January 17, 1994 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:

When I typed the date on this letter I realized that today is Dee & Dons' birthdays - they will turn 64 years old today. Tomorrow is Aunt Marvel's birthday and she would have been 104 years old.

I always turn the news on before I get out of bed and the news this morning was shocking - they had a 6.6 earthquake in Los Angeles just a little while before I turned the television on and it always amazes me how the reporters can get so much news under such trying circumstances. I wonder how much more California can stand - they have really had more than their share of natural disasters during the past few years. Everyone in Utah is aware that we could have a bad earthquake and this brings it a little closer to us. I feel so bad for all the people whose homes were burned before they could gather anything out of them.

We had our presidency meeting here this morning and I am SO happy to have so much good help - last week was really a busy one for compassionate service - I hope this week goes more smoothly. I took dinner into three different homes and soup into another one and it seems like I was on the phone constantly.

I was SO happy to receive your letter Roy - I have had letters from you before but I don't remember one where you have addressed the envelope and that was fun!!! I am glad you are enjoying the breadmaker - I was hoping it would be fun for your families during the long Winter months. One of the little Primary girls who has adopted me as a grandmother said they got one for Christmas too and she wanted to know what kind of bread I liked so they could make me a loaf - I said, "it takes me a month to eat a loaf of bread so please don't bring me one" - she said their favorite kind is cracked wheat.

Bob - thank you so much for helping me with the West Canyon property - I REALLY appreciate it!!! I got this letter from a mining company wanting to lease the 80 acres over there to drill for valuable minerals. It has been my experience that anytime a business person deals with me they ask me all kinds of questions I can't answer and I haven't felt comfortable with the results. I really don't want it to cause you any problems and I don't want it to cause me any expense so handle it anyway you want to.

Ron - thank you so much for helping to identify the exact locations of the 80 acres they're interested in on the geological map that I have. Ron reads those maps like I would an easy book and they're Greek to me. They came over for Family Home Evening last night and it seems like I always have hard things for Ron to solve when he comes - if he stops coming I'll know why.

I don't think we will be like the "Clampetts" on Beverly Hill Billies but our advantage will be to find out where the land is that we own so maybe we can picnic on it. I would be thrilled if Bob would take his Boy Scouts there and it is an ideal place for things like that. I talked to some people who had built a cabin on their property over there and then they had to dismantle part of it because they hadn't obtained a permit first and they built it to be a cabin - they had to build it to be a barn - Ha!!! These people say to be prepared for wild animals if we go there I imagine the animals would be frightened away by noise that would be made don't you? I don't own the mineral rights to the land but I don't know who owns them - probably the state.

Jeannie - it was good to talk to you on Saturday. I was doing a little genealogy and there was a discrepancy on the marriage and sealing dates for Jean and Rick - John was here so he said, "Let's call them" so he did. He got the information he needed and then I talked to Jeannie and she said she just about didn't answer the phone - all their children had just left on various activities and Rick and Jean were together alone for the first time for weeks - I didn't talk long!!!

I keep forgetting to mention the Bob Mellors' dog. They named her "Cassie" and Bob says she has fit right into their family life. I also keep forgetting to thank you for your letter right after Christmas, Claire. I was going through my Christmas cards the other night getting ready to pack them away and I came across your letter - I don't know how it got mixed up in them but it did and I hadn't even opened it - I LOVED it!!!

John is doing fine - he really is busy and I believe this time next year he will look back with happiness on the things he has accomplished but right now it's kinda' hard. He has three HUGE things to keeps his mind focused on - marriage plans, business and school. I know it must be frustrating to Julianna too.

Ron's Mother's brother-in-law died last week and Ann & Ron went to Jerome for the funeral on Friday. They left early Friday morning and came home later that night. It was quite ridiculous the way things went for me that day - I fixed dinner for a family in our ward while my own grandchildren "fared for themselves". I am very proud of the way my grandchildren are taught to be self reliant and can be trusted to stay by themselves.

Our weather is also quite ridiculous - it is like early Spring outside today and my daffodils are coming up. We need more moisture very bad and I know we are bound to have lots more snow and cold weather and I don't want the little sprouts to freeze. It was SO warm and pretty on Friday that I shampooed Hans and Frauie - their little beards were all matted so I just cut them all off - I think they look SO much cuter. They don't look like schnauzers but they have such cute little faces. Last year at this time we were covered up with snow!!!

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