August 15, 2001 Farmington, Utah

It has been ten days since I have written and I guess I should wait until this weekend to write my regular letter but I'm afraid I might forget something that has been going on during the past week and a half so I'm going to write today.

What a special time I had on last Tuesday - August 7th. I went to the airport to say goodbye to Russell for two years - his entire family was with him including his namesake and Grandfather, Russell Sr. who had come from Jerome, Idaho to be with him. Ron's sisters, Mimi and Sue, were also there and I will always remember that as the very thing the family has hoped for, for nineteen years and it has finally happened and we are all proud of Russell and we're looking forward to learning about Africa and especially Madagascar. It was fun to meet the other missionaries who are also going there and will be with Russell - they all were wearing candy leis made for them by some sisters in the MTC. Russell looks GREAT and he will be a GREAT missionary. I remember so well when we went to say goodbye to Michael and that was a year ago - time goes by much too fast even though we all miss both Michael and Russell.

I went to meet with Paul Newton who is the attorney helping us solve our property boundary lines in Lehi after I left the airport. Don and Cheryl were also there and we FINALLY were able to sign the papers that will allow the Thomas family to sell their property to the Hubbell Company. The Hubbell Company have a proposed plan for a very nice housing development just north from our 9.5 acres there - I am excited about what that may mean as far as the value of our property goes. I have said this before but will say it again - Ron, thank you, thank you for all your help - it would never have come to a conclusion without your help.

I went to the cemetery and put some flowers on Daddy's grave for a belated birthday thought after I left the meeting with the attorney. Annie had put a big container of flowers on his grave right on his birthday and I was SO happy she did that!!!

The "Roys" have been here since last Saturday and I have had such a WONDERFUL time - I LOVE IT WHEN MY FAMILY IS WITH ME!!! They are on their vacation and have done some very, very fun things with their family. They spent several days in Durango, Colorado where they went river rafting and they had GREAT pictures that looked scary to me but they were with professional men who managed the rafts. It was so much fun to hear the children tell about the things they had seen and done and I was very impressed that they had bought a "string" of chili peppers to hang in their home and also a big bag of chili powder to cook with. Patrice is very well informed about the Indian artifacts in the Southwestern part of the United States and they always make their vacations into educational experiences as well as lots of fun. I THINK THAT IS WONDERFUL!!! THAT FAMILY IS DOING GOOD AND I'M SO PROUD OF THEM!!!

John came from New York and was with us all day on Sunday and that was VERY special. He was on his way to a trade show in Los Angeles so he had to leave early on Monday but he came to my condo early on Sunday and went swimming with Timothy and Jesse and then helped me IMMENSELY in the kitchen. John is doing good and he looks GREAT - I was thrilled to have his friend Laura and her little boy, Bren, come join us for dinner on Sunday night. I just never have quite enough time with them and I don't know what to do about it.

EVERYONE came for dinner on Sunday night and I KNOW they come because they enjoy each other - NOT because of the food. I made spaghetti and meat balls because I wanted to have something without meat in it and also with meat but I did a dumb thing as usual. I made low fat meat balls but I decided to "spice" them up a bit with some lemon pepper and seasoned salt and I think it gave them a funny taste - OH WELL!!! Michael - I need for you to bring home a good Italian spaghetti sauce recipe - Okay??? Annie brought a delicious "mango salsa" recipe and that was REALLY a hit - I hope she will share her recipe. She also brought a very special blue berry and raspberry cobbler. Claire and Jeannie brought wonderful cookies. John had spent about two hours cutting up vegetables for a big green salad and also cantaloupe and honey dew melon for a fruit bowl - I believe I wore him out but he surely was a lot of help. Patrice REALLY cleaned the patio and put up the tables and chairs and it looked cleaner and prettier than it ever has. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING!!! We missed Michael and Russell.

Sunday was a very special day. It was Susanna and Steve's FIRST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY and it was also the day before Jeannie and Rick's TWENTY FIFTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. Susanna and Steve were married August 12, 2000 and Jeannie and Rick were married August 13, 1976- WOW, that seems a long time ago. Annie has kept the top of the Reeves' wedding cake in her freezer so she brought that -VERY, VERY SPECIAL. I didn't get to taste it so I looked all over for it but couldn't find it - they either took it home or threw it away. I heard Annie say, "I've kept that in my freezer for a whole year - I'm not taking it home again" - Ha!!!

After we finished eating, Annie & Ron; Jeannie & Rick; Bob & Claire, Roy & Patrice and John & Laura came upstairs to visit with me about my finances. I had told my stock broker, Wayne Snow, earlier in the week that I was going to have a financial meeting with my family and he called me on Monday to see how it went and I said, "It was hilarious". I guess the best way that I can describe it is to say that I said the things I wanted to say and now I don't ever have to say them again and you all know what I mean. I think it is vitally important to have those meetings whenever we can all be together - at least once a year. I believe you are all better informed about my investments and my property - I hope you are. I want your advice and your interest in everything - that means a lot to me.

Monday morning Roy asked me if I would go to Lehi with him and Patrice - I was THRILLED. I put him to the test and he found the property without any help from me and that surprised me - I really didn't think he knew where it was. It was SO MUCH FUN - we walked over a good deal of the 26 acre parcel and I appreciated the suggestions he gave me. We didn't walk on the 4.76 acre parcel but we stayed long enough in front of it to get a good understanding of the new development planned for the property North of it. THEN we drove to John's Orem home and I couldn't believe it - IT LOOKS WONDERFUL!!! I truly didn't think the backyard would ever "come back" but it looks GREAT and the front yard does too. I hope SO much that he sells it soon!!! THEN we went to the Woolley's home and visited with Annie and we met Lee Anna's boy friend, Clint and we saw Jimmy in his football uniform as he was leaving for football practice. THEN we came home and had party leftovers for dinner. Timothy and Jesse had spent the day with the Bob Mellors and loved playing games with Brett. Emily and Katie are in a "world all their own" - typical darling teenagers!!!

Tuesday Roy helped me with the swimming pool in the morning. I have been the manager of the pool for the condo association this Summer and the maintenance man in charge of the pool is on vacation this week so I am supposed to do all the skimming and also the chemical tests. That is kind of a joke - Roy seemed to understand what the tests mean but they are Greek to me. Another condo owner, Darrell Guthrie, is helping me and I rely a lot on him. Roy and Patrice had a little shopping to do in Salt Lake so they went there and I took Timothy and Jesse to the Cherry Hill resort close to me. They did miniature golfing, water sliding, baseball batting, swimming etc., etc. and we had so much fun. They are SO responsible that it is fun to take them places!!!

Tuesday night we went to the Weinerts for dinner and that was WONDERFUL. Rick grilled hamburgers and we had all the trimmings and enjoyed it so very much. Barji was there and it was fun to be with her again - Boyd was practicing his golf game. The only one we missed was Mary Ann and she was working. Their patio was just beautiful and we loved sitting there and just eating and visiting even though Rick had to go to St. George later on. Katie and Emily were with us and when we came home they "holed" up in their room and Katie is still asleep there - Ha!!! It is almost 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon and I have checked on her but she is sound asleep. Emily had to get up early to get packed but I'm betting she will sleep all the way to wherever they stop tonight. Rick helped them plan their route back to Little Rock and they were excited to go a different way. IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL TIME FOR ME TO HAVE THE ROYS HERE - I only wish they didn't live so far away.