Dear Kids, 

Happy Mothers Day to all you beautiful daughters and daughters-in-law and honorary daughters of mine!  I hope you all have a wonderful day.  I really appreciate the tremendous job you’re doing raising your families, and I can tell you there isn’t anything more satisfying you will ever do.  My greatest happiness comes from you children and grandchildren and any others I might get a chance to be a mother to.

Book club is today at 5 pm, here at our house, and we’re discussing Socks by Beverly Cleary.  I was going to make some cat-shaped cookies for dessert, but my kitty cat cookie cutter was so tiny I decided to make a BT cake instead.  I can’t even remember that last time I baked a cake.  I was inspired by Andy’s birthday this week–he said Renae made him a BT cake, and that got me going on the idea.

Next Sunday is Ben Mair’s farewell.  The meeting starts at noon at Nora’s church, and the after-party is at her house.  You can call her for a food assignment.  The Sunday after that, the 21st, is Super Sunday at Donna’s house, or wherever Donna decides to have it.  I’ll have more information in my letter next week.

The gravel-spreading cabin work party will be June 10, starting at 9am.  Bring any rakes you may have at home, because I don’t have enough.  Donna’s arranging for the gravel to be dumped (4 truckloads full!) on the driveway and parking lot, and hopefully we won’t have to be raking it too far.  Lunch will be provided by Dad and me at the Kamas Food Town deli, whatever you want to eat.  We’ll foot the bill.  If you aren’t part of the Ackerson family but you want to come and help us anyway, you’re more than welcome.  

I have one more week of feeling good before I start chemo again.  I went hiking on the Jordanelle Trail two or three times, but I was eager for a little bit more, so Dad and I drove up Highway 35 ( Wolf Creek canyon) yesterday.  We didn’t get very far.  There’s a trailhead called Nobletts at milepost 12, but beyond that the road’s still closed.  We hiked about 100 yards on the Nobletts trail until we were stopped by a snowbank and a mini lake.  Still, it was fun getting out. 

The Provo River runs alongside Highway 35, and it was fun seeing the water so high.  Hopefully our weather will stay cool so it won’t get any higher.  Our cabin neighbors who are full-time are being advised to have 3 days’ worth of food and fuel and water, in case there’s trouble with the bridge.  That rickety-looking bridge has been a worry for the last 20 years.

Luckily my life is relatively free of worry.  I love you all!  Mom

 Dear Kids,

We had the wonderful experience of going to the temple with Ben yesterday.  It was nice seeing so many of you there!  It was the Bountiful temple, and it’s been a very long time since Dad and I had been there.  John met us in the parking lot, and I was remembering back to 1995 when he and Heather were married.  So many good memories!

And Scout never did come home.  We miss him terribly.  Sonia’s getting used to being the only cat now, and I think she likes it.  Dad and I are still very sad.

A week from today is book club, here at out house, at 5 pm.  We’re reading Socks by Beverly Cleary.  I know I mention book club every week, but it’s that important to me.  And I think it’s wonderful that so many of you are reading together at home.  More and more evidence is showing that families who read together accomplish amazing things.

Two weeks from today is Ben’s farewell in Nora’s ward at noon.  The after-party will be at her house, and you can call her for a food assignment.  Ben actually starts his mission a few days before that, but since he’s not leaving town (at least not yet) his farewell can be any time.  I’m sure it will be a great event.  And then, the week after that is Super Sunday at Donna’s.  I don’t know yet if we’ll meet at her house or in a park.  Does anybody think our family gets together too often?  I don’t.  I’m just glad that so many of you live close enough that we can see each other a lot.

On Friday afternoon Dad and I drove to Lehi to visit Jana McGettigan.  She’s been fighting off her cancer for 22 years, but now it’s settled in her brain, so her time is short.  (Weeks, they told her.)  We’ve been friends for almost 30 years, and I’m going to miss her terribly, but I know where she’s going, and it will be wonderful for her.  We’re going to try to see her again in a couple of weeks, depending on how fast things move.  Ah, mortality!  Why do we have to be separated.  (Even though it’s only temporary.)

We’re planning a cabin work party some Saturday in June to spread gravel on the driveway and parking lot.  I’ll give you more details when it gets closer.  If a lot of us work together, it probably won’t take very long.  And everybody who works gets treated to lunch by us at the Kamas Food Town deli.

Summer is coming on fast.  I love it.  Mom

 Dear Kids,

Jacob is home again!  He injured his back in Alabama, helping somebody move a refrigerator, and they’ve tried the cheap and easy stuff already.  Now the Church has sent him home so John’s insurance can pay for the more expensive treatments.  Jacob has a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, and he’ll be having a MRI.  John doesn’t know if he’ll need surgery or not.  I’ll keep you posted.  

