Dear Kids,

The big event for today, of course, will be Bentley reporting on his mission in their sacrament meeting.  It starts at noon, and Tom’s ward meets in the church on 500 North in Heber, next to the elementary school.  The after-party will be at Tom’s house, and if we’re lucky there will be some kind of smoked meat, courtesy of Tom.  Brisket, maybe.  Or some fabulous barbecue.  Tom always does fantastic meat.

Then, next Sunday at 5 pm is book club, at our house, where we’ll be discussing Summer of the Monkeys.  I presume Tom will lead the discussion, since he suggested the book.  Anyhoo, it should be fun and interesting.

Then, two weeks from today is Super Sunday at Donna’s house.  Do any of you think we get together too often?  It seems about right to me.

I had thought about having a S’mores night Labor Day weekend, but maybe we’ll wait another week or so after that, maybe until the next book club.  Because of Bentley’s homecoming and the 5 Sundays in July, book club was pushed back, so it will come up early in September.  I think it will be my turn to suggest a book, and I want to do Mr. Popper’s Penguins.  It’s short and fun and easy to get into.

So many events.  So much fun!

Some of you kids went in on a tree Donna was getting for my birthday.  It came, and Donna’s family planted it, and it looks really good.  It’s a Red Baron Crabapple tree, meaning the apples are red, not the leaves.  It’s supposed to have gorgeous pink blossoms in the spring.  So thanks, all of you who went in on it, and thanks to the rest of you for the birthday presents you gave me.  I was deficient and didn’t send out thank-you notes.  I can blame it on the chemo that I had.  I’m doing my last infusion tomorrow, and I’m holding my breath that it won’t be as bad as last time.  I sure appreciate all your prayers!

I hope you’re all enjoying the late-summer monsoon we’re having.  Friday afternoon Dad and I went to John’s to help him plant his lawn, but after an hour of work the rain came roaring in.  We had to quit for the day.  Yesterday we had a gully-washer here, and hopefully it didn’t wash away all the meadow grass I planted.  You can’t win.  We never have nice gentle rain storms, like they get on the east coast.  It’s boom or bust.

Love to all of you, Mom