Dear Kids,

Addie is flying out on Tuesday, the day after tomorrow.  Hooray!  She got her visa, so she won’t be going to Los Angeles first.  That would have been great for her, but we’re all glad she’s going directly to England (by way of Amsterdam).  Go, Addie!

And if you read Bentley’s last letter, you know he and his comp both have (or had) covid.  That’s the second time for Bentley.  Tom and Ali were tested last Tuesday, but last I heard, they hadn’t gotten any results yet.  What’s the point of testing if it takes a week to get your answer?  Poor Paige has tested positive twice in the last week or so, and has missed a lot of school.  Dad and I were there at Nora’s last Wednesday getting Dad’s hair cut.  I wandered upstairs to look at books, and noticed Paige in her bed.  I talked to her for a little bit before she mentioned she had covid, so technically I’ve been exposed.  Big Deal.  Allen probably had covid last week, and when I talked to him he was in Walgreens buying rapid test kits for his police department.  So it’s everywhere.  Donna’s right–we’re all going to have it.  Maybe more than once.  Life moves on.

Tomorrow is a Martin Luther King Day sledding party at the cabin.  Or is it Human Rights Day?  Whatever it is, Donna has the details about the sledding.  I won’t feel good enough to join in, since it’s less than a week since my last infusion.  But I’m hoping to feel good for the next two or three months, and I hope I don’t have any infusions before then.  My breathing is really good right now, so the chemo has done its work.

I’ve reserved the Francis “community building” for June 2nd, which is our (Dad and mine) 50th wedding anniversary.  We’re going to have a big party, and I’m going to order catered barbeque from Bam Bam’s.  It will be a nice long evening, since it doesn’t get dark until nearly ten o’clock.  The community building is right along the road where you turn in for the park and the rodeo grounds.  So kids can play in the park.  Oh, yeah, we have the pavilion, too.  So there’s no chance we can get pre-empted by a last-minute city council meeting.  Anyway, put it on your calendars.  If you’re reading this, you’re invited.

Sorry for the disjointed letter.  My brain is mushy from the chemo.  But I love you all!

Mom

 Dear Kids,

Jacob’s farewell is this morning at John’s church, 1365 East Center, at 9 am.  Aubrey will be speaking too.  There will be a brunch right afterwards at John’s house, and we’re also invited to crash the hot tub, if we do it reverently.  And according to John, nobody needs to bring any food, so it will be super simple.  I call that super generous.

Because of the change of venue last Sunday, John didn’t get to set off his fireworks.  So he brought them Monday night, and his family came, too:  Heather, Jacob, Sophie, Aaron, and Aubrey.  Those of us who don’t like the cold watched from the inside, upstairs.  It was nice to not worry that a fire marshal would show up.  There’s no worrying about fires with a foot of snow on the ground!

Two weeks from today will be Super Sunday, again already, at Nora’s house.  I’ll have more details next week, but we know it will be wild, fun, and crazy.

I don’t know what to do about Sonia.  She’s been pooping on the scrap of carpet in our front hall entry.  Bad kitty!  But why?  She’s never done anything like that before!  I’ve tossed her out all three times she’s done it, but she just flips her tail at me.  Scout is already an outside fellow because of his misbehavior, and I don’t really want them both to be outside cats.  I need a cat sleeping on my legs at night, to keep me warm.   Advice, anybody?  I’m getting tired of cleaning up that piece of carpet.

I’m having my fourth and last chemo infusion tomorrow, and then I’ll hopefully be chemo free for two or three months.  My breathing is really good now, so it’s done its work.  I don’t really like hauling around my pump for two days, and the chemo makes me really tired, (heck, it’s a poison!) but it’s obviously shrinking my tumors.  So I won’t complain.

Life is good.  I love your all and pray for all of you all the time.  Mom

 Dear Kids,

Happy New Year, a day or two late!  I have some fireworks I’ll be shooting off tonight, because I couldn’t stay awake Friday night.  John’s bringing fireworks too, so we’ll have quite a show.  I’m thinking about 6:30 pm or so.   Be there or be square.  It’ll be cold, so if we set them off in the street, you can watch from inside, up at the library window.  At least there won’t be any fire danger. 

