March 29, 1999 Farmington, Utah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KATIE ON WEDNESDAY!!! Another 11 year old granddaughter. Katie, I thought your birthday party on Friday was one of the most special birthday parties I have ever known about. I have never seen anything so well planned and SO fun. Claire called and told me when it was going to start so I dropped in for a few minutes and I'm so glad I did. The theme of the party was "Pajama Jam" and I believe it is one of the parties put out by the American Girl Magazine. I had been over to their home earlier in the week and Katie's bedroom was all decorated for it - she had a clothes line across her room with paper clothes hanging from it and then the little boxes filled with the favors for the party guests. Claire said Katie had been planning it and going over everything for a long time. They were playing such fun games when I got to the party - I wanted to try playing with them but I was sure they would think I had "flipped". I was SO proud of Laura because she was such a great help. The birthday cake was darling - all decorated as a pajama and the little favors around the places in their kitchen for eleven friends. The whole thing reminded me of Annie when she was about that age and how she LOVED playing with paper dolls - she and a little friend in Phoenix could spend entire days with things like that. I have always said that indicated that she would be a great mother.

I also went to the piano recital where Katie and Brett performed - that was on Saturday at the Layton library. I am "in awe" at how well they played. I "take my hat off to Claire" because I know how difficult it is to get your children to practice as much as they would have to practice to be able to play that well. I still can't believe it!!! I have heard them play little parts of pieces before but never the entire piece and they were WONDERFUL. I wish they would come over to my home and play like that REALLY often.

I have watched the weather report and it looks like Roy and Patrice and their family are having good weather in Alabama - I hope it lasts!!! I can close my eyes and see how much fun they are having on the beach because they LOVE that!!! I also hope they get to go fishing with Wayne - I had a letter from Chris and she said they were looking forward to having them there. Chris and Wayne will be in Utah June 24th for the Manti Pageant and then go to the cabin until the 28th. I am anxious to get up there and get it ready for them - I hope the mice haven't taken over!!!

The Weinerts have moved into their new home - at least part way. I stopped by for a few minutes on Friday night and it was SO fun to see Sarah and Jeannie putting their pictures in places throughout their home. They had put their bed spreads in their bedrooms just on the floor but as if they were on beds and Sarah had hers all decorated with her dolls - IT WAS DARLING!!! They left when I did but I learned later that they went back and slept on the floor - Ha!!! They are supposed to have it inspected today so legally they can't spend the night until tonight. I also learned that Barji and Jeannie spent one night there. They will never forget that - WHAT A FUN MEMORY!!! I am not much help so I will wait until I feel that I can help before going over.

I had such a fun time yesterday. The Weinerts and the Bob Mellors came for dinner and I LOVED IT!!! It is VERY, VERY difficult to find a time when my family can all come - Bob had to leave early to go to a church meeting and then Jeannie had to leave early to go to her meeting but I was SO thrilled that John came for a few minutes - he was going to Salt lake to pick up Julianna at the airport. After they all left I just had to hope they all had something to eat and that it was warm. I was SO happy because the children even ate good. I decided that the trick was to have them for dinner on fast Sunday - Ha!!! The Woolleys can't get away on Sunday because Ron is in the Bishopric and his meetings aren't over until 3 o'clock. Julianna went to Phoenix on Friday to be with her family for her nephew's baptism - I hope you had a good time Julianna!!! The Woolleys and John and Julianna are coming next Sunday for dinner - we will watch the afternoon session of our General Conference together. I'm SO GLAD they are going to come - the Bob Mellors are going to Portland for the weekend and the Weinerts are going on a cruise so I thought I would be here by myself on Easter. I REALLY don't mind being by myself but I LOVE it when my family can come.

I went to the Roger's Theatre on Thursday night with the "Condo Widows" (actually there were two husbands in the group) to see "Fiddler On The Roof". I enjoyed that so much - they do such a good job and they have a lot of talent!!! The theatre is in Centerville and it is amazing that the production is of such a high caliber. The condo group has season tickets for all the productions so I am looking forward to going to all of them.

I had an e-mail message from Dorothy and Dan in Little Rock on Friday and they told me that Donald Bass is in need of a heart and lung transplant in order to survive. I had another message from them last night and they said he is better and David is helping him. I feel SO sad when I think about that family and all the problems they have had. Janie was such a dear, dear woman who spent her entire life helping other people - her husband and other son, Roy Jr., have both died within the past couple years and then John Robert has been such a "pill". Dorothy has been very ill with a viral infection - she said she got it from Dan. I miss those people!!!

Bob - THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping me with my genealogy things. I believe I am the only person in the church who doesn't know how to fill out a pedigree chart. It is a good thing the DUP requires all this for membership or I guess I would just stay dumb!!! It has been SO good for me to look into my genealogy records. Bob came over one night and helped me and then he has sent me a chart with a direct line to my pioneer ancestors. This morning he sent me my pedigree chart on the internet. I can find a lot on my mother's side with stories of their crossing the plains with the handcart companies but so far I can't find stories like that on my father's side. His family came from Scotland and I don't know if they joined the church there or when they got to America. I still have a big box to go through so maybe I'll find things there. I have enough information for DUP membership now though. Who knows - I might become my Forrest Family Genealogist.- that would be a joke!!!

Ricky - we all think about you a lot and talk about you when we are together. There were two young men who gave their missionary callings in my ward yesterday - one is going to North Carolina and the other one is going to the Philippines. I miss my mission but I hear from many of the teachers I worked with. This morning I had an e-mail message from a teacher who calls me her "American Mum" - it is unbelievable how much improved her English is now compared to when I first met her. She has been going to English workshops put on by other volunteers who took our places and it makes me so happy to see her improvement. There have been five American teachers who have had to come home because of illness SO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. I prayed constantly that I would be able to finish my mission - I was afraid I would fall and break something because there was construction every place we walked. WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU RICKY AND LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!!