May 2, 1988 Orem, Utah

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

You wouldn't believe it was May if you were in Utah this morning!!! We has a storm come in on Saturday and it was really miserable all day yesterday - snow flurries and wind COLD - the sun is out this morning but it us still cold and they are predicting 20 - 25 degrees tonight. Daddy covered some of our newly planted petunias last night and we may try to cover all of them tonight. We feel sorry for the fruit growers in this area - they work so hard all year to get a good crop of fruit and then one night of cold weather can wipe them out!!!!

The big news for this letter is that Bob, Claire & Katie are in Utah. They arrived on Saturday about noon but they are staying in Slat Lake so they can look for a home to buy. They came down early yesterday (Sunday) morning and we had a wonderful day together - that little Katie is just beautiful. After we got in bed last night I realized I never did even hold her - hopefully they will come down soon and she will be fussy so I can do that. I just hate to pick a little baby up from their carrier when they are happy and it seems like every time she was fussy yesterday I was busy doing something else and of course there is always a line to hold a little baby. Bob seems to think she cries too much but she was surely good yesterday.

This has been Jessie's special week. She was baptized on Saturday morning - Daddy, John & I went to her baptism and it was SO nice - she looked like a little angel all dressed in white and of course Ron did too!!!! There were about six children baptized that morning at a Stake baptism. She was confirmed a member of the church yesterday at their Sacrament Meeting and it was neat to have so many of our family there to participate in that - Ron's parents couldn't come because it is their planting season and his father has new help on their farm and his sister's family couldn't come because of illness. After the meeting we all went to the Woolleys for dinner and it was really good - turkey, ham, salads, rolls and cake & ice cream. On the way coming home Johnny said, " We surely have fun when we get together" and we agreed. I took pictures and if they're good we'll send them around - I would prefer having people pose but that is such an unpleasant thing for them to do I just hope to get everyone included. When I was looking at the pictures I had taken at Easter time I realized that I didn't have one of LeeAnna - I noticed yesterday she seemed to always be doing something else when I wanted her in the pictures so I'm not sure I got one of her yesterday - she is definitely an individual!!!!

It was fun to visit with Ricky yesterday about his soccer games - they are all over but he really enjoyed them. Rick is going to coach his baseball games and that will be fun but time consuming.

WE REALLY MISSED ROY, PATRICE & EMILY!!!!! We hope you're all doing fine. I didn't tell you but we got Katie a little dress just like the one we sent to Emily. They might very well be the closest thing we get to twins in our family and maybe I can have the Grandmother's privilege of dressing them alike on occasions. I they don't grow out of them before we get them together for a picture!!!! Katie wore hers yesterday and she looked so darling - I know it isn't very comfortable to wear things like that when they are so tiny but Daddy got a picture of her in it before Claire changed her. We hope you get your trail bike soon Roy - they came for it on Thursday as scheduled. It was SO funny - they took all your boxes and trunk out on the carport and re-packed everything. They just about didn't take your trunk because we couldn't open it - they were worried that we were trying to send weapons of some kind - Ha!!!! We sent the battery for your bike separately because they couldn't take that - I guess because of the danger of leakage. We wanted to send something else to your but really didn't know what to send!!!!

The next big news is that Daddy HAS BOUGHT A TRUCK!!!!! After all these years and really needing and wanting one he has finally made the plunge. I couldn't believe it - I came home from the store on Saturday and he said, "Keith (our next door neighbor) wants to sell his truck and I told him I would buy it". It looks like just what Daddy has wanted. We have talked a lot about a van but for all the traveling we will do we could drive our Toyota and stay in motels more comfortably and just about as cheaply. He can pull our boat & trailer with the truck and he can throw his fishing and hunting gear in the back and go wherever he wants. I really think he will probably look into a camper type thing for it now. He is feeling really good - the cold weather causes him to cough more but I can't keep him inside where it is warm. He loves working in the yard and with the brick wall finished he can concentrate on his flowers and shrubs - we have the prettiest yard in the neighborhood.

I went to Susanna's piano recital on Saturday - she really does a good job. She has a wonderful teacher - Susanna thinks she is too hard but some time she will thank her. Ann is going to have Russell take from a man piano teacher and I'll bet he will be more stern than a woman teacher - I think Roy would have been more diligent in practicing if he hadn't had such a sweet teacher - Mrs. Morton was unbelievably sweet!!!! Roy mentioned that they want to buy a piano - they really need one because they both play and Patrice is VERY GOOD and if you don't keep up with it you lose it!!! Ricky went into the Woolley's piano yesterday for a few minutes and played a little - he is good and I hope he keeps up with it.

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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