Jarom the river sound interesting I think Drew might be interested I know he talked to Dan Bird about going if we got in this year. However you can count me out since I don't think they let big fat pregnant women go.

Ben just let me know how much and when to send it and I will send you a check. However since this little family reunion falls around my due date do I get a refund if I cant go or do I just send someone in my place? Take Care.

Jarom The river sounds great but we do not think that we can afford to do both. We are already wondering if we can afford the trip to Colorado. Maybe next year.

So long as we all keep in mind that the trip would be in addition to the trip you're all going to take to Colorado for the family reunion we're planning. Speaking of which, we're fast approaching the deposit time where we need some money from each of you. It's looking like about $200 per family for the cabin, but it depends on how many kids you have, etc. I think the $200 is total price, but we have to have like half of that here by mid-February, I think. We'll be calling everyone in the next few weeks. Whatever the cost is, I guarantee that it is a pittance compared to the amount of activities and fun that are going to be available included in the price. It will be awesome. Just come to relax and read a book, or you can do all the hiking, biking, canoeing, horse-riding, basketball, rock-climbing, roller-skating, mini-golfing, swimming, and of course eating that you want to do.

The river is fun, but I doubt we'll be going again this year, it's a lot longer trip for us than most the rest of you. If you get a chance to go, you really should.

I talked with Dave Parmenter this morning and he asked that I pass along the following:

The time for putting in permits to raft the Main or Middle Fork of the Salmon River is fast approaching. Last year several of us went down the MF when Ruth drew a permit and the trip was great fun and very memorable. At the time we had discussed doing an all-family trip with Dave and some of his kids this year. He wants to know if we are still interested. The Main Salmon is easier to draw a permit for, timing is fairly flexible and could be great fun in late spring for a broad range of ages. The MF is not easy to draw for and you pretty much have to go on the date your permit assigns and smaller kids wouldn't be a good idea. The object of this blog is to get a discussion going amongst the family as to what, when, where, and - most importantly - who wants to go. If we can resolve a few dates and numbers in the next couple of weeks, we can plan with Dave on making a trip. I think this would be a ton of fun for the adult and semi-adult members of the family. I am willing to coordinate things if enough of you respond to make it worthwhile. Please call or email me if you would like to go and some suggested dates. My email is jwhitehead@pedersen-law.com and I can be reached by phone at (208)734-2552 or 737-9635. after we know how many are interested, we can put together some numbers in terms of how much, per person, and how long we'll be on the river. For comparison, last year we spent 5 days, 4 on the river, flew in to the drop off (small planes - really fun), had great meals and snacks - all for $250 per person. The bulk of the charge was the "airfare", the rest covered the food. The same trip through a professional outfitter costs between $1500 and $2500 per person. also, if we vote on the Main (or don't draw the MF) there is no airfare involved in the price. Let me know asap if you're interested.

- Jarom

Well, here we go again. Bryce is back in the hospital. He got the same cold that jackson and conner have. All of the blood work that they have done has come back negative, so the doctor says it is just a virus. He cannot breathe well on his own. They have him on oxygen and they say it will be a couple of days until his lungs clear up. We did get some good news this week. A professor at Utah State responded very positively to the resume that I sent him and wants me to come to USU. I still have to be accepted to the graduate school so nothing is official yet but it looks like there is a good chance we will be going to Logan for the next two years. That's all for now, Chris