April 7, 2002 Farmington, Utah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JESSIE ON THURSDAY THE 11TH. WOW - you will be 22 years old and you have certainly accomplished a lot in those 22 years. Jessie will soon be graduating from college with a degree in technical writing and she has been working in the English lab at Utah State for the last two years - that is, when she wasn't skiing - Ha!!! I hope you will find time to celebrate with friends and that you will have a WONDERFUL day!!!

I just came home from our conference family get-together at the Weinert's home. I had planned to have it at my condo but Ann and Jean decided the young people wouldn't stay and visit if I had it here so we had it at their home and it was just WONDERFUL. I worried that Jeannie would "undo" all the pain she has gone through with the surgery on her bunions but she promised to stay off her feet as much as possible. She is doing really good and has some cute therapeutic sandals to wear. I enjoy our family get-

togethers more than anything and I just wish everyone could come - we missed John, the Roy Mellors, Jessie, Michael and Russell today. Jessie is in charge of "A" day at Utah State and it will be on April 19th and that along with preparing to graduate keeps her TOO busy!!! The highlight today was seeing Barji and Susanna in maternity clothes - they are both expecting boys and what an excitement for all of us. I don't want them to move away with their babies. Ron had bought a darling baby jacket for Susanna's baby - it had the "Stanford Insignia" on it - that is Ron's alma mater and they had visited there when they went to San Francisco on their Spring Break. Annie told me they have plaques on a wall at Stanford with the names of their students who have received their Ph.D. degrees there and they found Ron's - that's neat!!!

on the 16th!!! She looks and acts like she is about 29 so she can get by with that age for many, many years. Annie had brought two delicious cheese cakes and some fabulous blackberry sauce topping and she had 50 candles for one for Jeannie and 22 candles for Jessie. We understood why Jessie couldn't make it but we missed her. I feel bad that Jeannie's 50th birthday slipped by me - I am getting SO old! Now I have two children who are 50 - that's not fair - Ha!!!

I just forwarded to you a letter I received from one of the missionaries who served with us in Montana. I am constantly receiving letters like that and I just read and answer them but don't save them - Lynn was such a great Mission President and since I have been to my Bangkok Thailand Missionary Reunion this week I have thought about the stress and work he did for three years and I'm SO glad his missionaries haven't forgotten him. I would like to have a Montana Mission Reunion some time but it is a BIG job and I don't believe I could do it alone.

Speaking of missionary reunions Bob had a GREAT experience when he went to his on Friday night - I hope he won't mind my relating it in my letter. I want it recorded in my journal!!! He served in Colombia about 20 years ago and when he was at his reunion there was a Colombian man and woman there who said they had been trying for that long to find two missionaries who helped them find the church one day (I believe it was in Bogotá). When they described the missionaries Bob recognized they were talking about him and his companion and he remembered them and the situation they were talking about. They had such a great time recalling all the things that had brought them to the point they are at now and said they would always remember the kindness of those two missionaries. I believe the man has served as a Bishop, Stake President, etc. I may have this all wrong and if I do it is up to you Bob to correct it. I'm SO glad Bob is keeping up with his reunions - he had three Mission Presidents. President Richards is the one who hosted the reunion on Friday night and he lives in Salt Lake.

I really enjoyed going to my Thai reunion. A couple who served as English teachers with me in Bangkok invited everyone from the groups to their home in Pleasant Grove for lunch on Friday at noon. They ended up having 46 people there and it was very, very nice - we had a difficult time finding their home but after we got there it was fun. I took Virginia and Janet and after the luncheon we went to the University Mall in Orem to do some shopping at Nordstroms. The big reunion didn't start until 7 o'clock so we had fun shopping and visiting until then. President and Sister Goodman had their reunion at UVSC and as I passed John's home there I got a lump in my throat - every light in the house was on and it looked SO pretty. I LOVED visiting with the Senior Couples who were there but I didn't know many of the young missionaries. President Goodman is working towards his Ph.D. at BYU and is teaching there also - he is an outstanding man.

Roy - thank you SO much for calling today - I wish you had called at the Weinert's home so you could have talked to everyone. It was SO good to talk to you and Patrice and I'm looking forward to my visit to Little Rock on Friday and thanks to you too Emily for your sweet letter. Roy is teaching the teenagers in their Sunday School and they want to visit the L.D.S. church on the Sunday I will be there - Roy said I could go with them and that will be fun for me because I haven't been to the church on Rodney Parham for a long, long time. Patrice told me today that she had to go to St. Louis with her work and she flew from there to Gulf Shores to meet Roy and the children for their little vacation there. I called Chris and Wayne this week - Wayne was out fishing with Ricky's three sons so I didn't talk to him. Rick and Linda were there from Florida with their family - they have just bought a larger home in Florida because the one they were in was too small. Do you all remember Linda's mother, Marion Green. She is in California serving a mission and her good friend from Arkansas is her companion - it would be WONDERFUL to choose your own companion.

John - thanks SO much for your phone calls and e-mails this week. I appreciate SO much all you are doing with the family website and I promise to find some good genealogy for you to add to it soon. You haven't told me how you feel about the planned Mellor Reunion at Martin's Cove. Bob agreed with me that it sounds like a good thing. Roy - have you received any information about it yet?

We talked about Russell and Michael a lot today and we're proud of the great work you are doing!!! We didn't want our Montana missionaries to even mention their departure date so I'm not going to talk about yours Michael. The conference talks this weekend emphasized the importance of missionary work and it made me happy to think of two of my grandsons who are doing their part and I know it is not easy!!! They reported that there are still 60,000 missionaries - THAT'S A LOT!!!