And Scout has gone missing!  We’re absolutely devastated.  He was such a fine cat, even though he was an outside fellow.  We haven’t seen him since Monday morning, so we’ve pretty well given up hope.  It’s the same time of year that Oreo went missing all those years ago, the time when foxes and other predators are out stretching their legs and looking for fresh meat.  There are also great horned owls and hawks, both with 4' wingspans.  I was down at the Rock Cliff nature center yesterday, reading how those birds prey on skunks.  If they could pick up a skunk, they could grab Scout, even though he is (or was) pretty hefty.  Anyway, we still have a tiny bit of hope that he might come back, but it isn’t looking good.

Our next family event is book club on the 14th, Mothers Day.  We’re reading Socks by Beverly Cleary.  I’ll be in charge of the discussion, and I already have some good questions ready.  Here’s a preview question: “When Socks was being sold, how much did the kittens cost?”

There, now everybody will know the answer to at least one question.  

Then, the Sunday after that, May 21, will be Ben’s farewell.  I think the meeting starts at noon.  I’ll have more information when it gets closer.  The afterparty will be at Nora’s, of course.  We’ve sure been meeting there are lot lately!  What a great party house Nora has!  By the way, for those of you who missed seeing Vanessa’s pictures of Nepal, it was quite a show!  I have lots of admiration for Vanessa and her toughness, being able to hike at 17,000 feet.  I asked her if she would consider going back there, and she said she might.  Go, Vanessa!

One more event for May will be Super Sunday on May 28 at Donna’s.  (We’re skipping today because of the get-together last week.)  When it gets closer Donna can tell us where we’re going to meet.  It should be nice weather by then.  Maybe we can go back to that great park in Midway where we’ve met before.  

So many events!  So much fun!  I love you all!  Mom

 Dear Kids,

Congratulations to Sarah for her call to the Santiago Chile North mission!  She will be leaving September 4.  We’re really excited for her and know that she will have a wonderful experience.  Sterling will definitely be coming home July 17, so their family will be together for a little while, at least.

We’re looking forward to the get-together at Nora’s this afternoon at 2:30.  It looks like it has turned into a Super Sunday, so Donna will be in charge the last Sunday of May.  Anyway, Vanessa will be showing her scenes from Tibet on Nora’s big screen downstairs, and she’ll narrate a travelogue too.  We’ll all wish we could go to Nepal!  Vanessa told me she has wanted to go ever since cousin Marla used to talk about hiking in the Himalayas with her Sherpa guides. We’ll probably see pictures of Vanessa’s Sherpa guides.  Anyway, be there or be square, today at 2:30.

Another change is that Ben’s farewell has been changed from May 14 to May 21.  That way it won’t fall on Mothers Day.  So that means we’ll be having book club on the 14th.  We’re reading Socks by Beverly Cleary, and it’s short and fun.  I’ve read it a couple of time already, but I’ll be going through it one more time to find some good questions to ask.  Naturally I’ll be throwing out some kind of candy–something connected with cats.  Our book clubs have sure been fun!  We all enjoyed Donna’s Navajo fry bread last week.  Our kitchen smelled like a hogan for a couple of days after that.

Our snow has nearly all melted.  Most days are pretty cold, and it snows now and then, but not the kind that sticks on the ground.  The cats are enjoying the taste of spring and they feel adventurous.  Scout has been out scouting for mice, and Sonia is hoping to find some small grasshoppers, but she’ll have to wait a while.  Meanwhile, she takes care of the spiders and flies that get into the house.  

I hope to see most of you this afternoon!  Lots of love, Mom

Dear Kids,

Bentley is engaged!  His fiance’s  name is Cambree McBride and he met her in his mission.  (He said she was a really good missionary.)  The wedding is scheduled for August 10, 2pm, in the Provo City Center temple.  I assume there’s room for everybody, since I haven’t heard different, but I’ll add more details when it gets closer.  Anyway, we’re really happy for Bentley and Cambree.

Book club is this afternoon at 5pm at our house, and we’re talking about “The Indian in the Cupboard.”  It should be fun.  Our book for May will be “Socks” by Beverly Cleary, which is my all-time favorite cat story.  By the way, Beverly Clearly just recently died.  She was almost 105.

Super Sunday will be in two weeks, on April 30.  Donna is in charge, and I’ll let you know the location in my letter next week.

