afternoon to stay overnight with us, because Mark and Tamri’s son was being baptized the next morning in the Provo River. Tamri and her brothers and sisters were all baptized there, so it’s a family tradition. I’m sure it turned out just fine. It was even warmer yesterday morning than it was predicted to be. And Dad and I had a lot of fun with Andy and Renae while they were here. We ate at the Gateway Grille. We talked and talked. We went for a walk around our neighborhood. Oh, I forgot to mention: they have a mission call, to the Washington DC South Mission, and their main assignment will be at the Northern Virginia Employment Resource Center in Annandale. They’ll have other assignments, too. They leave for the MTC on January 2, and they’re very excited about it. Andy had thought they might go foreign, since they have plenty of money, good health, and were willing to learn a new language, but they’re really happy about Virginia.
           Dad and Allen are really pumped up for their Hawaii trip. It’s less than a month away now. I bought them each a Hawaiian shirt off Amazon. I hope they’ll at least wear them to the luau. They are diligently planning what to see and do. Andy and Renae had lots of suggestions for Dad, since they’ve been to Oahu.
           My hand is still improving. I can play the piano for up to 20 minutes now, although it’s hard to do an octave. It’s still hard for me to type, and I make lots of mistakes. I still can’t use a needle and thread, or tweezers, or butter a piece of toast. Power tools are still out of the question. Dad and I have been working on the deck skirting around our pergola, so Dad has to do all the cutting and power nailing. We’re trying to finish as much as possible before winter sets in. I’m still digging in the yard, making slow progress. It’s funny that using a shovel and a rake were about the first things I could do after my hand surgery.
          I hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it! Mom