July 27, 1986 Orem, Utah

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

The big news for this week is the arrival of little James and what a doll he is!!!! This won't be news for any of you expect for you Johnny because Ron said he talked to everyone else. Annie was scheduled to go into the hospital for a caesarean (sp.?) birth on Friday at noon - she went into labor during the night and they called us about 3:20 Friday morning. Daddy and I went over to their home and went to sleep until the children awakened and then we all came over here and waited for Ron to call. It seemed like an eternity to us but he finally called about 2 o'clock and said their little boy had arrived and all was well - he weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 21 inches long - Annie had a long, long labor but she will recuperate much faster than if she had had a C-section. The children stayed over here with us except for frequent visits to the hospital with Ron - they are so excited and it is going to be pure bedlam at the Woolley home for a little while.

We just came home from visiting them and Ann is home and says she feels good! Ron is going to take Russell and Jessie to Farmington to stay with Jeannie for a few days and that will really help because Susanna is such a lot of help and it will be good for LeeAnna to be there to get acquainted with the baby without too much competition - besides that Russell & Jessie will love playing with Ricky and Barji I plan to go over during the day to help Ann "get on her feet" for as long as she needs me. Can you believe they actually got the boy they wanted so much??? We are so thrilled for them - I think they plan to call him Jimmy. I think he looks a lot like Russell but I also think he looks like "our" babies with the Mellor nose.

Johnny - your letter are so wonderful and you sound so much happier. We are surprised that the climate has differed so much from Chimbarongo because there isn't that much difference in the distance, is there? (Johnny says they don't have nearly as much rain where he is now). I had the most frustrating experience last Tuesday in the temple - we had just gone into the endowment room and I was standing at the entrance as the people came in and this young man came up to me and said, "Hello, Sister Mellor" and it was Dean Lythgoe. Of course you can't visit or talk loud but I almost did and then I never did get a chance to see him again (Dean is in the MTC preparing to go to the same mission that Johnny is in). I'm going to get some cookies to him this week - I guess he will be here until the first of September - I would love to send you something with him but I guess missionaries have enough things of their own to keep up with without taking anything for someone else. I think they really discourage that in the MTC.

Bob, it was so neat to have you call when we were all together on the 24th. We had just been talking about you and your family and how uncomfortable you must be in the hot humid weather you have been having. We really appreciate it when you call like that when you can. I wish Michael & Laura could have been here that day - the "cousins" have so much fun when they get together. Claire, I was re-reading one of your last letters and remembered that I had forgotten to ask you about the "Mississippi River Boat" party you & Bob had gone to - you said you ate, and ate and ate - I can't think of anything more fun!!! Was it a staff party just for fun??? There is so much charm in the South - we miss the things like that. They advertise a Riverboat Restaurant in Salt Lake and it's okay if you haven't been on the "real thing" but it's far cry from an authentic riverboat. Claire - how are your folks? Will they get to come home any time soon? It sounds like Laura is going through the "middle child" syndrome - Ha! We'd love to see all of you again and see how Brett has grown.

Roy & Patrice - Ron said he had talked to you and you're doing good. We hope you will have a little time off before it gets too cold so you can go camping - we know how much you enjoy that and there are so many gorgeous places close by.

We wish you could go into Canada where we went last Fall and at the same time we went because the leaves were so special. We also wish you could come back and go to Lake Powell with us in Sept. - Bob says they will try but he thinks he has to have hospital duty that month or something like that!

Jeannie & Rick - we're wondering if you went boating yesterday as you had planned - it was kinda' cool down here!!! It was so neat to have you come for the 24th and we loved it - I thought, but too late, that we should have had some sparklers or something for the children to celebrate the 24th. That is such a big celebration here in Utah - we still can't get accustomed to it even though we grew up here - they have parades all over the State with beautiful floats. Rick - we are so excited for you to start your new job (he is going to work for a company called Medtronics that sells heart pacers and valves and will have a lot of the same territory he has had with the former company - northern Utah and Idaho). I'm sure there will be a lot of stress that always comes with changing jobs but it sounds wonderful to us and we're proud of you!!

Chris & Wayne called us last night - they wanted to know about the Woolley's baby. They had just come home from Atlanta where they had gone to the temple to do the work for some of members in Chris' family - she has done a lot of genealogy. They are going to come back out here the end of September with Wayne's folks to take them to Washington State to visit his sister. They said it was "unmercifully" hot in Gulf Shores and they have a window air conditioner there but they are going to their home in Hot Springs for the month of August and they don't have any kind of air conditioner in it - I couldn't stand it!!!! Daddy & Wayne have BIG plans to buy vans and then customize them themselves - I am against it - Ha!

Barbara Andrews called yesterday - she left to go back to Little Rock this morning and she said she was dreading the "mess" she would find in her home - I guess Tommy & David have been "batching" it while she has been gone this past month. It was fun to talk to her and hear some news about our friends there - I guess there are so many new people in the ward there that we wouldn't even know it was the same place. Roy - I wish you would visit it when you're there for your reunion and tell us about it.

Did any of you watch the "Royal Wedding"? (Johnny - Prince Andrew of England married Sarah Ferguson and it was a big thing.) I watched some of it and wished I had "dared" to get up at 3:30 in the morning to watch all of it live. I just love all that pomp and ceremony and the traditions that are carried out like the horse and carriages and the appearances on the palace balcony. We are so fortunate to live at this time when we can have such complete coverage on television where we can enjoy it from our own homes - I would hate to live in a fish bowl like that but I enjoy watching it.

Daddy put up a screen door on the door next to the laundry things and it is going to be wonderful - it gives that area so much light and will allow breezes to come in. we had the people come out yesterday and spray our trees for those box elder bugs again - I guess we will have to have that done about every month during the Summer. It's great though because it controls all the bugs and we can really enjoy our patio. We think that in time we won't have the problems we have had this Summer - the yard was not taken care of for several years and the bugs kinda' took over. Daddy also finished your closet Johnny and that room is really a nice place now for storage as well as closet space - before it was such that we had to keep the door closed but now it is part of he big room.

That's all the news. We love each one you so very much and really miss you! PLEASE BE REALLY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Let us know how we can help you.

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