Dear Kids,
      Nora and Vanessa are both having boys! And both of their due dates have been moved up a week. Meanwhile, Donna is hoping they don’t move up her due date. She’s due the day after the BYU-Utah game, and she wants to have football completely over with when the baby comes. This should be interesting!
      Vanessa and Trent have moved into the new house, but as of Sunday night, they still hadn’t closed on it. Vanessa said, “We’re squatters.” I’m sure it will all work out all right. They’re glad to have a big flat yard where the kids can run around without falling off the cliff, and a level street where they can ride their bikes. Vanessa still doesn’t know when Sterling’s baptism will be. I’m sure they’ll let us all know in plenty of time.
      Oreo is still seeing his magpie, but when he notices me watching, he walks back to the house with lots of dignity. The magpie has no dignity at all, and screeches at him all the time. After all, what’s a mate for?
      The McGettigans advertised the ducks on KSL.com and gave them away that same night, to a woman who said she had a farm. Who would believe it? I thought it was strange when Seth’s dad sold his herd of cows online.
      Life is busy, and I love you all! Mom

Dear Kids,
      It seems like I’ve been obsessed with birds lately: baby ducks along the river, sandhill cranes, Reggie (cry, cry), magpies . . . my life is filled with birds. And so it continues. Monday night we were escorting the McGettigans home from a bike ride (they don’t have lights on their bikes, and it had gotten dark) and a lady walked by us with a box full of little brown baby ducks. I thought they were hers, and she was gathering them up, but it turns out she was dumping them! A wild duck had hatched them, and then abandoned her brood. The lady dumped them in Halling’s yard (Jennifer Longhurst and Micah) and she said the neighborhood cats would take care of them. The ducklings started to scatter over the neighborhood, so Kara and Sam and I gathered them up. (One had already been mutilated by a cat, awful sight!) Glen McGettigan, who seems to hate all animals, said they definitely weren’t going to stay at his house, but Jana was all sympathy and found them a box. I suggested that when they got a little bigger we could take them to the Jordan River and let them go. I don’t know if they’re river ducks or not, but who could abandon them to the wicked neighborhood cats? (who were scowling at Dad and me as we rode away on our bikes.)
      I called Vanessa and left her a message because we want to know: (1) Is she having a boy or a girl? (2) Are they living in a house or a motel now? and (3) When is Sterling being baptized? So far, I haven’t heard anything. Vanessa, are you out there? Please communicate with us! We want to know!
      Fathers Day is this coming Sunday, and if you don’t have a present for Dad, and you want to go in on something, I’m collecting money for an air compressor and nail gun to give him. Sure, we already have both of the above at the cabin, but they’re never here at our house when we need them. I know it’s not a very exciting present (unless you’ve discovered how exciting and fun a nail gun can be) but if you want to go in on it, let me know, and I’ll put your name on the card.
      Sunday dinner was a blast. Thanks to all of you who came! The food turned out exactly right (meaning there was enough for everybody, but hardly a crumb left over) and there was no stopping the fun.
      I love you all! Mom

Dear Kids,
      I knew there would be another chapter to the story of Oreo and the magpie, but I didn’t know it would be so strange. The widowed magpie has selected Oreo as his new mate (because he’s black and white, of course), and as the British would say, they’re “walking out together.” Sometimes Oreo walks ahead, with the magpie following, screeching, and sometimes Oreo follows the magpie, who is always still screeching. Sometimes Oreo stops to roll in the dirt, and the magpie watches him, screeching, of course. It’s a very noisy business. Dad has offered to “take care of” the magpie, but what would Oreo do for fun? What would I do for entertainment? I’m completely fascinated, watching this odd pair.
      At the cabin, however, nobody has any sympathy for the magpies. Bevan has already collected two bounty payments. (It’s still $5.00 per bird, if you can show me the carcass.)
      More excitement at the cabin: the spring flooding has threatened the bridge, and the whole area by the gate is under water. Donna has some great pictures on her blog. Two years ago, when the water was high, there were news trucks from a couple of the television stations there. Now the danger is much worse, but the news people are down in Sandy and Murray, taking pictures of Little Cottonwood Creek. There have been some wild thunderstorms that have added to the water flow, but luckily it was a little cooler yesterday, and the snowmelt has slowed down. I wish I were at the cabin, so I could have the fun of watching the river. But then, of course, I wouldn’t be watching Oreo and the magpie.
      I’ll be cooking Sunday Dinner this coming Sunday, the 13th. We’ll be eating at 5:00 pm. Let me know if you’re going to be there!
      Lots of love, Mom

