Dear Kids,
Well, Dad and I were just settled in with our new e-mail address (just2cats) and only having two real cats lounging on the deck, when a new kitten arrived at our door. CC Barbuto showed up with her. It seems that a mother cat stumbled onto Barbuto’s driveway, “as big as a house,” according to CC, and started having kittens, 7 of them. So here was one for us. Well, I’ve hardly ever chosen our cats. It’s more a matter of fate. (Like having kids.) So we’re trying out this kitten for a while. (OK, probably permanent.) She’s tiny and gray and fluffy, and her eyes are so little and gray you can hardly see them. And like all fluffy kittens, she’s really dumb. I have to clean her bottom with a washrag, because she hasn’t learned yet. She really likes Dad. She uses his leg and his back for a climbing wall. The other two cats hate her, of course.
Addie is carrying around a popsicle stick with her “stitches” on it. 5 of them. The same day she got them, (on her chin, like Nora had, like James once had,) Ben was stung by a bee. Nora was making stroganoff for dinner, and she burned it. Just one of those days, she said.
Tom found some information on the web about Victory Ranch, the development that’s supposed to come right up next to our cabin area. Only the part they’re showing in their first map is down by the Provo River, near the sawmill, if you’re coming from Heber. You know that spillway, that looks like it would be so much fun to ride down–it’s right near that. They’re selling lots right next to the river, (I think Tom said about $600,000 for 1 acre) where people can build big beautiful mountain homes. On a flood plain. Up on the mountainside, they’re building the golf course. Duh. I hope those people buy good flood insurance, because it’s not if, but when, their beautiful homes are going to be washed down the river. If you want to see the map, check out victoryranchclub.com.
Monica called from Tucson, where she and Neil were looking for a place to live. She’s flying here Monday, to get her truck and have a dental checkup. She also said she wants to go to the Tetons for a few days. It will be nice having her around, even if it isn’t very long. I look back fondly to last winter, when she and Caroline and Ramona lived at the cabin. It was so much fun, visiting them! Caroline’s last pot of flowers just recently gave up the ghost. It was sad to toss them out.
John’s family had their annual vacation all in one day, last Saturday. They rode the Heber Creeper and went swimming at the fitness center in Kamas, and then they came to the cabin to fix dinner and ride the Yerf Dog. I guess if your vacation is only one day, you have to make the most of it!
Most of you have heard that Brendan didn’t stay on his mission very long. He was only in the MTC for a few days, and then being separated from his family was too much for him. So he’s back home, doing splits with the missionaries and working 2 days a week at the bishops’ storehouse. I hope that all works out well for him.
I’m off to visit Grandma. She had a bad fall more than a week ago, and her leg was so bruised up, it’s taking forever to heal. She made one trip to the hospital, and Grandpa’s taking her to the doctors this morning. I really wish she could get back to her old life, where she was able to do a lot of things she enjoyed, but it’s getting harder.
I love you all, and I miss those of you that we don’t see very often!
Love, Mom
Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Dear Kids,
Thanks to all of you who remembered my birthday with phone calls and birthday cards and visits and presents! It’s really fun to be the mother of such a big family when birthday time rolls around! On Sunday, we were invited to Al and Missy’s for a birthday dinner, where we stuffed ourselves with barbecued chicken and other wonderful food, and sat around and talked. Nora and James and Sharon and Seth and their kids were there, too. Then, on Monday, I talked to several of you. And Paul, the phone call from Sister Brooks was great! There were a whole bunch of people, and they all sang Happy Birthday to me. She said you had gone home already, which is good, since it was 10:30 at night! You’ve got great members in your mission!
It’s weird being home now, after a month at the cabin. Dad and I got a lot done our last week there, but we didn’t get any more logs put up. When we went to pick up our last shipment, I thought some of them looked a little bent, but we took them back to the cabin anyway. We started unloading them, and nearly all of them were bent or twisted or curved. So we returned the whole order and got our money back. I was disappointed, but it was sort of a relief, since we were both so tired. We’re going to try for another load the last week in August, and I hope they give us better logs.
Amber came and helped us out at the cabin for a couple of days while we were there. What a workaholic she is! She swept out the greenhouse (ugh!) and hauled bark and painted linseed oil under the balcony and did other chores I’ve been putting off. Go, Amber. She left for Virginia on Monday, where she’s meeting up with Cathy (who’s coming home from a few weeks working in Russia) and they’re moving to Buffalo, New York, together. One thing you can say about most Ackersons, we’re adventurous!
John brought his family up to the cabin on his birthday, along with his present, a re-curve bow. (His other main present was a package of “chocolate stuff,” mostly candy bars, that Julie gave him.) Now the re-curve bow--I’m not sure what that is, either, but John says it’s great. He and Dad were shooting arrows into a target they made out of bales of hay. Would you believe–-Dad hit the bullseye several times! He said that when he was a kid, they had a target in their back yard, and he and Grandpa Ackerson used to shoot arrows for hours at a time. Who would’ve thought!
Monica’s on the road again. She called from Dodge City, Kansas, on my birthday. It was 106 there that day! She and Neil are on their way to Colorado, to do some hiking, and then to Tucson, Arizona, where Neil is starting school again. He’s going for his doctorate now.
James has a new calling: High Council! I know, it’s usually old men, but I’m sure James will be great! He’ll give good talks, at least! The only drawback is, he has to be ordained a High Priest. No more fun hanging out with the Elders.
