May 16, 1994 Orem, Utah
Dearest John & Julianna; 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:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SARAH THIS COMING SATURDAY - SHE WILL BE NINE YEARS OLD!!! I hope you have a really happy day - will you have a party?
It is a cool but beautiful day here in Orem. I just finished our Relief Society Presidency Meeting and I had all my doors open thinking it would be a hot day but something has happened to our weather and it's turned cool again. I am going to go get some flower plants to put in this afternoon because it is supposed to rain. I planted flowers around the trees at Daddy's grave last Saturday and put some alyssum in my yard - now I need to get with it and finish. I don't seem to be able to settle down for some reason - I start doing one thing and then go on to something else and don't really get anything done.
The Relief Society sisters met last Tuesday morning and planted flowers all around our church building. The lady in charge got too many plants so some of us bought the ones that were left over and I got some alyssum and marigolds. I have decided to plant petunias in the front of my house this year - I have had those Inca marigolds for many years and I'll just plant those in the backyard this year. We also tied a queen size quilt at the church last Tuesday.
Roy and Patrice and their sweet little family left on Saturday morning. They had been in Southern Utah last week and they enjoyed the scenery in Zion and Bryce and the children loved all the activities they were able to do - they went horseback riding and made mud pies and little Emily was thrilled with the children's menus at the places they went to eat. She had a little souvenir from Bryce - a cedar box with a key - and she was SO proud of it!!! They came home about noon on Friday and I was SO thrilled - I was afraid they would come home during the night and then have to leave early Saturday morning. Emily & I even had time to have a "tea party".
Roy took me and the children (Patrice stayed home with Jesse) over to the cemetery and we put tulips from our yard on PaPa's grave and then he drove us to the farm in Lehi. While we were at the farm we saw Stan Lewis who is leasing it and he asked me if I would be interested in selling the boat that is there and also that flatbed trailer. I have the motor that goes to that boat in the shed so maybe the person buying the boat would want that too. I definitely don't want to sell the trailer - that is such a good thing to have to move things on. Please tell me how you feel about selling the boat and what you think it is worth - it is just a little fishing boat and it's kinda' foolish to sell it when it isn't in anyone's way and yet it's kinda' foolish to keep it if no one is ever going to use it. Daddy cherished it and we had a lot of fun in it - I keep thinking that some of my grandsons will be using things like that but so far none of them are like that. I feel like the motor is dangerous - Daddy could keep it going but I would hate to depend on it in the middle of Utah Lake.
Roy, Emily & Timothy went to visit with the Woolleys later on Friday night and spent some time in their hot tub and of course they loved that. Jesse had developed a little cold so Patrice stayed home with him and we had a good visit. He seemed much better on Saturday morning.
Roy & Patrice were going to just barely make it back for their "block party". Their neighborhood was sectioning off an area for a potluck dinner that sounded like such a lot of fun. They had a lot going on - Emily had a piano recital the next day - Sunday. I called to see how that went and she said she didn't make one mistake.
Bob - how did your trip to Mexico go? I am SO proud of you for doing that. Bob left on Thursday to go back to the little village in Mexico for their humanitarian medical work and he was supposed to come home on Sunday. I always worry so much about the plane they travel in and am relieved when he gets home.
I have talked to Jeannie this week and they are doing fine. I can go for weeks and not see any of you but when we are together for a few days and then don't see any of you for a little while I become disconnected - Ha!!!
The Woolleys came over last night for Family Home Evening and we had a good time. One of their ward members passed away suddenly and his funeral was today and Ann was involved in preparing food for the family meal. They had gone to the viewing last night so they were late in coming over and we didn't have a lesson.
I haven't heard from the "newlyweds" and probably won't for awhile. They didn't tell anyone when they were coming home. I hope they have had a wonderful time and I especially hope they have been able to rest. I also hope they have had good weather. My garage has a lot of gifts in it for them and Ann says they have a lot of gifts in their basement. It has been so much fun for me to have people deliver gifts for them and to receive so much mail for them - I will miss that when John gets a permanent address.
I have had a lot of people ask me for the recipe we used for the chicken salad at John & Julianna's reception. The wife of one of his friends even called from Seattle for it. We need to remember how we made that - chopped cooked chicken breast, chopped celery, almond slices, sliced green seedless grapes, mayonnaise, white pepper and salt. That would also be good served on a lettuce leaf for a luncheon wouldn't it?