Dear Kids,

Sharon’s family has COVID!  Sharon, Seth, Matthew, and Conrad  have all tested positive, but  Charlie, and Lucy don’t have their results yet.  But they all have symptoms!  Sharon’s voice sounded gravelly when I  talked to her on the phone yesterday morning.   People in the East are very nervous about Covid, so I’m sure their quarantines will be long and miserable.  Sharon already had to miss her last ob clinical, which she was looking forward to. 

I had that vicious cold that’s going around, and now Dad has it.  He was too wretched to go anywhere yesterday, but luckily we had a 300-piece Christmas jigsaw puzzle that Sharon sent us.  We had a lot of fun working on it, mostly trading off.  (After all, you can’t both hold the box with the picture at the same time.)  When the puzzle was finished, Sonia sat on it.  She hasn’t yet started chewing it to pieces, though.  Other than that, she’s been sitting on my Messiah music.  She can always sense what’s most important to us, and that’s where she sits.  Scout is still banished to the outside, although he has his special heated condo to hang out in.  He’ll make it through the winter in plenty of comfort. 

Oh, yes, we have snow.  Lots of it.  Most of you do, too.  Finally it seems like Christmas really is coming.

So, here are the Christmas reminders:  The Messiah is at 7 tonight at Tom’s church, and there will be both a before party and an after party.  The “before” will be soup at Tom’s house at 5:30, and the “after” will be desserts.  It couldn’t be better.  

The Cousins’ Christmas party will be next Saturday, the 18th, at Nora’s house.   Ice skating will be from 12:30 to 2:30,  dinner is at  5, and presents will be at 6.  I’m sure it will be wild and crazy.

On Christmas day Dad and I will drive around Heber valley visiting your homes, and we might go all the way to Centerville.  If you kids want to have the after-Christmas sledding party on Monday, the 27th, the cabin will be open, but I’ll be in Salt Lake having an infusion.  I’m also  having an infusion tomorrow, and I’ll wear my pump until Wednesday, but life goes on.  My life, thankfully, is going on, thanks to chemo and your prayers.

Remember the missionary farewells on December 26th and January 9th.  More later.

Lots of love, Mom