APRIL FOOL'S DAY - 1979

Dearest Ron, Ann & Susanna, Rick & Jean, Bob & Claire and Roy,

We got home about an hour ago - about 4:30 - we made better time than ever before but it still seemed like a long, long trip to me. Daddy did most of the driving - it seemed like every time it was my turn to drive I had "night blindness" (or something) and it scares me when I don't feel I have good control and there are so many trucks on the highway. As soon as we got in Arkansas we got tornado warning reports on the radio - they had sighted one headed for Jacksonville, Cabot and Beebe - Johnny said, "What a welcome!!!!" It is really cloudy and rainy but we're happy to be home.

Roy - it's a funny feeling to know when you are due back at Brown - I wished we had asked you. I also wish we had called you when we were all together - anyway, we really missed having you with us and we hope so much that you are having a wonderful time and getting some rest. I'll bet it is even more fun this year after having your scuba class - is it??? This letter is really more for you than the Utah family because we have been with them - I'll just give a report of our week's activities - okay?????

We left here about seven o'clock last Saturday morning and drove straight through getting in Lehi about 10:00 am Sunday. Bob had just come home from working all night at the hospital but he got up and visited with us all day and was like a zombie when he went to work Sunday night. Claire fixed a delicious spaghetti dinner (with rhubarb pie for dessert) and Annie brought over the food she had fixed for their dinner so we really had a feast and to make it even more special, Rick and Jeannie came too. We really had a fun time and little Susanna is simply adorable - we are still talking about what a sweet, sweet baby she is and she's so-o-o pretty.

Monday morning Daddy and I went to a Salt Lake to do some church business - we had to get a lot of materials for our Stake and then Daddy had to go to the church office building to see some men. The NCAA tournaments were being held in Salt Lake that night and it was so much fun to be in town - I went shopping while Daddy did his work and ran into a rally of Michigan State fans who were parading inn front of the Hotel Utah and they were all steamed up. Monday night we were all together for Family Home Evening and dinner at Ron and Ann's home - we watched the games and enjoyed being together so much. We were disappointed that Indiana State didn't win the championship because we thought it would be such an honor for Arkansas to be beaten by the champions!!!

Jeannie and Rick stayed down Monday night and early Tuesday morning Rick, Daddy Johnny and Bob went rabbit hunting - they had a fun time but only show one rabbit - Johnny skinned it of course and Bob has the responsibility of treating it and bringing it back with them when they move here. (Good Luck, Bob!) Jeannie gave me a permanent and it took all day because little Susanna was not about to let us neglect her - she is so much fun to hold and play with that was not a problem. After the rabbit hunt Daddy and the other guys came to Ann's and daddy trimmed Frau and Hershey - Hershey is Rick and Jean's little brown poodle. You would never believe how different thy both looked - I still think Rick feels that we ruined Hershey - she looked as if she had been skinned but she'll be just perfect in about a month. We think Frau is the prettiest schnauzer we have had - Ron and Ann, you would be smart to find a really good looking male and go into the puppy business. Mary and Dick Richards told us there were very few schnauzers in Utah so we bet you could sell them easily. Our little puppies are doing just great - Ralph and Pete did such a good job with them - we have three males and only 1 female - there is one very small black male that is going to be a beauty!!!!

