Dear Kids,
          Of course the top thing on all our minds this morning is little Tommy Hawkins, and how he’s doing up there at Primary Children’s Medical Center. When he was born Wednesday afternoon at the Park City Hospital, everything looked fine, but when they went to release him Thursday night his blood oxygen levels weren’t high enough, and the blood pressure in his lungs was high. They put him on oxygen, and gave him a range of tests. Friday morning he and Donna took a helicopter ride to PCMC, where they gave him more tests. There’s a valve in his heart that was supposed to close at birth, and it didn’t, so the blood that was supposed to circulate to his lungs was just getting pumped back into his body, without the oxygen it needed. He’s scheduled for an echocardiagram this afternoon, but as of last night, they’d had him breathing on his own, without the oxygen tubes, for a couple of hours. I don’t know how it’s gone since then. Donna has put up two posts on "Boring Ackerson Updates" (Please, can’t anybody change the name of that site??!!) that are really helpful. There’s also a really cute picture of Tommy with his oxygen tube. He looks a little dubious about the whole thing. I know all our prayers have helped a great deal!
           Thanksgiving was a wonderful day. Thanks so much to Allen and Tom and Kim for doing the essentials: the turkey and gravy and potatoes and rolls. I enjoyed being a guest at dinner, and not being in charge. It’s a big load off my mind, knowing that Thanksgiving can go ahead with somebody else doing the turkey, and getting everything lined up perfectly. Besides the delicious food, it was a wonderful day, with beautiful warm weather. Vanessa’s family had been at the cabin earlier in the week, and I heard that Vanessa walked (or ran) the big loop four times! Most of the rest of our family was there Thursday night for pie, but since Donna’s family couldn’t make it, and Sharon insists that there’s no pumpkin pie like mine, I’m going to make it again for the baby blessing. What a wonderful thing to look forward to!
          And, of course, there’s Christmas coming up. The Messiah is in two weeks, and I’m hoping there will be an afterparty either Saturday or Sunday night. I’ll let you know in my letter next week. Then there’s the family Christmas party on the 16th. It’s always wild and crazy. And Christmas itself is nearly here, too. I hope lots of you will earn your $10.00 bills reciting the Grinch. You "away" families can send me a video, or skype it.
          I’m finding out tomorrow when my next surgery will be, and I’ll let you know, so you can pray for me. I’ve had a tough recovery from the first one.
         Thanks for all your prayers, for all of us! Love, Mom