July 13, 1986

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

I'm typing my letter in our downstairs family room and it is so nice and cool - it's really hot outside today but you wouldn't believe how cool it is down here - it reminds me of my home in Brigham City and I remember how the folks would stay in their basement most of the afternoon on the really hot days!!!

Johnny - what a thrill it was to receive your tape - we have listened to it at least a dozen times and we can't believe how good your Spanish is (he taped a talk he gave in one of their meetings). That was really some experience you had with the flooding - it sounded scary to me and just proves that you really are protected!!! We couldn't help but notice the difference in the tone of your voice after you got settled in the new area - your apartment sounded too small for more than one person, let alone a family!!! We will save the tape for you for you because it will mean so much to you when you get home - we will also save the folder it came in - you would never in your life believe that it actually made it to us - water had completely blotted out the address and the only thing you could make out was Orem and 84058. I have said many silent prayers thanking the postal employees who took time to try to find the right place it was to go. You sound like the same "old Johnny" and we will be so happy when we can hear that voice in person - by the time you get this letter you will have been gone a year!!

Today in our Sacrament meeting the lady giving one of the talks told about how her son had come in from his classes at UTC one day last week and she asked him what she could fix him for lunch. She said that he started to cry as he thought about all his choices for sandwiches; cheese, ham, tuna, chicken, etc. He had just returned from his mission in South America and said the people there on only two choices; rice or beans and that was for every meal. She enlarged on that to bring out how fortunate we are to live in this country and I agree!!! Johnny - we hope you will be generous to people who do things for you and we will deposit more for you when you need it.

Chris & Wayne left Thursday morning - they planned to drive leisurely to Manti and have the special bar-b-cue turkey dinner in the church there and then stay for the pageant. After the pageant they were going to drive into Manti canyon and spend the night in their van and head out for Arkansas Friday morning. They were reluctant to go because of the weather news for Arkansas & Alabama - I guess they are having a real drought there and it is unbearable hot. I believe we can each understand what they were going in to - when they leave their home in Alabama like this, the roaches take over and that would drive me crazy. We really enjoyed their visit - we didn't dare go very far away - Chris practically sits on the phone waiting to have them call her about her parents who are ill an din a rest home and we didn't want to leave because of Ann's condition. We went up into American Fork canyon one evening and cooked steaks and fresh corn on the cob and we also took a huge watermelon that we cut into fourths and we each ate a fourth. Out trip to Brigham City and Logan was fun and we stopped for Mexican food on the way home. I went to the temple Tuesday morning and Daddy stayed home so he and Wayne could finish the closet in Johnny's room (Daddy had told them he wouldn't be there that morning but I hadn't). Chris & I went shopping to the Deseret Industries where she could find some really cheap books for her Father to read - he likes Westerns and you can buy books there for 10 - we also went to ZCMI and other stores in the Mall. We watched some videos while they were here too - they don't have a VCR so they enjoyed that. They're lovely people and good friends - we have plans to each buy a van (they need a new one) and then drive up the Alaska Highway next Fall - we'll have to wait and see what develops by then!!! We plan to go to Chile to get you Johnny the first of August and that might be out trip for the year!!! Daddy really is looking at vans though - he is more into that than I am - Ha!

Bob - thanks so much for your call - it always makes us feel so good when we can be in touch with each of you. You sounded so good - we know your weather is mighty uncomfortable - too bad you can't all stay in the children's swimming pool all day - that's the only way we could survive when we lived in North Carolina!!! Have you found any good cool drinks Claire? At that point in our lives we made a lot of "sun tea" and it was wonderful - they have non-caffeine tea now but I'm wondering if it doesn't have other things that aren't good for you in it, like that acid that is in tea. Let us know what you know about it.

Roy - it was so good to talk to you too and we're really excited that you're going to Little Rock for your 10th year High School Reunion (he's going the weekend of August 8th and will stay in the Excelsior Hotel where they will also be having some of the festivities of the reunion). It will be so much fun for you to see so many of your friends - we want to hear some news about those who were the closest to you - Robert, Dan, Trip, etc. We know this is a time of decision making for you and Patrice (they are considering applying to go overseas for Roy's tour of duty with the Air Force and would like England or Germany) - we know you will make the right decision. Patrice - your schooling sounds mighty vigorous - I'm sure there is a lot to learn in your field!

Jeannie - we haven't heard from you this week - I have come close to calling you several times but I really didn't have any special reason to call so I didn't Ricky will have a birthday on Wednesday - will he have a party? We will never forget when he was born - at that time I doubted that he would grow up to be storm and healthy but he surely has - he's a picture of health & happiness!

Annie - I know how hard it is to have people keep waiting for you to have your baby when it gets this close - we're ready to help from now until you don't need us. I'm hoping the children will live over here for at least a week - we'll plan special things to make it fun!

Daddy & I went to the Mellor Reunion down in Fayette yesterday. We left about 6:30 in the morning and got to the "Fayette Springs" where they had a camp fireside breakfast that was marvelous and I don't even like breakfast. They had all kinds of fruits, orange juice, fried ham, hash browns, eggs and pancakes - we ate until we were almost sick. Then we went on the Fayette tour of all the old Mellor homes - Daddy's great grandfather was sent there to settle it by Brigham Young and I told Daddy I would be kinda' upset because it really never has prospered. It is a beautiful little sleepy settlement but the owner of the only store there, Max Mellor, just passes away so they don't even have a store now. After the tour and a genealogy workshop they had a potluck dinner and I have never seen so much food in all my life - they must have cooked a half dozen big turkeys and had all the meat from the bones and in a big roasting pan and then everyone brought food (we took a fruit salad). Ramona & Winston and Shirley went also and we had a wonderful time. We think we will encourage all the Roy Mellor descendants to support this reunion and not have a special one just for us - this reunion is for all the John and James Mellor descendants. Carl Mellor from Lehi is President of this organization and he does a marvelous job.

Annie brought Camille McClurg from ElDorado Arkansas and her mother Lucille over to see us for a little while yesterday after we came home from Manti. Camille lives in West Jordan, Utah (teaches school there) and Lucille just lost her husband and she lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her son and her family. We knew them in Arkansas and it was such a treat to visit with Lucille again - she looks and acts at least ten years younger than the last time we saw her!

The huge house just down the street from us has been draped so we are assuming the people will be moving in - it has taken them 15 months to build that house. The house right next to us the West will probably be for sale in the Fall - the have just come from their mission in Spain and he told Daddy he wants $400,000 for it. There are so many homes for sale in this area and yet they continue to build!

We love each one of you so very much and we're so proud of you. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you!


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