February 17, 1992 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:
Happy President's Day!!! This won't get mailed today but I'll write it anyway. It was interesting to watch the morning news and have them discuss "President's Day" and the upcoming election in New Hampshire. I guess we have been more interested in it this year because of Bill Clinton - he has certainly had his share of problems but I still think he is the Democratic Party's best candidate.
Valentine's Day was very much like Christmas around here - I could have opened a bakery with all the goodies that were left at our doorstep - we loved it!!! Our neighbors and friends have been just wonderful. One evening our home teacher, Steve Frisby, came by with a model of a Tom Sawyer boat that the scouts are building to show Daddy. They are going to put it on the Green River - I guess they built three of them several years ago and it was such a successful event they are going to do it again - they dismantled them and Steve has all the poles. While he was here, our neighbors, Carol & Adrian Fredericks, came over with a bunch of Valentine balloons and a gallon of root beer and then our Bishop and his wife came with a loaf of freshly baked bread. It was fun to visit with them all. Ramona & Winston came by with cologne, etc. for Daddy & Carol & Elly sent a gorgeous plant.
Jean & Rick came down one afternoon and brought us enchiladas from "El Matadors" and they were just wonderful (I'll have to admit I ate most of them). Rick had some business at Utah Valley Hospital so Jeannie stayed to visit and while she was here, our friend Polly Taylor came - Daddy slept and we visited - Ha!!!
Ann comes over really often - I worry that she is neglecting other things to come but we love her visits. She brought over Valentine cookies and she told us that she had ordered 7 dozen cookies from the Provo bakery and then her children frosted them - the children all had to take cookies to school.
John has been in St. George this weekend. He has called several times and I guess they had a lot of rain one day - they spent last night in Mesquite, Nevada and they had had some good bicycle riding there. It's fun to have him working on his bicycle here ªhe is much happier than he was for awhile - the pressure is off, I guess - Ha!!!
Roy & Patrice - we're anxious for your visit and I wish we could take our van up for you to use - it really needs to be used!!! We'll have all the family here next Sunday, the 23rd, for a spaghetti dinner - that's one thing I know the children will eat. Jeannie is going to bring dessert, Ann the French bread, and Claire - could you bring a green salad? We'll plan to eat about 5 o'clock because the Bob Mellors have the late church schedule - we hope you will all come early though so we can have a good visit and Emily will have time to play with the cousins.
Bob & Claire - I would meet you in Salt Lake on Saturday to get Katie for Emily to play with if you think that will work and then she could go home with you on Sunday night. We don't know your plans but we would love to have those two together here.
We had a REALLY good snow storm here yesterday. We didn't go to church so I shoveled it from the driveway and it was a very wet snow - that is SO good and we need a lot more like that. The ski slopes are very happy!!! Roy & Patrice plan to spend some time at Sundance and we know they got a lot of new snow.
Daddy & I went to the High Priest Valentine dinner on Friday night and had a good time. It was an Italian dinner with about fifteen tables and each table had a host & hostess who planned the dinner. We were lucky to get with a lady who is Italian and she made lasagna that was absolutely delicious - she makes her own pasta and it was just wafer thin with about 8 layers. I took a green salad, another couple brought beans almandine and then we had ice cream with fruit cocktail on top - different but delicious!!! We couldn't stay very long but it was fun to go.
We had such a fun day yesterday - Sunday. Jean was the guest speaker at Ann's Ward for the Young Women's Association. She spoke on the importance of good nutrition and the Woolleys all said she was GREAT!!! Rick didn't come down because their ward had their ward conference and he is Elder's Quorum President. Jean brought the children and Ann invited Daddy & I to come for dinner with them. Ann had made "suki yaki" (sp.?) and it was SO good and very nutritious with tofu, bean sprouts, etc., etc. We visited and visited and then had cake with raspberry and whipped topping. We stayed ALL AFTERNOON - it was really good to get away from our doorbell and phone - Ha!!! It means SO much to Daddy and me to see how much the "skcousins" love each other.
I worry about Daddy constantly and I know you all do too. I lie awake at night trying to come up with something he will eat that will stay down. That is our biggest concern now - he ate pretty good yesterday and then last night as he was getting in to bed, it all came up. We had the "Home Health Care" nurse come last week - I told her we would like to see about getting that I.V. She explained everything to us and said she would have to talk to Dr. Brown to get his permission. She called later and said he would sign permission for her to draw blood every two weeks to see if he were getting dehydrated but she didn't seem to think he needed nutritional feeding through I.V. tubes yet. I don't know how long he can manage on about 500 calories a day. He does drink a lot of water though so he probably isn't getting dehydrated. It does not bother him for us to have company and we want you to know that - he just goes to sleep.