A week ago Sunday night, I visited Grandpa and Grandma, since I hadn’t been making my usual Wednesday visits. Grandpa has replaced his exercise machine with a rocking chair. He studies Spanish by listening to the “Libro de Mormon” CD’s I gave him, and reading along in English. Ramona sits under the rocking chair, guarding him. She still likes to chase things, especially rubber bands. Grandpa was concerned when she ate one, but it didn’t seem to bother her.
Well, I’m off to Orem again. Back to my usual schedule. I love you all!
Mom
Thanks to all of you who remembered my birthday with phone calls and birthday cards and visits and presents! It’s really fun to be the mother of such a big family when birthday time rolls around! On Sunday, we were invited to Al and Missy’s for a birthday dinner, where we stuffed ourselves with barbecued chicken and other wonderful food, and sat around and talked. Nora and James and Sharon and Seth and their kids were there, too. Then, on Monday, I talked to several of you. And Paul, the phone call from Sister Brooks was great! There were a whole bunch of people, and they all sang Happy Birthday to me. She said you had gone home already, which is good, since it was 10:30 at night! You’ve got great members in your mission!
It’s weird being home now, after a month at the cabin. Dad and I got a lot done our last week there, but we didn’t get any more logs put up. When we went to pick up our last shipment, I thought some of them looked a little bent, but we took them back to the cabin anyway. We started unloading them, and nearly all of them were bent or twisted or curved. So we returned the whole order and got our money back. I was disappointed, but it was sort of a relief, since we were both so tired. We’re going to try for another load the last week in August, and I hope they give us better logs.
Amber came and helped us out at the cabin for a couple of days while we were there. What a workaholic she is! She swept out the greenhouse (ugh!) and hauled bark and painted linseed oil under the balcony and did other chores I’ve been putting off. Go, Amber. She left for Virginia on Monday, where she’s meeting up with Cathy (who’s coming home from a few weeks working in Russia) and they’re moving to Buffalo, New York, together. One thing you can say about most Ackersons, we’re adventurous!
John brought his family up to the cabin on his birthday, along with his present, a re-curve bow. (His other main present was a package of “chocolate stuff,” mostly candy bars, that Julie gave him.) Now the re-curve bow--I’m not sure what that is, either, but John says it’s great. He and Dad were shooting arrows into a target they made out of bales of hay. Would you believe–-Dad hit the bullseye several times! He said that when he was a kid, they had a target in their back yard, and he and Grandpa Ackerson used to shoot arrows for hours at a time. Who would’ve thought!
Monica’s on the road again. She called from Dodge City, Kansas, on my birthday. It was 106 there that day! She and Neil are on their way to Colorado, to do some hiking, and then to Tucson, Arizona, where Neil is starting school again. He’s going for his doctorate now.
James has a new calling: High Council! I know, it’s usually old men, but I’m sure James will be great! He’ll give good talks, at least! The only drawback is, he has to be ordained a High Priest. No more fun hanging out with the Elders.
A week ago Sunday night, I visited Grandpa and Grandma, since I hadn’t been making my usual Wednesday visits. Grandpa has replaced his exercise machine with a rocking chair. He studies Spanish by listening to the “Libro de Mormon” CD’s I gave him, and reading along in English. Ramona sits under the rocking chair, guarding him. She still likes to chase things, especially rubber bands. Grandpa was concerned when she ate one, but it didn’t seem to bother her.
Well, I’m off to Orem again. Back to my usual schedule. I love you all!
Mom
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Dear Kids,
Dad and I have finished another strenuous week at the cabin, and we nailed up a lot more siding. You can see how the cabin looks now, at ackerson.org. (Except that you can’t see the sides and the back, yet.) We had pretty good wood, except that we’re moving really slowly. When Tom and I first started the project, we were putting up 40 logs a day, but now it’s down to about 18. (10, on our worst day.) A log is 12 feet long, but usually it gets cut up in several pieces, especially when you’re working on obscure little corners, or the inside of the greenhouse, way up. It’s especially fun when you have to climb up two layers of scaffolding, and you discover your piece is cut wrong. I did some shortcuts while we were working on the front–I just climbed the stairs inside, and handed the pieces out the window to Dad. He spent most of his time balanced on a narrow plank that ran from one set of scaffolding to the other one. I heard him tell somebody that he was “30 feet up,” and he was surprised when I told him it was only 12. He said it felt like 100. At least it seems like it, when the wind rocks the plank, and you can’t find a place to hold on. As we’ve been working, I’ve heard cars slowing down as they go by our house, and at first I’d always think it was somebody turning into our driveway to visit us. Then I realized people are slowing down to look. Maybe they’re waiting for one of us to fall.
Tom and Kim are coming back to the cabin tonight, for the July 24th holiday. Tom just can’t stay away from the project. Sharon and Seth are there right now, too, and Sharon pointed out that Charlie is crawling! We’re having a barbecue tomorrow, whoever’s going to be there. At least it probably won’t be as hot as last week.
Dad and I went to my 40th high school reunion Friday night. I was surprised to see all these old people! I thought everybody would look the same as in 1965! As usual, all the “beautiful people” were congregated together. None of my friends were there, since we were all nerds, and don’t have the best memories of high school. But it was still fun. I was the only one who still knew the words to our school song, “Roar for Orem High.” A group of the “beautiful people” were trying to sing it, and I was coaching them. Some things never change. Gary Herbert, who is lieutenant governor of Utah, was there, and he brought greetings from Governor Huntsman. He was also a mover and a shaker back in high school.
