May 26, 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:

Today is Memorial Day and it is raining and quite cold. I went to the Lehi Cemetery yesterday morning and put a beautiful carnation spray on Daddy's grave and some chrysanthemum plants on the graves of Aunt Marvel and Grandma and Grandpa Rhodes. Then I drove to Layton where I visited with Bob & Claire and their family for a little while before they went to church and then I went to have lunch with the Weinerts.

Jeannie had fixed French Dip along with other things and it was SO delicious and SO fun to be with their family. Then we all piled into Rick's van and drove to Brigham City to put plants on the graves of Christopher, Grandma & Grandpa Forrest, Bob, Lela and Dee. Then Rick took me on a tour of Brigham City and that was SO wonderful - it is kinda' sad for me to drive past my two homes there and also to go by Dee's former home and see other people living there. I haven't been to Brigham City for several years - last year on Memorial Day I was in Oregon with Ellen Mae and Mel and we did go to the cemetery a couple days before but didn't drive any other places in Brigham City. John decorated the graves in Lehi last year.

Jessie wanted to go to the cemetery with me today so I'm waiting for her to call me. I have fixed a jar of Iris and columbine and I also need to take an American Flag for Daddy's grave - I forgot to take it yesterday morning.

It was SO wonderful to go to the families in the North yesterday!!! As I drove up to Bob & Claires' home I could hear the piano playing and that is always such a welcome sign for me. Brett was playing and he is SO good. Michael is always so sweet and it was so good to see Katie - I haven't seen her for a long, long time. Laura was getting ready for church and I wish I had had my camera to take her picture with those HUGE curlers in it. Claire was at a meeting when I got there but she came home before I left and she looks WONDERFUL - so trim!!! Bob was already for church and we had a good visit and he gave me some medicine for a rash I have on my arm. The dermatologist here in Orem took off a mole I was worried about and he told me to keep polysporin on it and keep it covered. I have never had a reaction like that - it became infected I guess and then I got a rash. I couldn't take antibiotics because I was taking all those immunization shots. It's much better now!!! Thank you Bob.

Mary Ann played her violin for me and I am SO proud of you Mary Ann. She is going to play the Theme from Schindler's List for her history class this week. She also played "How Great Thou Art" with Jeannie accompanying her and that was absolutely beautiful. Sarah is going to be in a ballet at the University of Utah - a Shakespearean theme - and she dressed in her gorgeous purple costume and did a few steps for me. Barji is one of the drill mistresses for her dancing group for next year and I am proud of you too Barji. Ricky is busy, busy with his golfing job and also practicing his tennis. Barji is dating the most promising young golf player in Utah- Boyd Summerhays - and went to the Prom with him and I love the pictures I saw of them together. Ricky also went to the Prom with a darling girl.

We had ice cream at the "Peach City" restaurant in Brigham City and then we went back to Farmington where I left them and came home. I got here in time to go to Susanna's Seminary graduation and that was WONDERFUL!!! Susanna accompanied two girls as they sang a duet and I was overwhelmed - I didn't know Susanna could play that well - I haven't heard her play for a long, long time.

The Woolleys left the seminary graduation before I did to go to Ryan Mahoney's baptism. Susanna was going to play for everything at his baptism. I talked to Ann this morning and she said that was absolutely wonderful - she said their church was just packed and Ryan, his mother and little brother were all baptized. I am proud of all of you - especially Ryan.

I haven't talked to John & Julianna this week - Bob said John had been with him on Saturday to finalize the t-shirt design. I had phone calls from Elaine and Ramona on Saturday - with tears in their voices because they were so late in getting their orders in. When I came home last night there was a message on my telephone from Ramona telling me she had broken into my home and left the money for the shirts in my purse. JOHN I WOULD LOVE TO GET THOSE SHIRTS ORDERED THIS WEEK AND I WOULD GO WITH YOU TO ORDER THE SIZES - PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN HELP!!!

Roy & Patrice - I haven't heard from you this week but I had a long enough phone conversation with Patrice a week ago to last for several weeks. I AM SO ANXIOUS FOR YOU TO COME. I am going to be all packed to go to Thailand by the time you come so that won't interfere. I won't know when I am going to leave for another week. I am thinking it will probably be June 24th.

The past two weeks in the MTC have been the most stressful of my life - Ha!!! I have never felt so dumb and inadequate. I also know that many of the things they have taught us will have to be applied in a much simpler way and I know I can do that. Virginia Taylor, my companion has been with me for the two weeks and she is a very studious and smart woman so she will help me. I have come to the conclusion that you can't have everything you want in life and even though all the people in the group are much smarter than I am I have the best family!!! How is that for being prideful - the very thing I must overcome!!!

They have told us a lot about what we can expect. I am not worried about anything but the geckos and roaches. I have never seen a gecko and when I was in Layton yesterday Brett showed me some he had bought in Hawaii - he has about five of them and they are all dressed in cute costumes. He also has a t-shirt with geckos on it - he said he made friends with them. Bob kept saying "Mom, they won't hurt you". They have told us they crawl on the apartment walls. One of my friends and neighbors lived in Bangkok for five years during the Vietnam War - her husband was an economist there working with the people building dams. They had diplomatic privileges and lived in a very nice place but her son who spent five years growing up in Bangkok was called there on his mission. He told us he tore out some cabinets in his missionary apartment and found billions and billions of roaches and he said they were FAT ones - Yuk!!!

Bob and others who have had friends living in Thailand tell me that it would be best to buy dresses over there. I guess you can choose your material and the dressmakers are so skilled they don't even have to use patterns and they are also inexpensive. They keep telling us to not wear anything that is fitted around the waist - it is too hot. We can only wear pants when we are in our apartments. They also tell us we will get out shoes wet everyday because it rains SO MUCH. I haven't decided yet what kinds of shoes I am going to take.

I am going to make assignments for each one of you. I would like for Bob to be in charge of the cabin and I have put his name on EVERYTHING for "next of kin to notify".. I would like the Weinerts to be in charge of mailing my Olin Insurance payments in each month. I would like Ann to be in charge of getting the refill orders mailed to my insurance company and then when the prescriptions arrive to mail them to me in Thailand. I would like John to be in charge of taking care of my home and paying all my bills and making sure there is money in my checking account so I can use the ATMs in Bangkok. I would like Roy & Patrice to be in charge of writing to me once a month and telling me any family news they have. I hope this is agreeable to all of you.

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