Dear Kids,
First off, here’s the information about Meg’s baptism and McKay’s blessing: The baptism is Saturday at 10 a.m. at Troy and Kara’s church in Pocatello (their son Tyson is being baptized, too.) The address is 225 Oakwood Drive, in the older part of town. With GPS you’ll be fine. The after-party will be at Vanessa and Trent’s house. If you want a food assignment, call Vanessa. The baby blessing is Sunday at 12:50 pm at Nora and James’s church, 2050 North Main in Centerville. Nora said she’ll be calling around to invite people and see what you want to bring. If anybody wants to stay in Brigham City Saturday night, rather than drive all the way home and all the way back to Centerville the next day, Andy says you’re welcome. Just let him know. My siblings will be having a party there Saturday night, just by coincidence. I hope I can keep my food assignments straight.
Stefanie had her appointment with the neurologist on Thursday. According to a text Paul sent me, the doctor showed them the MRI and discussed how her Chiari isn’t severe enough for surgery. That’s good news and bad news, because when you have a medical problem, you always want something to be done about it. At any rate, Stefanie seems to be doing a little better. I’m in the same boat with my neck pain. It’s been off and on for several weeks now. I saw the neck doctor who did my surgery in 2000, and he sent me for an x-ray, nothing more. It didn’t show anything. But they never do, unless you’ve broken a bone or swallowed a paper clip. Since my neck pain isn’t getting any worse, he said to wait two or three months, and then if it’s still bugging me, I should have a MRI. So I’ll wait and hope it gets better.
Last Sunday night we had a reunion with our old study group–remember when we always went to study group one Sunday night a month? We were so regular, and we kept it going for nearly 30 years. But then we started to slack off, because everybody was so busy with their families and other things. When Mark Ulrich was made a bishop, we stopped totally. Now he and Laura have been called to Manchester, England, where he’ll be the mission president. So Diane Smith planned a farewell party, and we met at Spencer’s house in South Jordan. It was fun seeing everybody again, but of course there was way too much news to remember it all. Dad and I spent the night at Spencers, since my neck appointment was the next morning. We got to stay in Chris’s old bedroom, which is decorated really nicely now. That’s the first time we’ve stayed overnight in Salt Lake in more than a year, and my lungs didn’t like it at all. So I’ll have to plan more carefully in the future. But we sure had fun.
Love, as always, Mom
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Dear Kids,
Ten new houses are being started in our neighborhood. They dug all the foundations this week. They’re those government-mortgage sweat-equity homes, where you commit to doing hundreds of hours of work, and you save about $10,000, according to Tom. Tom and Kim looked into that program when they were house hunting, and they decided it wasn’t a very good deal. So did Donna and Bevan, which makes me wonder, where did they find ten families that would go for it? Especially here in Kamas Valley, where there isn’t much growth. Maybe they’re just starting the houses and hoping somebody will be interested in them. They’re sort of cracker-box types with no basements. Well, at least our neighborhood is filling up.
Yesterday Donna came to give us more help with our sprinkler system. The hardest part is the beginning, where you have an anti-backflow valve and a blowout valve and the sprinkler valves. We’re just doing what Donna tells us to do. It’s lots of fun. We’ve dug out lots of rocks. Dad and I are also still working on our window wells. The second one is almost done. While I was laying block, the wind kicked up, and I got a piece of grit in my eye. It didn’t bother me much until my mortar was gone and Dad was cleaning off my tools. Then I realized it really hurt. I called John and he said to come in right away. He was still in his office, just finishing up for the day. He put some dye in my eye, which highlighted the grit, and he got it out very easily. He said it had scratched my eye. In third world countries, he said, people sometimes go blind from something as simple as that. I’m glad for our good medical care, and for John’s great service to our family.
Remember the baptism on the 31st and the baby blessing on June 1st! I’ll put addresses and times in my letter next week. Also, we got an update from Barbara about the Allen family reunion on June 28th. She would like all the families to dress in the same color. We’re blue. She said it doesn’t have to be a solid color, and the clothes can be any version of that color. I think we have the easiest color because we’re the biggest family. Mark and Kate have Teal, and Jane and Joe have orange/peach. So we’re lucky.