Speaking of movers and shakers, Donna ran into Elder Richard G. Scott, hiking on a trail in the Tetons. She asked him what he was doing there, and he said, “Same thing you’re doing!” She was surprised to see him wearing a denim shirt. Here, she’s lived in Salt Lake all her life, and never meets a general authority until she’s hiking in the Tetons. Here’s something else that’s funny–at the Mural Room, they heard there would be a lot of Mormons coming to the lodge for church on the 24th. So they assumed everybody would come in for breakfast beforehand. They expected to be really busy! But of course, they weren’t. Donna told them, “Mormons don’t usually eat out on Sunday.” But they’ll probably forget by next year.
Dad and I have a new e-mail address: just2cats@ackerson.org. But I think we’re still getting mail at both addresses now.
I wish I had more news, but I’ve been really isolated. I love you all!
Mom
Dad and I have finished another strenuous week at the cabin, and we nailed up a lot more siding. You can see how the cabin looks now, at ackerson.org. (Except that you can’t see the sides and the back, yet.) We had pretty good wood, except that we’re moving really slowly. When Tom and I first started the project, we were putting up 40 logs a day, but now it’s down to about 18. (10, on our worst day.) A log is 12 feet long, but usually it gets cut up in several pieces, especially when you’re working on obscure little corners, or the inside of the greenhouse, way up. It’s especially fun when you have to climb up two layers of scaffolding, and you discover your piece is cut wrong. I did some shortcuts while we were working on the front–I just climbed the stairs inside, and handed the pieces out the window to Dad. He spent most of his time balanced on a narrow plank that ran from one set of scaffolding to the other one. I heard him tell somebody that he was “30 feet up,” and he was surprised when I told him it was only 12. He said it felt like 100. At least it seems like it, when the wind rocks the plank, and you can’t find a place to hold on. As we’ve been working, I’ve heard cars slowing down as they go by our house, and at first I’d always think it was somebody turning into our driveway to visit us. Then I realized people are slowing down to look. Maybe they’re waiting for one of us to fall.
Tom and Kim are coming back to the cabin tonight, for the July 24th holiday. Tom just can’t stay away from the project. Sharon and Seth are there right now, too, and Sharon pointed out that Charlie is crawling! We’re having a barbecue tomorrow, whoever’s going to be there. At least it probably won’t be as hot as last week.
Dad and I went to my 40th high school reunion Friday night. I was surprised to see all these old people! I thought everybody would look the same as in 1965! As usual, all the “beautiful people” were congregated together. None of my friends were there, since we were all nerds, and don’t have the best memories of high school. But it was still fun. I was the only one who still knew the words to our school song, “Roar for Orem High.” A group of the “beautiful people” were trying to sing it, and I was coaching them. Some things never change. Gary Herbert, who is lieutenant governor of Utah, was there, and he brought greetings from Governor Huntsman. He was also a mover and a shaker back in high school.
Speaking of movers and shakers, Donna ran into Elder Richard G. Scott, hiking on a trail in the Tetons. She asked him what he was doing there, and he said, “Same thing you’re doing!” She was surprised to see him wearing a denim shirt. Here, she’s lived in Salt Lake all her life, and never meets a general authority until she’s hiking in the Tetons. Here’s something else that’s funny–at the Mural Room, they heard there would be a lot of Mormons coming to the lodge for church on the 24th. So they assumed everybody would come in for breakfast beforehand. They expected to be really busy! But of course, they weren’t. Donna told them, “Mormons don’t usually eat out on Sunday.” But they’ll probably forget by next year.
Dad and I have a new e-mail address: just2cats@ackerson.org. But I think we’re still getting mail at both addresses now.
I wish I had more news, but I’ve been really isolated. I love you all!
Mom
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Dear Kids,
I’ve been isolated at the cabin all week, but it was lots of fun, because Tom and his family were there. We tackled the big load of log siding in the garage, and after 4 days, it was all on the cabin.
If you go to ackerson.org, click on the photo gallery, then on cabin work, and then on slideshow, you can actually watch the siding moving up the front of the cabin. Very cool. Tom did that. We put up a pretty good amount of siding on the back, and on the east side, too. Working on the east side was hard, because the old siding is completely decroded (Napoleon Dynamite’s word) and we had to chip off lots of it. Besides that, lots of the logs were curved or twisted, from sitting in the garage for more than a week. But we forced most of them into shape. It was hard, but lots of fun. Tomorrow morning, Dad and I are going to pick up a new load (but not as much this time,) and if everything goes well, we can put it up by next Thursday or Friday. I don’t know after that. We’ll have to see how much enthusiasm we still have for the project.
While I was at the cabin, I talked to Dave Matheny, and besides finding out that he really did marry his Brazilian girlfriend (Tatiani, who is an architecht and works in Park City) I found out what finally happened to the pheasant. Dave did him in. It was the same day it was attacking me, and I walked over to see if Dave had had any trouble with it. He hadn’t, and I told him if he wanted to do something to it, that would be fine with me. He said he liked to eat pheasant, but he never could bring himself to kill it. Well, later that day, it attacked Dave, and wouldn’t leave him alone. So he strangled it. He said, “It wasn’t pretty, but it needed to be done. I took care of it.” Go, Dave Matheny. He’s a great neighbor. I forgot to ask him if he ate it for dinner.
It was really hot at the cabin, like it was everywhere last week. Kim and Bentley and Emma mostly stayed inside. Kim did the dishes, fed us, and picked up after us, which was wonderful. Bentley watched “Follow Me, Boys,” about 30 times. Each time it ended, he wanted to start it over again. Tom got aggravated, but I reminded him that he used to watch “Ghostbusters” every day. He said, “Yes, but it was the only movie we had.”
