February 10, 1997

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 VALENTINE'S DAY TO EACH ONE OF YOU!!! I hope all the little children will get lots of valentines at their schools. I remember that as being such a fun, fun time!!! I'm sure some of you mothers are making lots of sugar cookies with pink frosting and helping with parties.

Roy - it was SO good to talk to you the other day!!! I can't tell you how happy I am that you went to the 50th Wedding Party for Chris & Wayne Smith. Joy called me the next day to tell me that you were there and then Chris Jordin called and then last night Chris & Wayne called. They said you were SO NICE - I can't imagine that you would be any other way. That REALLY means a lot to me that you would do that and it surely did mean a lot to Chris & Wayne and the others. (Roy said it was such a nice party - he said Rick & Linda Smith have a lovely home and there were LOTS of little children there). I wish Patrice, Emily, Timothy & Jesse would have been with you but I surely understand why they wouldn't want to drive to Conway to go to a party where they wouldn't know anyone. The Cobbs and Littlefields were also there.

Chris Jordin told me that she was SO impressed with how young Chris Smith looks. Chris Jordin is SO funny. She told me about reading the salaries of some of the people in Little Rock. I guess they are state employees or something and they list their names in the Arkansas Gazette. I don't believe many of you will remember Dick Pearson - he and his wife and family moved there about a year before we moved away and they live in Pinnacle. Anyway, Dick is hospital administrator for the University Hospital and Chris was just ASTOUNDED at his salary. Chris always felt that Marc was SO underpaid. Dick Pearson is Rick Smith's boss.

It was fun to talk to Chris & Wayne last night. They are back in Alabama now - they will be there a month and then go back to Arkansas for a month - they keep doing that and they have lovely homes both places. Wayne's Mother is in a resthome near Plainview where their Arkansas home is and they like to be close when she needs them. Wayne says she has lost her dentures so many times they just give them to her at meal time now and I believe he said she is on her third or fourth hearing aid. She is 92 years old. Linda & Kens' daughter Jamie is going to be married this Spring. Their other daughter, Jennifer is graduating early from High School with a full scholarship to go to Texas A & M. They have had an exchange student from Taiwan living with them for the last couple years - she did a dance at their party- did you see it Roy? Wayne said he believe you missed Donna Green ? also - she was late getting to the party.

BOB & JOHN HAD A WONDERFUL TIME IN CHILE!!! I visited with Bob for a little while last night and he said they really had fun. He said they had all kinds of weather - from nice warm days to cold, windy and stormy days and the fishing was variable too. One of the things he told me about sounded exactly like something Daddy would have done. They were in a very, very small town where they fished and if I understood it right they had to get a boat to go over to another little farming community. In this farming place they found a farmer that had little lambs to sell for barbecuing so they bought one and had it butchered. They took it back to their fishing place and invited others to join them for a "lamb barbecue". I can just see Lynn doing that. He loved lamb anyway and it is hard to find good lamb - and besides I didn't ever learn how to cook it. Bob said that John was able to find many of the places he served in while he was on his mission and saw one of his former landladies. He also said they went to the Mission Home and to the Temple while they were in Santiago. I'm anxious to talk to John and hear more about it. I know Claire and Julianna are happy to have them home.

I haven't talked to John since he came home. I kinda' worried about Julianna, Oscar, Sasha and Tar all week. I didn't know what Julianna's plans were and I worried that if she went out of town she would have to put the dogs in a kennel. I probably couldn't have cared for all three of them but I would have been happy to care for Tar. It's too late now to offer to help isn't it?

The Weinerts went to Sun Valley last weekend. Jeannie said there is a lot of snow there and they had a good time - Rick had a business meeting there. They have friends who attend this same meeting and they always enjoy being with them - I believe their friend is a cardiologist and he has bought a home in Sun Valley - I don't know where he practices.

The Woolleys didn't come over last night because I wanted to go up to Layton and visit with Bob. I haven't talked to them this week but Susanna said they were going to have a fireside at their ward last night anyway so they probably couldn't have come. It's always so fun to talk to my grandchildren - Susanna is SO sweet over the phone and when I dropped by the Weinert's home last night Ricky was SO sweet. I LOVE MY GRANDCHILDREN!!!

I wanted Bob to see the place where Dr. Donaldson had taken a biopsy of that mole on my leg so he could make a determination about whether or not further surgery would be needed. Bob didn't hesitate - he said it definitely needed to have more tissue removed. Dr. Donaldson kept telling me he was pretty certain he had "gotten it all" - but he probably was telling me that so I wouldn't worry. I had an appointment with him this morning and he called Bob and talked to him. Bob is going to try to have a surgeon friend of his do it sometime this week up in Layton. Bob said I could have a surgeon in Provo do it but I would REALLY prefer to have someone Bob could recommend. I don't have a death wish but I certainly am not one bit worried about dying but I don't want to die of cancer after seeing what Daddy went through.

It was fun to be with Bob & Claire and their family for a little while last night. Claire is REALLY busy - they were having their Relief Society Homemaking meeting last night for husbands and wives - they were having a speaker come to talk about "Relationships". Laura was playing the piano when I got there and I LOVED that - she is doing SO well. Katie showed me some of the patterns she is going to make at her "sewing class" - that is WONDERFUL!!! Brett was in and out and as busy as ever - Michael looks bigger every time I see him - just tall and muscular, not fat! Claire has had a lot done to their home - they have had new flooring in two of their bathrooms and will have new carpet put down and they have also had a lot of painting done.

Jeannie - thank you for calling me last night and offering to help me. Bob says I can't drive home after I have the mole taken care of so maybe Jeannie and Claire will drive my car home and bring one of their cars to take them home. Maybe I'll figure out an easier way by then. I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS. Bob says this isn't near the problem I would be if I don't get it taken care of and the cancer goes to my brain. Don & Cheryl called last night and I told them about it and Cheryl said she had one and it was the size of a dime and when they did more surgery on it they made a hole the size of a baseball.

I keep thinking of Daddy when I go in for my doctor visits - he NEVER did get good news!!!

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