September 15, 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:

This will be another journal letter - I thought about not writing it but with so much wonderful news I just have to document it!!!!

We are SO thrilled with the announcements that Claire and Patrice are expecting and we will have two new grandchildren this Spring - Claire & Bobs' baby is due in April and Patrice & Roy will have theirs on March 25th. It is really neat for us to have that to look forward to and we are EXCITED!!!! Many of our friends have teased us because there was a time in our lives when we said we didn't think we would have grandchildren so we decided to raise dogs - now we will have fourteen (fifteen, including little Christopher). We surely hope Claire & Patrice will take good care of themselves and everything will go well for them.

We are also absolutely thrilled to pieces that Bob has accepted a partnership with Dr. Cox in the ear, nose and throat clinic in the Farmington area. They will move here in July and that's a dream come true!!!! They spent some time looking at houses and also lots while they were here but they didn't make any definite commitment - it's too early. They have a busy year ahead of them with getting their home in Germantown sold and making arrangements for the move but it will be a fun and exciting time for them.

Our family was together for the first time in at least eight years (actually we couldn't remember when we were all together but I believe it was a Christmas visit in Little Rock about that long ago) last week and it was simply wonderful. Bob & Claire and their family arrived on Sept. 2nd and they spent Thursday and Friday with Dr. Cox in Farmington and then they left early, early Saturday morning and drove down to Lake Powell with Johnny. Roy & Patrice arrived Saturday afternoon (Sept. 5th) and after Daddy & I picked them up at the airport we left directly for Lake Powell. We got to the lake about 7 o'clock Saturday evening and it was so neat because those who had gone down earlier had all the things unpacked and on the houseboat and also our dinner ready - I had told Ann & Jean we wanted dinner ready but I really didn't expect them to do it (turkey and dressing).

The weather was just perfect for the entire six days we were there. The only thing that wasn't perfect was that Johnny had to come home for school and he left Tuesday afternoon (Monday was Labor day school vacation so he actually only missed one day of school and that was a short day of classes for him). Everyone except Daddy & I water skied and we were impressed at how good they all are. The children did everything from building sandcastles to bumper rides to skiing and they were all SO good. We had different camping places each night and each one was just gorgeous. The children all slept up on the top deck of the houseboat with the exception of Jimmy, Brett and Sarah who are too little to do that and most of the adults slept up there. The sky was just filled with stars and Roy & Patrice were diligent in explaining the constellations to all of us (they had brought a star map). The moon was full so we didn't ever need the flashlights we had taken - if anything, it was difficult to get to sleep with so much light. The children were all exhausted by the days' end so they didn't have any problems sleeping.

We had a scare with little Jimmy - Ann was fixing LeeAnna's hair inside the houseboat and watching him play on the ramp leading to the boat. She missed him for a spilt second and when she went to check she found him completely under the water headed under the boat. Needless to say it scared her and also Jimmy to death. He coughed and sputtered for a few minutes and was a little pale but he soon was his own self again and out eating sand and playing in the water. He and little Brett were SO cute and even though Brett is larger and older it was kinda' hard to tell them apart because Bob had given Brett a "burr haircut" like Jimmy's. Bob gave both Michael and Brett a burr and they were darling but I'm sure it was hard for Claire to see the transformation because they both have beautiful hair - it will grow back in a month though!!!!

It was fun to see the progress the children have made in the water. Barji, who was quite fearful of the water when Daddy & I were last with them, was SO brave this time and went down the slide a million times. Little LeeAnna was a real pro and went far away from the houseboat with Mary Ann and me at one of our camping spots - we pretended we were swimming in the Atlantic ocean. Susanna, Ricky, Michael & Russell all went off the diving board and that just terrifies me. Sarah was mighty brave too and next year I'm sure little Laura will be right there with them. Jessie will be water skiing next year too - she almost went all the way on her first try this time.

Everyone enjoyed the sailboards - they are SO easy to manipulate in the water that all the children could ride them and they paddled far away and were very adventurous. Jeannie, Claire and Patrice could use the sails with them (I don't believe Ann tried this time) as well as Ron, Bob, Roy, Rick & John. Papa and I enjoyed watching everyone wear themselves out.

The meals were great but I goofed in not planning better drinks - next time we'll take things like hot chocolate for the children and drinks other than cola for the adults (I'm sure the Bob & Roy Mellors would have enjoyed root beer, sprite, etc.).

We got home Friday evening and we were all tired!!! Saturday, Bob & Claire went back to Farmington for a little while and Roy & Patrice just stayed around here. They all went to see the Woolley's new home - it is beautiful!!! Roy & John got videos for Saturday night - some of us watched them that night and Papa enjoyed them Sunday afternoon. My space is gone!!!!

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