December 9, 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:

It's a cloudy Monday morning but it is supposed to be in the 50's today if I heard the weather news right. We had some REALLY cold and snowy weather last week so it will be good to have it warm up - BUT I love the snow and it is SO fun to watch it coming down from my den windows.

The news for this week is that Claire is recuperating very well. I went up to see her last night and she answered the door - I expected her to still be in bed. Bob and the children had gone to the church for tithing settlement and came home shortly after I got there. The first thing Claire said is "I feel SO good"!!! She came home on Saturday afternoon. I have thought about her all week - she said Bob and the children had just taken over and cared for her. Their children are SO capable and willing to help. I was surprised in how much snow they have - I don't have any on the ground and they have a "sleigh run" in their front yard. They said Michael had been good to shovel it. Bob teased Claire last night and told her she should be able to do it in a few days. Their home looked absolutely gorgeous - their outside lights are SO pretty - they have the tree in front decorated with lights this year and I can't remember seeing that before. They have beautiful trees inside also - one in their living room and one in their family room. It was SO fun to visit with them and I hope I didn't stay too long.

I went to see the Weinerts after I left the Mellors and their home looks absolutely gorgeous too and Mary Ann was playing the piano when I went to the door and it sounded SO good - I didn't know she was taking lessons. Speaking of playing the piano - both Brett and Katie played for me too and I LOVED it. I told them that someone needs to come to my home and play my piano - I have been playing some Christmas carols but I don't play it often enough - I love to do it when I take the time. It was very special to have all the children home at both places - that is the way it should be on Sundays. We watched the televised message from the First Presidency for a little while and then I left to come home before it got any later. I decided after seeing the Christmas trees at the Bob Mellors and Weinerts that I should take mine down - it is just a decorated tree with no special touches but I love to sit in the living room at night and look at it.

I am SO happy that my home is decorated outside. I turned my lights on last night before I went to Layton so they were on when I got home and it gives me a happy feeling to drive in and see my home all "lit up". THANK YOU JOHN!!!

John and Julianna have lights on their home too and I want to go see them. I was going to drive by last night but it was about 10 o'clock and I wasn't sure I could find it at night - I'll have to practice finding it in the daylight and then go back at night. I have talked to John this week and he wants to go duck hunting on Utah Lake. His dogs have found some pheasants on the farm in Lehi. Lynn would have had a REAL hunting and fishing pal if he had lived.

I went to the Timpview Cheerleading Exhibition last Thursday at Timpview High School. They had their state competition in Salt Lake on Saturday and did this exhibition for the parents and friends as kind of a practice before their competition. It was a terrible snowy night and I just about decided to not go but I am SO glad I did. THEY ARE VERY GOOD AND WON FIRST PLACE IN THE STATE COMPETITION. SUSANNA AND JESSIE - I AM PROUD OF YOU!!! It scares me to death when they throw Jessie up in the air because they really throw her high. They will now go to California for the National Competition - I believe that is in February. Ron was in Hawaii on business all last week and he took the all night flight so he could get to the competition on Saturday morning and Ann said he just barely made it.

The BYU Cougars won the WAC Championship and will now play in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day. There has been so much in the news about whether or not they would get a bid to play in one of the larger bowl games. The "Big Wigs" don't consider the WAC to be in the same status as some of the larger schools. I watched a few minutes of the game on Saturday and then listened to it on the way to the temple and stayed in the parking lot as long as I dared and the score was 10 - 0 when I went in to work. We aren't supposed to think or talk of worldly things while we are in the temple but about 4:30 I whispered to one of the other sisters and asked if she had heard the final score and she started to laugh and said "We won 28-25". Most of the people in Utah county were either watching the game or had gone to Las Vegas to see it because the temple was practically empty. We have a good football team but the basketball team leaves much to be desired and I feel bad for Coach Roger Reid - he is really on the "Hot Seat".

Do you all remember your cousin, Holly Pinegar (and I can't remember her married last name)? They have 8 little girls and the oldest one is 11 and the youngest is 2. They come to see me every year at Christmas time - the girls love to play in the playroom and last year it was bedlam!!! They came to see me last Friday and they brought Holly's mother Shirley who is Daddy's sister and then they brought the other sisters too - Ramona and Elaine. They played so nicely this year and it was fun to have them come and we had such a good visit. Elaine is doing very well - walking without crutches and she looks so good. We talked about genealogy and Shirley does a lot of it. The girls remind me of the story "Little Women" and Holly says it is like that at their home - she is trying to get ready for Christmas and said she is sewing like crazy making dresses for them.

Patrice - it has been so fun to receive your e-mail messages. I am SO happy that Roy is so involved in the children's school projects - I can't tell you how important I think that is!!! One of the little boys I am tutoring talks about his father all the time and when I ask him to write a little sentence about his activities it always involves his father. This little boy is a twin and such a sweet and nice little boy. I am sending you all the Cousin Christmas Gift Exchange List but this is the last year I will do it - I don't do a very good job. When Sarah looked at the list last night it took her about one second to say, "Oh, I have Jessie's name and she has mine". I did this same thing last year with two of the cousins and I thought I had done it right this year. Ann said they would help me with it when they came for Family Home Evening last night but I didn't wait and since I left last night I'm glad I didn't. That is such a fun thing for the cousins to do and as Patrice says, "It helps her children to stay connected with their cousins".

There is SO much to do in the month of December and if you forget to do anything for me I will not care ONE SINGLE BIT!!! My calendar is full and I love going places but I also love being home and "puttering". I will have a Christmas Buffet for anyone who wants to come on Christmas Day but I don't want it to be a stressful thing - if the weather is bad and you would prefer to stay home or if you have work that keeps you close to home I will understand. I want to do the food by myself and it will not be fancy, John - if you can come maybe you would help me make mints - I can't do it by myself and you are the only one in the family who remembers how Daddy used to do it.

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