Dear Kids,
      Vanessa just called with the good news that Macy Marilyn Sutton was born at 1:30 this morning. She weighs 9 lbs. 8 oz. and is 21" long, or maybe longer, Vanessa says. In looks, she’s a cross between Sarah and Sterling (looks nothing like Meg). Vanessa’s labor and delivery went fast. It’s always a miracle when a new baby is born, and when it’s Grandchild #20, it’s fabulous. The baby blessing will probably be the last Sunday in March, or the 2nd Sunday in April. We’ll keep you posted. Vanessa and Trent are on the 11:00-2:00 schedule, so it’s possible to drive to Pocatello that morning. I think Grandma and Grandpa Allen might come. (Especially since the baby has Grandma’s name.)
      I’ve been hooked on internet chess for several weeks now, and I think I’ve gotten Bevan hooked, too. Last night I saw he was playing online, so I sent him a challenge, and the first game, he wiped me off the board. So I resigned and asked for a rematch. By then, my Cuban chess pal had noticed I was on, so he was watching our game and giving me advice in the chat window. His English is lousy, but he basically said to slow down and watch what I was doing. It worked. I won the second game. By the way, Bevan is incredibly good, considering he just recently got hooked. Anybody else want to sign up? I can tell you how.
      We’re having spring weather this week! It probably won’t last, and I’m hoping to do some more good snowboarding, but it’s sure nice right now, having sunshine and warmer temperatures. I took my bike out of the shed yesterday and rode it visiting teaching. I hope to ride it to the library today. Yay, summer! Yay, winter! I can’t decide which one I like best.
      Our next Sunday dinner will be March 9th. We’ll eat about 4:30, like always. Be there or be square.
      Love, Mom

Dear Kids,
      We haven’t had any word from Vanessa about their new baby, so I assume she hasn’t been born yet. We’re looking forward to her arrival, and hope everything goes well!
      I visited Grandma and Grandpa at the Seville today, and we had lots of fun. I took Grandma to University Mall to get a box of Sees candy, because she had a coupon from Christmas to redeem. The nice lady there gave us each a free truffle! (Why doesn’t that happen at Valley Fair Mall?) I showed Grandpa how to play internet chess, and swapped out jigsaw puzzles with them. They’re talking about moving back to their house, which isn’t as crazy as it sounds at first. Grandma wants more elbow room, and says she can’t see herself living at the Seville for the rest of her life. Nobody has made them a decent offer on their house yet, and they’re still making mortgage payments, condo fees, and utility payments. So, it might be a pretty good idea.
      Last Friday I had a great time snowboarding with Tom and Kim at Brighton. You’d never believe it was only Kim’s second time on a snowboard! She was doing 360's down the hill. You can see all three of us on video, on Tom and Kim’s blog. When I first watched the video of myself, I thought I looked pretty good, until I watched the video of Tom. I thought, “Compared to him, I look like a grandma on a snowboard.” Then I realized, “Hey, I AM a grandma on a snowboard.” I’m making gradual progress, though. Maybe half of one percent each time I go. At that rate, I’ll be pretty good after 200 snowboarding trips. When I’m 97.
      Paul has officially purchased the Mercury Sable, and he’ll be driving it to Jacksonville, Florida, as soon as school it out. He pointed out that it’s a “win win” for everybody. Richard has the money for the car. Dad doesn’t have to go through the hassle of selling it. Paul has a car. And, I might add, Matt (who mostly drove it before his mission) is also happy about it. His missionary letter this week was entitled, “The magic of the Sable blesses all.” The letter itself was all about their investigators, except at the end, where he wrote “I have no doubt that the Sable will bring magic into Paul’s life.” So, Paul, we’ll be watching for the magic. You know, Sharon and Seth have the same car. So you’ve got room for a wife and two kids with their car seats.
      Life is fun! I love you all. Mom

Dear Kids,
      I’m still shoveling snow every day, and lovin’ it. We had eight or ten inches last night, maybe more–it was hard to tell because the wind was whipping it around like a hurricane. The roads were so bad, Dad didn’t get home from work until after nine, and he said it was the worst night he’d had in 32 years of bus driving. The snow buried the cats’ food dish, and it even imprisoned them down in the kitty room, until Rat Cat pushed his way out. But I’m lovin’ it. Tomorrow I’m going snowboarding with Tom and Kim, if they can dig their way out from the cabin. On Tuesday I went to Brighton with Dad. We had beautiful weather, hardly anybody on the hills, and lots of room to do our thing. Dad is getting better all the time.
