June 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:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MICHAEL TODAY AND TO BARJI NEXT MONDAY!!! I honestly can't believe that Michael is turning 16 today. Michael you will be getting your driver's license and you will be such a big help to your Mom with her carpooling. I said to Bob - "Will you worry about Michael driving and he said, I'll worry a lot". We just can't help but worry and we hope so much that you will worry too, Michael and be a very, very safe driver. Barji will be 17 and I can't believe that either. Barji is so proud of her very own car and I'm proud too. It is a used Toyota Camry and my missionary friend has one that is the same age as mine, bought in 1989, and he has 160,000 miles on it. Barji, I want you to worry too and be a very, very safe driver.

The last time I wrote my letter was on June 9th. I have kept thinking I should write a "final" one before leaving for my mission but then I knew I would be with each one of you and there were so many things to do that I just put it off. I am kinda' glad to have this opportunity to catch up on the events of the past three weeks.

I went to Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah the next night after writing my letter to see the ballet performances that Mary Ann, Sarah and Laura danced in. It was absolutely magnificent and I just loved it. I was SO proud of all three of them and they had gorgeous costumes. Clytie Adams is the owner and director of this dance company and I am very impressed with her. It is amazing to me how so many young women can participate in this and get better each year and truly enjoy doing it. It was a terrible night, weatherwise!!! It doesn't rain in Utah any harder than it did that night and there were flooded streets all over Salt Lake. It was hard to find a parking place and I had to park about six blocks away and by the time I got to Kingsbury Hall my shoes were soaked.

Virginia, my companion, was at my home early the next morning and we were in the MTC for the next two days.. We had our final Hepatitis B shot on Thursday and Virginia could have gone home that night but she decided to stay until Friday so we could go to the BYU bookstore and get the rest of our teaching supplies. She didn't leave until late on Friday afternoon.

Saturday, the 14th, John spent most of the day with me. I don't believe he thought it would take that long to go over all my finances but it took a long time. He put all the figures on the computer and I feel confident that he knows all the things he will have to do so I won't come home with a bad credit rating. That afternoon he groomed Hans and Frauie - he wanted them to look good for when Roy & Patrice and the children got here and they looked just wonderful.

We have been noticing that Hans was getting thin but I thought it was because I had changed his food from Puppy Chow to a more protein and less fat Dog Food. Looking back on how quickly he went from bad to worse it really amazes me. Monday night I called John to tell him that I didn't think Hans would live through the night so John came over and held him for a long, long time and we both knew he wouldn't last much longer.

Roy & Patrice and their darling family came in Monday night late. I had gone to bed because they told me it would be late and they were SO quiet I didn't even wake up. Tuesday, Roy took Hans to the Veterinarian to see if we could do something to make him more comfortable. Dr. Pugh said it was kidney failure and there was nothing he could do to save him. Roy bought some water with nutrients in it and also a "baster" and gave that to him all day on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Wednesday I took Patrice and the children to "Seven Peaks" where they met the Woolleys to spend the afternoon. When I came home Hans had died. I called to let John know. He was in San Francisco but he called home and Julianna told him so he called me and said he would meet me at the farm in Lehi and help me bury him. I went over there before it got dark and dug a grave just outside the gate by the fence. John got there about 9:30 and he didn't like the place I had dug the grave so we drove into the farm by the trees. John tried to dig there but there were too many roots and besides there was so much water in that area that John decided we could bury him where I had dug the hole. John dug it much deeper and we put roses on it and said goodbye. It was traumatic because Hans has been such a sweet, sweet dog & loved John!!!

Roy was able to take a special anesthesia training in Salt Lake and as I write this I can't remember if it started on Monday or Tuesday. If it started on Monday then I need to backtrack a day on all the events I have written about - Ha!!! They had had a WONDERFUL trip traveling through Oklahoma and New Mexico and it was thrilling to me to hear Emily tell all about the Anasazi Indians, the Oklahoma City Memorial for the terrible bombing that took place about a year ago and other things they had seen along the way. They were walking through a tourist spot in New Mexico when someone along the path told them about a rattlesnake - they had been blissfully enjoying their walk up until that time. Roy and Patrice were terrified when they saw the snake and especially when they realized what could have happened. It made a big impression on the children!!!