The 24th of July is a week from today, but I the official holiday is the next day, Monday, the 25th. Sharon and Seth are going to be at the cabin. Nora and James, too, and hopefully Amber. Anybody else want to come for a barbecue? We won’t make you wrestle logs, unless you want to. Just bring your own meat and fixins, and maybe a salad or veggies or chips. We’ll put it all together. I hope it won’t be so hot.
Dad went to visit Grandma and Grandpa on Wednesday, in place of me, and Jane was there. Brendan had just gone into the MTC. Dad fixed Grandpa’s printer, which needed some adjusting. Grandpa reported that Ramona had killed a bird, and he gave Chuck a feather. He was surprised that she could do it, with no claws, but Chuck explained how cats can compensate. I know Xena’s killed both birds and mice, without claws. I think they learn to bite and kill, in one leap. Too bad we can’t ask them how it’s done.
I love you all! Mom
I’ve been isolated at the cabin all week, but it was lots of fun, because Tom and his family were there. We tackled the big load of log siding in the garage, and after 4 days, it was all on the cabin.
If you go to ackerson.org, click on the photo gallery, then on cabin work, and then on slideshow, you can actually watch the siding moving up the front of the cabin. Very cool. Tom did that. We put up a pretty good amount of siding on the back, and on the east side, too. Working on the east side was hard, because the old siding is completely decroded (Napoleon Dynamite’s word) and we had to chip off lots of it. Besides that, lots of the logs were curved or twisted, from sitting in the garage for more than a week. But we forced most of them into shape. It was hard, but lots of fun. Tomorrow morning, Dad and I are going to pick up a new load (but not as much this time,) and if everything goes well, we can put it up by next Thursday or Friday. I don’t know after that. We’ll have to see how much enthusiasm we still have for the project.
While I was at the cabin, I talked to Dave Matheny, and besides finding out that he really did marry his Brazilian girlfriend (Tatiani, who is an architecht and works in Park City) I found out what finally happened to the pheasant. Dave did him in. It was the same day it was attacking me, and I walked over to see if Dave had had any trouble with it. He hadn’t, and I told him if he wanted to do something to it, that would be fine with me. He said he liked to eat pheasant, but he never could bring himself to kill it. Well, later that day, it attacked Dave, and wouldn’t leave him alone. So he strangled it. He said, “It wasn’t pretty, but it needed to be done. I took care of it.” Go, Dave Matheny. He’s a great neighbor. I forgot to ask him if he ate it for dinner.
It was really hot at the cabin, like it was everywhere last week. Kim and Bentley and Emma mostly stayed inside. Kim did the dishes, fed us, and picked up after us, which was wonderful. Bentley watched “Follow Me, Boys,” about 30 times. Each time it ended, he wanted to start it over again. Tom got aggravated, but I reminded him that he used to watch “Ghostbusters” every day. He said, “Yes, but it was the only movie we had.”
The 24th of July is a week from today, but I the official holiday is the next day, Monday, the 25th. Sharon and Seth are going to be at the cabin. Nora and James, too, and hopefully Amber. Anybody else want to come for a barbecue? We won’t make you wrestle logs, unless you want to. Just bring your own meat and fixins, and maybe a salad or veggies or chips. We’ll put it all together. I hope it won’t be so hot.
Dad went to visit Grandma and Grandpa on Wednesday, in place of me, and Jane was there. Brendan had just gone into the MTC. Dad fixed Grandpa’s printer, which needed some adjusting. Grandpa reported that Ramona had killed a bird, and he gave Chuck a feather. He was surprised that she could do it, with no claws, but Chuck explained how cats can compensate. I know Xena’s killed both birds and mice, without claws. I think they learn to bite and kill, in one leap. Too bad we can’t ask them how it’s done.
I love you all! Mom
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Dear Kids,
Dad and I have had a wild week. Last Sunday morning we left home for Brigham City, with a car full of stuff to take to the cabin afterwards. We were going to Russell and Kristen’s baby blessing. Although they are now living in California, where Russell works for Intel, they were here in Utah on vacation, and Kristen’s (rich) family was here, too, so it all worked out. And Dad was on vacation, and we have church callings that don’t keep us home every Sunday, and I always like the food that Renae fixes, so we were eager to go. We had Reggie with us, too, because he had to come to the cabin with us. (Nobody at home to fill his seed cup and play with him every day.) We dropped him by Andy’s house before church, because we didn’t want him to cook in the car, and nobody was there. But we heard that Andrea came in later and was practically hysterical when she heard the sounds of a bird in the house. But it was OK when she saw that he was in his cage. (Later he got into Andrea’s hair, because it’s like Nora’s.) After Church (a very nice meeting!) I hung Reggie’s cage outside under a tree, and whenever little kids were crying, I took them over to meet him. Later I moved him into the kitchen, where he soon had about 8 kids standing around, wanting to play with him. For Reggie, it was old home week, just like Miss Nora’s preschool. He loves an audience! They played with him, and he did his tricks, and their parents were very happy to have them entertained for a couple of hours. Go, Reggie!
