May 15, 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 SARAH THIS COMING SUNDAY - YOU WILL BE TEN YEARS OLD AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A REALLY HAPPY DAY!!! I can always remember how old Sarah is because we came home from our mission the first of July in 1985 and she was a little tiny baby.
WOW - what a happy weekend I had. Thank you all SO much for a WONDERFUL Mother's Day. I love being your Mother and appreciate so very much your thoughtfulness. I hope all the wonderful Mothers in our family had as happy a day as I did yesterday. I am SO proud of all of you and my wonderful grandchildren.
The work day on Saturday was absolutely marvelous and I will never be able to tell you how much I appreciate all you did. I had five yards of top soil delivered on Thursday - they put it right on my driveway and my car was blocked in the garage. I had no idea how much 5 yards would be - John had tried to "step it off for me" so I would know but I was surprised it was so deep. Right after they delivered it, it started to rain so I hurried and covered it with a big plastic.
They really put it in two piles - one much larger than the other. I spread the smaller pile while it was raining and put it on my flower beds in the front and on the shrubs and then I planted some flowers. I looked ridiculous out there with Daddy's camouflaged rain coat on!!!
It rained all day Thursday and Friday and I was about to call everyone and tell them not to come on Saturday but when Ann & Jean called and said they were all ready to work I decided that come rain or shine it would be best to get it done. Jean, Barji, Mary Ann & Sarah were the first to come and they started to pull weeds out in the back - and had two garbage bags filled in no time. Ron, Russell, LeeAnna, Jessie & Susanna came next and Ron surveyed the situation and decided he needed to go home and get more shovels - he had brought two wonderful wheelbarrows that really helped. Ann & Jimmy were the next ones to come and then everyone started weeding and filling wheelbarrows.
I have NEVER seen anyone work as hard as Ron did all day long. My hill out in back that really needed the soil is SO darn hard to get to. I don't dare bring anything down the college hill so it involves just working from the top. I tried to fix the plastic so we could "shoot" the soil down - that might have worked if the iris had not been blooming or if I had not planted some carnation plants at the top. Ron really had a handicap because he tried to work around all the things that were blooming or had been planted.
Ron ended up shoveling and throwing at least 4 yards of dirt from the top of the hill all over it. He also painted five evergreen shrubs where I wanted them. I have worried that he hurt his back - he was exhausted and when I saw him lying on the floor after he had finished I got a little sick to my stomach because nothing is worth that.
It was so much fun to see the children all work together. Ron got some garbage can lids for Jimmy & Sarah and he had them as targets for where he wanted to throw the soil and they would shield their faces when he threw the dirt. They giggled and giggled. Russell helped his Dad throw the dirt. The children would load the wheelbarrows and take them to the plastic Ron had put at the top of the hill and they would throw it from there. Jessie and Barji actually lifted wheelbarrows filled with dirt clear to the bottom of the hill down the steps - that was REALLY too heavy for them. Towards the end of the day, the children started having more fun than work - they had a "mud" fight and Susanna, Barji and Jessie had mud all over their hair and in their faces - they were such GOOD sports.
LeeAnna & Mary Ann were the "dirt devils" and carried many wagon loads of dirt all over the yard. I didn't hear one cross word or word of complaint. I talked to LeeAnna later in the evening and said "You all did such a lot of hard work" and she said, "Oh, Grandma, it was fun". WHAT A MARVELOUS ATTITUDE and they were all like that.
Ann & Jean didn't stop working once they got here - they loaded many wheelbarrows full of dirt and then cleaned everything all up with the hose. Rick came at the last - he had to go to the hospital for a heart pacer problem - he had someone fly him to the Provo airport and Jeannie picked him up. He put some of that tree webbing around a tree that is top heavy to the East of my house and he also fixed my lamp timer - Ron had fixed that once before but the power went off and it was fouled up again.
Ricky had to work at Lagoon so he couldn't come. John had to be in California to a trade show and Bob was on call. You guys will be the first ones I call when I get another load - Ha!!!
The Woolleys have had more "water" problems. They got their water heater replaced and all the carpet padding fixed and Ann discovered more water coming in. They were sick because they were afraid it was a foundation leak. Would you believe, the plumber who connected the water heater forgot to hook up the pipe going into their water softener and that was the problem!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO RICKY AND HIS TENNIS TEAM - they won 2nd place in state competition - Ricky is VERY, VERY GOOD. CONGRATULATIONS TO BARJI - she received scholastic honors in her school. I can't believe Ricky & Barji will be graduating and going to Davis High School - that's such a big school. I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!