September 5, 1999 Farmington, Utah

WE HAD A FABULOUS MELLOR REUNION YESTERDAY!!! I want to report on it while it is still fresh in my mind. I AM SO PROUD OF MY FAMILY - EVERY SINGLE FAMILY MEMBER CAME EXCEPT FOR THE ROY MELLORS AND WE ALL KNOW THAT ARKANSAS IS A LITTLE FAR TO COME - WE MISSED ROY, PATRICE, EMILY, TIMOTHY AND JESSE!!!

I still can't believe how GREAT the shirts and the videos turned out!!! Bob and John went to the reception place early so they could set up the video and I loved the music they chose and it added so much to the atmosphere in the dining room BUT I really didn't watch the video until this afternoon. Jessie and I sat and watched it together and it is SO WONDERFUL - I believe I understand more about what part the Mellor family played in the Martin Handcart story than I ever have before. It is very professional and I guess I never will be able to figure out how they did it but I know the people who bought them will cherish them forever and ever.

The shirts are a REAL family treasure. It was fun yesterday as I introduced myself to other family members and then I would turn around and explain where we fit in the family as we identified the family we represented - I could see the light go on in their eyes as they recognized their grand parents on the shirt. The new technology of putting pictures onto fabric like that just amazes me and John and Bob REALLY put forth a lot of effort in working with the designer and getting all the pictures they needed.

I LOVED the reception place where the reunion was held - I don't believe I have ever been to a nicer place and I appreciated the formal dining room with cloth tablecloths and napkins as opposed to paper and plastic. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. When people kept coming in and I looked at all the children I was so sure there wouldn't be enough food. I believe Bob counted 120 and that was before the Pack family came. I have admired Carl Mellor for many years and I think it was good to have other Mellors see his place. I have never seen more beautiful roses - I appreciate roses so much because I cannot grow them!!! I felt kinda' bad when I saw the little children breaking off the "cattails" and then peeling them and spreading the cotton all over the beautifully landscaped lawn. I will never understand how parents can let their children do things like that and ignore it.

Keith Lockhart did a great job as auctioneer but I agree with John that there needs to be a better way to raise money. The same people who bring in the things for auctioning do the buying and it ends up being unfair. That will be Jared Pinegar's job next time because he was elected to be the new chairman.

I was THRILLED to see Elaine's family so well represented. Jill's husband wheeled her in, in her wheelchair and that was sad but Jill looks better than I have ever seen her - she has gained a little weight. She is going to have a hip replacement in about a month and then she says she will be playing basketball - Ha!!! Matt, Elaine's son and his wife Haley were there with their two children and also Elaine's grandson, Shane and his wife. None of Carol Ann's' sons attended and she told me she wanted to auction them off - her two daughters, Rosie and Memory, were there with their husbands and all of their children. All of Carol's children were there - Carol Ann, John, George and Jim - and they always contribute SO much. Carol had made 4 quilts to auction - Ann and John bought two of them. The Pinegars were well represented and they also contribute a lot - mostly in enthusiasm for genealogy - Glen is still recuperating from a stroke and he doesn't look very good - Shirley looks GREAT. The Crawfords are a disappointment to me and I am betting that when Ramona is gone they will be gone too from the reunions.

Bob did a WONDERFUL job with the Lynn Mellor presentation. He had pictures of each family put on slides with a little story about each picture and I thought it was the very best presentation. He had a picture of Roy with his two little boys, Timothy and Jesse, as they were riding on a ride at Lagoon that is just priceless - the look on Roy's face tells it all and everyone laughed at it.

PAPA WOULD HAVE BEEN SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!!! He wouldn't have been proud of me - I get so out of patience with people and I guess I am too old to change because I keep thinking I will be nicer the next time but I can't pull it off.

Patrice, Emily and Jesse - it was SO good to talk to you today. It makes me homesick to see you when I hear your voices. Roy was dove hunting with his friend Trip Strauss and Timothy was playing soccer. I loved hearing about your new job Patrice and you are perfect for that. I hope you won't have to leave your children very often. It was fun to hear about the children's schools and their teachers. I asked Emily who her teacher was and she said she had MANY teachers.

Jesse had a date last night with a friend who lives in Kaysville so she stayed with me. I LOVE IT WHEN SHE COMES TO STAY WITH ME. I didn't hear her come in - I was SO tired last night when I came home from the reunion and I slept very soundly. My church is at 8:30 a.m. so I didn't awaken her but the next time she comes I hope she will go to church with me. I worried that she had to go back to Logan early this morning. We had such a good time visiting and then she made brownies to take back to her apartment. SHE IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN!!! She loves her apartment, school and her roommates. It was SO good to be with Susanna too last night - I MISS HER!!! She brought a friend boy and it was fun to visit with him because his roommate is one of my former neighbors. Lee Anna, Russell and Jimmy were there too and we all appreciate Ron taking pictures of the reunion. Russell is busy playing football - he plays both offense and defense and is on the field a good part of each game.

Mary Ann and her friend boy, Matt Steed, came to the reunion and they were such good sports as they modeled some of the clothes that Carol wanted to auction. It is always such a surprise to me when I see some of the clothes that I think are darling and find out they are very much out of style. Barji and Sarah were also there becoming acquainted with their cousins and adding to the fun. Ricky's missionary pictures were in the family presentation and they were SO good.

Michael, Laura, Brett and Katie came to support it too and I was SO proud of them. I didn't get to visit as much with them as I would have liked. I don't know what the secret is to get your teenage children to come to a family reunion on a Saturday afternoon and evening but I think it is wonderful for them to come and "BE HAPPY".

I am enjoying my job and I keep hoping that I will be able to catch on to what I am doing soon. It really is quite hard - I take payments for the customers charge accounts and it seems like there is something new to learn every day. I made a lot of mistakes last Thursday - embarrassing because I am working with High School students. There is SO much to learn. I LOVE getting out of the house and being in circulation again and the time just flies by.

and it was very, very good. I am amazed at all the talent in this area. I went with the "Condo Group" and they are fun to be with. I went to the temple with the Relief Society sisters on Friday morning and then we all stayed and had lunch together - I always enjoy that!

Do you remember my former Montana missionary friend - David Taylor? He and his wife and two little boys are coming for dinner tomorrow and I don't have the faintest idea what I am going to serve. I told Polly today that when my young grandchildren come to eat at my house I never seem to have the right things for them - she said it wouldn't matter if she told me what her boys would eat because they could change by tomorrow. Can you all relate to that? I have to work in the morning from 10 to 2 and they are coming at 3 so I had better do something in preparation.