Emily is such a wonderful child and a very, very sweet big sister to her two little brothers - she is a real peacemaker. She loves to read and play with her dolls but was willing to play "Rummikub" with Grandma B. Timothy and Jesse are "real boys" and I am SO glad. Timothy is so much like his Dad and I think Jesse looks more like my side of the family - I wanted my brother Don to see him because of that. They are a GREAT family and Patrice & Roy are Great parents!!!

I am going to write this next bit of news for my journal because it meant so much to me for Bob and Claire to be such a lot of help.. I went to Dr. Donaldson, my dermatologist, on Tuesday, the 9th and he decided to take a biopsy of a red spot on my back. He had been watching it for over a month and it didn't get better. That was on a Monday and he promised me that if the biopsy indicated something that needed to be taken care of he would let me know within a day or so. He hadn't called by Friday and I knew I would feel better if I knew for sure it was okay so I called him. His nurse said the biopsy revealed that it was a basal cell carcinoma and that Dr. Donaldson would be out of town until June 24th. I couldn't believe it and told her I would be leaving on June 23rd - so she said she would give me an appointment with his partner on the 16th. I worried and worried and tried to call Bob but they had gone to Sun Valley for the weekend. I finally got Bob about 8 p.m. on Sunday night and he said he would take it off that night if I could come to his office. I jumped in the car and got to Layton about 9:30. Bob and Claire took me to his office and they called Jeannie. Bob gave me some shots that hurt a little bit and that is the last hurt I ever felt. Bob packed it good and put some tape to hold it in place. I really wouldn't know that he even took anything off except that he showed it to me. Bob checked it on Friday night when he came down and said it looked really good - he took off the bandages and the tape. I have had a rash on my back for over a year and it has been very irritating and I have kept sponging it with alcohol but it has never cleared up. Since Bob did that surgery the rash is practically gone and it feels one thousand times better. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH BOB, CLAIRE AND JEANNIE!!! Jeannie came down the next day to care for me - she thought I would be in bed. I truly do appreciate that Jeannie. I was out shopping when she came so she went back home.

Thursday night, Virginia Taylor, my companion dropped by to pick up some clothes she had left here and also her camera. Just in passing, she said "They're having some problems with my visa, wouldn't it be funny if we didn't get to leave on Monday?" I didn't think too much about it but Friday afternoon, Sister Campbell, from the church office building called and said we couldn't leave as scheduled. She said, "We tried to tell Virginia to get her things in on time but I guess she just didn't understand". It is now Thursday, the 26th, and I don't know when we will be leaving. I called Virginia last night and she didn't know anything either. This is very frustrating but it is also nice to have a little bit more time to get my thoughts all collected and some yard and house work done.

Friday was such a fun day. Bob had told me that he would come and spend the night and bring Katie and Emily home - they had been together at the Bob Mellors in Layton. John had told me that he would come and bring the T-shirts for the reunion. John and Bob had designed the shirts and I knew they would come through but in the back of my mind I was worried that something would go wrong and they would not get done in time. It was about 7 o'clock when Bob and John got here and it was so much fun to see the shirts and we laughed and laughed as they tried them on and tried to figure out which sizes would fit which person. That was a difficult assignment because people would call me and give me their names and ages and approximate sizes but I didn't know which sizes John would be able to get. Patrice was a real doll as she tried to get everything organized so they could be properly distributed at the reunion. IT WAS SO FUN TO HAVE JOHN, JULIANNA, ROY, PATRICE AND BOB ALL HERE FOR DINNER - I just wish it had been a better dinner. I had so many leftovers and you know I can't throw anything away so we just had leftovers. Bob and John worked on the special video they were to present at the reunion and that was such a special experience for me - it is a MARVELOUS video.

Saturday morning we had an appointment with Rodney Wilkinson, the attorney who is doing the legal work to avoid probate and estate taxes on my little estate. Bob, Roy, John and I went to his office at 9 a.m. and I appreciate so much having that done - I truly do not understand a lot of the legal terms but I know my sons do. They wanted everything to be done fairly and evenly and I believe it will be that way. He had to make some changes and type everything up so I went back on Monday morning to sign it. I signed a million documents. He made it into a company and I am the manager as long as I live and after I pass away then the five of you become managers. He will get the documents all in a binder and take it to John. John and Bob have my power of attorney- John has my medical power of attorney which I didn't understand but I signed it anyway. He also made up a living will for me. Now that I have all this done, I will probably live to be a hundred - ugh!!!

