December 30, 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:

Wow - what an exciting time I have had this past week. I don't ever remember a more fun Christmas t and Birthday than I have had this year. I know it has been tremendously stressful for all of you and I feel bad about that.

Tuesday the 24th, we all met at the "Galavan Center" in Salt Lake to go ice skating. It was just gorgeous that day - my kind of weather - cold, crisp, dry and bright beautiful skies!!! It was SO much fun to be together - actually John and Julianna didn't make it to the ice skating party and of course the Roy Mellors weren't there - BUT the rest of us had so much fun. Ann and Jean went skating but with Claire's recent surgery she decided to not try it and I wouldn't dare get on skates so we watched and visited. The children (young men and women) skated and skated and I love to see the cousins together like that - I hate to think how that is going to change in a few years when they get older.

We all went to the Weinerts for a delicious chili dinner after skating and Jeannie had her home so beautifully decorated with the tables set so pretty. After dinner we had the "cousin talent show" and that was SPECTACULAR - I AM SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!!! Susanna and Jessie showed a video of their cheerleading competition when they won the state championship for their talent and we all enjoyed that. The others played the piano and violin and I just can't believe how much they improve from year to year.

After the talent show we went to the Weinert's family room for the "cousin gift exchange" and I just love that part of our holiday. Each one was thrilled with the gift he or she received and it was SO much fun to hear them talk about Emily, Timothy and Jesse as they opened gifts from them. I LOVED it when :Jimmy opened his gift from one of the Roy Mellors and it was a plastic grass hopper that "glowed in the dark" - he immediately ran into the dark bathroom to see if it really worked and it did. THAT WAS FUN. Then we had delicious brownies and ice cream.

Wednesday was Christmas and everyone came here for dinner in the afternoon - with the exception of Claire, Michael, Laura and Katie. Claire spends Christmas day with her family and Bob left their home to come be with us and we appreciated that - he brought Brett. I didn't open my gifts until they got here and that was fun. I TRULY DO NOT LIKE GIFTS. I have SO much and feel like I should take the things I get to the needy families!!!

Thursday was kind of "catch up day". I can't even remember what I did that day.

Friday was my birthday and I had a lot of company and phone calls. Rick came and had lunch with me and that was fun. They had all told me on Christmas that we would go to "Maddox's" for dinner that night and John and Julianna would pick me at 5 o'clock. When John came without Julianna he explained that she had to go to her school to do some things before school starts and would meet us at Jeans. WELL - when we got to Jean's home all my granddaughters jumped up and said "SURPRISE" They were all dressed up so beautifully and when they explained that they had invited some of my friends to come for a party I ABOUT DIED!!!

I have never seen more beautiful or tasted more delicious goodies than they had all prepared. Their table was decorated so nicely and of course their Christmas tree was special - they had a fire going in their fireplace and chairs all around and it couldn't have been more "inviting". I was only there about five minutes when my friends started to come - I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. Del and Phyllis Holmgren came in from Bear River, LaRaine and Verl Petersen and Helen Jane and Roy Lemon had come from Brigham City , Roberta and Merlin Larsen came from Salt Lake, Frankie and Chuck Coulter whom we knew in Little Rock but they live in Farmington now came, Ellen Mae and Mel Manning, Margaret Jost and Carol Dunford whom I went to Palm Springs with last January came and Claires' parent, Bob and Alice Ezell came. IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL and I loved it. They had a beautiful corsage for me and I wore it to church yesterday and when people asked me about it I told them about the party and said "You would think I had a 100th birthday instead of just turning 71. I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT - I don't want another one until I turn 100 - okay!!!

The real reason that Julianna didn't go with John and me was because she had made "ramaki" (bacon wrapped around a water chestnut slice and broiled) and she was afraid I would smell it and get suspicious. Also she wanted to go early and help Jeannie, Ann and Claire. It is hard to believe but after the delicious food we still went out to dinner after the party - I was too full to eat but it was REALLY fun to go out.

John and Julianna went to the airport on Friday morning to pick up their little brown Labrador puppy, He was shipped in from Wisconsin and he is simply darling. They brought their golden retrievers over on Christmas and they are beautiful dogs. Dan and Dorothy called me on my birthday and I talked to Terry - she had driven from Chattanooga, Tennessee with her five dogs - they are Siberian Huskies so they are huge. When I talked to them I said there must have been something in the water when John and Terry lived by each other for them to both love dogs so much.

The Weinerts left yesterday morning to go to Florida. That was really their Christmas. Rick's only living relatives live there and they were going to go see them - Aunt Jane and Uncle Jack. They were also going to go to Disney World. They will be home New Year's Day I think.

Ramona and Elaine came to see me on Saturday and so did Dianne and Garry Power and their twin daughters. It was fun to visit with all of them.

The Woolleys came over last night for Family Home Evening - I love having them come. Ron was busy with tithing settlement at church so he couldn't come - he is ward clerk and that is a tremendous job this time of year. Actually Russell didn't come either - he was asleep!!! Ann is busy helping her Laurel girls make quilts - they have already made 5.

Bob and John spent SO much time with me teaching me how to send my letters e-mail. I will start out the New Year doing that but since I want to write a personal note on this letter to each of you, I won't send it e-mail. I can't believe all the time Bob spent with his Christmas gift - the chronological journal of James Mellor as he was with the handcart company as they crossed the ;plains - that is a REAL prize and Ramona and Elaine were very impressed. John has spent a million hours on a genealogy gift too but I don't believe he was able to get it quite ready for this Christmas.

I loved talking to Timothy on the phone on Saturday. He was so cute as he told me about a "gun" that Jimmy or Russell had sent to him for the cousins gift exchange - Ann was worried about that but I know Timothy is very careful - he said his Mom told him he could only shoot it at the wall. Emily wasn't feeling very well and Roy and Jesse had gone to the store.

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