So much fun coming up! Lots of love, Mom
Ten new houses are being started in our neighborhood. They dug all the foundations this week. They’re those government-mortgage sweat-equity homes, where you commit to doing hundreds of hours of work, and you save about $10,000, according to Tom. Tom and Kim looked into that program when they were house hunting, and they decided it wasn’t a very good deal. So did Donna and Bevan, which makes me wonder, where did they find ten families that would go for it? Especially here in Kamas Valley, where there isn’t much growth. Maybe they’re just starting the houses and hoping somebody will be interested in them. They’re sort of cracker-box types with no basements. Well, at least our neighborhood is filling up.
Yesterday Donna came to give us more help with our sprinkler system. The hardest part is the beginning, where you have an anti-backflow valve and a blowout valve and the sprinkler valves. We’re just doing what Donna tells us to do. It’s lots of fun. We’ve dug out lots of rocks. Dad and I are also still working on our window wells. The second one is almost done. While I was laying block, the wind kicked up, and I got a piece of grit in my eye. It didn’t bother me much until my mortar was gone and Dad was cleaning off my tools. Then I realized it really hurt. I called John and he said to come in right away. He was still in his office, just finishing up for the day. He put some dye in my eye, which highlighted the grit, and he got it out very easily. He said it had scratched my eye. In third world countries, he said, people sometimes go blind from something as simple as that. I’m glad for our good medical care, and for John’s great service to our family.
Remember the baptism on the 31st and the baby blessing on June 1st! I’ll put addresses and times in my letter next week. Also, we got an update from Barbara about the Allen family reunion on June 28th. She would like all the families to dress in the same color. We’re blue. She said it doesn’t have to be a solid color, and the clothes can be any version of that color. I think we have the easiest color because we’re the biggest family. Mark and Kate have Teal, and Jane and Joe have orange/peach. So we’re lucky.
So much fun coming up! Lots of love, Mom
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Dear Kids,
Another snow storm this morning! We’ve had one right after another, which is great for the water levels, but sort of discouraging if you’ve already started working in your yard, and you want to keep going. We’re part way into our sprinkler system, and we have a footing for our second window well, but this week has been a bust for outdoor work. Hopefully we’ll be able to do more in the coming week.
Meg turned eight yesterday, and she’ll be baptized on Saturday morning, May 31st. There will be an after-party, but I’m not sure where. Meg’s cousin Tyson is being baptized too, so all the Suttons will be involved, of course. I’ll have more details of time and place later on. Then, the next morning, McKay will be blessed at Nora and James’s ward in Centerville. Their sacrament meeting starts at 12:50 am. Since it’s a long drive from here to Pocatello, and also from here to Centerville, Dad and I will be staying over Saturday night at Andy and Renae’s in Brigham City. I checked with Andy, and he said there’s room for lots of people in his house, so if any of you Heber Valley people don’t want to make the long drive home, and then back to Centerville Sunday morning, you’re welcome to stay at Andy’s, too. My brothers and sisters will be having a party there that night, and I’m sure you’ll be welcome to crash it.
Dad and I ought to have our heads examined, but we went on another senior citizen bus trip to Wendover, mostly because we wanted to explore the Army air field there. It’s a great place! There’s a control tower you can climb up, six stories tall, on thin metal stairs. The view from the top is the same as the bottom: all desert. There’s an old transport plane you can climb into. There’s a museum with lots of photos and World War II memorabilia. There are broken down barracks and other buildings you can climb around in, but you have to be careful. During the height of the war, there were 20,000 people stationed there. Now it’s really desolate. I’m glad we went, but we won’t be going back again, ever. There’s cigarette smoke everywhere in Wendover, even outside. (I didn’t even go into the casino for the buffet.) There are cars and trucks and busses pumping out noxious fumes. It’s not a lung-friendly town. Nuff said.
