December 2, 1996

Dearest John & Julianna; Roy, Patrice, Emily, Timothy & Jesse; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, Lee Anna & Jimmy:

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ANN TOMORROW. I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL AND RESTFUL DAY. You have been going on nervous energy for many days and you need to stop and relax.

WHAT A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING, ETC. I HAVE HAD!!! I keep thinking of the saying "many hands make light work" when I think of the crew that came to my home the morning before dinner on Thanksgiving. I went to the cemetery to put some flowers on Daddy's grave and when I came home Ricky, Mary Ann, Sarah and their parents were raking my yard like fury!!! Barji had had four wisdom teeth pulled the day before so she wasn't feeling very good. The Woolleys came shortly after and they all worked and my yard looks SO good. I know they don't believe that I had raked many times before and taken the leaves to the farm but with all my trees there are millions of leaves.

They had me get my Christmas decorations out and Sarah and Jimmy put up my Christmas tree and Ann and Jean picked out some things to go on a green pine "swag" over my door. John and Julianna came soon after that and Rick helped them and they put up my Christmas lights on the house. John got up on the roof and put lights along the roof of the house - I haven't had those on since Daddy died. I turned them on that night and people at church yesterday said, "Sister Mellor, you beat everyone in the neighborhood this year". I am REALLY in the Christmas spirit and it is SO fun to see them at night!!!

Sarah and Jimmy helped me and we took all the leaves over to the farm - there were five HUGE bags and I mean HUGE. It started to snow that night so I was happy to have them taken care of. THEN we all went to the Woolleys - I don't remember when I have been more hungry. The dinner was absolutely fabulous and the table decorations were just darling. Someone had made cornucopias out of ice cream cones filled with candy for place cards. Jeannie and Julianna worked on the "swag" for my front door and it turned out just beautiful - I'm SO glad there are members of my family who are artistic!!!

Grandma Bev and Grandpa Russ and Mimi had come from Jerome, Idaho and they are always so fun to be around - in fact, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them. I know I ate more than anyone else and I LOVED it. After dinner, Ann wanted all of us to go to Spanish Fork to see the "Festival of Lights". By that time it was snowing quite a bit and I believe we were all a little "leary" of driving around. We piled into two cars and came to my home first to put up the swag and then we started for Spanish Fork. We had a "little" problem finding it because no one had been there before and as we drove I thought we might be going to Scofield - Ha!!! We finally found it and I just can't describe how magnificent it was - I will always remember it as one of the "magical" things that happens at Christmas time. I want to get some of my friends and go again before the holidays are over. It kinda' reminded me of what I think the place in Little Rock must have been like before they made the man take his lights down because of the traffic they were causing. These lights are all around a golf course with a little lake and they are simply gorgeous. We all went back to our different homes after that.

Friday turned out to be such a special day for me. John and Julianna came over and then Julianna went shopping and John stayed here and worked on the computer. I wish I had known before that they were going to do that so I could have had something special to eat but it was fun anyway. I can't believe all the things John can do on this computer.

Saturday was my temple day and I always enjoy doing that. It isn't very busy on Saturday nights because people don't know it is going to be open since most of the temples are closed that night.

You are not going to believe what just happened to me. The phone rang and one of my friends wanted Ramona's telephone number so I went upstairs to get it and while I was up there the power went off. It has been off for two hours and I am embarrassed at how frustrated I have been. I decided to go get my car inspected for the safety and emission thing but I couldn't get the garage door open - I finally figured out how to do that and I hope I haven't broken it. I had to wait two hours to get that done so I went shopping at Shopkos. I thought my letter would be erased but I have been able to access it - now if I can just get it printed. I started writing my letter at 9:30 this morning and now it is 4 p.m. so I will hurry and finish this and try to get it in the mail.

Sunday was another very fun and special day. Ellen Mae called me in the morning and said it was really snowing in Kaysville which is by Farmington and Layton. I told her that Jean and Rick and their family were coming for Russell's Eagle Scout Award Ceremony - she said, "Oh, they ;will never be able to make it". I went to church and then came home and got ready to go for the ceremony. It was snowing here by then but not very much and the Weinerts were already here and soon after I got to the church, Claire and all their children came. I WAS SO PROUD OF THEM FOR SUPPORTING RUSSELL!!! Bob has been on call all weekend so he has missed the festivities and we have missed him and also the Roy Mellor family.

Russell's Court of Honor was just wonderful and RUSSELL I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU!!! Ann and Ron had made a neat video of Russell's life and the other part of the program was just excellent. They served chocolate éclairs and sprite afterwards and of course everyone enjoyed that. We all went to the Woolleys for dinner again and it was just delicious. Ann had ordered a honey baked ham and then she had salads, baked beans, etc. to go with it. We all loved being together and Ann said that was "the last time she was feeding us for a good long time" - Ha!!!

After dinner, Ann took Jeannie, Claire and Julianna and me to go through her neighbor's home. Do any of you know who Michael Coleman is? He is a renowned artist and sculptor and you just wouldn't believe their home. He has a trophy of every kind of animal known to mankind and all the artillery it takes to get them. He has a special hunting permit because of his profession and we saw things that not very many people would ever have the opportunity to see. I find myself thinking about their home all the time - it is spectacular and his wife Jackie was so gracious in showing us through it (Ann is doing her a carpool favor in return).

Ricky and Barji I am SO proud of you for having your Patriarchal Blessings given. I wished I had visited with you more about that. I was kinda' surprised because I had just found mine on Friday when I was going through genealogy things with John. I had mine in 1965 by Patriarch Ivan Call in Phoenix before we moved to Little Rock so I would have been 31 years old and you are just 17. It will be a guide to you for the rest of your lives and I am SO thrilled you have them.

Patrice - thank you for your e-mail message. I was so happy to find it this morning because I hadn't heard from you for a long time. Your Thanksgiving with your special "baker" friends sounded so nice and I'm sure the children had fun with other friends to play with. I'm proud of you for sharing on that day.

Claire, I will be thinking of you on Thursday when you have your surgery. You will get along just fine but if there is anything I can do to help you please let me know. That sounds like an empty offer but I am serious and could come to your home for a couple days or whatever. I know your Mom will be there to help you but I am available.

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