December 22, 1985 Lehi, Utah

Dearest Johnny; Roy; Bob, Claire, Michael & Laura; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, & LeeAnna;

Last week when I was putting my typewriter away, it slipped out of my hands and fell on the floor. I plugged it in and it seemed okay but when I tried to type I discovered the ribbon won't go in place SO I am using the children's typewriter - the first one we ever had and it's ancient but it beats writing a letter by hand. Maybe this will be a reason to buy a computer!!!

Johnny - we received your beautiful Christmas card and loved it - we surely don't want you to buy gifts while you are on your Mission so we're happy you couldn't get in to Santiago. It's so funny to read about your hot weather when we are having a hard time keeping warm. We envy you all the good fruit you are having and tomatoes at 5/ a pound - Wow!!! Do you have to be careful with the things you eat like that - do you have to peel everything? I'll bet you have some kinds of fruit that we don't even have - Daddy used to come home from some of his trips and tell me about fruits that I didn't even know existed. You haven't said if you are living with members or non-members. We'll be anxious to hear about your new companion. This new area sounds really challenging to me and if you have success in it you will feel so good - we're pulling for you! We hope you have received you Christmas package by now and also your backpack - You will think your Christmas package is a joke but we honestly didn't know what to send - at least you will know we were thinking about you. There was a terrible accident involving some BYU students from Billings on their way home for the holidays. I wasn't going to send you the clipping about it but we have heard from our Billings friends and they all mention it so I'm sure you will hear about it. I believe the Folsom boy is a brother of Reid's and we hear that he is going to be okay. I don't know if you knew the Faucett boys or not - I took an Institute class with their Mother and remember so well when they came home from their missions. This is a nightmare of all parents who have children traveling home from school - that is a very dangerous stretch of road!!!

Roy & Patrice - we hope you will be extra careful as you travel to Connecticut for Christmas. Do you have your apartment all decorated and will you have holiday parties? We have had fog for about the last ten days and in all the weather news they tell about how pretty it is on the higher elevations on the ski slopes - we're about to take up skiing!!!

Bob & Claire - this is your big week and we are SO anxious to hear the news. We had planned to call Michael tonight when the cousins were here but they all came this morning instead and we called and called but no one answered so we have assumed you were in church - we called until 2:20 your time. Ann reminded me that "Claire's babies always come late" but if I understood Bob right the Doctor will induce labor if it doesn't come naturally - anyway we can hardly wait - have you names picked out???

The Woolleys and Weinerts came for breakfast this morning because we couldn't find another time to get together. We wanted to start the tradition of coming to make candy mints and because of their busy schedules we did it this morning. It was really fun - we had a little too much going on - the children made some Christmas cookies and decorated them at the same time we were making mints and try to visualize this little kitchen with 8 children and 6 adults and pulling mints and red, green, and white frosting going on the cookies - it was hilarious but fun. I wish we could have had pictures of the children with their mouths full of cookie dough and flour and frosting all over them. We had to be through in time for everyone to get to their churches on time - ours and the Woolleys started at 2 and the Weinerts started at 3 so it worked out fine for everyone to leave a few minutes before 2. We really loved it!!!!

Last Monday was the insulation day and that was hilarious too. I couldn't feed the insulation in the machine fast enough so I went up in the attic and held the hose while Daddy put the stuff in the machine. It really worked good - they furnish you with the machine on a trailer and a million feet of big hose - the insulation is white and it was a pleasure for me to see white up in the attic after so much of that black dirt. It was really funny - I had a beauty parlor appointment at 1 o'clock so I came down from he attic and went and had my hair done and it looked just beautiful when I came home - then I tied a turban around it and went back up in the attic and when we were finished with all the insulation work you couldn't tell I had ever been to the beauty parlor. We went to a wedding reception that night and I was tempted to tell them that my hair had been pretty earlier in the day - Ha! We really put a lot of insulation in - it is at least 2 feet all over and 3 feet in some places - we can tell a lot of difference in the house and how it retains the heat.

On Tuesday Daddy & I took Barbara Jean, Marry Ann & Ricky to the mall to buy them their Christmas presents - Jeannie went with us. It was really fun to be with them. After shopping we went to the Weinerts home for dinner and it was wonderful - Jeannie had cooked a roast with potatoes (just like Daddy likes it) and we had gravy and peas with mushrooms and "cinnamon bears" for dessert. I guess that was the beginning of a busy and hard week for them - Rick had to go to Seattle the next day and he got snowed in and couldn't get home. He couldn't get transportation in any way except to rent a car and then it broke down in Idaho and he didn't sleep for three days trying to get home. In the meantime Jeannie was responsible for a Primary party and the program for their Ward Christmas party and their children were all involved and Rick was gone - he was worn out today!

On Wednesday we went to "Grandparent's day" at Susanna and Jessies' school. That was a fun experience - we visited in both their rooms and then had lunch with Susanna (Jessie is in Kindergarten and doesn't stay for lunch). We were really impressed with their school. Annie was in charge of their Ward's big Christmas party and it was Thursday night - they had a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings for about 450 people - she has been buying turkeys for a month and putting them in different people's freezers. Luckily, Ron was in town and could help - their children were so excited they could hardly stand it - their ward has a really cute children's program that is put on at the party.

Do you all remember Virgil James? He has been ill for a long time and he passed away on Thursday night. They had his funeral on Saturday and Daddy, and Ann & I went for "viewing" so we could visit with Frances and the family for a little while - we didn't stay for the funeral. He really liked you Roy and always asked about you.

Daddy and I left our home about 5:30 last Friday morning and drove to Logan to attend Annette Forrest's wedding in the Logan Temple - we had to be there by 8 a.m. It was really foggy all the way but when we went over "Sardine Canyon" which is at quite a high elevation, it was absolutely gorgeous. The wedding was really nice and we were glad we went. We had said we would attend the wedding breakfast too at noon but we waited until 12:30 and it looked like it would be another hour so we left. We visited Grandmother & Grandpa Forrest in Brigham City and then came on home. Dee's three older married children came for the wedding and to stay for the holidays so their whole family is together.

The big news this week - Ha! - is that we have taken Aunt Marvel's old, old stove out of the kitchen and replaced it with another one where the oven works. Roy - now you won't have to get up at 3 in the morning to check the turkey when you come. It is a Tappan and really nice - much smaller than hers because it so we'll have more storage place for pans, dishes, etc.

We love you all so much and want to wish you a wonderful, wonderful Christmas. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Let us know how we can help you.
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