      Last Saturday morning Nora and I went to a bridal shower for Mark’s wife, Kate. Bonnie planned it, and Grandma hosted it, at the Seville, on the balcony over the dining room. Of course we had to ask Kate every question we could think of. (Well, almost every question.) Like, how did she meet up with Mark in cyberspace? She said she used to troll the different LDS sites, looking for guys. When she found a profile she liked, she joined up, and then cancelled later. When she saw Mark’s profile, she was really impressed. After she e-mailed him and got his name, she googled him and found out about all his academic achievements, like lecturing in Spain, in Spanish. She even found out about the Bad Yodelers. She had a feeling it was right, even before she met him. He had the same feeling. When they finally met in person, he proposed less than two hours later. He even got down on one knee. She happened to have her birth certificate with her, so there was no reason they couldn’t get married. Now let’s hope it isn’t “Marry in haste, repent at leisure.” Probably not. If they’re both crazy enough to get married so fast, they’re probably right for each other. The rest of us all really like her. She’s very easy to talk to, and lots of fun.
      You all remember the Spudman Triathalon (well, maybe you don’t) that Vanessa ran last summer (yes, when she was pregnant). She signed up for it again this year, and so did Monica. It’s hard to get into–I think they filled up about 20 minutes after it opened, something like that. Anyway, it’s in Burley, Idaho, on the Saturday before our family reunion, so at least Dad and I will be driving to Idaho a couple of days early. I want to see them swim in the Boise River! It’s the world’s fastest swim course. They run, too, and ride bikes. Should be fun. To watch, that is.
      Richard’s car is still sitting in our driveway. Everytime Dad gets ready to list it on KSL.com, he realizes he wants a picture of it, and it’s covered in at least a foot of snow. But here’s a new development–now Paul wants to buy it! He’s going to Jacksonville, Florida, for the summer, with some guys he knows, to install security systems. He said they make lots of money–more than enough to pay for the car and the gas, and they get free rent if they do enough work. It’s a company based in Provo, and lots of kids have done it. Go, Paul!
      I love you all! Mom

Dear Kids,
      I still shovel snow every day. Some people think we’ve had enough, but I don’t agree. Dad and I have plans for snowboarding tomorrow night, and again on Tuesday, and a week from tomorrow, when we’re going with Tom and Kim. We’ve gotta enjoy it while it’s here.
      This Sunday, the 10th, I’m fixing Sunday dinner. We’ll be eating at 4:30. If you want to come, let me know.
      On Tuesday I had the great fun of helping people vote at Granger High. The machines worked fine, so mainly I showed people where to put their voting cards in. It was a long day! We got there at 6:00 in the morning, and finished about 9:00 at night. But lots of familiar old-timers came in, so it never got boring. Teddy Ireland was the receiving judge, and Sharon Bullock was the poll manager, (from 16th ward, wife of Mr. Bullock, the math teacher), and between the three of us, we knew almost everybody. But the kids in the halls were something else! Very multi-ethnic! I think Granger High is only about 10% caucasian now. They still act like ordinary teenagers, though. Hey, we got to eat school lunch! Mr. Cox gave us all tickets. There wasn’t anything with beef in it, because there’s been a cow-slaughtering scandal (tainted meat sent to schools for lunches), so they had vegetarian pizza and chicken. I just got a salad, and the rest of the day I ate the candy one of our workers had brought for the voters. It’s fun to participate in the democratic process!
     It was fun having Vanessa and Trent and their kids drop by Saturday afternoon, on their way to the cousins’ party at Laurie’s house. What cute kids all of you have! I can’t believe we almost have 20 grandkids.
