January 4, 2001 Farmington, Utah

I haven't written since a week ago last Tuesday. Margaret invited me to go to her Wyoming home and I hadn't decided whether or not I would go when I saw all of you at Sherwood Hills - I wanted to find out from John if I could help him before I decided to go but he said "GO TO WYOMING MOM" so I went on Saturday - the 30th. They waited for me to get home from the temple and then we went and I just had a WONDERFUL time. It is difficult to describe her home there - it is like being in a different world - way up in the pine trees and just surrounded by snow. She has a man who clears her roads but there are huge piles of snow as you drive into her place. Her home has 8,000 square feet and is just absolutely gorgeous and it's too bad she can't spend more time there. There were 8 of us and we just played all the time we were there - they got out the snow-mobiles but it was 7 degrees and no one wanted to get frostbitten - Ha!!!

I can't think of a more WONDERFUL way to celebrate my 75th birthday than being in Sherwood Hills with many of my family members - it was something I will NEVER forget and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for making it possible. I believe most of you know that that is my kind of vacation - I love the snow and the mountains and fireplaces and GOOD FOOD and it had it all. I didn't want it to end and I hope I will be able to treat all of you to go there sometime when the Roy Mellors and the Steve Reeves can be with us too. I LOVED the swimming pool and I appreciate SO much Bob going to my condo to get my suit and coverup that I had forgotten (that was a pain for him). There were many things to do - swimming, ping pong, exercise room, basketball courts, cross country skiing, a nice restaurant, etc., etc.!!!

I went with the Weinerts and we got there about 3 p.m. and played ping pong and kinda' got settled until everyone else got there. It was SO much fun to go into each of the four family suites - we laughed at the "boy's room" because it was all in PINK and very feminine. I couldn't believe how BIG the rooms were - king and queen size beds in most of them and they were arranged to give lots of privacy and couches in some of them - television sets and Jacuzzis in the bathrooms - very, very nice!!! We all went into the restaurant for dinner and they had banquet tables set up for us but it didn't take us long to realize that they hadn't expected such a large crowd. They kept bringing us salads after we had ordered and re-filling our drinks and the poor waitress ran back and forth filling glasses and trying to keep us happy. The food was just delicious but I believe it took us at least two hours to all get our orders. It was a fun time though and we just laughed and visited.

After dinner we went back to the Woolley and Bob Mellor Suite and had the most delicious and most beautiful birthday cake I have ever seen or eaten. It was a two layer chocolate, cherry cake with fabulous chocolate icing and shaved chocolate covering it. I hope SO much that the pictures turn out because they are definitely genealogy pictures. After eating the cake we played one of the most fun games I have ever played - I believe it is named "HUMMM ---". We each took turns playing and then humming a tune that was on a card we got (that isn't a very good explanation but those of us there will know what I mean). I don't remember ever laughing so hard and I am going to find that game!!! We finally all went to our separate rooms to sleep. Jeannie got up early to take Sarah to Layton for her D'Ette practice - the others went cross country skiing and I can still hear Annie saying "It's a lot harder than it looks". I spent the morning swimming and that was WONDERFUL.

We found out there was a good movie playing in Logan - "Cast Away" - so Bob, Claire, John and I drove to Logan in the afternoon to see it and it is WONDERFUL!!! Jessie, Russell, Lee Anna, Jimmy, Laura, Brett, Katie, Mary Ann and Ricky went to Snow Basin and spent the day skiing. The adults went cross country skiing and Sarah was at her practice. Claire had made reservations at "Maddox" in Perry, Utah (close to Brigham City and about 20 miles from Sherwood Hills) for dinner that night - Thursday, the 28th. We all left Sherwood Hills about 7:30 for dinner at 8 p.m. and those of you who have been to Maddox know what a fabulous dinner we had there. We had decided after waiting two hours for dinner the night before we would be willing to drive 20 miles to Maddox. We were all "bushed" went we got home so we went to bed so we could get ready to leave the next morning - Friday. John had decided to go home directly from Maddox and I think he made a good decision.

I rode home with Bob and I LOVED going through Brigham City and showing him my old homes where I had grown up. He was SO sweet to be interested in everything as I reminisced of 55 years ago - WOW, could it be that long??? He took me to "Staples", an office material store where he picked out a ledger he thinks will help me as I learn how to handle my finances with his help now that John has "flown the coop" - Ha!!!

