May 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:
I'm writing my letter on Tuesday this week - yesterday was Memorial Day so I knew the Post Office was closed.
I decorated Daddy's grave on Saturday - I hadn't planned to take the spray until Sunday but we have had such cool weather I decided it would last as long at the cemetery as it would in my garage. When I came home from Lehi, David Taylor was here - he had put the missionary flag up on Daddy's grave and that always makes me so happy.
Sunday after church, I took some pots of chrysanthemums over to Lehi - I put some on Aunt Marvel & Uncle Iras' graves - Aunt Lydia didn't have one on hers so I put one there too and then Grandma & Grandpa Rhodes' graves weren't decorated so I put one on theirs and I also put one on Daddys.
I left Lehi and went to Farmington where I had lunch with Jeannie, Barji, Mary Ann & Sarah - the girls had made the lunch and it was a delicious pasta salad and then Jeannie had made her famous chocolate truffles. The Weinerts' downstairs is just GORGEOUS - the remodeling they have done down there is almost finished. Ricky has a beautiful bedroom and then they have a large family room and kitchenette - it is WONDERFUL. After lunch we drove to Brigham City where we put more chrysanthemums on Mother & Daddys' graves and also on Bob & Lelas' graves. Jeannie and her family had special plants to put on little Christopher's grave. We found Dee's grave and they have a beautiful new headstone on it - it looks so much like the kind Dee would have chosen - it's rough granite with the name FORREST on it in black letters. There were lots of flowers around his grave. It was kinda' sad because there was a new grave right by his and there was a young man standing by it -I asked him if he had a relative buried there and he said he had buried his baby daughter there the day before - she was stillborn. He said everything was fine a few days before his wife was to deliver but then the baby's cord got wrapped around her neck and she died. This young man was a former student of Dees.
We stopped for hamburgers in Brigham City and then drove to Layton where we visited with Claire and her folks for a few minutes. Claire is decorating her home and it is simply beautiful - she is making new drapery for their family room. She has also repainted her living room - the paint she had used a month ago was too orange so she changed it - SHE IS ONE TALENTED GAL. We also picked up Katie and Laura who are off track in their school. They are spending a couple days with me and I am enjoying them SO much. This morning they are walking around on the crutches John has in his closet - they have made an obstacle course downstairs. They are WONDERFUL to each other and can find something to play with out of absolutely nothing. I love to see the creativity they show. I "goofed" last night and had them watch "Forrest Gump" with me - they called their mother to get permission first but I don't really believe they enjoyed it all that much. I bought it and have only watched it once - I had forgotten it had so much profanity in it. It's interesting to me how children who are taught correct principles don't enjoy things that don't come up to their standards - AND THAT'S GOOD. I have bought a lot of the "Living Scripture" videos and those are the kind they like - we watched "Esther" on Sunday night and they loved that.
EVERYONE in Utah celebrates Memorial Day and most often they have family reunions. I have told you all many times how that ranked right up there with Christmas in my favorite childhood activities - I hope as you all get older you will recognize the importance of remembering those who have died. Ann & Ron and their family went to Lehi and decorated PaPa's grave on Sunday night for their Family Home Evening. I told Jeannie to never put white chrysanthemums on my grave - I want bright colors!!!
Roy - I appreciate your phone call last night. It sounds like you really had a busy day yesterday. I think it is SO neat that Robert comes to Little Rock quite often and you get together at his folks' home in Hot Springs. Roy said the Tuckers have bought a larger condominium right on Lake Hamilton and it is beautiful. I'm SO anxious for your visit - I am willing to do anything I can to help you have a fun and restful vacation so just let me know what I can do. It was fun to talk to Emily last night too and I was glad Katie was here.
Rick & Ricky went four wheeling down at Boulder Mountain with some of their friends. They go on some kind of outing every Memorial Day with this group of friends and I think that's wonderful - other years they have gone to Wyoming fishing.
Bob went with one of his friends to New Mexico to go fishing and rafting on the San Juan river. They have bought some kind of raft - I thought it sounded like a Tom Sawyer raft but Claire said it has high sides. The one trip that Claire and Bob went on down the Colorado river sounded so dangerous - Claire says this raft is much safer.
I haven't heard from John - I'm assuming he is in Europe and probably working and studying hard. Julianna - I hope you are having a happy time!!!
I am having the entire Relief Society meet in my backyard on Thursday evening. We are having a progressive dinner and then they will come back here for dessert after. I WAS GIVEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION AWARD LAST WEEK - I have a sign in my front yard - it was pretty for about a week!!!