April 24, 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:

CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL ON HIS EAGLE SCOUT AWARD. Your Court of Honor was just outstanding Michael and I am SO proud of you and your family. Claire - you did a SUPER job on everything but especially the video of Michael - she had darling pictures of him as he was growing up and it was WONDERFUL!!! I thought the talks by your friends and scout leaders were just perfect and I loved hearing your friends talk about your loyalty to them - that means a lot to me because friends have always been such an important part of my life. They had a HUGE cake and punch for refreshments after the ceremony and it was amazing to see that cake just disappear - I didn't even get a taste - Ha!!!

Bob & Claire invited us over to their home for dinner and I had looked forward to it all week - they always have such delicious food and I haven't been with that part of the family for a long time. When we got over there I started to help by making hamburger patties and got so dizzy and sick to my stomach I hurried and sat down. I knew something was terribly wrong and I had to get home. I said goodbye and Jeannie put a big bowl in the front seat with me in case I needed it and that was my salvation!!! I have not been that sick for a long, long time. I kept throwing up all the way home and when I got here I started to chill - I got in bed with my hot pad and decided I might live. I called and made arrangements to have one of my counselors go to the 7 o'clock meeting on Sunday and Vonnie had called and left a message telling me she couldn't go to church so that helped too.

It is really a funny flu bug that is going all over our ward. There were three sisters who called in sick for church yesterday and then two went home sick and they all have the same thing I had. Ann has had this quite often but I haven't had it for at least ten years. We wondered if it could have been something we all ate at homemaking meeting on Thursday but we've found out that it started in the ward over a week ago. I have appreciated all the attention I have had - John & Julianna came by on their way home from Layton to check on me and give me ice water and then John has called several times - Bob and Jean have both called several times and yesterday when my ward members found out that I was sick they have called a lot. My neighbor across the street who owns a pizza place wanted to bring me a pizza - that's that last thing I wanted. I feel bad about exposing everyone at the Court of Honor and especially Claire's darling little 5 month old niece who I held - if you all get it, you can blame me. It doesn't last long though.

Claire, your dinner looked just wonderful and I am SO sorry I couldn't stay. Katie - I loved your call too.

I didn't get enough time to visit with my grandchildren. Barji left soon to get home to be with her friends - she is growing up and is SO pretty!!!

We just finished our presidency meeting and I can surely see the wisdom of having counselors and secretary. About two months ago a lady in our ward asked me to have a shower for her daughter who was going to have a baby so I said I would. Then about a month ago another lady asked me to have a shower for a Dr. Chen from China who is here doing some kind of an internship with Dr. Stoddard who is a neonatologist. I have worried so much about these showers because I know it would be setting a precedent for the Relief Society President to do this - there are three other sisters in our ward who are expecting and I would be expected to do the same for them. This morning my counselors and secretary were very definite about it - YOU CANNOT HAVE BABY SHOWERS WHILE YOU ARE RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT. I called the visiting teachers of these sisters and asked them to do it.

Our Relief Society is going "great guns" - we had our homemaking meeting last Thursday and we had the largest crowd we have had and everything was wonderful. We had our Visiting Teaching Workshop on Saturday morning and again we had the largest crowd we have had to that. Tomorrow we have a Book Review and it will be here at my home and then on Thursday we will have another one in the evening. We have a Stake R. S. meeting on Saturday - it's hard to keep up with everything.

Patrice - thank you for your sweet letter. I am REALLY looking forward to your visit. I am going to write to Emily and have her write down her favorite foods so I can prepare them. I have seen what a good eater she is when she has something she likes and it is just as easy to fix foods the children like as it is to fix those they don't.

John called me yesterday afternoon and told me he had driven to the cabin. I have worried about that - this is the longest time I have gone without checking on it but every time I think about going up there something happens to prevent it. John said it was too muddy to drive from the gate to the cabin so he walked down but he said things look good. They have had a lot of snow and rain but he said the lake wasn't that full - I guess when it thaws up higher the runoff will fill it. He said it was still frozen about 30 yards from the shore - I think that's right.

The Woolleys are home and they had a WONDERFUL time. Ann came over and visited with me last evening. She said the food was TOO good and the weather was perfect. They surely picked the perfect week to leave Utah - we have had miserable, cold weather!!

I am sick as I know all of you are about the Oklahoma Bombing - I simply can't believe any human being so evil as to do that. I hope they get everyone involved and execute them!!!
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