I had a phone call from John when I got home tonight and he has had a rough time with an abscessed tooth. He had gone to Chris Crawford for a root canal about a month ago and it had given him a lot of trouble. Bob had given him a prescription for penicillin and another doctor had given him a prescription for pain medication but by New Year's Eve he was in so much pain he couldn't stand it any longer. He said he went through the yellow pages of the telephone book to find a specialist to help him because Chris couldn't do any more for him and he couldn't tell him what doctor to go to. He said his mouth was swollen the size of a baseball. This doctor REALLY helped him and it took him two hours and was VERY expensive but he said he would have been willing to pay ten times as much as he had to get some relief. He said the doctor was very young and he was impressed with him. John is in an apartment in New York that costs him over $3,000 per month but he is happy and excited to "get on with his new job". I told him I think he has more "guts" than anyone in our family to do what he has done and I know it will work out for him. I'M PULLING FOR HIM!!!

I was SO happy to talk to the Roy Mellors on Sunday. I had heard about all the ice storms but I didn't want to interfere with Suzie's birthday celebration so I didn't call before. They have REALLY had it - Suzie was out of electric power for several days and they had a limb blow over in their backyard so they couldn't let Emily, Timothy and Jesse out to play because it was leaning on a power line. Liz and her husband were delayed in their flight to get to Little Rock from Seattle and had to spend a night enroute in a hotel. Joanne and her husband were also delayed and didn't arrive until a day after Suzie's birthday so they celebrated on the 28th until the 27th. Patrice said it was just WONDERFUL having their family together and I could tell from talking to the children that they were just thrilled finding a place for everyone to sleep. I laughed when Emily said she was having fun ice skating on their street in front of their home.

EMILY, TIMOTHY AND JESSE - Thank you SO much for your WONDERFUL letters - they were in my postal box when I came home tonight and I LOVE THEM!!! I hope you are all back in school by now and that you will be very, very careful while you are going about all your activities. Patrice - I'm glad you had some days off work to be with your sisters and brothers in law and especially your Mom. I LOVED your picture Christmas card - I about cried when I looked at Sammie - what a beautiful dog!!! Roy - you sound relaxed for a change - I hope that continues!!!

CLAIRE, ANNIE AND JEANNIE - Thank you for your messages too. I am SO happy to have the phone number for that delicious peach salsa - 1-800-544-1880. It was SO fun to hear more about Michael's mission while I was with you - he is doing SO good and I'm proud of him. Annie - I can't believe I actually got money back from the United Airlines because of the delay in our getting our luggage when we traveled in Florida. When I saw your check the first thing I thought of was "Why didn't I buy more" - Ha!!! We had to buy bathing suits and cover ups because we didn't get our luggage in time to do anything while we were there. That gives me a lot of good feelings about United Airlines. Jeannie - I imagine you miss Barji and Boyd but isn't it wonderful they are so happy and excited to get back to their own little apartment? I'm sorry I missed your visit and I hope you will come back again soon. I hope Ricky will find a good job in Logan for the Summer because he wants to stay there.

I was THRILLED to come into my condo tonight and find all the Christmas decorations taken down and it actually looked clean for the first time in over a month. Bob, Laura and Brett came over on Friday afternoon and helped me put my Christmas tree in a bag and in the garage. They also helped me clean up and I appreciate it SO much. John came up and showed us how to access my financial things on the computer and show us other important things and I appreciated that SO much too.

I want to tell you something funny. When I came into my kitchen on Friday from Sherwood Hills there was a note in my sink. It said, "I stopped by your condo last night to get some rest. I hope you don't mind but my plane from Iowa was delayed and I got into Salt Lake about 1 a.m. and by the time I got it de-iced it was 2 a.m. and I couldn't stay awake long enough to get to Rock Springs so I found one of your warm beds and slept for a few hours. I was SO cold I warmed my pajamas in you dryer. I didn't have any trouble finding your key". It was from my missionary friend, Vicky, who lives in Wyoming. I am happy she feels comfortable to do that - I just wish my condo had been clean.

I have had some of the sweetest Christmas cards from my Thailand friends - what a blessing that has been for me!!! I thought PraPa from SaiMai School had forgotten me but tonight I found the sweetest letter from her in my postal box. She was the first director I worked with in Bangkok -- she is one of the few over weight ladies I worked with and she was so compassionate with the little orphans in her school and she helped me SO much!!!