January 30, 1995 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:

We just finished our Presidency Meeting - I tried to make it shorter this morning. We enjoy being together and sometimes our meetings just go too long. I am on the committee for the Orem Women's Club Winter Social that is this Wednesday and we are making little Valentine Favors to give each woman who comes - another lady is going to come help me make these favors this afternoon. We are going to have the luncheon at Magelbys here in Provo and it will be fun.

I had such a FUN weekend and I want to thank Bob, Jeannie and Rick, Barji and Sarah for "supporting" me in doing something yesterday that was a real interference in their Sunday afternoon but I appreciate it VERY, VERY MUCH!!! Cissy and Charles Beyers' daughter lives in Centerville and I'm sure you have heard me talk about this daughter. Her name is Shauna and she was a good friend of Ann's in Arkansas. She had a kidney transplant about a year ago and has had a difficult year. She is on the drug that "puffs" up your face and I wouldn't have recognized her yesterday if I hadn't known she would be there and Charles told us that she would be on it for the rest of her life.

Shauna and her husband, Rex, have a son who is leaving to go to England on a mission and his farewell was yesterday. Cissy and Charles had asked me to come for it - all week I kept wondering if it were really necessary for me to go because I had to leave my meetings early and I have so many things to do. I AM SO GLAD I DECIDED TO GO. When they gave me the program for the meeting I was really surprised to see that their son, Steve, was giving the opening prayer - he lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas and I didn't know he was going to be there. The farewell was just beautiful Steve's daughter came also and she played a piano solo - she is 15 years old. There was a musical selection that was OUTSTANDING and as I looked at the soloist I kept trying to place her - I knew that I knew her. She is Helen McDaniel and I knew her as a young woman growing up in Hot Springs - she has five daughters and they sang in a chorus as she sang the solo part and they sang a song that she had written. She and her daughters (she is divorced) now live in Provo where she is working on her master's degree in music.

After the meeting I waited to visit with the Beyers and of course, they wanted to know about the family - Steve especially was interested in knowing about Bob. When I told them Bob and Jean lived only about 10 minutes away they wanted SO much for me to bring them back. I went to the Weinerts and Jean & Rick said they would come - I finally tracked Bob down at the hospital and he said he would come too. TO SAY I WAS PLEASED is QUITE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I was SO thrilled that Barji and Sarah would come too - Charles kept looking at Sarah and saying "there is definitely a genetic resemblance" - Ha!!! They had a lovely open house at Shauna and Rexs' home with delicious food but I don't believe anyone from my family ate except for me. They have a son serving in the Winnipeg, Canada mission and he will be home the last of March. THANKS SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME GUYS!!!

It was fun to see the progress they are making in the Weinert's basement - that will be a wonderful addition to their home. Ricky and Mary Ann were out playing when I first got there and then they disappeared - I didn't get to visit with them. I am REALLY proud of your marvelous grades Barji - keep up the good work - I know how much you study and you deserve everything you get - I loved your honor attitude grades too!!!

I had a fun but busy time on Saturday too. We had our Visiting Teaching Interviews in the morning - we always serve orange juice and muffins and it was successful. Do you all remember when I had those young people from Montana come stay with me last Summer and then the one young man who came back for Education Week and stayed here? Well - he got married on Saturday to a girl he met at the Single Adult Conference while he was here. It was SO exciting - they came to see me on Thursday and gave me invitations to their wedding and luncheon. I couldn't go to their wedding but I went to the luncheon just long enough to meet their parents and take a gift. They had the luncheon at the "Mellor Reception Hall" in Lehi - it is a beautiful place on the inside - kind of a dumb location but I'm sure it will be successful. Carl Mellor who owns it had a fire in his home last Fall and his home was completely destroyed - his 90 year old mother was living with them and they just barely got her out in time. They are re-building their home in the same place.

Did you all watch the Super Bowl??? I listened to it on my way home from Centerville. I am REALLY thrilled the 49'ers won - I think Steve Young is a great example for the church and he surely deserved to win.

There is a lot of excitement in Utah because of being in the "Final 4" for the Winter Olympics in 1002. There is already a lot of growth in Utah - if they get the bid I wonder where it will grow next.

I haven't heard from John & Julianna or the Roy Mellors this week. I hope you are all doing good and I'm sure you are. The Beyers wanted to know if you are still liking Arkansas, Patrice I told them you were.

Ann, Jessie and LeeAnna came over for Family Home Evening last night and we had a fun time just visiting. Ann is loving her work with BYU - Ron is doing a lot of traveling - and the family is busy, busy, busy!!! Ann is teaching Merrie Miss in Primary and the scouts during the week - don't know how she does it!!!

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