Dear Kids,

This will be another really short letter.  I’ve been in bed all week with the flu.  At first I thought it was a minor stomach bug, but it turned out to be much worse than that.  Today is my tenth day of it. Dad has waited on me hand and foot, and I’ve had everything I’ve needed.  The end of it all is in sight, though, and this afternoon I’m going to get up and put on real clothes and Dad and I are driving to Centerville for Super Sunday.  Allen is in charge, and we’ll be starting at 4 pm.  I’m looking forward to it, especially since I haven’t been anywhere in such a long time.

While I’ve been down in bed, I’ve been reading books by Esther Averill (the Fire Cat) and Beverly Clearly.  Sometimes the simplest stuff is the best, especially if you don’t feel very well.  I also read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for our book club on March 12.  I’ve read it before, but I really enjoyed it this time.  I think we’re coming up on our one-year anniversary for book club, and I hope we keep going for many more years.

Here’s hoping this letter finds you all well and happy.  Love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

I’m not able to write much of a letter this week.  I caught a minor stomach bug, and that, together with my chemo, has really laid me low.  

Julie’s surgery went fine, and she’s getting along OK watching movies.  Soon she’ll be able to work at home.  

Super Sunday is next week, February 26, at Nora’s house, with Allen in charge.  4 pm, like always.  Bring whatever you want to.  Our next book club will be March 12, and we’re reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory.  I look forward to both of these great events.

Lots of Love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

Poor Julie broke her leg and her ankle ice skating.  She fell over a kid that was down, and it broke the tibia in her leg, plus her ankle, and tore some tendons.  She’s having surgery tomorrow.  The surgery couldn’t have been any sooner because of the swelling, which needed to go down.  It will be at least a ten-week recovery for her.  Poor girl!  I’m sure she can use all of our prayers.  

Book club will be this evening at 5 at our house.  Be there or be square.  Yes, I know Donna’s family will be in Pocatello for the superbowl, but the rest of us can have a good time together.  We tried to reschedule book club for a day when everybody could be there, but it just didn’t work, with President’s Day next week, and Kim’s family mostly unavailable the week after that.  Anyway, We’ll be discussing Because of Winn Dixie and Nora will be in charge.  Kim’s family will be choosing the book for next month. 

Then, we’ll be having Super Sunday on the 26th at Nora’s house, not Tom’s, with Allen in charge.  (Tom will be in charge of Super Sunday in March.)   Allen is living in Nora’s basement now.  He hasn’t broken up with Jenn, but they needed to rearrange things.  Al is going to pay rent by contributing to Addie’s mission, so that should work out really well.  

I had a rough experience at the wound clinic on Monday.  My regular wound doctor is out on paternity leave, and a nurse practitioner who has started working there tended my wound.  She really scraped it hard, and it’s been hurting more than usual this week.  I have to figure out how to avoid getting her again.  I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but the clinic is supposed to help me feel better, not worse.  

Tomorrow I go back to chemo.  It isn’t so bad now that I know what to expect.  I have some good library books piled up, so I should be able to entertain myself on my bad days.  There are sisters in the ward, too, who are willing to visit me and keep me from getting too bored.  I can always call one of them.

All together, life is really good.  I love you all and pray for you every day.

Love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

Nothing new here.  Oh, yes, it warmed up a little bit.  Tuesday morning it was -10, and it seemed like it would be cold forever.  Then, miraculously, it started warming up, and by Friday afternoon it was 50.  Dad and I took a walk around the block, for the first time in weeks.  The snow started melting, and it’s down a few inches now.  It’s supposed to snow again this afternoon, but we don’t care.  We’ve had a hint of spring!

Looking down the road: Book club is next Sunday, the 12th, at 5 pm at our house.  If you haven’t read Because of Winn Dixie, there’s still time.  You can read it in a couple of sittings.  If you can get a hold of the movie, it’s almost like the book.  

Then, we’ll have Super Sunday again on February 26 at Tom’s house.  I won’t be surprised if he does something spectacular with his smoker or his barbecue.  There’s no stopping the good food and the fun.

Then, looking way down the road, our Ackerson family reunion will be July 27-30 (Thursday thru Sunday) at Huber Grove in Midway.  We met there in 2014 and 2015.  Donna’s in charge, and I think she’s arranging for a photographer to take a big family picture of us.  He told Donna that Huber Grove is his favorite place to do mob pictures, so it should turn out really well. 

Jane and Nancy came by Thursday afternoon to pick up a box of Grandma and Grandpa Allen’s letters.  Originally the letters were all sorted by date, but when Morgan James was a toddler, he got into them and scrambled them around, and nobody has had the heart to sort them again.  Until now.  Nancy said she’s willing to do it.  So when she and Jane came by, Sonia was watching from the front window, and she was very glad to have them admire her.  Until we brought in Scout.  Then she disappeared while Jane petted Scout and told him how handsome he is.  They decided he has the face of a lion, and naturally he smiled all over and nuzzled Jane.  I told them that he and Sonia are supposed to be siblings, and they said “No way!”   

Tomorrow I have an appointment at the LDS Hospital wound clinic, where they’re trying to cure the open sore I have on my back end.  So far they’ve helped me with an my swollen lip, an abscess, and the first wound on my back side.  But the new wound isn’t responding to anything.  I’ll keep going in as long as they’re willing to keep trying, but I’m losing hope.  Anyway, I’m starting chemo again on the 13th and chemo always keeps things from healing.  It’s keeping me alive, though, so I can’t complain too loudly.  

I appreciate all your prayers for me.  I pray for all of you every day, too.

Love, Mom