      This morning I visited Grandma and Grandpa at the Seville. I showed them all the new pictures on you kids’ blogs, and then we read over some family history. I sorted their DVD’s, we went to lunch downstairs, and then we started a jigsaw puzzle. Grandpa was going over his home teaching list, but he doesn’t have a partner right now. His former partner, who was 95, had an accident on the interstate. He was driving north in the center lane, and decided to make a left turn. He crashed into a couple of other cars, and then a truck hit him. Sadly, he didn’t survive. Luckily he was the only fatality. But now there’s one less man living at the Seville. They’re always short on men! Grandpa is already serving as a counselor in the High Priests’ Group.
      I can't think of any other news. Hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it! Mom

Dear Kids,
      It’s been one snowstorm after another. Isn’t it great? I go out and shovel every day. Barry’s out there with his snow blower, but I think a plain old shovel is faster. That is, if you’ve got cement underneath. The gang at the cabin is using the snow blower, I presume. And they’re burning lots of wood, to keep warm. They’ve gone through that gigantic wood pile in record time. They’re even talking about going to Blazzard lumber for slabs. Meanwhile, here at the house, our cats are getting friendlier. (You know, “the deeper the snow, the friendlier the cat.”) Rat Cat came running in last night and hid himself, and then later he showed up on our bed. He even purred and made starfish paws, so we wouldn’t throw him out.
      The birds are having it rough, too. There’s a big gang of blackbirds that swoops down every day and picks off any cat foot in the pan. I put out some seeds for them, but they ignored them. Now what kind of bird wants cat food? Probably some mutants. Maybe that’s why Rat Cat was so eager to get inside. He’s always been a coward.
      I did the food for Jody Barfuss’s wedding last Saturday, which they held at Arbor Manor, a reception center on 4700 South, behind Marie Callenders. Dad came along to help, and Nora, too, and also Ellen Fulton and Janae Wilken and Renae Reeves from our ward. It was lots of fun. After a while we were way ahead with the sandwiches and cheese skewers, so we sat at a table and visited with people. All the old-timers came back: the Simpsons and the Andersons and the Pistoriuses. It was great fun. Larry and Carolyn Bunkall sat at our table for a while, and of course I can’t write anything sensitive, but Larry picked up a brochure from the lady who runs the reception center. Now what could that mean? A wedding coming up in our favorite family, the Bunkalls? I’ll keep you posted.
      I signed up to be an election worker on Super Tuesday next week. They were so hard up for people, they made me a Techie. I’m supposed to be the one who trouble-shoots the voting machines. There’s phone support, so I’m not too worried. I’ve been to two training sessions already. But there’s something odd about the guys who run those sessions. They can’t stand me! I don’t know what their problem is, but when I start asking reasonable questions, they glare at me. Like they think I’ll just get up and leave, because they don’t like me. I glare back. Our tax money is paying their salaries. Like the garbage men. They don’t have to like us. Anyway, I think the election on Tuesday is going to be lots of fun. I’m sure Utah will go for Romney, even if nobody else does.
      The next time I fix Sunday dinner will be February 10th. Our last one was such a blast! Of course having Sharon and Seth there added a lot. Too bad things have quieted down now.
      I love you all! Mom

Dear Kids,
      Sunday night, Dad and I went to a party for my brothers and sisters at Bonnie’s house, and as we were walking up the front steps, I looked in the side window and saw Mark with Heather, his ex-wife. Only it wasn’t Heather, I saw, as we came in, but a girl who looked a lot like her. They were going over the family list and deciding what number she would be. I said, “You mean you’re engaged?!!” They were. They had been talking on the internet, but just met in person on Thursday. On Saturday they were engaged. She’s a graduate student at USU in psychology and family science, and her name’s Kate Sorensen. Or, I should say, her name used to be Kate Sorensen. Because now they’re married. That happened on Tuesday. I saw Mark at Grandma and Grandpa’s today, and he filled in some details. He said that in the five days before their marriage, they spent 123 hours talking to each other, which was the equivalent of 41 three-hour dates. So now she’s Kate Allen, and she’s #176 in the family. Mark said she fixed him breakfast this morning, which is the only time he’s ever had a wife fix him breakfast. Now Kate’s back in Logan, and Mark was back doing jigsaw puzzles at Grandma and Grandpa’s. They’ll have a commuter marriage until May, when she’s done with school. Can you believe all this?
