March 15, 1999 Farmington, Utah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EMILY ON FRIDAY!!! I can't believe you will be 11 years old Emily and from what your Mom tells me you are really growing fast. Emily has been involved in a science project in her school and they measured the oxygen in their room so I asked her how they did it and this is what she told me. "You fill a pie tin with water and set a birthday candle in a lump of clay in the middle of it. Light the candle and put a glass jar over it. The ratio of the height the water rises to the height of the jar will tell you the percentage of oxygen." I'm SO proud of you Emily and I am proud of your teachers for helping all of you learn these science things. I hope you have fun with your friends at the "Young At Art" place (they paint pottery, little boxes or tiles, etc.) for your party. I also hope you and your family will have a WONDERFUL time in Gulf Shores and please tell our friends, Chris and Wayne hello from all of us. EAT LOTS OF FISH FOR GRANDMA B!!!

I had dinner with Bob and Claire and their family last night and I know Claire makes the best quiche in the world. I have only made the Bisquick kind of quiche and she made delicious pie crust and the works - I LOVED IT. Their home is always so quiet and peaceful on Sundays and it is so nice to be with them. Michael, Laura, Brett and Katie are growing up TOO fast - Laura has a tall, slender and beautiful model's figure.

Jessie spent the night with me on Friday night and I LOVED that. Jessie and Barji left Saturday afternoon and stopped in Provo overnight and then they went to St. George for a couple days and they were going to drive in to Las Vegas for a day - it is their Spring Break and they are REALLY ready for a break. They put on more "Glenn Miller" performances on Wednesday and Thursday nights in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake and they had to drive back to Logan on Thursday night late because they had classes on Friday - THEY ARE WORN OUT!!! My brother Don and his wife Cheryl went to it and they have called me several times to tell me how good it was - they said they have tried to call Jean and Ann too but I doubt they were able to get them - I can never reach them by phone. That has been a highlight of my being back in Utah - to see them so involved in such an outstanding production is a thrill. Jessie looked SO beautiful when she left my home on Saturday morning and I worry about them driving so much - it's easy to forget I was ever 19!!!

I helped with our Relief Society birthday dinner on Wednesday night. I baked 26 chicken meat pies - that was easy. I also helped with the salad and then the priests in the ward served the dinner - they were SO cute - they wore tuxedos. The program was outstanding - the theme was "Women at the Well" and the favors were bottled water with the scripture from John in the Bible about never thirsting again if we drink living water from Jesus' teachings. Did I get that right???

Thursday was a very dismal day - cloudy and raining. I decided it was a good day to go to the temple so I left home about 11:30 a.m. I had been by the temple before and thought I could drive right to it. WELL - it was so foggy up on the mountain that I couldn't even see the road and I got lost. I just about turned around and came home. Finally I stopped a man doing construction and he told me how to get there. The temple is exactly like the Mt. Timpanogos temple so I felt right at home once I got inside and I really enjoyed the day - it is just beautiful!!!

I went to the Humanitarian Center on Friday to meet the students I am going to teach this month. They are very nice women and they speak good English. My teaching them will be different from my experience in Thailand because I will teach from the church's manual and we couldn't even mention the church in Bangkok. This is all outlined for me. It is the same teaching material they have used in the Relief Society Literacy program. I watched a video while I was at the center and I would like each one of you to see it someday - it is a video showing the help that was given in Honduras during their recent earthquake. I am so touched when I see the humanitarian help that is given throughout the world by the church. I saw about 8 huge boxes of books already to be shipped to Thailand and of course, that thrilled me. I am going to start crocheting some bandages they use for lepers - I can do that, I think!!!

Yesterday was a special day. When I came home from church I had a message on my machine from Carol Ann and she said she, Aunt Carol, Rosie and Rosie's two little boys would come visit with me in the afternoon. I told them when they called back that I was going to Bob and Claires' home at 5 but they wanted to come anyway. I had sent Carol Ann a map that Bob had made for me but they got lost anyway - why did that not surprise me - Ha!!! They ended up in Ogden so they didn't get here until almost 4:30. THEY LOVED THE CONDO!!! I had made an Earthquake cake for them but they didn't want to hurry to eat it so I sent it home with them. We drove by Jean and Ricks' new home and then we went to visit Bob. Rosie's little three year old boy is a doll and her 2 month old baby boy is darling too. They are all building new homes in Palm Springs so it will be fun to visit them when they get settled. Aunt Carol looks SO good and Carol Ann looks better than I have ever seen her - she has gained a little weight and she looks much younger. Rosie is still Rosie but cute. They had flown to Utah for one of Memory's daughter's baptism.

Jeannie came over and visited for awhile last night and that was fun. It was fun to hear some recent news from Ricky. He is doing SO good and his Spanish language is coming easier now. He is having MANY experiences in El Salvador that most people don't even think about. I had expected my Bishop to come see me but he didn't make it. I was gone when he called to make an appointment so he got busy visiting other new people - my ward has more new members than old members.

I have talked to John several times this week and he says they are doing good but they haven't done any serious work on their home yet. I keep thinking I need to do yard work because our weather is getting warmer and then I remember I don't have the BIG yard anymore. I hope John and Julianna can make their yard easier for them than it was for me. My neighbor talked to me outside one day last week and he said, "Are you going to be up to keeping your rock garden" this Summer. I MUST REALLY LOOK MUCH, MUCH OLDER THAN I FEEL. The rock garden he was talking about is a circle about 4 feet in diameter and only has rose bushes and tulips in it. The tree I thought was a pussy willow tree is a certain kind of magnolia tree. The condominium people came by last week and pruned the apple tree - I believe I do have to spray it for bugs sometime though. John - Wayne Snow called me this morning and asked for my address so he could have the investment things sent to me. I told him to continue sending them to you - is that okay? He said it didn't matter to him. Let me know if you want me to have them sent here. I appreciate so much all you do for me.