May 21, 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:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE SARAH!!! Sarah is five years old today and we hope she has a wonderful day - I'll bet she celebrated with a party this past weekend - we'll call later today to wish her a happy birthday. It's fun to look at pictures of Jeannie when she was about five and she how much Sarah looks like her - her complexion is darker but they look a lot alike. I can always keep track of how long we have been home from our mission by Sarah's birthday because she was born a couple months before our release - we have been home for five years now.
Speaking of how much some of your children look like you, I had a funny experience the other day. I was REALLY dusting good in the dining room getting ready for a luncheon I was having and my very favorite picture of all of you is at the back of the china cabinet. When I looked at it I thought "now where have I seen that face before when I looked at Roy's picture". We have a picture of Emily on our refrigerator that just brightens up my day every morning when I look at it and I took that picture of Roy in by it and they really look a lot alike - remind me to show it to you when you come Roy & Patrice.
I had such a nice luncheon last Thursday for that little luncheon club I belong to. I served Chris Jordin's recipe for cranberry sauced ham rolls - she had called me the night before so I asked her what kind of ham to buy - she said, "Oh Barbara, get that Hormel 81 - it takes all the worry out of it". The recipe is for seasoned rice in the middle and canned cranberry sauce on top and they are super easy. I also had asparagus with that cheese and mushroom sauce, orange carrot salad and hot rolls and Jeannie - I served your grasshopper pie for dessert. The loved it and then afterwards, Daddy showed some slides of our mission. Daddy did all the serving and of course, the ladies all love him anyway so that made it very special!!!
Friday morning early, we went to the cabin to finish the bedroom. Daddy had planned to make a closet going out into the skunk room but he didn't have enough boards. Roy - after taking you to the airport we stopped at a second hand furniture store and bought some metal frames for the bed (Roy & I had tried to talk Daddy into buying some before but he wanted to make them). We also got all the paneling, etc. for the bedroom. WELL - when we got the carpet up we found that the floor in there was all rotted out so Daddy decided to use the boards he had bought for the closet to replace the floor. That little bedroom is just darling and we have so much more room in there without that large metal head board. I tell Daddy he is a miracle worker - he just does magic making old ugly places look beautiful!!! He also "bargained" with the Taylor furniture store here in Provo to buy some big Styrofoam pieces to go with some others he will buy that Ron found for him for his dock. It was SO funny - about two months ago when we were in the furniture store Daddy found these Styrofoam things and asked what they would sell them to him for - they said $20 a piece. There were five of them - Daddy said "I'll think about it". Last week he asked them again and they said the would go down to $15 - Daddy said, "I'll think about it". To make a long story short - he ended up paying $7.50 for each one. In the meantime he had cut off a chunk and put it in water to see if it would take on water - it didn't. I REALLY want him to get his dock made this weekend if he can - it won't take him long to make the closet and then if he can get the dock finished he will be able to fish from it. We have a little gas leak in the bathroom area - that is where all the gas pipes are. It will HAVE to be fixed and Daddy has figured out a way to bypass the bathroom area and cut off those pipes and the "re-route" the pipes under the house - he has promised me it won't be a BIG DEAL. We have both worried that he would have to take off all the paneling in the bathroom to find it but if he can cut off the gas going into those pipes he won't have to.
There is a lot of activity at the cabin and it is so much fun to be there besides being absolutely gorgeous scenery. Daddy watched a little snowshoe rabbit out by the cabin as he was working in the bedroom - we have seen it in the Winter time and it is right white and now its body is brown with the top of its ears and its feet white.
We went to church at that beautiful little white chapel in Scofield. The lady I sat by has lived in Clear Creek which is a mining place just up the hill from Scofield for 81 years and another lady who is close to 90 has lived in Scofield right next to the church all her life - really sweet people.
Ann & Ron and their family are SO busy with end of year school activities and they sound SO happy. They had to make and decorate two cakes for school on Friday - one was going to be in the shape of the State of Utah. It's so much fun to talk to Ann - she & Ron have more enthusiasm for the things they do for their family, their church and their school than most people have in planning huge conventions, etc., etc.
Bob, John & Daddy are making big plans for the Fall elk hunt - they have to send their applications in today and Daddy has been on the phone this morning to Little Rock trying to find out the number of John's safety hunting course he took there. He has to have verification that he took it in order to get his license.
John had a wonderful weekend trip to Mesa. His friend girl, Gayla Garn, had her missionary farewell and he went for it. He called us last night from Page, Arizona and said he had really had fun and had gone by our former home in Phoenix - he got home late last night and I haven't talked to him this morning - he hurried and left for school before I got to see him.