April 10, 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:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JESSE TOMORROW!!! You will be 15 years old- WOW that's mighty close to 16!!! Jessie said she believes she will wait until they get home from their cruise before she has her party and then she will have it with another friend who will have her 15th birthday in June. I hope you have a very happy day.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL ON HIS EAGLE SCOUT AWARD - I loved your picture and announcement. I am really looking forward to being there for that special time. I missed being with you for the conference - everyone said they had a good time.

There are not enough descriptive words to tell about my trip to Little Rock - everything has just PERFECT!!! I want to thank Ron for giving me the airlines tickets - I appreciate that very much. I believe I chose the most beautiful week to be in Little Rock - EVERYTHING was in bloom and it was absolutely gorgeous - it was so pretty I couldn't take anything in. The flowers and trees looked artificial - the colors were so vibrant and blended with everything. Roy and Patrice have every variety of azaleas around their home and their dogwood trees are beautiful and even though we have pansies in Utah, I couldn't believe their pansies - they have then in all colors and they are really, really beautiful.

Roy got Emily out of school and with Timothy they met me at the airport. I am still familiar with that airport and that was to relief after being in the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport. We went to their home and Jesse had just awakened - he is absolutely the busiest little boy I have ever been around. I wasn't around Katie at that age but from the way they describe her, I believe Jesse is like that. He doesn't stop smiling and he also doesn't stop climbing and investigating everything. He & Timothy are such pals and they both depend on Emily - she is such a dear, dear little girl.

Patrice had had a birthday party for Emily the week before I got there and one of her friends couldn't come so she dropped by the afternoon I got there to bring a gift. The party had been a "Doll Party" and the guests had each brought their favorite doll - I couldn't believe the favors Patrice had made for each one. She had made petit fours with roses on top out of some kind of molding stuff for each girl and then gave them a decorated sack filled with things. They had had a "tea party" for their dolls. It was fun to visit with this friend - she knew some of the people I had known when I lived there. Patrice had made a delicious chili and corn bread dinner for that night.

Friday was such a fun day. Patrice and I drove all over town getting things ready for the open house. I still can't believe how much Little Rock has grown and Patrice knows all the special places to get good things. We got cookies that were out of this world.

The open house was REALLY, REALLY, NICE!!! I appreciate so very much all that Roy & Patrice did for that. Patrice had sent out the cutest invitations and there were only two who didn't come and didn't respond - Beverly Culwell and Barbara Aday. It was WONDERFUL to visit with such sweet friends and the food was excellent. Patrice took pictures and had them developed so I could bring them home. All my friends are VERY impressed with the things they either know first hand about Roy's work or have heard about him - Helen Bridges forgot to come and she called me and she said, "If I ever have to go to the hospital I want to have Roy for my anesthesiologist". Suzie, Patrice's mother, helped so much and I was happy for her to meet my friends.

I went to Roy & Patrices' church on Sunday and that was fun. They have a very friendly and nice congregation and a beautiful place to meet and socialize. I couldn't help but compare their "cultural hall" with ours - ours is mostly used for basketball for the young men in the church. I go to our church really often for different things and I have yet to go there but what the young men are playing basketball. They had a picnic after their services and their backyard is beautiful with the playground that Roy built for them. Everyone was very nice to me. They were all congratulating Patrice - she has just been elected President - elect for next year. Their minister is a woman and she gave an excellent sermon. Their beliefs are different from ours but I admire the things they stress - appreciation for the things of nature, acknowledgement and acceptance of everyone, respect for others, cultural development of individuals, etc., etc.

I spent most of Monday with Dorothy and Dan. They took me to dinner and then to see Dana and Nick's home out in the country. You all remember where the Bisbees used to live - they live out in that area. They are very fortunate to have found the home they have - it was built by a single man and is well built with many good features - they have iron bars on all the windows. Dana doesn't like them but they would have to completely tear out the windows to remove them. Their home is on 2 and 1/2 acres and they have chickens, a large vegetable garden, a large play area with a trampoline and several swing sets and a wooded area. They are hosting a young man from Russia right now and they have had other young men and women from foreign countries as they come to the United States for various internships. They have two boys and two girls - their new little baby is a girl. The children are home taught and are different - I was very happy to get back with Emily, Timothy & Jesse!!! Dorothy and Dan had just returned from Israel and Greece and they had "millions" of pictures to show me and little gifts to give me. That day was the hired anniversary of Daddy's death and I was glad I didn't have to spend it alone. I kept looking out their back window at the back yard of our home there and got a lump in my throat but life goes on. The new people in our home have done some nice things in font - they have extended the flower garden out a long ways and have azaleas there now - we could never get them to grow. The trees that Daddy planted in back are big now.