Sunday night Dad and I drove to the cabin, where Sharon and Seth and their friends were still hanging out. We all had fun together, and they all left Monday morning. Dad and I stayed, and Tuesday morning, our logs were delivered. The uprights for the corners looked fine. They were long timbers, 8" in diameter, and some of them were 18' long! We had also asked for some siding to be delivered, banded, and we were going to wait and cut the bands when we were ready to use it. Well, it turned out, they had no way to get the siding off their truck, except to unband it and stack it in our garage by hand. I was so mad. Who knows how bent and twisted it’s going to be when Tom and I start working with it tomorrow. But our immediate worry was getting the timbers up onto the corners of the cabin. The 8' and 9' ones were OK, but for the 18-footers, Dad had to use rope and his logging knots from Webelos, and we had to screw an eye-screw up under the eaves, and feed the rope through, to hoist up the logs. The neighbors, of course, thought we were crazy. It took all 3 days to get them done, but we did it. They look really cool. I’ve never been so tired in my life.
We came home late Thursday night, and Friday morning we left for Boise, for Carly’s wedding. It was held at the “old penitentiary,” a historic prison up in the foothills, but there are historical homes on the property, and this was the “bishop’s house.” (Not LDS, but Episcopal) We could have toured the prison and seen the gallows, but it was too late by then. Well, the wedding was practically underway. Carly looked beautiful, in a traditional dress and veil, and the groom had on a tux, and so did their bulldog. The wedding was out in the garden, and they had brought in a bagpiper to walk ahead of Carly, playing bagpipe tunes. Bruce McCarty escorted Carly, and the groom, Levi, was waiting under a flowered arch, along with the LDS bishop who was going to marry them. It was really nice! I even cried! I think this will be a great step forward for Carly, and her new husband seems like a great guy. She said no alcohol was going to be served at her wedding, which really disappointed Levi’s side of the family, but the die-hards brought their own bottles. Later, the little grandkids (Athena, Cassidy, Ryan) picked up the empties on trays, and looked like regular barmaids. But it was all good. There was lots of food, and it was delicious. What could be more fun? At least with a non-Mormon wedding, there are always going to be surprises. Grandma and Grandpa came, and Bonnie and Curt, and Mark and Heather, and of course all of Katie’s family. It was a great party.
Saturday night, after we came home, Amber dropped by. She’s quitting her job 2 weeks before she moves to Buffalo, so she’s going to spend part of that time at our cabin, helping us with the siding. Yay! She’s going to Washington to visit Theresa and her family, too, and hopefully be there for the birth of Theresa’s #7. She confirmed that Ginny is here in town, and in fact, Amber helped drive her here. Ginni’s current assignment is helping patrons with genealogy in the Joseph Smith building. Amber has been going out with a 21-year-old, who she says is really nice. She’s been attending a BYU ward–what can you expect? Anyway, she’s leaving town. (Those Ackerson girls, with their hearts of stone.)
We received a wedding announcement, addressed to the “CEU Ackersons,” from Laurie Jean Saunders and Adam David Hebdon. Anybody? Let me know if you want me to send it on to you. They’re getting married Friday, July 22, in the Ogden temple, and there’s also a reception that night in Ogden. 2 days earlier, on the 20th, there’s a picnic open house in Paradise, which is in Cache Valley, south of Hyrum. Whoever this pertains to, let me know if you need more info.
What a great family we have! I love you all!
Mom
Dad and I have had a wild week. Last Sunday morning we left home for Brigham City, with a car full of stuff to take to the cabin afterwards. We were going to Russell and Kristen’s baby blessing. Although they are now living in California, where Russell works for Intel, they were here in Utah on vacation, and Kristen’s (rich) family was here, too, so it all worked out. And Dad was on vacation, and we have church callings that don’t keep us home every Sunday, and I always like the food that Renae fixes, so we were eager to go. We had Reggie with us, too, because he had to come to the cabin with us. (Nobody at home to fill his seed cup and play with him every day.) We dropped him by Andy’s house before church, because we didn’t want him to cook in the car, and nobody was there. But we heard that Andrea came in later and was practically hysterical when she heard the sounds of a bird in the house. But it was OK when she saw that he was in his cage. (Later he got into Andrea’s hair, because it’s like Nora’s.) After Church (a very nice meeting!) I hung Reggie’s cage outside under a tree, and whenever little kids were crying, I took them over to meet him. Later I moved him into the kitchen, where he soon had about 8 kids standing around, wanting to play with him. For Reggie, it was old home week, just like Miss Nora’s preschool. He loves an audience! They played with him, and he did his tricks, and their parents were very happy to have them entertained for a couple of hours. Go, Reggie!
Sunday night Dad and I drove to the cabin, where Sharon and Seth and their friends were still hanging out. We all had fun together, and they all left Monday morning. Dad and I stayed, and Tuesday morning, our logs were delivered. The uprights for the corners looked fine. They were long timbers, 8" in diameter, and some of them were 18' long! We had also asked for some siding to be delivered, banded, and we were going to wait and cut the bands when we were ready to use it. Well, it turned out, they had no way to get the siding off their truck, except to unband it and stack it in our garage by hand. I was so mad. Who knows how bent and twisted it’s going to be when Tom and I start working with it tomorrow. But our immediate worry was getting the timbers up onto the corners of the cabin. The 8' and 9' ones were OK, but for the 18-footers, Dad had to use rope and his logging knots from Webelos, and we had to screw an eye-screw up under the eaves, and feed the rope through, to hoist up the logs. The neighbors, of course, thought we were crazy. It took all 3 days to get them done, but we did it. They look really cool. I’ve never been so tired in my life.