Dear Kids,
      38 years ago today, Dad and I were married in the Provo temple. For our anniversary, we’re going to climb Ensign Peak tonight, when I finish teaching my piano lessons. With Dad’s birthday, our anniversary, and Fathers Day all within three weeks of each other, we have lots of celebrating to do.
      Dad’s birthday present, which I mentioned in my last letter, was a great success. The two magpies were getting bolder and bolder, and Oreo was looking more and more ragged. Saturday night, he was running along the top of the fence, with the magpies chasing him and pecking his tail. He hopped down and gazed at us, saying “Can’t you do something?” We did. Sunday morning I put out the cat food and left the patio door wide open. Dad crouched down by the refrigerator with his new birthday present. Those bold magpies hopped down to eat the cat food, turning their big bellies broadside to Dad’s sights. He plugged one of them, and it fell over dead. He tried to get the other one, but he couldn’t reload fast enough. All this time, Oreo was hiding in the basement. But when the gunfire was over, he strode out proud as he could be. I carried the magpie carcass out beyond the tower, with Oreo following me, his ears up and his tail up. We threw it in the dirt, as a warning to other magpies. End of story? Not quite. Later I heard more squawking, and I saw Oreo out in the dirt, tossing around the carcass, batting it with his paws, and rolling in the dirt, while the mate screeched at him from the top of the fence. Now other magpies have come around, and Oreo openly taunts them while they squawk at him. I’m sure there will be another chapter to this story.
      We had a great Memorial Day weekend. When Dad and I got to the cabin Sunday night, every bed was taken, so we had an opportunity to sleep in the agricultural shed. The “shelves” were very comfortable. The next day we had a great barbecue. Thanks to everyone who planned it!
      I’ll be cooking Sunday dinner again on June 13th, and we’ll eat at 5:00 pm. Let me know if you’re coming.
      Lots of Love, Mom

Dear Kids,
      Most of you have heard about Reggie’s sad death on Friday. He was fifteen years old, after all, and I had been dreading it for a long time. But I hoped he might live forever! Love birds are related to parrots, and they can live a hundred years! So I had high hopes for Reggie. But about noon on Friday, he started tucking his head down in his nesting cup, so I knew he was dying. I brought his cage upstairs to the kitchen so I could watch over him, and pretty soon he got that filmy look over his eyes. Later, in the evening, I took him out of his cage and held him on my chest, while I talked to him. (Yes, I even said, “Go towards the light, Reggie.”) Dad and I watched a couple of movies, and then we had to go to bed, so I put Reggie back in his cage (which I had thoroughly cleaned–I didn’t want him to die in a dirty cage. ) I put the cage down by the side of our bed, because otherwise I would have been getting up all night long to see how he was doing. He climbed up to the top of the cage and sat on the edge of his nesting cup, with his head against his beloved bell. About eleven, when I was half asleep, I heard him fall, but I didn’t look. At one thirty I woke up and shined my flashlight on the cage, and he was splayed out on the bottom, with his eyes open, not moving. I got up and found him a coffin, and I took the empty cage out to the trash–it was totally beat up, anyway.
      Saturday we had a funeral and buried him under the apricot tree. I played “Taps” on the accordion. Since then, we’re getting used to not having a bird. When I walk past the spot where his cage used to be, I reach up to tap on the wires, and there’s nothing there. Dad says we need to get another bird, but I’m not ready for that yet.
      Yesterday I went for a long bike ride along the Jordan River. The weather was beautiful, after out snowstorm the day before. I saw a mother duck with nine babies. It reminded me of when you kids were little.
      Two very aggressive magpies have taken up residence in our cherry tree. They chase our cats and peck them, and they eat the catfood that I put outside. Tomorrow is Dad’s birthday, and I’m getting him a new pellet gun.
      Humm, everything I wrote today is about birds. Looks like I need to move ahead with my life.
      Lots of love, Mom