And Jacob’s farewell is a week from today, (January 9) in the church on Center St. (in Heber) that you pass just as you’ve passed Timp Meadows, on the way to Timber Lakes.  I think it’s about 1350 East.  The meeting is at 9 am.  There will be a brunch/lunch at John’s house afterwards, and his hot tub will be simmering, if you don’t mind the ice and snow around it.  I’ll be huddled inside.  We had plenty of ice and snow on our drive to Centerville last weekend, and with last night’s temperature of -5, we’ve had plenty of cold.  We’re glad for all the snow, however.

My whole family is buzzing with the fact that Emmy Webb (Adrian and Jarom’s daughter) has been called to the England Manchester mission, same as Adelaide.  We’re all sure that Grandma Allen (up there) has been pulling strings.  Emmy doesn’t go until April, but I’m sure they’ll run into each other.  

My brothers and sisters got together last night at Bonnie’s house, and there’s so much news I can’t remember it all.  Morgan James is getting married June 3 to a girl named Faith from Costa Rica (I think)–she’s the one that’s a quadruplet.  Justin’s daughter Eden is engaged.  Noah Allen is getting married in April.  One more of Charley’s grandsons is biting the dust, but I’m not sure which one.  Brock?  You kids who do facebook and instagram probably know way more than I do.

Now that the holidays are over, we’ll be back to our regular Super Sunday family dinners.  January 23 will be the next one, and I think it’s Nora’s turn.  More later.

Lots of love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

Dad and I had a fantastic Christmas yesterday, and I hope you all did, too.  From what we saw driving around Heber Valley (John’s, Tom’s, and Donna’s houses) everybody got plenty of stuff.  Dad and I did, too.  Thanks for all your generosity to us.  My presents to Dad were sort of boring (tie rack, socks, bag for his tablet) but I got a rolling carry-on suitcase to take on our next sisters’ trip to Arizona.  I also got a couple of books that I read before Christmas, but I still had Dad wrap them up for me.  The best part of Christmas, though, was being with so many of you, and remembering the birth of Jesus, our redeemer.  The Christmas story never gets old.

Addie’s farewell is this morning at Nora’s church, on the corner of Main Street and 2050 North in Centerville.  Sacrament meeting starts at 9, and there’s no second meeting.  Addie will be set apart directly after, in the high council room, and  we’re all invited.  Then there will be a brunch at Nora’s house.  Of course we can inspect all their Christmas presents that might still be sitting around.  I especially want to see the hovercraft they got.  I want to try it out, too.  

Sharon’s family got over their covid in time to really enjoy Christmas.  Sharon got to take the final she missed, and she got a 90!  This has been her best semester yet.  Go, Sharon!  Who thought she would already be 3/4 finished? 

As far as I know, there isn’t going to be any regular, organized sledding party at the cabin this year.  I know we normally get together right after Christmas, but I’m having an infusion tomorrow and haven’t been in any shape to organize a party.    Donna said something about sledding on the 30th, and Nora had a sledding party with her friends already. I hope you’ll all take the chance to sled and snowshoe and enjoy the winter beauty of the cabin while you can.  We’ve had 20 good years there already, but who knows how long it will last.  Things could change quickly.  

I’m not the least bit excited about another infusion already.  My breathing is back to normal, so I’ve totally forgotten about the good effects of chemo.  Naturally I’ll go through with it, and one more after that, and then hope for two or three months of normal life again.  Thanks for all your prayers for me!

Love, Mom

 

Dear Kids,

The cousins’ gift party was sure fun last night.  Dad and I were only in on part of it, but everyone was having a blast.  I wish we could have gone ice skating with you kids.  The last time I skated with you was ten years ago, and it was really fun.  Donna said all her kids were out on skates, even Tommy.  What a family!  I mean all of us!

Sharon’s family turned out to be six for six on covid, meaning they ALL had it.  But their quarantine ends tomorrow, so they can get their lives back again.  I’m glad none of them were really seriously sick.

Christmas is practically upon us!  If any of you want to come to our house on Christmas eve, we’ll be having hot chocolate and pumpkin cookies, and watching Christmas videos.  Remember how we all used to troop to Grandma Allen’s house on Christmas eve?  It helped take the bounce and wiggle out of you kids.

