April 5, 1994 Orem, Utah

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

Today is Tuesday - I didn't get to write my letter yesterday. WOW - what a busy day I had!!! Ann and I had decided to start making cookies for the wedding reception yesterday morning. In the meantime, Dianne called me from California and said she would be in town just for that day and wondered if we could take Helena Jacobsen to lunch (her husband just died). I talked to Ann and we decided to start making the cookies at 8:30 and then I would leave for a couple hours and come back if it worked out.

It did work out. I picked up Helena and Dianne at 11 o'clock and we had such a wonderful visit and lunch at Magelbys but it lasted much longer than I had thought and I didn't get back to Ann's home until about 3 o'clock. Ann had worked on the cookies all the time I was gone and we finished about 7 o'clock last night. WE MADE 445 DELICIOUS COOKIES. Ann has them in her freezer. I couldn't believe it - I had thought it would take us at least a week and Jean said she would come down. Susanna, Jessie and LeeAnna all helped and it was REALLY fun. I felt bad for Ron - he has had the flu bug for about a week now and his headache just won't go away!!!

We had a WONDERFUL EASTER SUNDAY. Bob and Claire had invited us to their home so we could watch conference and have dinner. Claire had fixed the most delicious food - different kinds of quiche (sp.?), green salad ham and her fabulous homemade rolls and this time she had made orange rolls. I had taken a salad which we didn't need and Ann brought wonderful dessert - a bundt cake and rice krispie treats. We just ate and ate and watched conference and the children were SO good and just enjoyed being with their cousins. We missed the Weinerts who had gone to Sun Valley and the Roy Mellors who live too far away and also John and Julianna who couldn't come. I rode up with Ann and her family and Ron had to stay home because he was ill - we missed him also.

I was SO surprised when I looked out the window this morning - we had a snowstorm last night. I listened to the weather reports and I guess Orem got more snow than most places in Utah. It is beautiful and we REALLY need the moisture.

Patrice - thank you for your sweet note and also for those adorable pictures. I was REALLY thrilled to receive them - that little Jesse is a beautiful baby. It just doesn't seem possible that he could develop into such a darling, healthy baby when the last time I saw him he was so tiny. Emily & Timothy are also beautiful children and I loved the picture of Emily's birthday party - I could see the stack of pancakes with the birthday candles on it. The picture of Emily and Roy going to the Daddy Daughter is precious - I know how proud she was to have a corsage. When John looked at the pictures, he said, "Oh, I love that little Timothy" - he has SO much personality and he is a REAL boy!!! I was SO happy to have them to take to the luncheon yesterday to show Helena and Dianne - the last time I was with Dianne she had pictures of Garlic's little baby to show me. Brick and his wife, Laura, have a little baby girl and that is why Dianne and Garry came to Utah - I didn't take the time to go into their condo to see her yesterday and I should have done.

Laura has written a booklet that is outstanding. She wrote an original story "The Deadly Maze" or something like that and then she took pictures of Michael, Brett and Katie to illustrate it and it is just wonderful. I am very impressed with her talent and hope she will keep it up. Laura and Brett have been accepted into the "Satellite Program" for their school district - that is a real accomplishment. Brett would have to be transferred to another school and Claire isn't certain they are going to do it.

I decided to start doing some "Spring Cleaning" last week and I tackled our filing cabinet. Actually, I wanted to move it and the only way I could do it was to empty the drawers and once I started I didn't want to finish until I had gone through everything. Daddy had saved every financial transaction from the time we were married. I had everything from all our homes - Wyoming, Arizona, Arkansas and Lehi - AND I threw it all away. I had the garbage bin completely filled. John came over while I was doing it and he said, "Mother, I'm not sure you should throw all that stuff away". I told him he could go through it but he didn't want to so I just put it all in the garbage. I also threw away all of Daddy's medical bills from 1987-1992 and that was big part of it. I did save the income tax reports and the bank statements from 1980 until now - but when I get in the mood again I may throw some of those away.

I remember having to go through Aunt Marvel's financial things and it was just terrible. She had things saved for about 75 years and I think is just plain DUMB.

I have a very difficult time throwing things away that mean a lot to me. I sincerely believe they have value for future generations but NOT business transactions!!!


I also got brave last week and called a "lawn service" company. My neighbor, Jae Theobald, hasn't called me about mowing my lawn and with his brother gone on a mission he has to mow their huge lawn so I decided he didn't want to do mine. This lawn service is very different and I may not be satisfied but if not I will do something else. The man who runs it is a school teacher and he does this in the Summer to earn extra money - he brings in 5 young men and 4 lawn mowers and 1 weed eater and it taken them about 15 minutes. They take away the grass and they will come every Friday and I don't have to be here. So far, I love it!!!





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