April 29, 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:

We awakened to another snow storm this morning - it has been snowing off and on all week but we LOVE the moisture. The snow we received during the Winter stayed on the ground for months and it was so cold it just evaporated - I don't believe there was much moisture in it. We are worried about the fruit crops - they were expecting a frost last night that would really hurt the apricots and cherries. The paper has said that the fruit growers here in this valley have had frost damage for the past five years. I remember how my father used to worry so much with his peaches and sour cherries and finally sold his sour cherry orchard and we didn't blame him.

John has finished this semester and I thought he started again today but he doesn't start until Wednesday. Daddy has had a friend over in Lehi working on his truck (it needed a new water pump and some other minor things done to it) and he went over and got it last Friday. We went to the "farm" and got John's boat and brought it home (that is such a wonderful place to store things like the boat, the flat bed trailer, the truck and all the things that go on top of it) and Daddy had covered it good so the weather didn't bother it. John had some college friends come to help him and he rented something to lift the engine out of the boat - at one point it looked like grand central station in front of our house. Our neighbors across the street called and said if we were having a party they would like to come and they would bring the pizza (they own a pizza shop) - Ha!!!

John has taken the engine completely apart and has had bolts, etc. lined up on boards in the garage with each one labeled. It has reminded us so much of your Roy when you took your Toyota apart and also that old blue boat and Ralph Hipp came over and told Daddy he didn't think you would ever get them put back together again but you did and they worked great. One of John's friends is getting his master's degree in mechanical engineering from BYU and he was here and we could tell he knew what he was doing - John said he was as smart as his other friends expect from that friend. John seems to love getting all greasy but so far he has kept the garage clean.

Jeannie & Rick have had a time with their rental house and I wish I had gone to help them clean it. Jeannie said she wouldn't have allowed her worst enemy to help. I guess it was really bad. Their renters told them they would spend a month cleaning it and getting it in good shape if they didn't have to give them back their $300 cleaning deposit so they said "okay". Well, they moved out without doing that - they even left a garbage can filled with some kind of cement that is so heavy the garbage truck won't pick it up. They have decided to sell it and not rent it anymore. We have never had good luck with renters either - some people do but we haven't learned their secret.

Daddy & I went with Ann, Susanna, Jessie & LeeAnna to the City Rep in Salt Lake on Friday night. It is so funny - I have those dates on our calendar in red and still I forget them - Susanna called to remind us or we would have forgotten it. We are constantly amazed at the quality of those performances - this one was C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe" and the special effects were unbelievable. We think they had turned their heat off either for the performance or for the summer and it was cold in the theatre - Daddy & I had dressed warmly but Ann just about froze to death. Ann's neighbor and friend had her semi-annual clothing show on Thursday and she let us come on Wednesday night for a "sneak preview". It is always fun to go and I bought two things - a dress and a casual outfit.

Roy & Patrice - we have watched the weather news very closely because we are SO concerned about tornadoes in Arkansas at this time of year. The one in Kansas did so much damage on Friday. They have really perfected the warning system in Little Rock so we know you can get to safety but it's still a worry. We surely hope your Mom is doing better by now, Patrice.

Bob & Claire - we know you're doing good. Claire, I know you are like Daddy is and would love to get out and work in your yard - surely we will have warm weather soon!!! We planted our petunias too late last year so I know that will be done soon - we thought it was better for the nurseries to have them until they were blooming but they say it is better to plant earlier.

Daddy is feeling really good. You know what a "scrounger" he is - well, John called him from Ron's office last week and told him they were throwing away a lot of boards in a building across from Ron's place. Daddy drove up there and talked to the builders and they said he could have anything he wanted. Last night, Daddy, John & I went up in the truck and got some "wonderful tings" - John climbed right into the garbage bin and sorted through everything and got what they wanted. Daddy is out now taking the nails and screws out of the boards. I don't know what he plans to do with them but he is SO happy with some boards like that. We went to the cabin one day last week and everything is in great shape - it really survived the Winter just fine!!! The lake is up quite a bit. - our dock isn't very far out of the water. He had his root canal done and will go back this week to finish it.

I gave my last lesson in Relief Society yesterday and Daddy gave a talk to the prospective missionaries in our ward - we have asked to be released from everything for the Summer - WE ARE GOING FISHING. It is kinds' nice to not have to worry about the preparation but I have really enjoyed teaching. One of our former missionaries brought his wife to meet us on Saturday. I'm enclosing that letter about our television experience.
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