Dear Kids,
         Well, the weather isn’t my top story any more.  It got down to -3 on Wednesday night, but since then the temperatures have wandered back toward normal.  We even had pretty decent temperatures Thursday night for Halloween.  A lot of kids came by, even though our ward had a trunk or treat last weekend.  Most of the kids in our neighborhood aren’t LDS, anyway, so that didn’t affect them.  I always like to see kids in their costumes, and Halloween night is still magical for me.
         Even though winter has backed off, the deer haven’t received the message.  They walk through our back yard every night just at dusk, on their same path as last year.  Our next door neighbors aren’t putting out food for them (yet), so they cross the street beyond our house, and go who knows where.  Tina doesn’t like it at all.  She glares out the window at them.  Scout wants to go out and fight with them, but we don’t let him.  Sonia grooms herself and pretends she doesn’t know they’re walking by.   It’s a very entertaining show.
         Most of you know that James’s dad, Bill, has been living with them for a little more than a year now, but he had a stroke last Monday night.  James and his brothers and sister have decided to put him in hospice, since he didn’t want to be kept alive artificially, especially if he couldn’t walk or talk.  So they’re just giving him comfort treatment, and it won’t be long now.  Suzanne has been gone since Isaac was a newborn, so Bill is probably anxious to be with her again.  It’s funny–when he moved in, he said he would live with them for about a year and a half, and then he would die.  He was pretty close.  I wonder how he knew?
         The Messiah practices are starting next Sunday night, Dec 10th, and we’ll be leaving here about 5:30 pm, so we won’t be having our usual Sunday night rendezvouses for the next several weeks.  The performances will be Saturday and Sunday, Dec 14 & 15, at 6 pm at Tom’s church.  I’m guessing we’ll have some kind of before-party or after-party, probably Sunday night.  I’ve missed singing in the Messiah for the last two years because of my health problems, but nothing’s stopping me this year.
         I hope you’re all enjoying your extra hour of time this morning.  Tonight, though, it will be pitch black by 6 pm.  It’s all good, though, because the holidays are coming up.  We’ll have more fun than ever!
         Lots of love, Mom