August 22, 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, LeeAnna & Jimmy:

I'm finally on schedule again and will write my letter on Monday for this week. Daddy is waiting for me to go shopping with him so it will probably be a short letter. He has been up since about 6 o'clock doing dishes left from last night and other jobs he can find and now he wants to go into Salt Lake to that Burlington store (a discount store) - he needs a younger and more energetic wife!!!!! He went to the cabin one day last week by himself and I had the entire day to myself and all I accomplished was to answer five long overdue letters to friends - when he came home there was no visible sign that I had done anything - Ha!!!

We had a fun and interesting evening last night that I will tell you about first. We had invited the Woolleys over for dessert after church - it is so fun to spend an hour or so with them on Sundays - last week we went to their home for dessert. Well - I had "attempted" to make Frances James' peach custard pie because Daddy had brought home the most delicious peaches. Let me warn all of you who have her book - don't make it unless you have a deep dish pie pan and then be careful - I have custard all over my oven and kitchen and besides that it never did cut like pie-it was more like cobbler!!!! Just before the Woolleys came the phone rang and it was Laura Gonce - she was here with Eric visiting his girl friend who has just started at BYU - so we invited them to come have dessert with us too. Little Susanna had prepared the most beautiful Family Home Evening lesson and we had that downstairs (it was too hot upstairs). Laura and Eric still hadn't come so we went ahead and had our dessert and enjoyed sitting out on the patio visiting. Just after the Woolleys left here came the Gonces - they had been lost, using Frances James address in Sandy instead of ours - Ha!!!!

Laura is completely different in looks - in fact, I would never have known her if I had not been expecting her. Her hair is blonde and quite long and in a page-boy style. I thought she looked great but Daddy & Johnny didn't - I hesitate criticizing other women's hair because I know everyone thinks I wear mine too dark but it pleases me and besides that it's really hard to get hair the exact color you want - out of a six weeks period mine looks the way I like it for just one week. Eric looks good and is really tall - he's 16 years old and is in love with this freshman in college - we think they have a problem but they'll work it out. Laura & Dave have bought a home in Las Vegas and it sounds big but one that needs a lot of work done on it - it has a swimming pool and Laura said they love that. Dave has been living with Linda Smithers and her son Brad for three months - Laura said that the church people thought Linda was Dave's wife until she appeared on the scene. Linda's former husband, John, has also spent a lot of time in Las Vegas with them visiting his children - he has remarried and is doing really well - that sounds like a novel doesn't it??? Laura kept saying over and over again that for the first time in 25 years, Dave has a real job - she is thrilled and seems so happy. Dave is the kind who has always wanted to be a millionaire without going through the proper channels to become one - he is now a sales manager for a real estate firm in Las Vegas working with some friends of theirs from Colorado.

Chris Jordin called yesterday morning and she also had some news that I wrote down so I could tell Bob & Roy - I don't know if you are even interested but here it is: Frank Teed is in the ophthalmology residency in Memphis - he suffered a very serious nervous breakdown several years ago after breaking up his third engagement and is now engaged again and will be married soon; Strickland (I can't remember his first name) is in South Carolina in the neurosurgeon residency and just had his second little boy; Lou Elkins is in Knoxville in the pediatric residency; and Chris Mart is living in LORD. hoping to get into the Emergency Room Residency there and is working somewhere near LORD. but not right in LORD. because the malpractice insurance is much lower where he is.

The big news for this letter is that the Weinerts have sold their home and they have to get out by September 1st. They are going to put their furniture in storage and move into a "motel apartment" until they can find the home they want to buy. Ron, John and Daddy are planning to go help them this Saturday - I will help by caring for the Woolley children. Ann has a church leadership conference in Sundance all day Saturday and then a dinner at their home for all the Primary workers in their ward. Jeannie and Rick had started packing last week so they will probably finish that up this week and then the moving will just be the big furniture - they have already had their piano moved by a piano company that bought it as a down payment on a new piano. We are thrilled for them because they have REALLY wanted to sell motel with four little children for a long period of time the Weinerts can - they will make it a fun time!!!!

It was SO good to talk to you Roy & Patrice - I'll bet we sounded tired - we had just come home from working at the cabin for two days. You surely do take your hot weather in stride just as you do everything else - we admire you - that is such a wonderful way to be. I fight everything - my Daddy used to be like that and I couldn't understand it and now I find myself the same way. I have thought that the month of August was the most disagreeable one in Utah and it has proved that way this year too - it cools off at night really nice though. We showed your recent pictures to Laura last night and she just couldn't believe how darling little Emily is and how good you both look - she said to tell you "hello".

Bob, Claire & Daddy really had fun working in their yard last Saturday - Daddy was so impressed with all the work you did Claire - he is used to someone "watching" the hard work being done. He loved being up there with all of you - he spent time between the two families and said it was fun to see Ricky & Michael playing so well together. We appreciate your phone calls too Bob.

Johnny will probably move to an apartment this week - we will REALLY miss him coming in and out but I am so grateful he will be within calling distant (phone calling that is). He is going to room with Jimmy Willardsen and four other boys - it will be a good experience for him and we don't blame him one bit. This has been a wonderful Summer for his and all of us - he had done great in his work and has really learned some valuable business lessons besides having fun water skiing, etc. He was two of his friends have gone into the "import-export" business - they will learn a lot.

The cabin is coming along good - there is still a lot of work to be done. I don't like for Daddy to go alone but one day last week I consented to let him because he said he was just going to frame in the windows - well the power still hasn't been taken into our cabin so he couldn't do that so he put that heavy, heavy siding on the outside of the walls way, way up high. He came home with bruises and scrapes all over his arms & legs - he had fallen several times!!!! He absolutely WILL NOT use good judgment when he gets involved in doing things like that!!!

Patrice gave me such a good idea when we talked to them. They are going to come for Thanksgiving and we are SO thrilled and we want to have a professional family picture taken. When I told them that, Patrice said, "tell us what you would like for us to wear". In thinking about it, what would you think if every family chose one color to accentuate like in ties, hair ribbons, etc. and that way we could tell the families apart? Let's try to do that and the first ones to choose their favorite colors will have that choice - Daddy & John & I will take what is left over. If you will let me know your choice of colors for your families I will pass it on to the others - okay!!!!! If you think that is a corny idea I will pass that on too.

Daddy decided to go to Dr. Oaks who is in an eye clinic with Dr. Ririe who is Jessie's doctor. He went last Tuesday and he changed the drops a little from that way Dr. Noble prescribed them. Daddy's eye seems better but we won't know for sure until his appointment in the morning. Dr. Noble is a good doctor and it may be that his eye would have improved without changing believe me, with two doctors in our family we should be the last to complain about doctors!!!!! Jessie starts school this morning with her little eye shield on and it's going to be a challenging experience for her - what a special little gal she is.

I forgot to tell you that the Woods called on Saturday too - our former house was struck by lightning - quite a bit of damage!!!!
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