We came home late Thursday night, and Friday morning we left for Boise, for Carly’s wedding. It was held at the “old penitentiary,” a historic prison up in the foothills, but there are historical homes on the property, and this was the “bishop’s house.” (Not LDS, but Episcopal) We could have toured the prison and seen the gallows, but it was too late by then. Well, the wedding was practically underway. Carly looked beautiful, in a traditional dress and veil, and the groom had on a tux, and so did their bulldog. The wedding was out in the garden, and they had brought in a bagpiper to walk ahead of Carly, playing bagpipe tunes. Bruce McCarty escorted Carly, and the groom, Levi, was waiting under a flowered arch, along with the LDS bishop who was going to marry them. It was really nice! I even cried! I think this will be a great step forward for Carly, and her new husband seems like a great guy. She said no alcohol was going to be served at her wedding, which really disappointed Levi’s side of the family, but the die-hards brought their own bottles. Later, the little grandkids (Athena, Cassidy, Ryan) picked up the empties on trays, and looked like regular barmaids. But it was all good. There was lots of food, and it was delicious. What could be more fun? At least with a non-Mormon wedding, there are always going to be surprises. Grandma and Grandpa came, and Bonnie and Curt, and Mark and Heather, and of course all of Katie’s family. It was a great party.
Saturday night, after we came home, Amber dropped by. She’s quitting her job 2 weeks before she moves to Buffalo, so she’s going to spend part of that time at our cabin, helping us with the siding. Yay! She’s going to Washington to visit Theresa and her family, too, and hopefully be there for the birth of Theresa’s #7. She confirmed that Ginny is here in town, and in fact, Amber helped drive her here. Ginni’s current assignment is helping patrons with genealogy in the Joseph Smith building. Amber has been going out with a 21-year-old, who she says is really nice. She’s been attending a BYU ward–what can you expect? Anyway, she’s leaving town. (Those Ackerson girls, with their hearts of stone.)
We received a wedding announcement, addressed to the “CEU Ackersons,” from Laurie Jean Saunders and Adam David Hebdon. Anybody? Let me know if you want me to send it on to you. They’re getting married Friday, July 22, in the Ogden temple, and there’s also a reception that night in Ogden. 2 days earlier, on the 20th, there’s a picnic open house in Paradise, which is in Cache Valley, south of Hyrum. Whoever this pertains to, let me know if you need more info.
What a great family we have! I love you all!
Mom
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Dear Kids,
Well, we’re down to just two cats now. Yep. I took Ethyl on a one-way trip to the West Valley animal shelter, and I paid them their “disposal fee” to send her to kitty heaven. In return they gave me a little poem on a piece of paper, about the “Rainbow Bridge” where I’ll meet my beloved pet again. But I was crying so I just stuffed the poem in my purse. So what finally brought me to take Ethyl in? She started pooping in the shop, on the floor, and I had to clean it up every day, or the basement really stank. In fact, while Dad and I were gone on our trip to the East, she created such a big pile of poop that I had to flush it down in more than one batch. You all know how she’s been senile for a long time–well, this was the last straw. I told her where she would be going, and that it’s really great there, and that she could hang out with Scarlett. I think she was OK with it. She lived 14 years at our house, and she had a pretty good life, in spite of all her deficiencies..
Trent and Vanessa and their kids stayed here Sunday night, on their way to Spanish Fork. Trent’s grandpa Nyberg passed away on Friday, so they were going to the funeral. They had been expecting this for a while, but it was still sad. It was fun for us, though, visiting with them and seeing the kids. Sterling woke up the next morning all excited about playing with Reggie, who had probably awakened them with his screeching, but they had to get on the road. Sarah had a rash, probably from the sun or amoxicillin or her vaccinations, but she looked really cute, anyway. She likes cake! Surprise surprise. Vanessa says she just goes nuts over ice cream. Funny how that gene comes through.
Ward news: Jimmy*Simko is finally serious about a girl. Susan, his sister, who I visit teach, says this girl really keeps him in line. She makes him eat food he doesn’t like, and she makes him help clean up, when he doesn’t want to. Sounds like it might work! So, Paul, you don’t want your letters posted on ackerson.org? Why not? I think they’re funny and highly entertaining, besides being inspiring and instructive. But we’ll honor your wishes, unless you tell us differently. I’ll send you the waffle recipe, if Dad doesn’t get around to it. I hope your new missionary program is effective! I hope you and Elder Eckman aren’t just standing around the chapel, when you could be eating good dinners with members. Just kidding!
Donna thinks she now has cell phone reception at Jackson Lake–well, at least her phone beeped her last night, and today she was able to call out. If you forgot her number, because you haven’t called her in a long time, it’s 801 859 5559.
I’ll be on a different letter writing schedule in July. Usually I write on Wednesday or Thursday, but since I’ll be at the cabin all month, I’ll probably send my letter out on Saturday or Monday. You can check on ackerson.org if you’re not sure I’ve sent it. I’m looking forward to our month in the hills! Dad is going to be there the first week, and the third and the fourth. Tom and his family are going to be there for the second week, and maybe Sharon and Seth, for part of that time. I checked with the log man, and it turns out we have to put the upright logs on the corners before we can do the siding. He’s trying to get them for us, and hopefully we’ll have them delivered next Tuesday. Since Dad and I will only be there until Thursday night (Carly’s wedding is on Friday,) we’ll probably just do the uprights during that time. Then I’ll wait until the next Monday morning, when Tom is there, to cut the bands on the unit of siding, because once it’s cut, the wood has to be put up in 2 or 3 days. You need two people to do it, but a third person would really help, and it would go faster. So, if anybody wants some vacation time along with a fun work party, come to the cabin and help! Nora said she might come with her kids, probably the 3rd week. Anybody is welcome any time! I’ll pay for your gas! It will be fun! Let me know if you can come, and when!
