Dear Kids,

I guess you all got the word that Super Sunday is at Nora’s house this afternoon.  4pm.  Be there or be square.  This is going to work out a lot better for John’s family, because they can combine Super Sunday next month with Aaron’s farewell on the 17th.  

Meanwhile, Josh’s baptism is this coming Saturday, September 2, at 11 am.  The address  of the stake center is 1715 W. 1600 North in Layton.   There’s a lunch afterwards at Paul and Stefanie’s.  We hope to see most of you there.  

Then, book club will be September 10th.  That’s coming up quickly, because we’ve been off schedule the last couple of months.  We’re reading Frindle, which is about a boy in middle school who invents a new name for ball-point pens.  It sounds crazy, and it is. 

I saw from a link on my phone that the family photos by Quinn Calder are available.  Wow, he took a ton of pictures!  I don’t know how anybody can possibly choose.  I’m sure Donna can tell you what to do next.  I’m impressed that our family is so wonderfully photogenic.

Yesterday I went to the Heber airport with Dad to help John fly his glider.  Dad helps John put it together, including scotch tape to hold the wings on.  (There are big bolts, too.) I don’t do anything helpful except drive the golf cart around a little bit.  (The golf cart tows the glider to the launching spot.) John inherited the golf cart from his friend Tom, who died a few months ago.  And Tom was the owner of the dead cat I found in the freezer at the hangar, if you remember that story.  Anyway, they got the glider assembled and then the towplane launched John into the air.  He found a good updraft and was soon near the top of Timp, where hikers at the shack took his picture.   He didn’t stay up very long, though, because some big storm clouds were building up, and he saw some lightning.  I asked John what happens if a glider gets hit by lightning, and he said the wings fall off and you parachute down.  I guess we could do without that kind of excitement.

Tomorrow I go in for chemo again, and it will go on until the second week in October.  I don’t mind too much, because I’ve had such a wonderful vacation, but I sure appreciate your faith and prayers in my behalf.  I know I’m living longer because of all of you.

Lots of love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

What a great week we’ve had!  There have been at least three good rainstorms, and it hasn’t been so hot.  I don’t mind summer winding down, and all our Heber Valley grandkids are back in school.  Life is good.

Book club is this afternoon at 5:00 at our house.  We’re discussing Bunnicula.  It’s a great story!  The Dracula rabbit, Bunnicula, sucks all the color from foods and leaves them white, so I have to think of some white refreshments.

And Super Sunday is a week from today, on the 27th, at John’s house.  I’m pretty sure we’ll be meeting at 4:00.  It’s always fun to see what food everybody will bring.  I’m still waiting for the Sunday when it will be all desserts!

Then, Saturday, September 2, will be Josh’s baptism.  It will be at 11 am, and the address of the stake center is 1715 W. 1600 North in Layton.  Even though it’s Labor Day weekend, I hope most of you will be free to come.   The invitations are really cute!  Bonus points if you can name the temple in the picture.

Yesterday we had a great time at the cabin with our friends, the Garcias.  They took turns driving the yerf dog, which Dad got working for us.  Even Chandra drove it.  You remember the Garcias–they came and raked gravel with us in June.  We all bought lunch at Food Town, my favorite deli.  Everybody gets what they want, and I don’t have to prepare a thing.  Can’t beat that!

It’s been seven weeks since I had chemo, and I have one more week of freedom before I go back.  It’s been a wonderful time for me.  We had the family reunion, Bentley’s wedding, and the trip to Pocatello, besides at least three hikes, and we finished the tile in the pantry of the cabin.  When I’m back on chemo, I’ll just think of all the good times we had.  And with such a wonderful family as ours, there will always be good times.

Lots of love, Mom

 

Dear Kids,

Congratulations to Aaron!  He’s been called to the Iowa City, Iowa mission, and he’ll start on October 3.  I’m sure he’ll be a wonderful missionary, and we’re very happy for him.

Dad and I are headed to Pocatello this morning, and we look forward to seeing a lot of you there.  If you need last-minute directions, the address of the church is 1701 Bartz Drive.  There are two chapels next to the interstate, and we’re meeting in the one farthest east.  You can follow google maps, which takes you off the interstate and winds you north through town, or you can take our usual exit and backtrack.  I’m sure it will be a wonderful meeting.  It’s Sarah’s farewell, and Sterling’s homecoming.

Next week, the 20th, is book club at our house, at 5 pm.  We’re reading Bunnicula, which is crazy and fun.  I’m looking forward to what everybody has to say about it.  Super Sunday will be the following week, the 27th, at John’s house.  Kids and teenagers are welcome to bring their swimsuits and sit in the hot tub.  If any adults want to join them, they won’t be turned away.  

Dad and I did two great hikes this past week.  On Tuesday we did the walk around Mirror Lake with our ministering couple, Susan and Dan Joos.  Dan has a heart condition and can only walk where it’s flat, so it was perfect.  The weather was awesome, and hardly any people were there.  After our hike we had a picnic that Susan fixed.  You know, ministering people are always asking what they can do for you, so I was the one who suggested the hike.  I definitely needed that.

Then, on Friday morning, we hiked the Nobletts trail on the Wolf Creek highway (Hwy 35) with Al. He had camped overnight after the wedding reception, and met us there.  It was way more taxing than I expected, since I’d heard it was a nice family hike.  It was only 2 miles round trip, and mostly shady, but there were some steep places.  We did see a couple of families hiking, and the little kids were doing better than we were.

Speaking of the wedding, wasn’t that a wonderful event?  The temple was beautiful, and the reception was great fun.  I loved having it at the Red Barn, which is only 10 minutes from our house.  And of course it was great seeing most of you there.  Where we used to always be having baby blessings, now it’s going to be weddings and missionary events.  What a family!

Love, Mom

 3

Dear Kids,

Bentley’s wedding is this coming Thursday, and I’m sure you all have the information on your invitations.  If you’re going to the actual wedding, you need to be at the Provo City Center temple at 1:30.  The reception is at the Red Barn in Oakley, from 6 to 8.  The address is 4300 Highway 32, but it isn’t really on the highway–it’s off on a side road.  Google maps can get you there.  I’ve heard a rumor that there will be real food available for family at the reception, besides the refreshments you would expect.

And a week from today is the big shindig in Pocatello.  The farewell/homecoming starts at 9 am at the church on 1701 Bartz Drive.  Your smartphones can get you there, too.  It’s the building closest to the interstate.  Afterwards there’ll be the usual fabulous food at Vanessa’s house.  

Other events: Book club on August 20 at our house.  We’re reading Bunnicula.  Super Sunday will be the next week, the 27th, at John’s house.  We’ll start at 4 pm.  Teenagers and kids who want to sit in the hot tub need to bring their swim suits.

Aaron submitted the paperwork for his mission a couple of weeks ago, and he’s expecting his call this Tuesday.  I don’t think he’ll be doing the usual online “opening of the mission call” thing, but we’ll all find out pretty quickly where he’s going. 

With all my Amazon birthday credit, I ordered a battery-powered pruner like the one John has.  I knew it would be too heavy for me to use, but my plan is for Dad to do the work while I tell him what to cut. We tried that out yesterday morning, and it worked nicely.  We pruned around the bottoms of some of our fir trees, and Dad loved using it.  So thanks, all of you who gave me Amazon cards.

I’m still thinking over the family reunion, and how much fun it was.  I’m always nervous before it starts, and I’m in a high state of excitement while it’s going on.  Then there’s the letdown when it’s over, and life gets back to normal.  Thank goodness we have all these other events coming up.  There’s no stopping the fun.

Love, Mom