While we were gone to the attorney's office, Patrice cooked the meat for the Taco Salad that we took to the reunion. John is such a big help in the kitchen - just like his Dad. We got most of the stuff mixed together and then Patrice did the rest. I took Katie and Emily with me to Rock Canyon Park so they could help me put the plastic on the tables and do a little decorating. Ann was already there and ready to help in any way she could. I didn't have enough plastic so she went home and got some tablecloths and they were lifesavers...

THE REUNION WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. I was very impressed with the way families supported each other - especially mine - Ha!!! Carol Ann & Art Willardsen did everything they could possibly do to make it a success and their family was there in force. Carol Braithwaite and her son Jim cooked tons of turkey (that special Manti recipe) and it was delicious. ,The Pinegar family also did their part and they were well represented. The Crawford family also supported Ramona and she is beginning to show her age - she turned 83 the next day - but she is still a beautiful woman. I was THRILLED to see Matt Miller there with his wife and children - they don't usually come to things like that. Jill who is still quite ill from suffering a fall and being in a coma came in a wheel chair. I missed seeing her but Elaine was there and is doing quite well. The Pack family came - Mel couldn't come because he was out of town on business - but Paula and the girls were there. The Hooper family was well represented - they have such a big family and I am proud of them. MY FAMILY WAS ALL THERE and I have said enough about that!!!

The Video that Bob presented was outstanding. Bob & Claire and their family went to Wyoming where the Martin Handcart Company traveled during a very harsh Winter on their way to Salt Lake and Bob included these pictures in his presentation. John had designed a map depicting these events and put it on the back of the t-shirts -and a picture of James Mellor who was in this company was on the front. The video presentation and the shirts were the glue that stuck the reunion together and made it meaningful and I am SO proud of my family!!!

I had to be "Set Apart" for my mission and I wanted my family to be with me but I knew that I couldn't ask my family from the North to make a special trip to Orem for that so I asked if it could be done on Saturday. It was kinda' bad for all of us to have to leave the reunion but I am truly grateful that we did - we were gone from 5 'til 6. President Markov of our Stake Presidency was so accommodating and I appreciate that so much - they don't usually do them on Saturdays. Jeannie and Rick and their family met us at the Stake Center because they had to be in Salt Lake for a Suzuki Violin Competition thing for Mary Ann & Sarah until about 4:30. Don and Cheryl also came and of course that made me very happy. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THE EFFORT TO BE WITH ME!!! I know you're sick of all the 'HOOPLA"!!!

Sunday was such a wonderful day also. Katie and Emily went to church with me and then we all piled in Roy & Patrices' car and drove to Farmington. I might mention the terrible road construction that is going on in Utah - they are completely changing the freeway system in Salt Lake and they say it will take 4 years. We left Orem at 3 o'clock and got to the Weinerts after 5 - it usually takes less than an hour. Everyone came and we had the most delicious dinner at the Weinerts - Rick cooked the famous turkey steaks and Jeannie had made a wonderful rice soufflé and Claire and Ann filled in with vegetables and dessert. We had a FABULOUS time!!!

Monday morning I was supposed to leave for Thailand so that was a day that was unplanned. I have had a garage filled with "stuff" for the reunion and also for a garage sale. Well - the garage sale is out and the reunion is over but there is no way I could get the stuff in my car to take to D. I. Or the dump. SO, I asked Roy if he would mind doing it in his van. You just wouldn't believe the transformation of my garage. Roy & Patrice spent most of the day cleaning my garage and Roy took two loads to D. I. and one to the dump. They did a WONDERFUL job and I appreciate it so very much!!! I felt bad when I talked to Ann and she said she expected them to come to her home and see her new furniture - I took up their entire day.

David and Polly Taylor and their little son, Parker, came by on Monday evening to say Goodbye to me. It was fun to visit with them and their little Parker is so cute but I couldn't keep my mind on their visit when I had so many things going on. Guess what?  Sister Parker from the church offices just called and they have our visas ready. Now they have to make travel arrangements. I will let you know when I know.

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