Aren’t we all “doin’ great and lovin’ it?!!!”
Love, Mom
Well, we’re down to just two cats now. Yep. I took Ethyl on a one-way trip to the West Valley animal shelter, and I paid them their “disposal fee” to send her to kitty heaven. In return they gave me a little poem on a piece of paper, about the “Rainbow Bridge” where I’ll meet my beloved pet again. But I was crying so I just stuffed the poem in my purse. So what finally brought me to take Ethyl in? She started pooping in the shop, on the floor, and I had to clean it up every day, or the basement really stank. In fact, while Dad and I were gone on our trip to the East, she created such a big pile of poop that I had to flush it down in more than one batch. You all know how she’s been senile for a long time–well, this was the last straw. I told her where she would be going, and that it’s really great there, and that she could hang out with Scarlett. I think she was OK with it. She lived 14 years at our house, and she had a pretty good life, in spite of all her deficiencies..
Trent and Vanessa and their kids stayed here Sunday night, on their way to Spanish Fork. Trent’s grandpa Nyberg passed away on Friday, so they were going to the funeral. They had been expecting this for a while, but it was still sad. It was fun for us, though, visiting with them and seeing the kids. Sterling woke up the next morning all excited about playing with Reggie, who had probably awakened them with his screeching, but they had to get on the road. Sarah had a rash, probably from the sun or amoxicillin or her vaccinations, but she looked really cute, anyway. She likes cake! Surprise surprise. Vanessa says she just goes nuts over ice cream. Funny how that gene comes through.
Ward news: Jimmy*Simko is finally serious about a girl. Susan, his sister, who I visit teach, says this girl really keeps him in line. She makes him eat food he doesn’t like, and she makes him help clean up, when he doesn’t want to. Sounds like it might work! So, Paul, you don’t want your letters posted on ackerson.org? Why not? I think they’re funny and highly entertaining, besides being inspiring and instructive. But we’ll honor your wishes, unless you tell us differently. I’ll send you the waffle recipe, if Dad doesn’t get around to it. I hope your new missionary program is effective! I hope you and Elder Eckman aren’t just standing around the chapel, when you could be eating good dinners with members. Just kidding!
Donna thinks she now has cell phone reception at Jackson Lake–well, at least her phone beeped her last night, and today she was able to call out. If you forgot her number, because you haven’t called her in a long time, it’s 801 859 5559.
I’ll be on a different letter writing schedule in July. Usually I write on Wednesday or Thursday, but since I’ll be at the cabin all month, I’ll probably send my letter out on Saturday or Monday. You can check on ackerson.org if you’re not sure I’ve sent it. I’m looking forward to our month in the hills! Dad is going to be there the first week, and the third and the fourth. Tom and his family are going to be there for the second week, and maybe Sharon and Seth, for part of that time. I checked with the log man, and it turns out we have to put the upright logs on the corners before we can do the siding. He’s trying to get them for us, and hopefully we’ll have them delivered next Tuesday. Since Dad and I will only be there until Thursday night (Carly’s wedding is on Friday,) we’ll probably just do the uprights during that time. Then I’ll wait until the next Monday morning, when Tom is there, to cut the bands on the unit of siding, because once it’s cut, the wood has to be put up in 2 or 3 days. You need two people to do it, but a third person would really help, and it would go faster. So, if anybody wants some vacation time along with a fun work party, come to the cabin and help! Nora said she might come with her kids, probably the 3rd week. Anybody is welcome any time! I’ll pay for your gas! It will be fun! Let me know if you can come, and when!
Aren’t we all “doin’ great and lovin’ it?!!!”
Love, Mom
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Dear Kids,
If you’ve clicked on ackerson.org lately, you’ll notice a couple of changes. “Check out the new ackerson.org blog” will take you to the family letter, with the latest one on top. Tom set it up for me that way. Of course I’ll still be sending the letter to you in the mail, but if any of your old roommates want to keep up on the family news, they can click there. Or, if you don’t like so much mail in your mailbox, let me know, and I’ll save a stamp that way. Also, Tom has uploaded lots of pictures to the other link, the ackerson.org photo gallery. Then, below that on the home page, are pictures of you kids individually, with your families, and links for your own family pictures. Tom is going to give me instructions to send out to you, so you can upload your latest pictures to your own space. If you have cute pictures you want me to put in my coffee table book (when I get it caught up again), just put them on your page, and I’ll download them and print them. Wow, what fun. “Yes, I love technology . . . “ Thanks, Tom, for taking care of us.
At the cabin, the pheasant is gone. Boo hoo. I guess he died from inhaling the weed-killer fumes. At least I can work outside now. I just planted two more sections of grass, and I’ve been doing outside molding around the new windows. Dad and I are still on track to start putting up the new siding in July. We have lots of scaffolding, now. In fact, we had to put it up over the garage to do the last two new windows. At one point, dad was balancing a 24' plank over a smaller plank, the wind was blowing, and the whole set of scaffolding started to tip. I climbed down and put a better board under one of the feet. That was the closest to disaster that we’ve come so far. Maybe you all ought to pray that we don’t kill ourselves on this project.
Trent finished his football season, and they lost their last game. So few guys were there, there were only 4 on the bench at any one time. They were glad they lost, because otherwise they would have had to go back and play Wasatch again. (The ex-BYU players.) Go, Trent. He talks about retiring from football, but it isn’t happening yet.