Patrice took me to visit Suzie on Tuesday. I have been trying to learn how to knit and have taken out a little ski cap at least four times - Suzie is such an expert knitter and she fixed all my mistakes and got me started again and I knitted all the way home. She had bought a lovely home by the Westover Hills Presbyterian Church - I LOVE it and knowing Suzie's many talents, she will make it a real show place - I'm thrilled for her.

Roy & Patrice couldn't possibly have been nice to me - I know it is hard to have company with little children and I appreciate so much their letting me come and making me feel so much at home. Little Jesse finally got used to me - the first few days, he would look at me as if to say, "Are you still here?" - Ha!!!

I got home about 3 o' clock Wednesday. I got off the 215 freeway to go see that Desert Book Discount store that is advertised - have seen that many times and wanted to see what they have. The plane got in about noon but I thought I would have time to go shopping a little. I just barely put my suitcase down in the hall when my neighbor ran over to tell me that a friend down the street had dies of a massive heart attach. I couldn't believe it - I had just been in their home for Family Home Evening the Monday before I left for Little Rock. He was 71 years old - Dean Ballard. I hurried to the store to get dinner for them that night and then made some phone calls to arrange for meals through the week and then went to our Relief Society Board Meeting - needless to say, I unpacked my suitcase late that night.

Chris & Wayne called just before I was to leave for the Board Meeting. They were sick they missed you, Roy & Patrice - they were in Plainview building their home there. They are planning to come to Utah in July. I told then you couldn't find their street address on the map - Wayne said he was going to look into that.

The mother of a good friend also died last week. She was in her nineties so it wasn't sad but I wanted to do something for them-they have seven children and they all came for the funeral. I found myself making lots of food dishes last week.

Dean's funeral is at noon today. I went to the church last night to help put up the tables and chairs for seventy people and will go over there in a few minutes to do the final preparations for the luncheon after the services. Kae, his wife is having a hard time. Dean had had heart surgery about ten years ago and then had more surgery about a month ago and was doing very well but he got a blood clot on the artery they had repaired and they couldn't dissolve it - he was also diabetic.

John came over and visited for a little while after I got home. He is super busy but doing good. He has a trip with his MBA class in Europe the last of May and first of June and he's looking forward to that.

The Woolleys invited Julianna & John and me to have dinner with them last night. It was more like Thanks giving dinner and SO good. I envy Ann having three very capable girls to help in the kitchen the way they do. It was fun to visit with Julianna too- she is super busy with her teaching but she REALLY loves it. The Woolley children are SO excited about their cruise - they will leave on Friday morning. I am going to "dog site" Wicket - I hope he gets along okay.

Jeannie called and they are doing fine. They and the Bob Mellors are going to Idaho this weekend (would you believe I can't remember the name of the place we all went to in October - I'll remember it the minute I have this copied). I have too many things to remember. My neighbor, Vonnie, is constantly calling me to have me remind her of things she needs to do - I stayed awake most of the night on Saturday so I would remember to call her by 7 o' clock on Sunday because she had unplugged her clock accidentally and couldn't reset it and she didn't want me to come over to set in for her.

I awakened yesterday with snow on the ground. It has turned very cold here and I'm sure a lot of the fruit is ruined. I am glad for the moisture because my yard was very dry when I got home but I am sick about the fruit.

Veda Lewis, who came to the open house, told me that Brenda Lowe died of cancer in 1991 so she died before Daddy did. I have tried and tried to find out about her and no one seemed to know anything. Veda said they had an open house for her about a week before she dies so she could tell everyone in the Searcy area goodbye. They said it was like talking to an angel - she was very coherent and happy - they told everyone to avoid touching her in any way because she bruised so easily. I personally think things like that are "eerie" but to each his own.

Carol & Ray Edwards are in the MTC preparing for their mission to the Washington D.C. Temple. I went to see them but they weren't home - Ray left a message on my phone while I was in Little Rock and he sounded excited but frightened. I'm proud of them.

There has really been a lot of our papers about the influence the Micron plant will have on Lehi. I haven't been over there since I got home - the last time I was there, the farm was just beautiful and I hope the area around it doesn't change too much. It's about time Stan took his cows up to the canyon. Stan's mother-in-law was sentenced to a year in prison and she must pay back the $385,000.00 she embezzled - I think that really surprised a lot of people. I still haven't heard anything about the trailer. I also want to go to the cabin - I may this week.
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