      Now, on to something more serious. You’ve probably all heard rumors about Monica having M.S. She recently had a lot more tests, including a new MRI and a blood test, and it’s pretty positive. They compared her new MRI with the one she had in 2004, when she was here in Utah, and there are new lesions on her brain. Her vision test showed symptoms of M.S., too. Remember when she moved into the cabin, and she woke up one morning with double vision? John checked her eyes then, and discovered a certain kind of palsy (of course I don’t remember the name) that is usually associated with M.S. The news isn’t all bad, of course. There’s a lot they can do now to slow it down, and there’s a Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, and a good neurology clinic, too. I know we’ll all be remembering Monica in our prayers. I’m glad she finally knows what she’s dealing with. You can face almost anything, when you know what it is.
      If you look on our web site, scroll down to Paul, and click under his name, there are two new pictures, one of him standing inside his igloo, and one outside. They built it on the quad outside their apartment, and Paul has slept in it for at least three nights. He said the newspaper came and took pictures of it, I guess for an article about how much snow they’ve had, but when the article came out, there was a picture of a snowman instead. I would be outraged. Snowmen are a dime a dozen, but an igloo? Especially one that college guys are sleeping in! They could have had a great article about these new “low rent” units. Oh, well.
      Now that it’s so cold, it’s a good time to look forward to our upcoming family reunion on July 28th. I know it’s a Monday, but hopefully there’s enough time that everybody can get the day off and be there. We’re going to Lava Hot Springs, and it’s a zoo on Saturdays. At least on a Monday, we can have a spot for our canopies and blankets and the pool won’t be jammed with people. We’re hoping everybody can drive to Idaho on Sunday afternoon, the 27th, (John’s birthday!) and we’ll do something that night, probably at Vanessa’s house. We’ll keep you posted as it gets closer.
      What a family! I love you all! Mom

Dear Kids,
      Yesterday I was surfing around people’s blogs, looking for news, when I checked in on Tom’s, not expecting to find anything new. But what a surprise! Kim is now adding to the blog, and there’s all kinds of information and new posts. You’ll get a kick out of “sledding with goats.” There are even pictures of the goats looking into the windows of the cabin. By the way, I’m enjoying everybody’s blogs. Even if you don’t write that often, it’s a great way to keep us up on your family news. I didn’t even know that Nora got her new couch, until I looked on her blog. I thought it was lost forever in the Bassett warehouse.
      Friday night Sharon and I went snowboarding on Chickadee, the free bunny hill at Snowbird. Only it’s not free any more. It costs $7.00. Which was fine with us, since there weren’t so many kids. After all the freeloaders were kicked off the hill, we practically had the place to ourselves. It was snowing the whole time, and the snow was really tacky, so we never fell down! This was pretty much Sharon’s first time, and she did great! She learned to turn in both directions, and pretty soon she was carving down the hill like a pro. I’m amazed at the abilities you kids have. Tomorrow Dad and I are going to Brighton, and even Dad amazes me. If he’d been out on a snowboard as many times as I have, he’d be doing the half-pipe. But tomorrow we’ll probably be sticking to the green runs. I persuaded him to get the whole day off work, so we should have a blast.
      Seth arrived last Tuesday, and right now he and Sharon and the kids have gone to Upalco. Mike and Collette (Seth’s sister) are having their little adopted baby girl sealed to them in the Vernal temple, and Friday night they’re coming back to West Jordan for her blessing, which they’re having at their house. The baby’s birth mother is coming, which I think is really cool. In fact, the sealing and baby blessing were the main reasons for Sharon and Seth’s trip to Utah. They have to go home next Tuesday, so if you want one last visit with them, you can come to dinner here at 4:30 this Sunday. Just let me know. Also, they might be going sledding at the cabin on Saturday.
      Does anybody in our family have smelly hair? I hope it’s not common. Anyway, if you do, don’t look for help in the shampoo section of Walmat. There isn’t anything. I even asked the pharmacist, and she frowned at me and told me no, there’s nothing. But I found a cure. If you want to know, ask me. I’m not about to write it in the family letter. Why would I put such sensitive information out there, for everybody to read?
      Love you lots! Hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it! Mom