Wednesday was Brigham City day!!! Rick had to go back to Layton Tuesday night but Jeannie stayed down with us and we left early Wednesday morning (not Bob - he stayed in Lehi) and went to see Jeannie and Ricks home and it is just beautiful - they have such good taste in decorating it and the draperies are outstanding and Jeannie has made them. We saw Rick's office and then did some visiting - saw Aunt Lucille in the hospital and Dean Harris' family (their son had just been killed) and then we met Rick and went to the "El Matador" for a Mexican Dinner - it was really delicious and we hope we can all go there sometime. Then we went to Brigham City and that was the only unhappy thing about our trip - Grandmother Forrest just isn't doing well at all - she was in bed and really seems "doped up" and I am so worried about her. I wish Grandpa would call and ask me to come and care for them for awhile - I would really like to take over and put her on a strict diet and take her pills away from her - it has to be their idea because if I force myself on them it won't work. We all got in Grandpa's car and drove to Logan to the cheese factory - Grandmother didn't feel like going but she was a good sport and went with us. Then we went back to Layton to take Jeannie home and while we were there we called our friends, Mel and Ellen Mae Manning and they came over - Jeannie made some clam dip and we had that and some root beer floats and visited for a little while - Johnny wanted to play bridge with Rick and Jean and he wasn't very polite but it had been a long day of visiting for him. Anyway we had fun and left Layton about 10:00 p.m. and drove back to Lehi.

Thursday, we planned a Birthday party for Jeannie - two weeks early. Daddy fried chicken and I made a birthday cake - his chicken is so-o-o good. Jeannie and Rick came back down and we all met at the Provo Temple to go through a session - we left Johnny at Ann's with Susanna and a baby sitter. That was really the highlight of our trip - what a wonderful blessing to be with some of our family in the Temple - quite like the Celestial Kingdom I'm sure. After the temple Session we all went to Lehi for the chicken and birthday cake - it was really a fun time. Rick went back to Layton and Ron and Ann went to Orem and the rest of us stayed in Lehi.

Friday, Claire, Bob and Johnny got up early and went to Alta to spend the day skiing - that was the most fun Johnny has ever had in the snow - he has talked about that all the time on our trip home - he really loved it and he said he was "good". Jeannie and Daddy and I visited friends in Lehi and then went to Orem about noon because Ann got off work at noon and we got her and went to the ZCMI Mall shopping - little Susanna was so good and we really had fun. After the shopping trip we went back to Lehi to get ready to go into Bountiful for some Missionary Reunions. Bob went to his Colombia reunion with Claire and John went to Ann and Ron's. Daddy and I took Jeannie to Layton and then went to Bountiful for the Gulf State Missionary Reunion - we really enjoyed it and saw so many old friends - Oma Wagstaff was there and so were Golden Driggs and his wife and that was so special because Pres. Driggs has cancer and he told us he had two months to live but he is so cheerful that it made us feel good. Then we went into Salt Lake for the Little Rock Arkansas Stake Missionary Reunion - Pres. And Sister Richards were there and it was so good to see them and a lot of other people we knew - Kim Aday had flown up for it and some other people from our Ward. Stephanie was there with a cute boy - she is such a sweet girl. We got back to Lehi about midnight!!!!

Saturday morning Daddy and Bob got up early to listen to the Welfare Conference Meeting and we listened to that until about noon and while so doing had breakfast and packed up. We left a little before noon and I went to "R Goofs" and exchanged some blouses I had bought for some larger sizes and Daddy and Johnny went to "Wolfes" and bought an "ultra lite" fishing pole that was on sale. So we really didn't leave until a little afternoon for home. I wanted to go over to your home Ann and Ron and give Susanna one last hug but I was afraid she would be asleep and you would feel you had to awaken her.

Johnny was so excited to open the "cookie box" that Ann had fixed and she had told him he couldn't open it until we got to Price - that was so sweet of you. I'll have to tell you though that he couldn't eat any of them - he got sick about that time and was sick all day Saturday - we had to keep stopping for him to get out. He finally kept an aspirin down and slept most of the day Saturday and all night last night and most of the day today - it must have been that twenty-four hour flu and we surely hope little Susanna doesn't get it but if she down you'll know it isn't serious. He has made up for it since though and has loved the cookies and so have Daddy and I.

Thank you all so much for helping us to have such a wonderful time - we hope you can call get caught up in the things you missed while we were there and most of all we hope you didn't overdue Jeannie - we are so proud of each one of you - you too, Roy - and we hope you'll let us know if you need anything. We love you all very much.
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