September 8, 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& Jimmy:

It's Monday morning - I didn't get my letter written yesterday because it was a day "jam-packed" with family fun!!! Annie & Ron blessed their little Jimmy yesterday morning and Ron's family came along with Ron's sister Sue and her husband Calvin and their family - it was wonderful for all of us and awfully lot of work for Ann & Ron. They had everyone for dinner in the afternoon after all the meetings and the food was just delicious - Ron fixed that famous Sanpete county turkey (it is marinated for 24hours and then cooked on the bar-b-que grill), and Ann made her fabulous twice-baked potatoes (a special recipe using eggs) and also fruit salad, sliced tomatoes, vegetable salad, orange rolls and lemonade. Jeannie brought her fabulous fudge, macaroons and fudge sauce for hot fudge sundaes - needless to say, we were all "stuffed" when we finished and I never quite get over the fact that Ann & Jean are such good cooks and always add the special touch of "fattening" foods and yet they don't gain an ounce!!!!

We took quite a few pictures and will send you all some.
We were so thrilled when we drove up to the church to see Rick with his family - he had been in Minnesota all week and it was a special deal for him to get to come home and Jeannie had to drop him off at the airport last night so he could go back for this next week. It really meant a lot to the Woolleys and all of us for him to do that. He loves his new work still and he says his training is really intensive but he's learning a lot.

You just can't imagine how much fun it is to watch all the grandchildren play together - they just love each other! Sue has three little children and they all just fit right in - I think Ann & Rons' house was a disaster area when everyone left but they surely have their priorities in the right order - I was always too "fussy" and I guess I still am! Little Jimmy was so-o-o good all day and everyone laughed because when Ann bore her testimony she said he was the? "orneriest" (sp.?) baby she had ever seen - anyone who has five little children under the age of seven can't possibly get enough rest to properly assess the situation - we're really proud of all of them!!! Jeannie has her hands full too and we think she will have "climbed her mountain" when she gets Sarah so she will be happy with anyone except their family - she's pretty good with PaPa but she doesn't want t o have anything to do with me - it's been almost eight months since I put her in the closet and told her to go to sleep but she hasn't forgotten it! We're really proud of that family too - they stayed with us for about an hour after all the "festivities" and it was fun to watch Barji do "cartwheels" on the back lawn and Ricky play soccer (he can really kick) and Mary Ann play in the sand.

Johnny - we surely hope you receive your ankle brace today and it is the kind of you need. Dr. Steel has been so helpful and so has the missionary department. We have had a phone call almost every day this week trying to arrange all of this. Bro. Burton evidently talked to your Mission President and then to Dr. Steel and then he called here to tell us that if we had the brace at the MTC on Sunday they would arrange to have the missionaries going to Chile today take it with them. We got two boxes of See's candy to send with it and then Jeannie wanted you to have some of her fudge and Annie got us a box for all of it - it was all packed so nice but when we took it to the MTC they said there was "no way" a missionary would have room in his suitcase to take that large a box - he could only take the brace if it could be placed flat (out of the box) in a suitcase. That really surprised me because we always received our gamma globulin shots and other medical supplies from the missionaries who came into our mission and they were always in a large box - I'm sure it is different going to a foreign country. We wanted you to give a box of the candy to Sister Taylor - we'll send it to you. Dr. Steel said the brace should really help you - we're anxious to hear that you really did get it - a lot of the missionaries would be responsible enough to get it to you but a lot of them wouldn't. Bro. Burton called us yesterday and said to put his name on the box as the authority for it - maybe that will help. We loved your letter and it came on Tuesday - two weeks from when you had sent it and that is more normal - I wish I didn't worry so much. We're so proud of you for trying to do the work even with a cast (he said the doctors were mad at him for walking so much and ruining the cast). Bro. Burton said the infection had cleared up. In the news this morning they told about the assassination attempt on the President of Chile - there must really be a lot of unrest there!!! Be really careful!!!!

Roy & Patrice- we're so proud of you for calling Johnny - we couldn't believe it. (Roy called us the night of Labor Day and we had such a good visit with him & Patrice - he said he was worried about John and wanted to talk to him we gave him the number of the Mission Home - after he talked to him he called us back and said he felt good about the things Johnny had told him and we shouldn't worry about him - that really meant a lot of us). Your trip into New York to be with Tripp Strauss sounded so neat - it is really important for you to keep your good friends Roy and we don't blame you for wanting to live in the East. We are so interested in hearing about your plans for the next three years (he and Patrice have listed the places they would like to go for the air Force in this order: Germany, England, Washington D. C., San Francisco and San Antonio.) Patrice, we're glad you were able to spend some time with your Mom - I'll bet it was fun!!!

Bob & Claire - we're anxious to hear how Michael is liking school by now. Jeannie said this year was a "whole new world" with her children - kindergarten here is only three hours and is kind of a "pain in the neck" even though it's important for the children. Ricky has a very strict teacher and he was telling me last night that "no matter how good your paper was, if you didn't put your name on it, it went into the waste basket" - that's kinda' hard for little kids. Russell told me last week after his pre-school that his teacher has a rule that, "If you spill your punch, you get water" - why didn't I think of that??? Ha! We really miss Michael, Laura & Brett when all the grandchildren get together - they will have a lot of fun with them when you visit.

Daddy is still working his head off - and loving it!!! Dr. Steel, when he called about Johnny's brace, invited us to got to the football game with them on Saturday afternoon - BYU and Utah State! I practically had to force Daddy to go because he was so engrossed in "his wall" and then after the game I suggested that since he had already "shot the day" we should go to Brigham City to see the folks and also it was Peach Days there. SO he didn't get much work done on Saturday. We enjoyed the game - 52-0 for BYU - I really makes a difference in how game. Daddy's wall is going to be so nice - it really makes a difference in how the yard looks from the street - he ordered some more bricks to be delivered today because it is higher inn some of the places than he had figured on. It looks like an "insurmountable task" to me but all Daddy needs is a challenge. He still hasn't quite figured out how to "do the hill" - I don't want him to create a real problem in caring for it and lawn would be hard to mow - I think he should plant some kind of an evergreen bush that would just take care of itself. It will be glad when our yard is at just the "maintenance level" - it seems like Daddy has been working on really difficult projects ever since we got home from our mission.

I have to "gird up my loins" and start working on our missionary reunion. Daddy tells me he is not going to be here for it - it is right in the middle of his Elk hunt and I guess I don't blame him. I'm going to try to come up with some kind of an invitation today and get them mailed and then just plan to have a self serve ice cream party. Do you all remember Elder Pottberg? He called us late one night last week to announce the birth of twin girls - he was so excited - Wow is that ever a success story - he is really happy and doing just wonderful!!

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