Dear Kids,
      In all the worry we’ve had about Jacob and Missy, I never did mention how delighted we are to have three new grandbabies on the way. If you haven’t heard the details: Vanessa the middle of October, Nora the middle of November, and Donna the day after Thanksgiving. I would be more specific about the dates, but I’m embarrassed to say I can’t remember them exactly. Hey, I already need a chart to remember the 41 birthdays in the family. But it’s great to have new grandchildren on the way. When Dad and I were in a young marrieds’ ward at BYU, they sent around a sign-up sheet in Relief Society for new babies, so the Relief Society could plan to help. When I wrote my name on the list, I used to call out, “I think I’ll sign up to have a baby! Anybody else?” So, even though I’m long past that stage, “Anybody else?”
      I spent part of Friday at Al and Missy’s, and Missy seems to be doing a little better. We were happy to see her at Carson’s game Friday evening. She was sitting down the whole time, of course, but she was cheerful. Carson did great, too, by the way. He plays first base, and he made at least two superb catches.
      Jacob is doing better, too. He’s going places with the family now, and is getting on a more normal schedule. We keep praying for both Jacob and Missy.
      Dad and I spent last Friday night and Saturday at the cabin, and it looks as green as Ireland, as Donna said. May and June are always beautiful there! A couple of sandhill cranes have been hanging around, hopefully looking for a nesting place. If you haven’t seen them, they’re gigantic, with an 8-foot wingspan. Even when they’re way overhead, you can hear their “blurrp blurrp” call. We watched them catch an updraft and circle around, higher and higher, like John in a glider. When they got high enough, they sailed over the mountain towards Heber.
      I haven’t called Paul yet this week, but we presume he’s doing OK in Georgia. Paul, how about putting updates on facebook so we’ll all know how you’re doing? Just a line or two would be fine.
      What a family! I love you all! Mom

Dear Kids,
      I’ve kept putting off writing my weekly letter, hoping for good news about either Missy or Jacob. And now things are looking better for Jacob! As of Thursday, his MRI had come back “clean,” meaning no brain tumor, but what was causing his “episodes?” To keep him conscious, John had bought him a mini-nintendo, and he played it for 12 hours straight on Thursday, while I sat beside him, making sure he didn’t drift off. It worked fine. Friday he had more new games, but it was getting harder for him to stay conscious. A sleep study was scheduled, but it was 2 weeks away, and meanwhile John and Heather were going crazy. If the sleep study didn’t isolate the problem, the next step was trying different drugs, so John persuaded their pediatrician to start directly on the drugs. Adderol was the first try, (related to ritlyn,) and it seems to be doing something, at least. Jacob is still having “episodes,” but he has also had some good times in between. It might just be a matter of finding the right dosage of the right medication. We’re so hoping that it might be resolved soon!
      And Missy? I just checked her blog, and it sounds like she’s still having plenty of trouble with her infection, or whatever it is. I think the hardest thing of all is not knowing exactly what’s wrong. We’ll keep praying for both Jacob and Missy. If anybody else has anything weird going on, let us know, so we can pray for you, too!
      So much else has happened, but it all seems like a long time ago. Like Addie’s baptism a week ago today–it was so wonderful! Addie looked just like Nora did, when she was baptized. It was great seeing so many of you there. Especially Sharon. Oh, yeah, Sharon was here for four days, with Lucy. That was a treat! Tuesday Sharon and I went to Matt Allen’s marriage in the Salt Lake Temple, and it was beautiful, like they always are. We were surprised that Elder Holland performed the marriage, but he gave a fantastic talk. Of course.
      What else? Oh, yeah, Paul left for Georgia (or is it Alabama) on Thursday, after a send-off party at Tom and Kim’s Wednesday night. The drive only took him two days. We’ll probably hear from him tonight or tomorrow.
      Sunday dinner last week was fun, too. Charles and Julie came, with their kids, Sammy and Lillian. We had a great time visiting with them, and the rest of you who were here. The kids even picked up the toys before they went home! (Or was it their parents?)
      What a fine family we have! Lots of love, Mom