On Christmas day Dad and I will drive around Heber valley and see what Santa brought to you local people.  The next day, Sunday, will be Adelaide’s farewell, so we’ll be driving to Centerville for that.  The meeting is at 9 am at Nora’s church, and there will be a brunch afterwards.  Be there or be square!  BTW, Jacob’s farewell will be at 9 am on January 9.  More on that later.  

My chemo infusion was from Monday to Wednesday, and I’ve been trying to pull out of it ever since.  I always expect too much!  At least my breathing has improved a lot, which makes it all worth it.  And the nice nurses.  (I always picture Sharon attending to the patients when I go in there.)  One nurse told me that my hair color reminded her of Strawberry Shortcake pops, which she loved when she was little.  I thanked her for the compliment.

So much going on, and so much fun!  I love you all!  Mom

 Dear Kids,

Sharon’s family has COVID!  Sharon, Seth, Matthew, and Conrad  have all tested positive, but  Charlie, and Lucy don’t have their results yet.  But they all have symptoms!  Sharon’s voice sounded gravelly when I  talked to her on the phone yesterday morning.   People in the East are very nervous about Covid, so I’m sure their quarantines will be long and miserable.  Sharon already had to miss her last ob clinical, which she was looking forward to. 

I had that vicious cold that’s going around, and now Dad has it.  He was too wretched to go anywhere yesterday, but luckily we had a 300-piece Christmas jigsaw puzzle that Sharon sent us.  We had a lot of fun working on it, mostly trading off.  (After all, you can’t both hold the box with the picture at the same time.)  When the puzzle was finished, Sonia sat on it.  She hasn’t yet started chewing it to pieces, though.  Other than that, she’s been sitting on my Messiah music.  She can always sense what’s most important to us, and that’s where she sits.  Scout is still banished to the outside, although he has his special heated condo to hang out in.  He’ll make it through the winter in plenty of comfort. 

Oh, yes, we have snow.  Lots of it.  Most of you do, too.  Finally it seems like Christmas really is coming.

So, here are the Christmas reminders:  The Messiah is at 7 tonight at Tom’s church, and there will be both a before party and an after party.  The “before” will be soup at Tom’s house at 5:30, and the “after” will be desserts.  It couldn’t be better.  

The Cousins’ Christmas party will be next Saturday, the 18th, at Nora’s house.   Ice skating will be from 12:30 to 2:30,  dinner is at  5, and presents will be at 6.  I’m sure it will be wild and crazy.

On Christmas day Dad and I will drive around Heber valley visiting your homes, and we might go all the way to Centerville.  If you kids want to have the after-Christmas sledding party on Monday, the 27th, the cabin will be open, but I’ll be in Salt Lake having an infusion.  I’m also  having an infusion tomorrow, and I’ll wear my pump until Wednesday, but life goes on.  My life, thankfully, is going on, thanks to chemo and your prayers.

Remember the missionary farewells on December 26th and January 9th.  More later.

Lots of love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

I got through my chemo OK, but I’m having a hard time pulling out of it.  My arms feel like they weigh a hundred pounds and it’s hard to type.  But I’ll put down the main things.

I don’t feel up to having Sunday visitors today, but there’s the First Presidency broadcast at 6 pm for everyone to watch.  It always makes me feel like Christmas is here.

The Cousins’ Christmas Party will be Saturday the 18th at Nora’s house.  Nora realizes there are some conflicts, but there really isn’t another day that will work.  Ice skating will be from 12:30 to 2:30 (how I wish I had enough energy to skate!) and dinner will be at 5.  Presents at 6.  Be there or be square.

The Messiah is next Sunday at 7 at Tom’s church.  I’m not sure whether there will be an after party or a before party, but I’ll put it in my letter next week.  I know I’ll feel better then, and it will be a glorious evening.  There’s nothing as wonderful as singing the Hallelujah chorus.

Jacob was endowed yesterday morning in the Provo temple, and Dad was able to go.  He said it was really nice.  They had a luncheon afterwards at Julie and Spencer’s place.

Missionary farewells: Adelaide on December 26, and Jacob on January 9.  I’ll put in the times next week.

This is as much as I can type.  I love you all!