January 7, 1991 Orem, Utah

Dearest John; Roy, Patrice, Emily & Timothy; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy:

Monday morning and I'm back on schedule if I can get this written and in the mail within an hour. Today is our genealogy day - from 12:30 until 4:30!!!

Daddy just went to the store to get some more cheese for the Smiths. They called us from Alabama last week and said they had a notice that a package from us had been kept for ten days and then returned back here. When we opened it the cheese was still just fine but we decided to get some that was fresher and also Daddy wanted to send some to Wayne's friend, Horace, who had sent Daddy some fish. When we mailed that we knew they were going to Arkansas for Christmas but the delivery date UPS promised us it would get there would have been before they left - oh well!!! They said they were "iced in" at their home on the lake and their children were "iced in" in Little Rock so they didn't even get together on Christmas.

The ice storms in Arkansas have been bad and they have reminded us of when we lived there - I used to panic when it was my carpool day and it would start to snow - they're just not equipped to handle it because they don't have it often enough. We have been SO worried about little Timothy - we talked to Roy & Patrice and he has REALLY been sick with a cold that settled in his chest. They took x-rays and were relieved that he didn't have pneumonia but they have watched him constantly day & night. When we last talked to them (Friday morning, I believe) he was much better. Little Emily was SO cute - when we talked to her and asked her how Timothy was, she said "Oh, he's just fine". Roy has a few days off this week and that will be good to give Patrice some reinforcement. THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN HAVING A LITTLE BABY SICK!!!

Bob - I can't tell you how much we appreciate your installing our doorbell last week. Daddy would never have asked you to help him but I could tell he needed some help - most things Daddy can do without blinking an eye but electricity has always been kinda' hard for him!!! It works wonderful and the sound is perfect because it is different from our Grandfather clock chimes. We LOVED having you come down on the spur of the moment like that and I LOVED "tubing" with Brett. (John has a big innertube and he took it out on our little hill - we had SO much fun until Brett went face down and got icy snow in his face and down his neck and then he wanted to QUIT.) BOB & CLAIRE - WE LOVE YOUR NEW CAR AND WE'RE THRILLED FOR YOU!!! (They have a new Toyota Lexus.) He took us for a ride in it and we went to see the Woolleys but they weren't home - dumb me - when we left the Woolleys I asked Bob to turn right and go out that way, not realizing it would be a solid sheet of ice and a very steep hill. He didn't have any problems but I have worried about it since. I love the phone in it - he called Claire and we could all talk.

Annie - I'm glad you're "in the limelight" this week and not me. (Our Relief Society asked Ann to be the speaker for our January Homemaking meeting - they had heard about her from another ward.) Yesterday when they announced it I didn't know who they were talking about, they gave you such a big buildup - Ha!!! I wanted to get up and say, "Hey, she's just a normal wonderful wife and mother", but I didn't!!!

Jeannie - how are you guys??? I know it's way past our turn to call and we planned to call last night and visit awhile but then our plans were changed quickly. We hope you are very, very careful as you travel - your roads have been so foggy!!! We have been tempted to drive up to see you but then we remember that terrible accident with 48 cars demolished and four deaths - that happened the morning Bob came down to see us so let's stay home.

John is ready to start school - he left early this morning. He showed his Dad four of his final exam papers and they were all 95 or better out of 100 - he REALLY worked last Semester and we hope he does that well this Semester. I took pictures of Daddy & John working in our dining room last week. They cut a section of ceiling out about six feet long and four feet wide and then cut a board out so John could climb up into that part of our house. He spent one entire day putting that heavy insulation, covering it with that heavy black plastic all along the north wall of our house. We saw where we had all that insulation blown in a couple years ago but that wasn't where the problem was. That entire area along the wall was without any kind of protection. Daddy had climbed up into the garage earlier and wrapped all the pipes in that area so we shouldn't have any more problems.

We had such a fun evening last night. Carol & Elly called and invited us to the Willardsen's "condo" to see some slides of the family taken about thirty - forty years ago. Ramona & Winston & Elaine were there also and we just had a WONDERFUL time. I would love to have Bob see one of Daddy when he was about Bob's age with our family - you can't tell it from Bob.

Roby Brown (the man who bought our Lehi home) just came by to get some pictures we had of that house before the shakes were put on. They are going to have to take the shakes off - they have termites all through that house. He said the floor below the new bathroom Daddy put in is just filled with termites and the walls in the living room are separating. I feel bad for them!!!

Roy & Patrice - WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR VISIT IN FEBRUARY AND WE'LL PLAN SOME FUN THINGS ALONG WITH ANOTHER FAMILY PICTURE (let's just have casual dress - okay?) and we'll want the same photographer so we need to make arrangements. (They are coming the last week in February). WE LOVE YOU, EACH ONE!!!

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