Sunday - June 4, 1978

Dearest Ann & Ron, Jean & Rick and Bob,

Wow - do I feel cheated - I missed phone calls from the Woolleys and Weinerts and you know how hard it is to get any information out your Daddy - he says, "I believe there is something I was supposed to tell you but I can't remember what is was" - I'll just have to hope it wasn't too important. Daddy lifted a huge "digger" in and out of our trunk about a month ago and he has a bad time with his back since then - he finally went to the doctor last Thursday and he took x-rays and everything and told him to come home and go to bed for ten days or go to the hospital - he decided to stay home and has been in bed since Thursday afternoon. One of the high councilman is a physical therapist - Bro. Dan Steele - and he brought him a "moist pad" and Roy and I have been fixing it for him - I'm sure it will really help. He feels fine but his back hurts and I can really relate to that - He will be better by next week-end I'm sure. The phone is right by his bed and he spends a lot of time on it doing his church and business work. He has never had any physical ailment of any kind and it is so different having him in bed - I believe he's enjoying the rest.

Bob- we're wondering if Claire is home yet- I didn't answer her letter and I feel bad about it because she would have probably been there long enough to get it. Daddy said Ann nor Jean knew if she were back yet - I think I'll answer it and send it to Lehi. The time is really coming fast and I hope you'll tell us - I hope you'll let me know right soon who you want to invite to the Wedding Dinner - we need to get reservations. We're also anxious to know if you definitely decided to go to San Francisco to school - it seems a long time since we have heard from you.

Jeannie & Rick - your house must really be coming along fast - that's just super - we can hardly wait to see it. Ann said you were going to have a "Home Decorator's Party" - that sounds so much fun. Daddy said you were going to go to the Doctor in Salt Lake next week - well be interested in hearing what he has to tell you. Mary Louise Barely adopted her first child - then she had three or four more, I can't remember - she told me yesterday that she was expecting again in December - and she has had some bad health problems.

Annie & Ron - Daddy and I are worried about; your little puppy getting into your garden - that was a problem around here for so long - they don't bother it at all now. Puppies are bad about chewing up things but if you just patience for a few months they out grow it. It is important to keep her where she can't do much damage until she gets a little older - she is really cute. We really loved; your pictures Ann - you still look too thin to me - that is such a sweet thing for your students to do for you and those caked were just darling. I love your hair - it is getting quite long. Daddy said you might both go to Switzerland - HOW WONDERFUL!!! He didn't tell me, but I'm assuming Ron's paper was accepted for presentation there and that you both might go - Daddy said you were worried about your Doctor letting you go - I'll bet he will if you don't have any problems. You should be feeling life pretty soon - how exciting!!!!

Roy got home Tuesday night - it was about midnight and we had just come home from the ball game - he looks great except he's too thin - maybe I'll be able to fatten him up !!!! he has had busy, busy week - his friend Trip Strauss had a party in Hot Springs from Wednesday through Friday - Roy and Jill went over one day and went water skiing and had a good time. Friday was the wedding rehearsal and dinner and then Saturday (Yesterday) was Jill' sister's wedding - it was really beautiful. Roy was an usher and a candlelighter - the church is so pretty with the stained glass windows and red carpet - very plush. Jill was her sister's bridesmaid and looked just beautiful in a yellow oranza dress - Roy was in a black tuxedo with a yellow shirt - Lisa looks exactly like Jill except that she has blonde hair and no freckles. We saw a lot of friends at the wedding and really enjoyed it - Johnny and I went - Daddy couldn't go. Jill is working - at the Westover Hills' Presbyterian Kindergarten this Summer. Roy doesn't start work for a week - he is really looking forward to that and it sounds like a super job. He works until August 18th - he and his friend, Dan Watson, want to go West the last of August on a back packing trip - he says they went to go to Yellowstone Park and into Utah - I can't think of anything more fun.

We had our Stake Relief Society closing social and Visiting Teacher's Convention yesterday and I was so busy. I was in charge of the dry food demonstration - I started last Monday and dried carrots and then made 150 carrot cookies - they were just delicious. Then I dried bananas and made 150 banana cookies - they were more nutritious than delicious but they were all eaten. I also took some of our dried apples, peaches, and peppers and basil. We took our dryer over too. It was interesting to everyone. Laura Gonce was in charge of the fashion show and they asked me to model a dress I had made out of the silk Daddy had brought us from Thailand and also the pink dress I made for your wedding Jeannie. There were about fifty who modeled and it was all just excellent. The Stake Board had made small bread boards with a Relief Society poem decoupaged on them for everyone - about 125 - and then for the luncheon they served a small loaf of wheat bread on the boards for each person. It was a very outstanding affair. They called it the "Feminine Fair" and for decoration they had thing from fairs such as corn dogs, popcorn, cotton candy - it was funny because someone ate one of the corn dogs and Marilyn Harris who was in charge of it said it had been sitting out for a week and she hoped it made someone ill for eating her decoration - Ha! They had different things on display such a quilts and things that had been made in Relief Society through out the year - they asked me to put that picture of Ann & Ron outside the temple that I had put in a mirror on display and so I did - so many people thought it was pretty. I used the book "Dry and Save" that you had given me quite a long time ago Ann for all the dryer recipes - that's a fabulous book and Roy is going to start drying things for his backpacking trip.

Last Monday - it was Memorial Day - the Smiths, Wayne and Chris, invited us to their home in Hot Springs. We went early Monday morning and stayed all day - it was so much fun. Their backyard is right on the Quachita River and Daddy and Wayne and Johnny went fishing all day and Chris and I just visited. She fixed the best lunch and a delicious dinner - they are the sweetest people. They are in Alabama this week at their home on the Coast. We'll go to the Washington temple with them the first of July - the Stake is trying to charter a bus for that trip now and if there are enough people we'll go that way instead of driving. They didn't catch very many fish but they really had a wonderful time - Johnny has really taken to fishing. He has discover a lake right down from us - it's the one that Bob and Roy used to fish at but there are homes all around it now and I couldn't believe it - it was all developed when we weren't looking I guess. He wanted a special fishing pole for his birthday so last Monday we stopped in Hot Springs and let him pick one out - he has already has his present and now he says he wants a big chocolate so I guess that's how we'll celebrate it. Their baseball team plays the best team in the league on that day and they'll probably get slaughtered!!!! They have only won one game and just after I said he was the best player on the team he made more fouls than he has all year - he did get a good hit though. We're going to try to get him really involved in the Scouting program - he has earned four merit badges and is working on some more - we're convinced if he doesn't make Eagle by the time he's fourteen there will be too many distractions and he won't get it - that's what happened in Roy's case.

Johnny finished school Thursday - actually he didn't go the last day - he and his Daddy went fishing that morning because Daddy had his doctor's appointment that afternoon so he had taken the whole day off. He is so happy to be through school - he went to a party Wednesday night, Thursday night and Friday night - he won't be in the same school with a lot of his friends any more - they are all going different directions next year so it was quite a nostalgic time!!!

Aunt Marvel is doing fine - she had her hair fixed last week and when I went to see her she was exactly like she was about years ago - we had a really good visit and she seemed so happy and contented. They are making sure she takes her medicine and it is making a world of difference. She will never be well enough to go home and live alone but it is comforting to me to see her accepting what she can do.

Bishop Gonce just came over to see Daddy - he is such a fine man and a great Bishop. He wants to buy some property out by Maumelle but he admits that Laura want to go West.

Well - that's all the news. We surely do love each one of you and we're so proud of you. It is really great to have Roy home with us and we are looking forward to all being together for wedding. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO AND LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING.
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