December 19, 1989 Orem, Utah

Dearest John; 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 writing on Tuesday again. Daddy & I had our Family Home Evening group over last night and it took me all day to get ready for them - I AM SO SLOW!!! We served hot apple sauce with ice cream like Ann served at Christmas time - it was good but not as good as Ann's - I don't believe I seasoned the apple sauce enough. We have a man who is diabetic in our group so I tried to not use too much sugar and the apples were quite tart - I also had made fruit cake and those sand tart cookies. We had a fun evening-sang Christmas carols, read Christmas stories and then played "Hearts".

ARE YOU ALL READY FOR CHRISTMAS??? We hope you have a truly wonderful holiday - we need some little children around our house!!! Daddy has just finished the doll house for the play room and it is darling - he still has a few things left to do on it but we moved it into the playroom and I wanted to get Hans and Frauie in to see if they would play in it - Ha!!!

I believe we are the "target" family for our ward this Christmas - you just wouldn't believe all the things that are done for us. Someone is doing the "twelve days of Christmas" for us and each evening we receive a knock at our door and find a darling gift and little poem at our door. We are constantly receiving gifts of food - on Sunday night a plate of delicious divinity and nuts was left at our door and Daddy and I ate THE WHOLE THING. I will never catch up!!!

The flu bug hit our house on Saturday night - I awakened about 2 o'clock and didn't go back to sleep until Sunday afternoon and then it was all over. Many of our friends have it and they are REALLY sick with colds, pneumonia, etc. - I wonder if having the flu shot made it minor for me. I worry that Daddy is going to get it but so far he feels good. Bob - when we came home from your place we looked for that elastic stocking you had given him several years ago in Memphis - he has worn that every day since then and it has really helped the swelling. (When Bob saw his ankle he suggested that we wrap it with an ace bandage because it was swollen so bad.) Daddy goes into Salt Lake on Thursday to see Dr. Middleton, the urologist - hope he gets a good report.

It was fun talking to your for a minute, Roy & Patrice - (when they called, Daddy told them we had just sat down to a trout dinner and they didn't want to keep us from it so they wouldn't talk very long). Patrice - we have meant to tell you how much we enjoy your cards from you church - they certainly have a beautiful message and are carefully chosen by you - I need to improve in that area - I just use any paper that is handy to write on most of the time. We're so glad you like the pictures- Daddy changed the pictures in our dining groom yesterday - he replace the old ones with the new and we couldn't believe the difference - the ones done by Olin Mills are so inferior in every way. We have framed the 20 x 24 one and it is in our entrance and is absolutely gorgeous - WE LOVE IT!!!!

Daddy & I went to Layton last Thursday to take Laura's doll house and we ended up having such a wonderful day. Claire invited us for lunch and she fixed a delicious ham & chicken salad with croissants and an ice cream dessert - it was hard for her too because that was the day for her piano lesson in Bountiful and also Michael was home sick with the flu bug. Bob came home and had lunch with us too. THEN we went to Jean & Ricks to take their pictures to them - Jennie was to a luncheon with some of her friends so we visited with the children and found out they were in a performance at the Layton Hills Mall that evening. Jeannie came home shortly after we got there - Daddy and I decided we wanted to stay for the performance and since it was three hours away we went to the mall and just enjoyed "shopping" - I believe that's the first time ever that daddy has spend three hours in a mall.

Barji, Mary Ann & Sarah looked just darling in costumes for their performance and they didn't miss a word in about a dozen songs-their group is called the "Talent Sprouts". They are going to perform at temple square this Thursday and we would really like to go see them but that is the night of our Ward Christmas Party and Jeannie says she thinks we should go to that. Ricky isn't in that group but he is a good supporter although he wasn't feeling very good that night. It was fun to be with that family - I wanted to spend more time with them after the performance but daddy's ankle was really hurting after being on it all day so we just left and came home.

Annie and I had a fun time last Wednesday night. It was our Relief Society Christmas party and she came with me. It started at our President's home just down a few homes from us - there must have been a hundred women there - they served wassail, cookies and fruit breads and then we went to their downstairs room where one of the ladies told the story of "The Other Wise Man". After that we went to four other homes that had been specially decorated for Christmas - you just wouldn't believe the way they were decorated - they practically had to move out of their homes to make room for the decorations. They served different foods at each one of the homes besides having gifts for everyone - it was one of the nicest things I have ever attended. Ron was out of town and their children were in a dozen different things so Daddy went to their home and ran their car pools and cared for Jimmy - he loved it!!! Annie missed her Relief Society party that was the same night and Susanna & LeeAnna performed at that so I really appreciated her.

John has come home for a few minutes several times and he is doing good - he has his final exams today, tomorrow and Thursday.

We hope he will come home after that and stay here for a few days. Every time he has come home lately all I have had to eat is "bean soup" so maybe he won't. He is going to New Orleans for part of the holiday - one of his friends is playing in a football game there. John will do anything to get to a warmer climate - we're happy he is going - it will be a fun and good thing for him to get away from his studies for a little break.

It is fun to receive Christmas cards from our friends - we had a lovely letter from Mildred Cantrell and she is 75 and looks much younger than I do - the Mayers have moved to the Country Club in Scottsdale. We were sad to receive Betty Young's card - you all remember her - she was Daddy's secretary in Little Rock and her husband Roger died of a heart attack the last of October. We can't believe that no one had written to tell us. Daddy called her last night and she is having a very difficult time. Helen Bridge's daughter Diana just married - she has been a divorcee for a long, long time - Helen & Dean live in Little Rock. Chris & Marc sent a picture for the first time this year and it is really good - Marc had surgery and Chris has called several times and he is doing fine.

Daddy went ice fishing again last week - he really does love that and I love the fish he catches. He has a friends who lives in American Fork who just loves to fish but doesn't like to eat them and neither does his family. Daddy made "a deal" with him that he will smoke some for him - SO yesterday he brought Daddy about 10 of the most beautiful trout you have ever seen and he is smoking them this morning. One day last week when it was snowing outside guess where Daddy was? He was out smoking some fish - I took a picture. Most people are warm and snug in their homes reading or watching television during snowstorms and Daddy is out doing things.

WOW - a three page letter when you don't have time to read even one page. I won't test you this time.

We're looking forward to this weekend. I have to teach my lesson on Sunday so we won't be able to go to Farmington until late afternoon - we plan to leave here by 3 o'clock. It will be fun to be with everyone for Christmas Eve. Christmas day, Daddy, John & I plan to make "the tour" - we'll visit each one of our Utah Childrens' homes to see what Santa brought to the children. We won't stay long but it will be fun to do that and we will miss not being able to visit with Roy, Patrice & Emily too!!!

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