October 22, 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:

Monday is garbage day for us and yesterday afternoon we pulled up all our flowers in the front yard and piled them in the garbage can - many of them were still blooming and the can looked just beautiful - like we had decorated it on purpose!!! We weren't sure they were going to be able to pick it up to dump it because the lid wouldn't close but they just came and didn't spill even one blossom. It's that time of year and we hate to give up the flowers but when they freeze and turn black they aren't pretty anymore. We also cleaned up "the hill" and pulled up the vegetable vines - everything is piled on the vegetable spot and John is going to load it onto the flatbed trailer and take it to our farm in Lehi to dump it!!!

Patrice & Roy - you are in our thoughts constantly and we are SO anxious to hear from you that your little baby has arrived safe and sound and everything is good. (We talked to Roy on Saturday and he said they were half moved into their new home and half still in their apartment - he also said they expect the baby within a week!) We have decided to leave here around Nov. 3rd and will take our time traveling so we should get there about the 5th or 6th. We'll just stay wherever you want us to stay and will leave to come home probably about the 17th so we'll be here for Thanksgiving. Patrice - John wanted me to thank you for sending him that article from the New York Times magazine about bicycling - that was so thoughtful of you and we have all enjoyed it.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that Daddy will continue to feel good. We went to Dr. Brown last Wednesday, the 17th, and Daddy had a bone scan. When they want those results fast they can get them immediately - Daddy had the bone scan from 10 until 11 and Dr. Brown had the pictures in his office at 11:15. There is another spot directly in front of the other one - one is in the back and the other in the front. Dr. Brown doesn't think the pain Daddy is having is coming from the cancer - he asked him if he had done any hard lifting and when we told him about lifting the bricks he seemed to think he has broken his rib again. He said the cancer has weakened his ribs considerably and he is going to have to be extremely careful in the things he does. I personally feel that Daddy is 100 percent better than he was a week ago - he has taken care of himself. I just know that when he goes hunting he does his share of the lifting and hard work. It's a difficult decision though because it's better to be happy doing fun things and hurt a little than to just rest and get bored. Really - we're doing just fine!!!

We were with the Woolleys on Friday afternoon and had talked to them several times during the week. They had a WONDERFUL time on their trip to California - the children were SO excited as they told us all about it. They stayed in the nicest motels and just did everything they wanted to do. They had had tickets for five of them to go to the "Phantom of the Opera" because they didn't think Jimmy would be able to go but when they got there they found out he was old enough so they bought two more so they all went and they loved that. RON WAS IN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT LAST TUESDAY - HIS SUBARU WAS TOTALED!!! A lady hit him broadside but no one was hurt - thank goodness. It was ironic because the lady who hit him is in our ward - she is an attorney and teaches in the law school at BYU and she had her little four year old boy with her. It was definitely her fault and we're sure she would have good insurance coverage so it could have been worse. The accident happened right close to their home and Jessie saw her Dad's car as she was passing in a carpool going to gymnastics and so the lady driving the carpool called and found out her Dad was okay before Jessie could go to class. We're SO thankful you weren't hurt Ron!!! I went with Ann to one of her neighbors who displays clothing and jewelry in her home - I bought two darling outfits and some costume jewelry - it was FUN!!!

Daddy tried to call Bob & Claire last night but their line was busy and then we got company. We won't call when it gets late because we never know when it's "too late". Daddy is hoping Bob went deer hunting over the weekend.

John went deer hunting in the Southern part of the state. He has a friend whose parents own 200 acres and a beautiful cabin there so there were four of them who went on Friday and came home Saturday night. They only saw one buck but it was too far away.

I called Jeannie on Wednesday and she couldn't talk - she had lost her voice. She had given a lecture to a group of senior citizens and there wasn't a microphone and she said she had literally screamed for about an hour.

We always keep our trampoline tied up and one day last week some kids got in the backyard and untied it and jumped on it - we didn't even know they were there until the next day when we noticed the trampoline was down. Well - John tied it up again. On Friday night Daddy & I were listening to the news in our bedroom and it was about 10:30 and we could hear noise down there. I turned on those big lights and at first they ran away and then came back so I called the police. The police were there within five minutes. Daddy & I both feel like scrooges but to have them climb over our fence and untie it seems a little much!

We feel so bad about a young doctor from the University of Utah Med Center who is lost in Big Cottonwood Canyon. He is a third year resident and he went hiking alone - he was missing for two days before they started looking but they have searched all week and can't find him and have called off the search!!!
Your cousin, Paula Pack, her husband and young daughter came to visit last night - it was wonderful to visit with them!!!

I FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

SUSANNA ON WEDNESDAY!!!

ROY & PATRICE ON THURSDAY!!!

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

P.S. Daddy just left to go get some pansie plants to put on our hill. He has called all over this morning trying to find some and was so happy when he finally found where they have them. They will bloom all Winter and be especially pretty next Spring. I surely hope each one of you has inherited his energy and desire to constantly be improving things and making everything around him beautiful!!!
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