February 4, 1996 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, Lee Ann & Jimmy:
I didn't get my letter written last week - I didn't get home from Bob & Claires until Wednesday night so I decided to just wait until today. Michael showed me how to use E-Mail on their computer and I'm convinced it won't be long until letters like mine will be either obsolete or heirlooms - Ha!!!
I went up to the Bob Mellors on Friday, the 26th. I got there about noon and the children came home shortly after. They REALLY had a lot of snow - when I left Orem I could still see grass under the snow on my yard so I didn't even take my boots and when I got to their home it was a different story. They had a package delivered by an express van about 1 o'clock and the driver got his van stuck in their driveway. It took him two hours to get out - he finally had called other drivers to come help him. I got him shovels and then buckets of hot water but he kept digging in deeper.
Claire had everything outlined for their schedules and lots of food and the children were WONDERFUL!!! Every time I turned around there were different friends in their home or else friends calling to see if they could go to their homes. Michael was invited to spend Saturday and Sunday at his friends' cabin in Heber to go snow-mobiling so I didn't see much of him.
I went to church with Laura, Brett & Katie on Sunday morning and that was special. It was their ward conference and their speakers were excellent and it was fun to meet some of Bob and Claires' friends - they are greatly loved in their ward. Their neighbors were all so helpful to me and kept calling to offer help with carpooling, etc. Michael and the neighbors kept the driveway and walkways cleared of snow with their snow blowers.
I am SO impressed with their home. My home could use some of their storage space and special built-ins. Brett and Katie have moved their beds into that huge playroom to the East of their home and it is divided into separate play areas. It was SO fun to have Brett show me all his chemical experiments and all the "Ninja Turtle" and "Lego" things he has. I couldn't believe the huge thing he has built with something like K-Nec (I know that's not right) - it's no wonder his friends like to play there. Katie has her own desk and drawing easel, doll beds, etc. It is a beautiful and very light room. Michael's room is SO "boyish" with his own computer and a place for "Howard" to sleep at night. Laura's room is beautiful also and she is so proud of it - she has a darling built-in desk and a huge closet!!! She has all her little "hobbies" like crocheting, knitting and craft things in her drawers or under her bed!!! Fun places to be!!!
I worried alot about "Cassie" - I was so afraid I would run over her. Bob has made little doors for her to go out of so she can get into the backyard when she wants but she must go through the garage. When I would go to get in the car she would get into the garage unless I remembered to close her door. They LOVE that dog and they would never forgive me if I ran over her.
Jeannie and Rick invited us over on Sunday evening for Family Home Evening and that was SO nice. Jeannie gave a beautiful lesson and the cousins love to be together. They had come over on Saturday evening for a little while. Mary Ann made the most delicious treats - biscuits with marshmallows that had been dipped in melted butter and brown sugar and put in the middle and then baked.
It is wonderful to see my granddaughters learning how to cook. Laura had made bread that was just coming out of the cooker when I got to their home on Friday and it was HEAVENLY - we ate most of one loaf with honey on it. Saturday morning she made waffles from scratch and then later on that day she made brownies. She had promised to show me how to make bread while I was there but there just wasn't time. With the money Claire left I got things for her to make cookies but there wasn't time for that either.
Jeannie and I spent Monday afternoon together and I LOVED that. I needed an idea for a Valentine favor for the 120 sisters in our ward and she worked that out for me - THAT HAS REALLY HELPED ME. We also went to lunch and just had so much fun being together.
Ellen Mae and her friend Margaret Jost came and got me on Tuesday afternoon - it was snowing like fury but that didn't stop them. Margaret used to own what is known as the "Rock Loft" and when her husband died last year she sold it. It was a cherry processing place when she owned it and now it is a craft and luncheon place. That was such a fun time - their crafts are just darling and we had "stuffed bread sticks" (with ham) for lunch.
Jeannie let me show Ellen Mae & Margaret through their home - it was so beautiful and not one thing out of place. Jeannie was cooking something in her crock pot and everything was so homey with a literal blizzard outside. Rick came home while we were there and it was fun to visit with him too.
Tuesday evening I was taking Laura to her piano lesson and it was still "blizzarding" outside and very cold. I was going very slow in the right lane to turn right - the red light was on and the two other lanes were stopped. This young man came speeding up behind me and "plowed" into my left tail light. Katie was in the back seat and Laura was in the front with me - they were buckled in but it still scared them. I feel bad because I am really a very safe driver and now you will all think I'm not. This is the first accident I have ever had and I have only had two tickets. It is really very minor and I will get it fixed soon - my insurance company is very good to work with.
John - thank you for all your help. They have called me from Lehi and want to put the gas line in along the frontage of my 26 acreage property. They said it would cost $2.68 a foot and I had no idea how many feet there were. John came over on Saturday afternoon and we took Daddy's tape measure over and measured it. John felt quite foolish doing it that way - he said he could get an approximate measurment by "walking it off". He was a good sport though and we measured it with the tape measure. There are approximately 750 feet. He also walked it off and came within a few feet of the same measurement. That isn't as big a committment as I thought it would be. There is SO much building going on over there - a beautiful country home right across from Don's acreage. Don says they want to annex our property into the Lehi city limits and bring the sewer line down there. It's hard to say what is going to happen. Don had to sell 6 of his acres right after Aunt Marvel died to pay his share of the inheritance taxes and he sold them for $6 an acre - they sold a month ago for $25 an acre. I REALLY don't want to sell but they may tax me so I will have to. I hope my boys, Bob, Roy and John and also Ann & Jean will take a good hard look at things when Roy comes out in July and advise me. It looks to me like prices will never go down.
John called me yesterday afternoon and said he and Julianna had gone to the cabin. I am SO proud of you Julianna for "hiking" through all that snow. They shoveled the snow off the flat roof of the cabin and they also did Byrd's. John said Byrd had more snow on his roof than we did. I can't imagine how you ever made it to the cabin - when Daddy and I went up there with this much snow we had to use sleighs to get from the hill to the cabin.
John was in Europe all last week. He said they were having cold weather and were worried because they heat with electricity and they feared power failures.
Patrice - thank you for your phone call. I had planned to call you that morning because of your bad weather but I had to wait because my phone has been on the "blink" - they had just barely fixed it when you called. I'm glad you got a little bit of snow anyway even though it wasn't enough to build a snowman. The children could build many snow people here. I have a "mountain" in my front yard - Paul Theobald used his back hoe to clear the street and piled the snow in front yards. I love it and it's fun to see the children playing in it. I'm glad your remodeling is going well - I know things like that are SO slow - just be patient and make sure it is done exactly the way you want it. My friends, Joy & Chris, say your home is going to be beautiful.
Jeannie & Rick - I was SO proud when Nancy and Paula told me you had been to Jana Pack's wedding open house. I left here at 6 p.m. and got there at 7:30 - I had a hard time finding the chapel. I thought it was beautiful - Shirley and Glen came while I was there. Ann didn't get my message so she didn't go. This is his second marriage and he has two children.