April 18, 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:

WOW!!! We have some celebrities in the family. I received a large envelope from Patrice the other day and when I opened it I saw a newspaper magazine. My first thought was that there was an article in it about someone I knew in Little Rock. I took a second look and there on the first page is a darling picture of Emily - actually, her picture is the entire front cover. I opened the paper and inside are pictures of Emily, Timothy and Patrice and they are just darling!!! The name of the newspaper magazine is "ARKANSAS CHILD'S DAY" a newspaper for "Ideas for Families With Children". The pictures show Emily and Timothy playing games together and the games are original ones that Patrice has made. One of them shows Emily jumping across a "river" made with string while Patrice is playing on an oatmeal box drum and another shows Emily dancing with homemade "shakers" and another shows Timothy pitching a ball to his Mother and also rolling a ball through a cardboard tube. The idea for the games is to show how important these "exercises" are for motor skill development and how simple creative ideas can be used. I have shown it to everyone who has come to see me - you will all enjoy seeing it. I'M PROUD OF YOU!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSIE FOR MAKING THE CHEERLEADING TEAM FOR TIMPVIEW HIGH SCHOOL FOR NEXT YEAR. She is a "natural" and it will be a lot of fun for her. She is going to be in a play at her Junior High School tonight - "A Haunting I Will Go" - I plan to go see it. Jessie thrives on activities and I'm SO glad!!!

I just came home from our Presidency Meeting - we had it at Kim Harris' home because she was having a piano tuner come. As I walked into the yard the Box Elder bugs "attacked" me. I have NEVER had this many - they are going to come tomorrow to spray. They had scheduled a day last week but it became windy and they don't spray when the wind blows. I am definitely going to see about having my trees cut down in the backyard. If I knew for sure that would solve the problem I would do it in a minute but the college won't cut their tress down so maybe it wouldn't help that much. We have had such a mild Winter that I know this will be a terrible Summer for them and I just can't control them. I spent about two hours yesterday afternoon vacuuming them. My neighbor, Keith Smith, won't pay the spraying company because he says he doesn't see any results - I don't see how I can ask them to come and then not pay them.

Two weeks from this coming Saturday is going to be the big day for Julianna and John - I hope they get their announcements out soon. I have already received two wedding announcements for weddings that are on May 7th from other people and I have had them for a week. I think they have come too soon but with everyone having such busy schedules it is best if they're received about three weeks in advance. I know that the people Julianna & John REALLY want to come already have it on their calendars and I guess that's the important thing.

Claire & Bob have been in New York over this past weekend. Bob had a meeting there and their friends, the Porters who work for Smiths, were going also so they went together. Claire called me the morning they were to leave to tell me they were going and also to offer help for the reception. She mentioned that they might make reservations in a hotel here in Provo for the Saturday night after the wedding. I am hoping all of you will be able to have dinner here on Sunday, May 8th, and that would prevent them from making so many trips. I KNOW we could make room for all of you here - we will all be SO tired we will be able to sleep standing up. Roy & Patrice and their family will have the top floor and I have two big beds down in John's room and the children could make beds on the couches or on the floors - PLEASE consider that!!!

The Woolleys couldn't come over last night - Jessie had a recital and they had other things they had to do. I know this is a very busy time for all of them with school ending - Ann has to make final grades for the student teachers she is supervising too. They are going to Las Vegas for their Spring Holiday and I believe that is this next weekend.

The Weinerts are doing good. I called Jeannie on her birthday and Mary Ann answered and said they were all doing their "chores". Barji had gone to the "Big Rock Candy Mountain" resort with one of her friends for the weekend. Rick & Ricky were working out in their yard and little Sarah was helping clean the house.

I have been digging dandelions out of my yard and I still have a lot more to dig up. The yards are all SO pretty with the daffodils, tulips and everything in bloom. I groomed the dogs one day last week and you should see them - I just shaved all their fur off and they won't let me near their heads so they have big heads and skinny bodies. They are really sweet little dogs.

We had a gardening expert come to our Relief Society Homemaking meeting last week and I asked how I could get my roses to bloom. He said to prune them down to 8 inches from the ground and then feed them potassium and cultivate often to give them air. I didn't have the heart to cut them down to 8 inches but I did trim them back farther than they were. I got some rose food and dug around them and they look a lot better - now we'll see if they will bloom. I'm going to cover my vegetable garden plot with that black plastic and see if I can not worry about that lower I had the "Widow's Game Group" here last Friday night - it won't be much different for me when I get to a rest home - Ha!!!
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