Dear Boy,

I enjoyed my thanksgiving break with you. I'm so glad we could do some things to help my mom and my grandma. I'm glad the kids could have fun with their friends. It was good to see my sisters and the Bordens.  It was nice to have a little break from school.  I'm glad I didn't worry too much about the nursing test. That would have been a waste.  I appreciate your help in getting our room changed around and hopefully less buggish. That's a word. Thanks for more recent walks. I appreciate getting outside and I love wandering (quickly) around little villages.  I like hearing all the water running through the towns around here. I love the old houses, the way people care for them, and even the way people don't care for them. When I see dilapidated buildings I wonder about the people inside them. Are they sick?  Are they addicted to something?  Are they old?  Do they just not care?  Maybe they're poor?  I feel so heartbroken for people. Maybe I project my own experience onto them, but I have the feeling that most people are struggling, that life isn't hard for only a few, but probably most. I feel so weary from it. I hear about people all over the world losing their homes and their lives to disasters of all varieties. I read about people trying to escape violence with their families and finding nowhere safe that will welcome them.  I see so much sickness and sadness in the hospital and it reminds me of the sickness and sadness plaguing my own life.  And it all just breaks my poor little heart.  Well sorry for that tangent. The snow sure is beautiful and all of the new Christmas decorations sure are cheery. I'm so proud of Nolan that he has taken the initiative to improve his room.  It's cute that he even put out some Christmas items in there.  I hope eventually all of our kids will grow into people who enjoy cleanliness and order, who will voluntarily contribute in the home and who will pick up their own trash and dirty socks.  What a dream, huh?  

 I love you.  You're the best thing in my life. 

L