July 22, 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 Anna & Jimmy:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RON TOMORROW AND TO JIMMY ON THURSDAY!!! Ron will have an unusual birthday because he will be working with Ann, Jean and Claire to get the houseboat ready to put on the buoy at Lake Powell - I hope they take time to sing Happy Birthday to him while they're working. Jimmy will be home to celebrate his birthday and I know it will be a fun one for him and he will be ten years old - WOW !!!
We left last Wednesday morning right on schedule and got to the marina just before 1 o'clock. Everything seemed SO much easier to me this year - probably because we had two boats and one trailer to carry all the stuff and I just went along for the ride. The children are all older too and when we have three BIG boys to help carry things that REALLY helps.
Rick arranged for the "Sea-Doos" and brought them - they were run constantly and I am amazed at how careful the children were and how much fun they ALL had!!! The ones who were eligible had all taken the test and were qualified to operate them and that helped SO much. I can surely see the wisdom in having that done because they seemed to be much more mature in the way they handled them.
We found WONDERFUL places to put the houseboat - that amazes me too because there are a lot of houseboats looking for "camping" spots. The children all got along so well and helped each other and all in all it was a MARVELOUS vacation for me.
We had delicious meals - I cannot believe how so much wonderful food could be prepared and served to 22 people three times a day when the weather was in the 100 degrees. The only thing I would change would be to not serve "cheese grits" for my breakfast - maybe sometime during the childrens' lives they will remember when they were first introduced to grits and it will be worthwhile but they weren't too big of a hit!!!
Bob had surgeries planned for this morning and Brett and Katie had to start school so he had to come home. Rick and Ricky both had to work today and so did John and Julianna so we all came home last night. I REALLY appreciate having them bring me home ªBob had to get off the freeway to take me to the Woolleys because I had left my car there and I know it delayed them at least thirty minutes. I tried to get them to just bring me home and have me get a friend to get the car but Bob wouldn't do it. I have never seen two little children travel better than Brett and Katie - they read or slept all the way. The rest of the "crew" stayed at Lake Powell and will come home tomorrow night. I felt bad about leaving them with all the cleaning!!!
I LOVE being with my children and grandchildren. It is so much fun to see their different personalities and there is no better way to do that than being with them for five days - I AM VERY PROUD OF THEM AND THEIR PARENTS!!! I am also very proud of John and Julianna - they are GOOD cooks and planned everything so very well and they are FUN to be with. THANK YOU ALL!!!
I shampooed my hall and family room carpets before I left to go to Lake Powell and it was so nice to come home to a clean house. Tyler Theobald took care of my yard and garden while I was gone and he did a super job - everything looks great. I got up early this morning to pick raspberries and squash. They aren't producing like they did when Daddy was the gardener but I am having fun - my zucchini aren't even producing and when you can't grow zucchini in Utah you are in a BAD way - Ha!!!
That gorgeous blue spruce tree between the Theobald's home and mine blew down the night before I left. They have taken it away and it really leaves a hole. I am going to have all my pine trees cut down - they just split into many branches and are not pretty so I'm not going to fuss with them anymore. I have tied they together for years thinking they would grow stronger in the trunk but they haven't. I'm also going to cut off the branches from Vontella's mulberry tree that come into my yard - I was telling Jeannie how messy they are and she said I should just cut them off. I don't believe Vontella will ever notice.
I haven't heard from the Roy Mellors. I hope you are pretty well settled in your wonderful new home. I kept thinking how much fun Emily and Katie would have had together in Lake Powell - there will be other times for that though. Jesse would have scared all of us to death - he would have had to sleep in a life jacket. Timothy would have LOVED it!!! It was MIGHTY hot and we just lived in the water.
The big news for this letter is that John and Julianna have bought a home. They have bought in an established neighborhood which is VERY smart!!! I don't know exactly where their home is but I know the area and it is a wonderful area - north from where I live and kinda' by the Word Perfect buildings. They won't be moving in until probably the end of August. John is going to be SUPER busy preparing for their big trade show which will be held in New Orleans next week. Julianna is going to be SUPER busy preparing to start teaching school - she tried to find time on the houseboat to work on her lesson plans.
All of you will be SUPER busy getting children ready for school and other things. Little Katie was worried about her supplies for school and Bob said, "You will bring a list of things you need when you come home from school tomorrow and we will go get them" - I thought, how wonderful for him to be involved in all that - that's the way it should be. I know the Weinert and Woolley children have BIG plans for school activities and I believe they will be happy to not have any more pioneer "trecs".Üj