Bonnie sent out the following reminder about the Allen family reunion this summer: The date is June 28, at the park we always go (to Riverwoods.) Bring your own lunches, and if you have ideas for games or activities, contact Barbara. We have the park reserved from 9-3, but most start arriving at 10:00. Love, Bonnie
It’s hard to believe June is coming up so soon, but we’re looking forward to the upcoming fun! Love, Mom
Another snow storm this morning! We’ve had one right after another, which is great for the water levels, but sort of discouraging if you’ve already started working in your yard, and you want to keep going. We’re part way into our sprinkler system, and we have a footing for our second window well, but this week has been a bust for outdoor work. Hopefully we’ll be able to do more in the coming week.
Meg turned eight yesterday, and she’ll be baptized on Saturday morning, May 31st. There will be an after-party, but I’m not sure where. Meg’s cousin Tyson is being baptized too, so all the Suttons will be involved, of course. I’ll have more details of time and place later on. Then, the next morning, McKay will be blessed at Nora and James’s ward in Centerville. Their sacrament meeting starts at 12:50 am. Since it’s a long drive from here to Pocatello, and also from here to Centerville, Dad and I will be staying over Saturday night at Andy and Renae’s in Brigham City. I checked with Andy, and he said there’s room for lots of people in his house, so if any of you Heber Valley people don’t want to make the long drive home, and then back to Centerville Sunday morning, you’re welcome to stay at Andy’s, too. My brothers and sisters will be having a party there that night, and I’m sure you’ll be welcome to crash it.
Dad and I ought to have our heads examined, but we went on another senior citizen bus trip to Wendover, mostly because we wanted to explore the Army air field there. It’s a great place! There’s a control tower you can climb up, six stories tall, on thin metal stairs. The view from the top is the same as the bottom: all desert. There’s an old transport plane you can climb into. There’s a museum with lots of photos and World War II memorabilia. There are broken down barracks and other buildings you can climb around in, but you have to be careful. During the height of the war, there were 20,000 people stationed there. Now it’s really desolate. I’m glad we went, but we won’t be going back again, ever. There’s cigarette smoke everywhere in Wendover, even outside. (I didn’t even go into the casino for the buffet.) There are cars and trucks and busses pumping out noxious fumes. It’s not a lung-friendly town. Nuff said.
Bonnie sent out the following reminder about the Allen family reunion this summer: The date is June 28, at the park we always go (to Riverwoods.) Bring your own lunches, and if you have ideas for games or activities, contact Barbara. We have the park reserved from 9-3, but most start arriving at 10:00. Love, Bonnie
It’s hard to believe June is coming up so soon, but we’re looking forward to the upcoming fun! Love, Mom
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Dear Kids,
Dad and I have practically finished our first window well. It looks very sturdy, but it’ll look much better when it’s plastered over. We’re also getting ready to start our sprinkler system. Donna is helping us plan it out, and she went with Dad to Home Depot yesterday to buy parts. One thing they brought home was a giant drill bit to use with the hammer drill, since we need to put a hole through our basement wall. That will be for the water line going out. None of this is making our house or yard look any better, at least not yet. I’m still staring out the window at the same rocks as always, minus the ones Al’s scout troop gathered up, plus a few new ones that we’ve dug up. Oh, well. Our whole (future) neighborhood is torn up, and the house next door is still under construction. If we had a nicely landscaped yard, it would look out of place.
Some of you have probably heard that Stefanie has been having headaches and double vision. She had a MRI on Tuesday, and Paul texted me some information about what they found. I couldn’t understand the medical mumbo jumbo, but evidently there’s a kind of blockage of the cerebral spinal fluid, a possible Chiari I malformation, which is pretty rare. It’s not a tumor. Stefanie made an appointment with a neurologist, but he couldn’t work her in until June, although she’s on the cancellation list. Long story short–we’ll all need to keep her in our prayers.
The first Sunday in May is coming up next week, so I’ll be cooking Sunday dinner. We’ll eat around 4:00, or whenever you can get here. Let me know if you’re coming, OK? Any food preferences? John used to always ask for fat pizza. I’m not even sure I remember how to make it now. There never was a recipe.
Our piano class at the Lighthouse Church is still crazy. Two weeks ago we set up for 20 people, and we only had seven. So last week we set up for only sixteen, and every spot was taken. Hopefully things will settle down pretty soon, and we’ll have a good idea what to expect each week. My piano class at the Heber Senior Center is already filled up. I can only handle four people, at least until Donna can come and help me, which probably won’t be until the end of the summer. She’s working full time now that Bevan is off. She has a new boss who’s actually organized. It makes her job lots easier.