Donna is having fun in the Tetons. She’s already had a visit from Bevan (according to Sharon) and she’s been called as Relief Society president. Dave Mickelson is there–he said after the pain of his divorce, he needed to be in the “cleansing Tetons.” He still has the phony southern accent. He and Donna went on a “Sunday stroll.” It wasn’t a hike, Donna said. According to Dave, if you don’t break a sweat, you haven’t broken the Sabbath.
Last weekend Sharon and Seth went to St. George with Holly and Tim, to see “Joseph” at Tuacahn. They borrowed our van, so they could all ride together, and in St. George, they stayed at the elagant house of Holly and Tim’s friends. Both babies were pretty well behaved. Those kinds of trips get to be impossible when more kids are involved, so that was nice they could do it now.
If you’ve been to Heber lately, you’ve noticed that John and Heather’s yard is looking really nice! The lawn is planted, and Heather has a nice raised garden. Their white fence, which caused them so many headaches, looks really good. You just have to see it all! John called the other night from Outback Steakhouse, where their family was going to have dinner, because they have a gluten-free menu!
I visited Grandma last week, and Jeanne came by in her brand new Mini-Cooper. It gets 38 miles to the gallon! She's no longer driving the big SUV, which got 12. Of course she would have to drive the Cooper about a million miles to make up the savings, but it’s pretty spiffy. My brother Mark came by, too, in his brand new 1971 Bronco. He explained that it’s sort of a cult car. The broncos made about that time are really “cool” now, he said. The owners of them stop and talk to each other. Grandpa wasn’t impressed, because to him it’s just an old jeep with lots of rust, but I could see where maybe it was cool.
Well, now I’ll print out this letter to send you all, and have the fun of uploading it, too. If I get a lot of hits, maybe I can sell advertising, and make money off my “Mom” letter. Just kidding.
Love, Mom
If you’ve clicked on ackerson.org lately, you’ll notice a couple of changes. “Check out the new ackerson.org blog” will take you to the family letter, with the latest one on top. Tom set it up for me that way. Of course I’ll still be sending the letter to you in the mail, but if any of your old roommates want to keep up on the family news, they can click there. Or, if you don’t like so much mail in your mailbox, let me know, and I’ll save a stamp that way. Also, Tom has uploaded lots of pictures to the other link, the ackerson.org photo gallery. Then, below that on the home page, are pictures of you kids individually, with your families, and links for your own family pictures. Tom is going to give me instructions to send out to you, so you can upload your latest pictures to your own space. If you have cute pictures you want me to put in my coffee table book (when I get it caught up again), just put them on your page, and I’ll download them and print them. Wow, what fun. “Yes, I love technology . . . “ Thanks, Tom, for taking care of us.
At the cabin, the pheasant is gone. Boo hoo. I guess he died from inhaling the weed-killer fumes. At least I can work outside now. I just planted two more sections of grass, and I’ve been doing outside molding around the new windows. Dad and I are still on track to start putting up the new siding in July. We have lots of scaffolding, now. In fact, we had to put it up over the garage to do the last two new windows. At one point, dad was balancing a 24' plank over a smaller plank, the wind was blowing, and the whole set of scaffolding started to tip. I climbed down and put a better board under one of the feet. That was the closest to disaster that we’ve come so far. Maybe you all ought to pray that we don’t kill ourselves on this project.
Trent finished his football season, and they lost their last game. So few guys were there, there were only 4 on the bench at any one time. They were glad they lost, because otherwise they would have had to go back and play Wasatch again. (The ex-BYU players.) Go, Trent. He talks about retiring from football, but it isn’t happening yet.
Donna is having fun in the Tetons. She’s already had a visit from Bevan (according to Sharon) and she’s been called as Relief Society president. Dave Mickelson is there–he said after the pain of his divorce, he needed to be in the “cleansing Tetons.” He still has the phony southern accent. He and Donna went on a “Sunday stroll.” It wasn’t a hike, Donna said. According to Dave, if you don’t break a sweat, you haven’t broken the Sabbath.
Last weekend Sharon and Seth went to St. George with Holly and Tim, to see “Joseph” at Tuacahn. They borrowed our van, so they could all ride together, and in St. George, they stayed at the elagant house of Holly and Tim’s friends. Both babies were pretty well behaved. Those kinds of trips get to be impossible when more kids are involved, so that was nice they could do it now.
If you’ve been to Heber lately, you’ve noticed that John and Heather’s yard is looking really nice! The lawn is planted, and Heather has a nice raised garden. Their white fence, which caused them so many headaches, looks really good. You just have to see it all! John called the other night from Outback Steakhouse, where their family was going to have dinner, because they have a gluten-free menu!
I visited Grandma last week, and Jeanne came by in her brand new Mini-Cooper. It gets 38 miles to the gallon! She's no longer driving the big SUV, which got 12. Of course she would have to drive the Cooper about a million miles to make up the savings, but it’s pretty spiffy. My brother Mark came by, too, in his brand new 1971 Bronco. He explained that it’s sort of a cult car. The broncos made about that time are really “cool” now, he said. The owners of them stop and talk to each other. Grandpa wasn’t impressed, because to him it’s just an old jeep with lots of rust, but I could see where maybe it was cool.
Well, now I’ll print out this letter to send you all, and have the fun of uploading it, too. If I get a lot of hits, maybe I can sell advertising, and make money off my “Mom” letter. Just kidding.
Love, Mom
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