October 26, 1993 Orem, Utah

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

I didn't write my letter yesterday - I had a party here last night and I had too much to do!!! I thought about Roy & Patrice a lot because it was their birthday - I hope you went out to dinner or something. I think it is SO neat that you have birthdays on the same day - there is no way you will ever forget each others birthdays!!!

Ellen Mae & Mel and I have been trying to have a party all year and we finally got our act together last night and got our Brigham City friends together - IT WAS WONDERFUL. It's so funny - we had a lot of really good food and Ed Baird was the speaker and he was excellent but the things that impressed my friends the most was the performance of my grandchildren. I hope they how much I appreciate them - LeeAnna was even sick and she came. Malcolm Jeppsen was doing some arm wrestling with Russell before the party started and he said afterwards how much he enjoyed watching his concentration as he played the cello. They are SO good - Susanna introduces each one of them and then tells about with they will play - she accompanies them and Jessie, LeeAnna and Russell play beautiful Primary songs and then Jessie and LeeAnna played a duet from Handel. I am still waiting to see what Jimmy is going to play.

A couple who came last night served a medical mission in Albania for 18 months and they told us about that. Thales Smith has been a pediatrician here in Provo for 40 years and his wife Charone is a nurse (I grew up with Charone in Brigham City) and to hear them tell about the conditions over there was just heart rendering. Charone served her time with the babies in the hospitals and she told about how they were "swaddled" for up to two years and some of them couldn't even hold up their heads. Thales taught the doctors and he said they were still using medical manuals about thirty years old. The most remarkable thing about their mission, I think, is that Charone knew something was wrong with her health so they flew to Vienna for a medical checkup and discovered a tumor on her kidney. The church made they come home for treatment and further diagnosis - it was malignant and they removed the kidney and she recuperated for about a month and then went back to finish their mission.

While the Smiths were telling about this, Ellen Mae said, "Barbara's son, Bob, does some humanitarian medical service in Mexico" - I was proud to tell them what you have been doing Bob. I guess the church spends a great deal of money on humanitarian efforts throughout the world and Malcolm said they were often asked why they don't publicize this and he said, "That isn't why the church does it".

Jeannie is in California and so is Claire but they're not together and they are there for different reasons. Claire took her children for a little vacation with her brother and his wife and children who live there and I'll bet they are having a great time being with their cousins there and also visiting the fun places in California. Jeannie is attending classes to renew her dietician's license - she has done this before and she says it is very worthwhile and she will come home "Smarter" - Ha!!! I think it's great that Rick can "hold the fort down" while she is gone.

The Weinerts have had a fun time with Rick's Aunt and Uncle who have visited them from Florida. Jeannie said they are retired and could come anytime during the entire year so they all decided on a week in October because of the beautiful weather here. WELL - they were here during the time I was in Arkansas and I guess it rained the entire week of their vacation. That is HARD!!!

John is finally home. I expected him home from Europe last Wednesday and when he didn't call I became worried and I stood it until Saturday evening when I finally called his roommate. He told me that he hadn't come home from his trip yet - when I talked to the Woolleys they said, "That's funny - John Wright came home on Wednesday". John had gone to Las Vegas to see his friend girl - Julianna something. He called me on Sunday evening and needed a ride home from the airport so after the Woolleys left from Family Home Evening, Ann went with me to pick him up. He had had a great trip but will have a hard time catching up on all his school work.

I keep thinking about my trip to Little Rock - I have received letters or phone calls from just about everyone I saw while I was there. I had such a wonderful time. Patrice and the children and I went for a walk one evening and they live by the big Catholic Diocese (is that right?) and we went there - it was so typical Arkansas style - the neighbors are SO friendly and are out in their yards. We went to the Dillard's Mall one evening and I saw the "Disney Store" which is spectacular - I don't believe there is anything like that here. Murray Park is SO nice with swings for the handicapped and the children love the playground. I love to look at the pictures I took of your home - it is unbelievable to me that you could renovate that home into such a beautiful place - I admire you so much for seeing its potential. I have shown the pictures to EVERYBODY and they all think your yard is so wonderful for the children - I do too!!!

Are you all ready for Halloween??? I have to go to a Young Women's party tonight and I bought a black tee shirt that says "I don't do costumes" on the front. Patrice - I'm dying to know if you get to wear your costume - she has a cow costume with a plastic udder - it's darling. I have 250 candy bars and when they're gone I'm turning out the lights.

I have to tell you this but I promise I won't go on and on for three more pages. I have had a box in my closet that I have kinda worried about. It's the only packing box that Daddy and I didn't get unpacked before his cancer was diagnosed. Well - when I came home from Little Rock I got the courage to open it. I only went through about an inch of it but I came across the note John had written when he and Ronnie had run away and it is priceless. It says, "You're not going to believe this but me and Ronnie have run away. Please don't look for us" and then at the bottom he put "over" and when I turned it over it said, "I Love You". Roy - do you remember when you found them? Ron Caveness had spent hours looking for them and you got in the car and drove right to the park close by us and there they were all camped out. I can't remember how old they were but I hope none of your children ever run away.
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