Dear Kids,

It’s Super Sunday today, 3 pm, at Tom’s house.  I heard him mention smoked pork, so be there or be square.  I’m excited.

My breathing has suddenly gone south.  It’s really weird.  Last Sunday morning I felt fine, and I was pumped up about everything I was going to do, but by evening I was gasping for breath.  I waited a couple of days and then called my oncologist, Dr. Lewis.  He agreed that I ought to start chemo again, so I’m going in tomorrow morning.  At our last visit he was all excited about Avastin, and how they’re using it now, together with chemo, for metastatic colorectal cancer.  So now he’s going to try it out on me.  It slows your blood flow, so it’s supposed to cut off some of the blood supply to my lung tumors, and make them DIE.  I have a feeling it’s going to work really well, plus, I’m excited to get breathing better.  So keep me in your prayers.

We finally had a decent snowstorm here, five or six inches, but it’s still plenty cold.  It’s below zero practically every morning.  But who cares–there’s new snow on the ground!  Our kitties don’t like it much, but Scout is really fat now, and his fur is thick, and he has his own heated condo to hang out in.  Sonia is in the house most of the time. 

Dad and I drove to Layton yesterday to celebrate Chloe’s birthday (early), and we took the route through the mountains on I-84.  I was thinking Rockport and Echo would be practically empty by now, because the Jordanelle is so low, but they’re still pretty full.  I’m sure their ice is plenty thick by now, because there were lots of ice fishermen out at both reservoirs.  They have their little shelters to keep them warm, but some of them were out walking around.  One guy was relaxing in a lawn chair, soaking up the sun, tending his line.  That’s one sport I can’t figure out–ice fishing.

Our four missionaries seem to be doing great, from their letters.  I’m enjoying them all.  If there’s somebody’s letters you aren’t getting, contact that person’s parents.  It’s really a blessing to have four missionaries out, and there will be lots more coming along.  Our family rocks.

Lots of love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

There’s still very little going on here.  The snowstorm we were supposed to have was just a few flurries, with nothing sticking on the ground.  But we have another chance this week, with three days predicted for possible snow.  My obsession with the weather shows how little is happening here.  If I had any real news I wouldn’t worry so much about the drought.

Dad’s toe has healed up very nicely.  He went back to Dr. Dickerson, who said everything looked fine.  He said if there’s anything else Dad wants removed, to come back.  Toes, toenails–he’ll take anything off.  BTW, I haven’t had any more trouble with my feet since he amputated my two pinkies, and it’s been nice to have a medical situation turn out so well.

Actually, I’ve been feeling surprisingly good.  On Monday afternoon Dad and I walked all the way around the block, and I did OK.  It was my first real walk in months.  I’ve even been laying tile–in the  little room under our basement stairs.  I started it years ago and then went on to something else.  But I found the extra tiles and the mortar and the grout, and I’ve been working on it for two days now.  It feels really good, doing house projects again.  I won’t be on chemo again until April 4, unless my breathing gets really bad, and then it will be earlier.

Dad had to get new tires for the Yerf Dog, since the old ones were splitting apart.  He ordered them from Amazon and they came in two days.  Naturally he had to put them on right away and drive around in the slush.  Can you believe he’s had the Yerf Dog for 17 years now?  If he didn’t baby it, it would have gone to the dump years ago.

Our next Super Sunday is a week from today, 3 pm, at Tom’s house.  Bring whatever you like.  I’m still wondering what the odds are that we’ll all bring desserts some time, but so far it has always balanced out.

I hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it!  Mom  

 Dear Kids,

There’s a 60 percent chance of snow on Tuesday, and that’s absolutely the biggest news around here.  One to three inches expected.  I’m excited the high pressure over us is finally breaking up, although it’s been nice having sunny days for a month and a half.  But we really need winter.  We’re hoping not to have another drought this year, and we don’t want the poor farmers complaining when they only have one cutting of hay.

Our missionaries are all doing fine.  If you want to get on Addie’s e-mail list, contact Nora.  She writes her letter every Monday while she’s talking to her family on the phone.  Nora says so far her letters are mostly about missionary work, but after a while she’ll probably let down and spill her guts.  You’ve gotta do that, on a mission.  As for Jacob, Sterling, and Bentley, if you get their letters, you know everything.

Super Sunday will be two weeks from today, on February 27, at Tom’s house.  I can’t believe how well these Super Sundays are working out!  It’s so much fun to go to each of your houses (or parks, or the cabin, or wherever) and talk to all of you.  This family rocks!

Dad has finally had a medical “condition,” so it isn’t all me.  I’m glad it’s him now.    A couple of weeks ago he stumbled against our dining room table and stubbed his big toe really badly.  It was all black underneath the nail, and it hurt him like crazy.  After a few days of pain he went to see Dr. Dickerson, the crazy guy who has been taking off my toes.  This podiatrist doesn’t just sit there and talk about your feet–he gets in there and does things.  He took off Dad’s toenail, permanently.  (Dad said it had fungus, anyway). He treated it with chemicals so the nail hopefully won’t grow back.  Dad’s other big toe had that treatment years ago, and hasn’t given him any trouble since.  If you have fungus, you can try all kinds of treatments, but the only thing that really works is having the nail taken off.  

Tomorrow is Valentines Day, and 50 years since Dad became my permanent valentine.  Where did all that time go?  I hope you all have a wonderful day with the ones you love.

Much love to all, Mom

 Dear Kids,

Jacob is in Alabama!  And he has evidently hit the ground running, because as soon as he was off the plane, they sent him out tracting for three hours.  Go, Jacob!  We know he’ll have a wonderful mission.  I haven’t heard any updates on Addie, but I assume she and her super companion are working hard.  So is Sterling, along with eating lizard, and so is Bentley, along with skinning deer.  What a group of missionaries!

Our next Super Sunday should be on February 27 at Tom’s house.  I haven’t talked to him or Kim about it yet, but I think we can all plan on it.  Oh, yeah, and the dates for our summer family reunion are July 28-31, according to Monica.  I look forward to all our family events, and they’re always super, thanks to everybody’s careful planning.

Aubrey tested positive for Covid, and had to spend some time alone in her room.  Dad and I have had really bad colds with really snotty noses, so for all I know, we may have had covid, too.  Neither of us wanted to get tested, so we’ll never know.  We’ll all have it, sooner or later, and thank goodness it isn’t a big deal any more.

It’s still wretchedly cold.  We’re down in the single digits every night, and we’re lucky if it gets up to 30 during the day.  The same dirty snow is still on the ground, and we’re tired of waiting for more.  Might as well wait for spring.  Winter has turned into a total bust.

Since I’ve finished my four rounds of chemo, I had to have a CT scan and then see my doctor.  I usually don’t mind the scans, because the techs are so nice, but I got a lady who had nothing but a dull scowl on her face, and she didn’t even talk to me.  So when I was lying on the table, I said, “I guess I’m just a piece of meat, aren’t I?”  She looked surprised and said, “No, not really.”  Then she actually smiled.  I hope I livened her up for her other patients.  In that business, you just can’t be grumpy.

My visit with my doctor was very nice.  I know some of my tumors shrank, because I’m breathing better, but the main one we’ve been watching didn’t shrink at all–it just changed its shape.  When I have chemo again, the first part of April, they’ll add Avastin, a blood flow reducer.  It’s supposed to shrink the little blood vessels going to my tumors so the chemo can hit them harder.  Meanwhile, I’m enjoying being chemo-free.

Life is good.  I love you all!  Mom