Life is good! Life is busy! I love you all! Mom
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Dear Kids,
The Easter bunny was very good to us. Dad and I found dove chocolate, iced cookies, and a milk chocolate Peter Rabbit on our table this morning.
We really enjoyed the Easter picnic at Nora’s house yesterday! I was so intrigued by the hiking trail across the street that I couldn’t even wait until after the Easter egg hunt to go climb up it! So Dad and I missed watching the kids find their eggs, although we did look down on them from the top of the hill. (We figured that mob of kids had to be ours!) Later I climbed back up the trail with Nora. With moving in and having a baby and all the rest, she hadn’t been up it since her birthday last fall. It seems to me that life is practically perfect if you have a mountain to climb right by your house. That’s what I miss about not living at the cabin, although Dad and I still drive over there a couple of times a week to go hiking, and make sure mice and raccoons haven’t broken in.
I’m looking forward to the Easter program in Church this morning. Since I started going to the Spanish branch here, I really have to pay attention to what’s being said, or I don’t understand much. So I get more out of the meeting. How’s that? You understand more when you understand less? Somehow it works.
On Friday, Dad and I poured the cement footing for our first window well. We had borrowed Jim Curtis’s cement mixer, but there wasn’t room for it (and us, too) in the window well, and if we used it up top, we had no good way to get the cement down to where we needed it. So we’re mixing the cement in the bowl part of our wheelbarrow. It’s Dad’s job to get the cement bags down to me and open them up, and my job to mix it (the easy part) and shovel it into the forms. In less than two hours, we did 14 bags of cement! Of course they were 60 pound bags, not 80. We know our limitations! Yesterday we brought home a load of concrete blocks from Home Depot, and hopefully we’ll start laying them tomorrow. How could I be so excited about doing the same project I did 35 years ago?
Life is good! I love you all! Mom
The Easter bunny was very good to us. Dad and I found dove chocolate, iced cookies, and a milk chocolate Peter Rabbit on our table this morning.
We really enjoyed the Easter picnic at Nora’s house yesterday! I was so intrigued by the hiking trail across the street that I couldn’t even wait until after the Easter egg hunt to go climb up it! So Dad and I missed watching the kids find their eggs, although we did look down on them from the top of the hill. (We figured that mob of kids had to be ours!) Later I climbed back up the trail with Nora. With moving in and having a baby and all the rest, she hadn’t been up it since her birthday last fall. It seems to me that life is practically perfect if you have a mountain to climb right by your house. That’s what I miss about not living at the cabin, although Dad and I still drive over there a couple of times a week to go hiking, and make sure mice and raccoons haven’t broken in.
I’m looking forward to the Easter program in Church this morning. Since I started going to the Spanish branch here, I really have to pay attention to what’s being said, or I don’t understand much. So I get more out of the meeting. How’s that? You understand more when you understand less? Somehow it works.
On Friday, Dad and I poured the cement footing for our first window well. We had borrowed Jim Curtis’s cement mixer, but there wasn’t room for it (and us, too) in the window well, and if we used it up top, we had no good way to get the cement down to where we needed it. So we’re mixing the cement in the bowl part of our wheelbarrow. It’s Dad’s job to get the cement bags down to me and open them up, and my job to mix it (the easy part) and shovel it into the forms. In less than two hours, we did 14 bags of cement! Of course they were 60 pound bags, not 80. We know our limitations! Yesterday we brought home a load of concrete blocks from Home Depot, and hopefully we’ll start laying them tomorrow. How could I be so excited about doing the same project I did 35 years ago?
Life is good! I love you all! Mom
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Dear Kids,
There’s snow on the ground, but we’re looking forward to Easter next weekend. The Easter egg hunt and picnic will be at Nora’s house, starting at noon. We’ll eat first, at the house, and then hunt eggs in the park. (After the Easter bunny leaves the eggs in the park, we’ll have to station somebody there to guard them until the kids come over. We always used to do that at Grandma Allen’s Easter picnics.) Donna will call you about food assignments, and you’re all supposed to bring eggs for the hunt, approximately 10 per each of your children, according to Donna. I’m glad we’re doing this! When you kids were little, we always loved going to the Allen Easter picnic, and now we’re doing the same thing. I have such great pictures of you kids and your Easter baskets!
