May 29, 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 going to try to get this in today's mail - I have about an hour!!!
Wow!!! Have we had a busy and fun week and weekend!!! One day last week (I can't even remember which day) Daddy & I went to Farmington to see the Weinert children in a beautiful musical program. They all belong to a group called "The Talent Sprouts" and this was their end of the year program - it was held at the big High School (Davis) and we just loved it. They all had darling costumes and they did their parts SO well - we were REALLY proud of them. After the program we went to have hamburgers and milkshakes - we had planned to have ice cream but the ice cream place was too crowded!!! Then we went to their home to see their "birds" - we still can't believe all their eggs hatched and now they have a cage full of birds!!!
Friday afternoon Bob, Michael, Laura & Brett came down to go to the cabin. I hadn't planned on going but it sounded too tempting so I went and we all just had a wonderful time. Bob & Claire have bought a four-wheeler and a trailer and the children were all SO excited to bring that and try it out. They had just bought it that morning so it was brand new. We didn't get to the cabin until early evening and as soon as we got there they took off on the four-wheelers - Bob & Laura on theirs and Michael & Brett on PaPa's. They were gone until dark and when they came home we fixed a simple dinner and then the children were content to watch videos until they fell asleep (Bob had brought a good supply of videos).
Saturday morning Bob started working to find the gas leak - he had to take the entire bathroom apart - all the paneling off the walls, the toilet and cabinets out and everything. He found it though and got that fixed and that is a big, big relief!!! Daddy started working on the closet for the bedroom downstairs - that was a big job and I wanted a door in it leading to the skunk room so that made it even bigger. He finished it though and it is just wonderful to have a place to hang clothes and also to have an exit from it.
John came about noon and then he helped Bob demolish the old dock. Michael, Laura, Brett & I had worked at taking out the old nails, etc. all morning and then it took them all afternoon to take it apart and haul all the old barrels to the dump and haul the old wood up to the cabin for firewood. They finished about 5 o'clock and Bob and the children headed for the mountain again on their four-wheelers with a picnic lunch. John stayed at the cabin working on his computer.
Daddy & I left the cabin about 5:30 and went to Manti to decorate the Mellor graves and then we came back to Orem, getting here about 10 o'clock. I had to teach me Relief Society lesson the next morning so I spent a little time working on that. The next morning (Sunday) Daddy & I left Orem and 6:30 to go to Lehi to decorate Aunt Marvel's grave and then to Brigham City to decorate the Forrest and little Christopher's graves. We got back to church about 15 minutes before I had to give my lesson - I was a "little worried", but it went fine. After church we went shopping for "stuff" to make a Dutch Oven stew at the cabin.
We went to a luncheon for Aunt Elaine's 65th birthday at the Excelsior Hotel (one of her daughters had planned it as a surprise party). Daddy's sisters, Ramona & Carol were also there and Elaine's daughters Jill & Kim and grandsons, Shane, Cole & Alex. It was a fun, fun time but the service was SO slow and Daddy & I were anxious to leave to go to the cabin.
When we got back to the cabin about 6 o'clock Sunday afternoon we were thrilled to find the Woolleys there along with Bob & his children. John had decided to come back home - Ha!!! Ann was busy making a dutch oven pineapple upside down cake - Bob had cooked a lasagna and we had brought some green salad so we had a delicious dinner. Daddy started his "stew" and it cooked much faster than we had thought it would - we had planned for it to cook so we could eat it on Monday but we ended up having it for a snack on Sunday night and again on Monday. I MUST tell you that the meat was a little on the dark side - Ha!!! We have a lot to learn about dutch oven cooking but everyone was a good sport and we all ate it. We MUST plan with the Woolleys to have a BIG Dutch oven dinner soon - we all loved the pineapple upside down cake too!!!
The Woolleys spent the night and we all had pancakes that PaPa cooked the next morning and then we just had fun all day on Monday. The weather was just TERRIBLE - Bob & Ron took all the children clear to the top of the mountain in a bad rainstorm but they all decided it was fun and a "MEMORY". We baked potatoes in the fire and cooked lots of marshmallows to go with the stew.
Daddy & I didn't come home until today - I had an appointment to have my hair cut at 1:45. John's friend Gayla is here for a few days - we thought they would come for dinner tonight but he just called and said there is an activity at school they want to go to so maybe they'll come tomorrow. He said they want to go to the cabin with another couple this Friday night - that REALLY pleased PaPa!!!
Roy left John a message on his computer - that just amazes us!!! He said they have had an offer on their home - we're keeping our fingers crossed that it will sell. Patrice - we hope you have had a wonderful time in Connecticut. Rick & Ricky - we hope you have had a wonderful time in Yellowstone. That's all the time & space I have left. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!