February 25, 1990 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 my letter on Sunday afternoon because we are taking off for California in the morning. We have been planning this trip as you all know for several months and now seems like the right time to go. We kinda' hated to leave our home when the weather was SO bad but we believe the worst is over. We'll go to Las Vegas tomorrow and maybe spend a day or so there and then just head West and take our time going up the coast. I'll be surprised if we are gone for longer than a week!!!! We'll get in touch with John occasionally so if you need us for anything call him - he said you can always get him between 7:30 and 10:00 a.m. at his apartment 373-3028!!!
We have had a fun week and hope you have too. We haven't been in touch with the Roy Mellors, Weinerts or Woolleys but we know you are doing fine. We went to our Family Home Evening party last Monday night and I was just on pins and needles all night - it was held at the home of a couple where the wife is a "real nut for rules" and we played Scrabble and that isn't Daddy's favorite anyway. Daddy doesn't take games seriously and this lady really does and we were both happy to come home - Ha!!! She spent the night trying to convince Daddy that "em" is a word, which it is, but she said it was the definition for the letter "M" and we had never heard that. She kept saying "but, I taught school" - (she taught first grade for a hundred years). We may drop out of that group.
I went to a luncheon on Tuesday and it was really nice - while I was gone Daddy took the front door apart and put new weather stripping on. We went shopping later in the day and found a round picnic table that would fit in our second patio - it was on sale for $89.95. I wanted to buy it but Daddy said "I can build it for $50.00" - when we got home he ordered some lumber and by Wednesday he was building a patio table and benches. He just loves to do things like that and the one he has built is much sturdier than the one in the store!!!!
Friday morning, Bob & Michael came down to go to the cabin with Pa Pa. I really expected them to come home later in the day - I just knew they would never be able to get to the cabin. They took the trailer with the four-wheeler on it and Daddy had put chains on it and that helped. They got as far as that area where the road takes off up to those large homes on the mountain and couldn't go any further with the car. They all piled on the four-wheeler and went the rest of the way. They said the snow was as high as the gate so Bob led the way and Daddy & Michael followed in his footsteps. It was so much fun to hear Michael describing everything - shoveling the snow to the outhouse, having PaPa climb on the roof to shovel the show off etc. etc. They took a lot of pictures and I'm anxious to see them. When they got ready to come home on Saturday, the four-wheeler battery konked out (Daddy said it was too cold). Luckily, Daddy had brought a spare battery but it was in the care - SO they hiked back to the car to get the battery and put it in the four-wheeler. Bob pulled Michael on this sled with it and they said that was really fun. They didn't get home until Saturday afternoon about 3 o'clock and I was quite worried - I could see them stuck in a snow bank somewhere. They did some ice fishing but didn't catch anything.
John & Gayla came over just when Daddy & Bob & Michael got home. They took the four-wheeler and went over to Lehi to do some riding and "shooting" at the target range over there. They had fun too. They had come over for a little while on Friday night and of course, I loved that. They don't stay very long but it is just wonderful to have them drop in.
You can tell it's getting Spring can't you??? Daddy is SO anxious to get working on "his" hill - the lumber yards finally have those landscape logs in so he will be ready to make another terrace on the hill as soon as we get back from California.
I called Dorothy Woods yesterday morning - she calls here really often and it was my turn. She said all the trees had budded out and the azaleas were getting ready to bloom but they were worried because the forecast was for a freeze - I remember when that used to happen and we were so sad. She said the people who bought our home are real "socialites". There wasn't any news about any of our neighbors there - Carol is in law school in Fayetteville and is doing very well - Dana & her husband are moving to Conway and Terry is having health problems in Chattanooga.
I forgot to tell you in my last letter about the 72-hour food kit that we made in Relief Society and since that is real journal material I must tell you about it. We made them in half gallon milk cartons and they contain enough nutritious food to last for 72 hours - when there is an emergency, we are supposed to grab those and a gallon jug of water and head for I don't know where!!
Daddy and I spent one day last week in the BYU Genealogy Library and we found out something that has really had us baffled for a long, long time. Daddy submitted our four generation group sheet to the church at least 10 years ago and we have never been able to find it on the micro-film here or in Salt Lake. They told us this: YOU CAN NEVER FIND INFORMATION ON THE FILMS ABOUT ANYONE WHO IS STILL ALIVE BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTS OF PRIVACY LAWS. Did you all know this?? Our records are in the files of the church but they are not made public until we die - that makes sense but we didn't know it. We're going to get our genealogy up to date and then give you all copies of it but don't hold your breath!!!
That's all the news. We love each one of you so very much.