Dad and I finished excavating our window wells and now we have big piles of dirt and rocks around our house. It looks worse than before, but at least it looks like something is being done. Dad took off the old window wells and we put them out in front for people to pick up. I’ve been smoothing out the dirt in the bottom of the holes and watering it down. We were planning to use decorative retaining wall block, but the ones we like are so heavy and so expensive that I’ve had second thoughts. Now we’re planning to make the same kind of concrete block window wells we had at our old house, with a row of decorative block on top. It will be a lot cheaper and easier. The concrete blocks only weigh 35 pounds each, not 67. Trouble is, I’m more than twice as old as I was before. We have Jim Curtis’s cement mixer, so I won’t have to mix the cement for the footings in the wheelbarrow (some of you kids used to watch me do that), and I have Dad to help me now. It should go OK.
Just because Dad and I don’t have enough to do, I started a piano class at the Heber senior center. We meet Thursday mornings at 11, just before lunch and our chess club. It’s exactly the same schedule as Wednesdays in Salt Lake. I had two people for my first class last Thursday, but there will probably be more when the word gets out. At least it’s fun and rewarding. Now there are three piano classes and two chess clubs we’re in charge of.
We hope to see lot of you on Saturday at Nora’s house! Lots of love, Mom
There’s snow on the ground, but we’re looking forward to Easter next weekend. The Easter egg hunt and picnic will be at Nora’s house, starting at noon. We’ll eat first, at the house, and then hunt eggs in the park. (After the Easter bunny leaves the eggs in the park, we’ll have to station somebody there to guard them until the kids come over. We always used to do that at Grandma Allen’s Easter picnics.) Donna will call you about food assignments, and you’re all supposed to bring eggs for the hunt, approximately 10 per each of your children, according to Donna. I’m glad we’re doing this! When you kids were little, we always loved going to the Allen Easter picnic, and now we’re doing the same thing. I have such great pictures of you kids and your Easter baskets!
Dad and I finished excavating our window wells and now we have big piles of dirt and rocks around our house. It looks worse than before, but at least it looks like something is being done. Dad took off the old window wells and we put them out in front for people to pick up. I’ve been smoothing out the dirt in the bottom of the holes and watering it down. We were planning to use decorative retaining wall block, but the ones we like are so heavy and so expensive that I’ve had second thoughts. Now we’re planning to make the same kind of concrete block window wells we had at our old house, with a row of decorative block on top. It will be a lot cheaper and easier. The concrete blocks only weigh 35 pounds each, not 67. Trouble is, I’m more than twice as old as I was before. We have Jim Curtis’s cement mixer, so I won’t have to mix the cement for the footings in the wheelbarrow (some of you kids used to watch me do that), and I have Dad to help me now. It should go OK.
Just because Dad and I don’t have enough to do, I started a piano class at the Heber senior center. We meet Thursday mornings at 11, just before lunch and our chess club. It’s exactly the same schedule as Wednesdays in Salt Lake. I had two people for my first class last Thursday, but there will probably be more when the word gets out. At least it’s fun and rewarding. Now there are three piano classes and two chess clubs we’re in charge of.
We hope to see lot of you on Saturday at Nora’s house! Lots of love, Mom
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Dear Kids,
All five of Nora and James’s kids are here at our house right now. Actually, since it’s early morning, they’re just waking up. Last night Nora brought the kids here, and then she and the girls and I went to the General Women’s Meeting at our stake center. When it was over, Nora left straight for home. None of us wanted her to be driving home late. She and James are going to the hospital sometime this morning (maybe right now!) to deliver little baby Mair. (We’ve heard the name McKay Allen Mair mentioned.) Meanwhile, Dad and I will be taking the kids to church. Later, Donna’s bringing dinner. She’ll take the two girls back to her house tonight. We have everything planned out until Tuesday afternoon, when Dad and I will drive the kids back to Centerville and have a look at the new baby. I’m sure he’ll have a familiar face.