Ben’s missionary farewell will be on May 14, Mothers Day, in Nora’s ward at noon.  He’s serving in the Layton Utah Mission as a service missionary.  He’ll be doing various service projects and going on splits with the missionaries.  He gets his own car, and his missionary tags came in the mail, so he’s pretty excited.  Go, Ben!  And because of the farewell, Our book club for May will be pushed back to May 21. 

If any of you local people are worried about flooding, John has plenty of sandbags on hand.  Between the trailer and the truck, he has about 100.  He did four earlier loads around town.  Heber is going to be making a Main Street river for when the mountain snow melts.  When we drove through there yesterday, I noticed pallets of sandbags in front of each house along Center.  Some of you older kids remember the State Street River through Salt Lake in 1983.  It was pretty exciting.  Hopefully this will work out well for Heber.  Most of our local snow is gone now, but the mountain snow hasn’t even started melting.  They’re hoping to be ready for that.

So much going on!  There’s no stopping the excitement.  Love, Mom 

 Dear Kids,

Happy Easter, everyone!  This is certainly the most important holiday for Christians across the world.  Nothing ever happened that was more important than the atonement, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I’ve always known that, but the older I get, the more important it gets. The eggs and bunnies and new clothes are fun, but Jesus is at the center of it all.

We’ll be celebrating at Nora’s this afternoon.  We’ll start at 3 pm.  Nora’s family has been in California all week, so she’s really brave to be taking this on.  Thanks, Nora!  I called her yesterday morning while they were on the road, somewhere near Barstow, and she said it’s all taken care of.  Allen bought the ham and put it in her refrigerator.  Tom and Kim are doing the cheesy potatoes.  Donna’s bringing dessert.  Everybody’s bringing Easter candy, and the older girls will play Easter bunny in the park across the street.

There was one day last week, Tuesday, I think, where nearly everybody was off somewhere for spring break.  Vanessa was in Katmandu.  Nora’s family was in California.  Tom and Kim were in St. George, and Donna’s family was driving home from Zions.  Sharon’s family was in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where none of them had been before.  I’m sure some of the rest of you were traveling, too, except for John’s family.  They all stayed home, according to John, to save up for their new roof.  (I’m pretty sure that decision wasn’t made by a majority vote.)  Dad and I, of course, were at home.  Our big excitement was having our new dryer delivered on Wednesday.  We had to pay nearly double to get the kind of lint trap I wanted, but it would have bugged me nearly every day to have that kind where you have to pull out the trap.  Anyway, I’m really thrilled to have a dryer that works and doesn’t make strange noises.  

Book club will be next Sunday, here at our house, at 5 pm.  I hope you’re most of the way through The Indian in the Cupboard.  It’s one of my all-time favorite books, and I’m planning to read it one more time this week.  I love that Indian.  He has a ton of attitude.

Super Sunday will be April 30.  Donna’s in charge, and I’m not sure where we’ll have it.  I’ll let you know when it gets closer.

There’s no stoppin’ the fun!  I love you all!  Mom

 Dear Kids,

I hope you’re all enjoying conference weekend.  Dad and I missed the morning session yesterday because we had to drive to R.C. Willey to buy a new dryer, but we enjoyed the afternoon and evening talks.  We’re looking forward to today, to more of the same.  

Next week is Easter, and Nora will be hosting the picnic and Easter egg hunt starting at 3 pm at their house.  Contact Nora for a food assignment.  She and her family are in California right now.  Dad likes to look up the locations of you kids with I-phones, and he discovered that Vanessa is in Katmandu.  7,000 miles away.  Now that’s a vacation!

Two weeks from today will be book club, and we’re reading The Indian in the Cupboard. I finished it a couple of days ago, and it’s really fun.  It’s the thirteenth book we’ve read since we started.  I’m really impressed that we’re still at it!  Go, Ackersons, especially the grandchildren!

Dad and Donna had fun filling sand bags this week.  The sand and the bags are free, supplied by the county, so you just have to fill them yourself and haul them away.  The bags are at the cabin now, (31 of them–they’ll need 40 more) and as soon as the snow gets down far enough, they’ll put them around the south and east sides to curb the surface runoff.  The cabin is built on a drainage, so there will be lots of water anyway, but hopefully this will help.

Bonnie, Jane, and Andy came to visit us last Tuesday.  They were surprised we still have so much snow.  We had fun talking, and they liked my pumpkin cookies.  Both our kitties disappeared during their visit, probably scared off by Andy’s voice, which is low and loud. And both cats showed up right after they left.  Scout missed getting petted by Jane, because of his cowardice, but they’re cats!  They do what they want to.

Love to all of you, Mom