March 11, 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, LeeAnna & Jimmy:
We just finished our Presidency Meeting. It is SO funny - we decided to start our meetings at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. so we could finish earlier and get on with our week's work. We don't finish any earlier - we just have longer meetings - Ha!!!
Patrice - thank you SO much for your sweet letter and those adorable pictures of the children - they made me homesick to be with them. They are growing up so fast - even little Jesse!!! I laughed when I read about Timothy thinking the "beam" that was supporting your new kitchen was a "bean" like in Jack in the Beanstalk. I think it's neat that your children are watching the progress on your new home - they will always remember that.
Chris called me on Saturday morning and she said, "Barbara, you are REALLY going to like their new home - it's in such a nice neighborhood and where we all would like to live". She also told me that you have had cold weather - 17 degrees - and that a lot of the peaches have probably frozen. The weather throughout the United States has been weird this year - we are having unusually warm weather and yet it snowed several days last week and we're expecting lots of rain this week. My daffodils are up and it's fun to see them from the family room window - they probably won't bloom for several weeks. Chris also told me that she is going to Ireland this week for eight days - she is SO excited!!!
Emily - I loved your little letter too and I REALLY love looking at your picture with your Christmas doll. I can just imagine how much you are loving her - I can see you in your bedroom with all your books and doll house playing with her. Timothy - you are a great little builder and your "creation" looks mighty interesting and hard to build. I have put Jesse's picture in his birthday suit on my refrigerator - he is one happy little child and I'll bet lots and lots of fun to be around!!! He doesn't seem as serious as Emily & Timothy - is that right???
Patrice - did you create your stationery? It's very much like you and you always find the most unique stationery.
Ann & Jean and I had such a good time last Monday. Ann didn't have to supervise her teacher in Bountiful so we went straight to see Jean and see her kitchen all completed. It has surely made their entire home look different and I love it. We went to the Rock Loft but it was closed for the day - they were having some kind of open house that night so they were closed getting ready for it. Jeannie gave them a "sympathy story" about how we had traveled all the way from Provo so they let us go in and look around - it was fun!!! Then we went to another craft store in Farmington and then we decided to go into Ogden to the Dillard's store there. We shopped for a little while and then we had lunch at "Chili's" and came home - A FUN DAY!!!
John comes over for his mail and it's always fun to visit with him. They are doing good - Julianna has handed her thesis into her committee for review. They make recommendations for changes and then she has her "oral exam". She was nervous when I talked to her last night and anxious to have it over. They are leaving Wednesday evening to go to Sedona, Arizona for the Hunter Family Reunion - they will be gone over the weekend. Sedona is such a beautiful place and it will be warm and Spring like. I know they will have a good time and Julianna won't have the pressure of writing her thesis. John traveled all last week!!!
The Woolleys were over last night for Family Home Evening. Ron had left in the afternoon for California so he wasn't with them. They were caring for Rex and Janet Lees' granddaughter who is about a year old - she was "full of it". She wouldn't have anything to do with me so Susanna, Jessie and Lee Anna had to carry her and play with her all the time. She's a darling little girl. Rex is very critical in the hospital and not expected to recover. Ann had had 15 people in for dinner yesterday - I don't know how she does all she does. They are all going to California on Thursday for a cheerleading competition - FUN!!!
Lady Margaret Thatcher was in Utah all last week - something to do with the trade agreement with the United Kingdom and Utah's Centennial. She spoke at BYU where they presented her with an honorary Doctor of Humanities Award. They also gave the same award to Rex Lee. I watched the program on television and cried all the way through it. Janet Lee accepted the award for her husband and they unveiled a new portrait of him that will hang in the Library. Ann has kept me informed about his condition and knowing how ill he is and listening to the things that were said about him and watching his wife was very sad. Lady Thatcher gave a marvelous speech - she's a very gracious woman.
I know Bob & Claire are doing good and I also know they are busy with their downstairs remodeling. There was a "pipe bombing" in Layton at a cab company this morning - actually they detonated the bomb before it went off but they destroyed another cab with fire. These are things you usually hear about in foreign countries - scary!!! I believe the Bob Mellors are going to Mexico on vacation this month - the children are out of school. Daddy loved Mexico so I guess Bob inherited that - Ha!!!
I went to the "Traffic Meeting" for UVSC last week and that was VERY interesting. They are going to install a "Round About" traffic thing at the entrance to the college - these have been used in Europe and also in California and have been very successful but this will be the first one in Utah. They are going to make the street in back of me into 3 lanes and will come 20 feet closer to my home but will landscape it with shrubbery and trees.