Dear Kids,
          The thermometer says it’s -4 outside. My phone tells me it feels like -15. I hope our cats are snug in the garage. I’ve made special kitty houses for each of them (they won’t share) with heated pads inside. I made Tina’s first, and put it well away from the door, where Xena sleeps on her pad, but then I had to make one for Xena, too. Sometimes they trade.
           This week I’ve mostly been busy wrapping presents. I haven’t had enough boxes, but each day I’ve gotten packages from Amazon, and the new boxes were always the right size for whatever I needed that day. So now I’m nearly done, and the boxes are nearly gone. It’s fun to try and find exactly the right present for each person in our family. Sometimes I goof, but it’s always OK somehow.
          The Christmas party at Nora’s on Friday will start with optional skating at the Bountiful Rec Center. The session is from 12:00 to 2:00. Call Nora for details and the address. After that, there will be sledding and hot chocolate back at Nora’s house. Dinner will be at 6:00 (I assume you all have your food assignments) and presents will be at 7:00. It should be wild and exciting!
          On Christmas Eve, Dad and I will do our traditional hike up Memorial Hill in Midway. If there’s enough interest, I’ll do a soup dinner here at our house beforehand. Afterwards, we’ll probably have hot chocolate somewhere. I’ll call around and see what everybody wants to do.
          On Christmas Day, Dad and I will be in Heber Valley. We’ll be going to John and Heather’s sacrament meeting at 1:00, because I really want to hear the Christmas program Heather has put together. (Our own ward meets at 9, and they’ve planned a really strange program. I’m not going to that one. It would ruin my Christmas. Dad will go and sing in the choir, like a good boy.) After we visit with John’s family, we’ll probably also go to Tom’s and Donna’s. That night, anybody who wants to come can stay over at our house or the cabin, and of course Monday will be the sledding party. More about that in my letter next week.
         What a great Christmas season! Love to all, Mom