April 13, 1987 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 and I'm running late, as usual. Daddy talked me into watching a movie on television last night instead of writing my letter - I thought it was only a two hour movie but it was three hours and too late to write after it ended. It was "Escape from Sobebor" - the story of the Nazi death camp - it was good but very depressing and I wished after that I hadn't even watched it. There are so few things worth watching on television anymore!!!! This was educational but we have seen a lot of accounts of that death camp.

The big news this week is that Johnny called us from Chile. The last letter we had from him was written on March 7th and I had asked Daddy several times if he didn't think we should call - but you know Daddy - he kept saying he knew he was just busy!!! Tuesday night about 9 o'clock the phone rang and Daddy answered it - he said he was just about to hang up because there was this lady on the other end of the line speaking Spanish and he thought she had the wrong number and then he understood the words, "John Mellor". Daddy said he doesn't know what he agreed to but I heard him say, "Yes, Yes"! I hurried upstairs to the other pone and it was like John was in the next room - IT WAS WONDERFUL!!! You sound great Johnny and it is really a good thing you called because we haven't heard from you by letter this week either. We have been concerned because of all the things we have read in the papers about the Pope's visit (Johnny said he passed right by the Mission Offices and they got some pictures of him). It's hard to believe his visit could affect your baptisms that much - going from between 75-100 a week to 18 is quite a shock!!!! I'm sure you will be given many more teaching opportunities now though, won't you??? It was fun to call your companion's parents and visit with them - (Johnny is still an Assistant and has a new companion who is from Orem, John Lant). It's almost like you have been a figment of our imagination and now that we have talked to you we feel that there really is a John Mellor. I used to feel that way about Roy when we didn't hear from him for a long time - but it was easier to make contact with him by phone than it is you. We know you will continue to work hard and give it your all for the last three months of your mission. We had a missionary homecoming in our ward yesterday, Kimball Broderick. He has served in New Zealand and I asked him if he knew Wade Ellis - he said he did know him and he was an Assistant to his Mission President and incidentally, his Mission President has just been called into the Quorum of the Seventies, President Lasater.

We had a really fun day yesterday. We went to our church services and then we went to the Woolley' services - Jessie played a violin solo in their sacrament meeting and Ann accompanied her - you just wouldn't believe how good it was - they didn't make one mistake and they played two numbers. Then we came home with little Jimmy and he went to sleep so Daddy didn't go back with me to hear Susanna give a talk in Senior Primary - she just stood up there and gave it like an adult would without any notes or anything. We were very proud of them!!! When they came by to pick up Jimmy we talked them into having a little lunch with us (Lima bean soup) - the lunch wasn't too good but it was so fun to have them here. After we ate we did such a fun thing. Jessie's birthday was Saturday and her most favorite present was two little goldfish in a fish bowl. They only lived a few hours and she was heart broken to find them lying on the top of the bowl on their sides (she blamed LeeAnna for feeding them too much). Anyway, at Ron's office they have a pond and it has gold fish in it so he promised Jessie he would go get her two of them to replace her birthday fish. It was so funny to see him in the pond with waders on and a big net to catch little tiny fish but he did it and now Jessie has two really special fish (one is spotted and the other all gold). Her birthday party was really fun - the invitations read that the Woolleys would come pick them up at 7:30 in the morning and they had to come in their night clothes and they would have breakfast. They had pancakes with candles in them and Jessie was so excited - she got a new bicycle.

Jeannie had a big day on Saturday!!! She had let her dietitian's registration lapse so she had to take a test - after it was over and we talked to her, she said she would never let it lapse again. She can keep it current by taking continuing education classes periodically. We're so proud of her for accepting the challenge of doing this - she is worried that she might not have passed it but she said if she didn't she would just study harder and take it over again - what a great attitude!!! I was so happy that we moved from Little Rock before Gov. Clinton made all the teachers take those tests to see if they could qualify to be teachers - I just know I could never have passed them. The questions are always so tricky - Jeannie said most of them were multiple choice with two obviously wrong answers and then the other two were so nearly the same that it was almost impossible to choose the right answer. WE'RE PULLING FOR YOU JEANNIE!!!

Daddy and I went to the wedding reception of the year on Friday night. Gary Doxey was married - do you all remember the Doxey family??? Steve Doxey who is your age Roy, asked all about you. He is a practicing attorney in Salt Lake and isn't married - they have four boys and he is now the only single one. The reception was in the Empire room of the Hotel Utah and it was absolutely gorgeous - the room is huge and it was completely filled with a big line waiting to come in. Dave Doxey (the father) called us on Friday morning to invite us because they didn't have our new address - we thought that was very special. It was so fun to see their family again after so many years - we were so close when we lived in Phoenix and had most of our family home evenings together and we have kept in touch through the years but haven't seen the children. We also visited with Dick & Opal Danley and Ted & Gladys Gardner - do you remember them?

Ellen Mae & Mel called and invited us to go their High School's prom on Saturday night - it was held in one of the rooms in Hotel Utah too. We couldn't go because we planned to go to Moroni to attend the 50th Wedding Anniversary of one of our missionary couples (as it turned out we didn't go to that either). They are having lots of things in the Hotel Utah now and I guess they always have - it is going to be very different in downtown salt Lake to have that converted into a chapel and church offices.

We haven't heard from the Bob & Roy Mellors this week. I get so excited when I think that their lives are going to be much easier in a few months - Bob says he won't have to go into the hospital at nights after July and Roy will be having more regular hours when he moves to San Antonio. Claire & Patrice won't know what to do with them "hanging around" the house more - Ha! You certainly deserve to have it easier!!!

Daddy has finished the patio and it looks just WONDERFUL - so much bigger instead of just twice as big! He went over to a place in Lehi this morning to get some "special dirt" for our flower beds and also for our garden - he is so anxious to plant our vegetable garden. I wish I had just half as much energy as he has. I work with a lady in the Temple who teaches at the Institute here by us so I decided to enroll for a Book of Mormon class. I was so excited and had an early dinner last Tuesday and had told Daddy where I was going and had talked about it all say - the class started at 6:30 and I sat down to read the paper at 6:00 and completely forgot about the class!!! Daddy came home about 7:30 and said, "I thought you were gong to your class"! I just about died - I was upset about missing the class but more upset about losing my memory - isn't that dumb????

I can't think of any more news. Mother's Day is coming up and please, please don't send me gifts - I would just love cards. I feel like it is such a privilege for me to be your mother and I don't want anything - I mean it!!!

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