Dear Kids,
         We really enjoyed Isaac’s baptism yesterday, and the wonderful after-party at Nora’s.  Thanks to Nora for the pork sandwiches, and for everybody else who brought food.  Dad tells me it was all good.  I can’t tell, because except for tasting the pork, I just ate the desserts.  My odd digestive tract gives me a good excuse for just eating cookies and brownies, and other compact sweets, like chocolate chips and Dove dark bars and chocolate pudding and . . . . . 
         Oh, yes, I need to list the fun events coming up:
         (1) The Messiah is tonight at 7 pm at Tom’s church, the brown one just past Smiths and the elementary school on 500 North.  There’s a before-party dinner at Tom and Kim’s at 5 pm.  Be there or be square.
         (2) The cousins’ gift exchange party will be Saturday, Dec 22, at Nora’s house.  There’s ice skating from 12:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon, (Call Nora for the location and cost.) Dinner will be at 5 pm.  If you don’t have a food assignment yet, you can call Nora for that, too.  Each year I think I’ll do the skating, but it looks like I’ll pass this year, unless I can ice skate with my cane?  Maybe next year.
         (3) Ditto for our traditional Christmas Eve hike up Memorial Hill.  I doubt I could do it with my cane.  If I could, I’d be so slow that Santa would already be down our non-existant chimney, and gone again, before we got home.  So instead of that, Dad and I will be home on Christmas Eve, and you can come and see us.  If you want to come during the day, that would be great, too.  I’ll have soups and rolls, and maybe some goodies, too.  If you have any neighbor treats that you won’t get around to eating, you could bring those.  Usually we eat those at the after-Christmas party at the cabin, but . . . .
         (4) The cabin, of course, is still out of commission, although they’ve torn off some sheet rock inside, and taken out some carpet.  So instead of sledding at the cabin, how about sledding at Vanessa’s in Pocatello, on Thursday the 27th?  Vanessa says  a trip to Lava that night would definitely be an option. So many fun things lined up!  So many great people in our family to have fun with!
         Lots of love, Mom