We’ve had a couple of spring-like days here, so Dad and I have been moving ahead with our yard work. We torched our bonfire on Monday, and everything burned except the big cottonwood trunk that was the point of it all. It just lay there and smoldered for a couple of days. A nice old codger from our ward, who came to excavate our window wells, used his backhoe to drag the stump over to the next lot. The guy who was responsible for taking it away is building a house there. (We’ve also found giant chunks of asphalt that he buried in our yard, and those are also going to end up on his property. He was the developer of this whole area, and obviously he took some shortcuts.)
The nice man from our ward mostly excavated the window wells, but then he broke a hose and had to go repair it. Dad and I started digging out the areas right next to the house, where he couldn’t reach. We pulled out dozens of big rocks to use in our dry creek bed. No wonder everybody here landscapes with river rock!
The highlight of our week was the trip to Wendover on Thursday. Our bus left Heber in a snowstorm, and by the time we got part way up Highway 40, cars were off the road and the bus was spinning its tires. Imagine Dad as a passenger, sitting near the back. Needless to say, he didn’t do well. Thankfully we got past that area and out of the storm. Most of you have been to Wendover, or through it. The casinos are magnificent, and full of smoke. Of course you have to walk through the smoke to get to the buffet. And then you have to walk through smoke to get to the bathrooms. And back out again. My lungs did as poorly as Dad on the bus in the snowstorm, and I wasn’t even smart enough to bring an inhaler. We walked around town in the cold windy air, and we found the airport. Wendover was an important air field during World War II, and there’s a museum there, along with some broken down barracks. We were out of time by then, and had to go back to the bus, but if we’re ever crazy enough to do the Wendover trip again, we’ll spend most of our time at the museum!
Hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it! Mom
All five of Nora and James’s kids are here at our house right now. Actually, since it’s early morning, they’re just waking up. Last night Nora brought the kids here, and then she and the girls and I went to the General Women’s Meeting at our stake center. When it was over, Nora left straight for home. None of us wanted her to be driving home late. She and James are going to the hospital sometime this morning (maybe right now!) to deliver little baby Mair. (We’ve heard the name McKay Allen Mair mentioned.) Meanwhile, Dad and I will be taking the kids to church. Later, Donna’s bringing dinner. She’ll take the two girls back to her house tonight. We have everything planned out until Tuesday afternoon, when Dad and I will drive the kids back to Centerville and have a look at the new baby. I’m sure he’ll have a familiar face.
We’ve had a couple of spring-like days here, so Dad and I have been moving ahead with our yard work. We torched our bonfire on Monday, and everything burned except the big cottonwood trunk that was the point of it all. It just lay there and smoldered for a couple of days. A nice old codger from our ward, who came to excavate our window wells, used his backhoe to drag the stump over to the next lot. The guy who was responsible for taking it away is building a house there. (We’ve also found giant chunks of asphalt that he buried in our yard, and those are also going to end up on his property. He was the developer of this whole area, and obviously he took some shortcuts.)
The nice man from our ward mostly excavated the window wells, but then he broke a hose and had to go repair it. Dad and I started digging out the areas right next to the house, where he couldn’t reach. We pulled out dozens of big rocks to use in our dry creek bed. No wonder everybody here landscapes with river rock!
The highlight of our week was the trip to Wendover on Thursday. Our bus left Heber in a snowstorm, and by the time we got part way up Highway 40, cars were off the road and the bus was spinning its tires. Imagine Dad as a passenger, sitting near the back. Needless to say, he didn’t do well. Thankfully we got past that area and out of the storm. Most of you have been to Wendover, or through it. The casinos are magnificent, and full of smoke. Of course you have to walk through the smoke to get to the buffet. And then you have to walk through smoke to get to the bathrooms. And back out again. My lungs did as poorly as Dad on the bus in the snowstorm, and I wasn’t even smart enough to bring an inhaler. We walked around town in the cold windy air, and we found the airport. Wendover was an important air field during World War II, and there’s a museum there, along with some broken down barracks. We were out of time by then, and had to go back to the bus, but if we’re ever crazy enough to do the Wendover trip again, we’ll spend most of our time at the museum!
Hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it! Mom
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