December 11, 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 with our Relief Society Presidency Meeting. It is usually at 10 o'clock but my counselors wanted to watch the Enid Waldhotz news conference so we didn't have it until 11. The news conference wasn't over but we couldn't wait any longer. That is such a funny and sad situation. Enid Greene Waldhotz is in the congress representing Utah and they have found out this last month that the money used in her campaign was not legal. Her husband has done some very illegal and sneaky things with their finances - he left after this was found out and they couldn't find him for about a week. He resurfaced but she has filed for divorce, accusing him of a check kiting scheme (whatever that is) and lots of other illegal stuff. I didn't watch the news conference that closely this morning but what I did watch was emotional and it seems like she was incredibly trusting to let him handle the things he did. I'm sure it has been on national television so everyone throughout the world is wondering what kind of people represent Utah.

I went to Layton last Friday to attend Laura's piano recital. I was VERY impressed with how well she played and all the other students who performed. Laura's teacher insists on a certain number of hours practice each day and it shows. I LOVED the recital and also being with Bob & Claire and their family. Claire fixed delicious French dip sandwiches and brownies.

Michael and two of his friends performed for me and they are VERY GOOD. His friends played a trumpet and a cornet and Michael played his tuba. They are in their school band and they will play a concert on the 20th - I have something else on that night or I would go to it. I LOVE for my grandchildren to have talent like that - it makes their lives so much happier and more meaningful. I can tell that Michael REALLY enjoys the tuba and it's unbelievable that he has improved the way he has since I last heard him.

I brought Laura and Katie home with me and they are here now and I'll take them back when I go in that direction on Wednesday night. I am going to a dinner party at Ellen Mae and Mels' home that night. The traditional Lehi party is also that night and I am going to try to make both parties. I plan to leave here about 4:45 and stop in at Craig & Julie Berry's home at 5 o'clock just to wish them a Merry Christmas. Then I will drive to Salt Lake where I will meet Marian & Malcolm and go on up to Kaysville with them. Claire is going to meet us at Ellen Mae & Mels' home to pick up the girls. Marian & Malcolm are driving up from St. George just for the party and they called to see if they could take me with them - it will be fun to visit with everyone.

Laura & Katie are SO easy to have and they help me a lot - they are lovely girls. Saturday, about 1:30 I had a frantic phone call from Memory - she is Ann & Art Willardsens' daughter. She was supposed to be a maid of honor at a wedding and needed to leave at 3 o'clock and she needed a baby sitter. I had promised Laura & Katie I would take them to the mall - I said we would be back by 3 and she could bring her children over here. Well - at 3 o'clock here she came with a 3 month old baby girl, Sarah, and her 15 month old little boy, Jimmy. They had been ill so she had her diaper bag filled with medicine that I was supposed to give them every two hours, plus a brush for me to clean the baby's mouth and then give her medicine for thrush. She said she had forgotten Jimmy's blanket so he probably wouldn't take his nap even though he needed to. She told me how to dilute the baby's formula and then she left!!! We looked all over for the formula and she had forgotten to put it in the diaper bag. I would NEVER have been able to care for them without Laura & Katie - Katie played with little Jimmy and Laura held the baby. Memory came for them about 8 o'clock. When she called she wanted Ann's phone number to see if one of her daughters could bay sit - I'm glad they didn't have to.

The Woolleys bought some new beds for Susanna & Lee Anna and Ann offered me the ones they were getting rid of. I haven't had beds in those two rooms upstairs (the one has had that rollaway in it) so I was happy to have them. I didn't want to brother John to get them for me even though I know he would have been happy to do it. I have two neighbor boys who are constantly asking me for jobs to "earn some money" so I asked them to get them for me. I waited for an entire week for them - I came home from a party early one night thinking they would go get them for me. Anyway - finally on Saturday morning I called my faithful home teacher, Steve Frisby, and he said he would do it. In the meantime John called and said he would go to the Woolleys to help Steve load them on his truck. It turned out to be a fiasco - John had to wait for over an hour for Steve and he was over programmed and didn't have the time. They are now in my garage instead of the Woolleys and I'll find a place for them and have them moved whenever I have some able bodied men around. THANK YOU WOOLLEYS.

Jeannie called me on Saturday afternoon and asked if I could meet Rick at the Provo airport. He was "flying" their Christmas presents for the families in this part of Utah. That was such a neat experience. I took Katie and Laura and we met them just as they had landed - I took pictures and if they turn out that will be a memory. We distributed the gifts to the Woolleys and the John Mellors.

Patrice - thank you for your phone call this evening. It was so much fun to talk to Timothy & Emily and learn that they like their "Christmas Skating Rink". Timothy has surely been patient to wait for his birthday present for over a month. I just couldn't resist that musical toy when I saw it in Wal-Mart - I would have bought the carousel if they had had it though.

Laura, Katie and I went to the "Imperial Tombs of China" display at the new museum at BYU this afternoon. I REALLY enjoyed it and I believe the girls did also. It is SO well done. They give each person his own individual ear phone with the tape recorder so you can browse through the museum at your own pace. It is always amazing to me to see the elaborate ceremonial things that are done in some of the countries around the world. This one emphasizes the ceremonies involving the burial of Emperors and their concubines. I know they don't do things like that now but for these things to have been preserved for over 2,000 years is simply unbelievable. I hope all of you will be able to see it.

Our weather is also unbelievable. We are having almost Spring like weather - just beautiful. My neighborhood is so gorgeous with all the Christmas lights. Most of the homes have very elaborate lighting displays.

We are having our Ward Christmas party tomorrow night. I hope Laura & Katie will enjoy it. The program is going to be the "Farley family Christmas" put on by James Arrington - he's the man who portrays Brother Brigham and he is very good.

I hope so much that you are taking time to enjoy the Christmas spirit. Everything always seems to get so hectic, especially when you have children who want everything they see - I'm SO glad that all my grandchildren have very wise parents.

I love each one of you so very much. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.
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