May 12, 2002 Farmington, Utah

HAPPY, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO EACH ONE OF THE FABULOUS MOTHERS IN OUR FAMILY TODAY. I went to church this morning and my heart was just filled to the brim with gratitude as I thought about you and your devotion to your children and all you do to help those around you in your communities - life doesn't get any better than that!!! Thank you too for making my Mother's Day SO special - I love and appreciate you more than you will ever know.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSANNA!!! I just about burst with pride as I watched her walk across the stage to get her diploma - 6 months pregnant and so radiant and beautiful. The nursing program commencement exercises were held at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus on Thursday night. I thought they started at 5:45 and they started at 5 so I was a little bit late - when I walked in, the doors were all closed and I thought I was too early so I asked one of the men if I could just go in and sit and wait. He looked at me as if he thought I was crazy - he said, "Lady there are at least a thousand people in there". Annie had told me that Steve was going early to save all of us seats so I told the man that one of my relatives was saving me a seat and he said "you would only have a chance in a million of finding him in there". Just at that very moment Steve tapped me on the shoulder - he had been watching for me. Needless to say, I was thrilled and we had such good seats!!!

The exercises were just beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I asked Ron if he missed the Academic world and he said he has never really left it with the work he's doing. I love all the pomp and ceremony that goes with graduations like this and the University of Utah Campus was so beautiful. I was impressed with the Deans who were in charge of just about everything because they were all women and so distinguished (the nursing program is for men too but they didn't have a big part in the exercises). I also enjoyed the speeches that were given by the students. There were thousands of people there and we had a difficult time finding Susanna after they left the Hall but we finally did get together and took LOTS of pictures. Ron treated all of us to dinner at "Benihanas" and WHAT A TREAT!!! I have heard about that just about all my life but I had never eaten at one of their restaurants and the Chinese cook really put on a show for us. I don't believe I have ever tasted better food - it was just delicious and I had enough for the next day too. Jessie and Lee Anna were with their family too but Jimmy had TOO much homework.

Susanna made up her mind when she was very little that she wanted to be a nurse "when she grew up" and she has not let one thing interfere with that determination - I'M SO PROUD OF YOU SUSANNA AND I'M PROUD OF STEVE TOO FOR SUPPORTING HER. She has to work at a hospital for the next two months during the night before she is finally finished - I remember Bob and Roy having to do things like that. AND she won't get paid for it. I think that is such a "rip-off" but it's part of the degree. She will surely have marketable skills for the rest of her life, not only in hospitals but at home with her family. I think Annie and Ron deserve an award too - having two daughters graduate from college is a GREAT accomplishment and as Ron says, they just have three more children to go - Ha!!! It's well worth it!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO SARAH TOO - she graduated from her D'Ette Drill Team and with the highest of honors!!! I went to the Davis High "Night to Remember" and honestly I have never seen better dancers anywhere. She has been a D'Ette for two years and they are professional - they won the West Coast Championship Award about a month ago in California and when you see them dance you can understand why. Sarah decided to try out for cheerleader for next year and when she won she had to drop out of the D'Ettes so the Night to Remember was kinda' sad for her but she will love cheerleading.

I was also VERY proud of Brett at Davis High. The "drum line" performed and I still can't believe what an extravaganza they put on. They completely cover the basketball court floor with a thick plastic like rug with the Davis High insignia on it and the players come on it in absolutely beautiful costumes (I don't really believe they are called costumes). Brett played one of four marimbas and he was directly in front of us but he would not look up for anything - we kept shouting his name as we clapped so he knew we were cheering him on. Claire told me that he will play one of the drums next year - I am surprised at how good he is on the marimba but he likes the drums better. That is a CLASSY outfit!!!

Roy and Patrice - I think you should enter your Mother's Day family picture in a contest somewhere. Sammie looks like a statue and if I didn't know for sure that he was alive I would never believe it. The card said it was designed by Jesse - he did a fabulous job!!! I hope Suzie has spent the day with you and that she has felt as honored as I have - I'm sure she has.

John, Laura and Bren - I hope you are having the "trip of a lifetime". They left this weekend to go on a European Tour and then a Mediterranean Cruise. I also hope you won't mind my mentioning it in my family letter. This letter can be a REAL problem can't it? I promise to never write anything you don't want me to if I know you don't want me to (bad sentence). I am thrilled for you and you promised to take lots of pictures so we can all share in your trip experiences. Laura sent me an e-mail telling me that Bren was going to miss three of his baseball games and he was worried about that. He is getting to the age where it is VERY hard to plan trips so you are smart to take advantage of the time he can go with you.

I am thinking about the Bob Mellor and the Woolley families today. The missionaries are allowed telephone calls on Mother's Day so they will be talking to Michael and Russell sometime today. Russell sent his family an e-mail telling them he would call some time during the week to arrange a time for the "real" call - that call was only supposed to last one minute. I haven't heard from them when it was supposed to come but I hope both families will tell us about their phone visits. WHAT AN EXCITING TIME!!!

I drove to Brigham City today to put some flowers on my Mother's grave and that was fun. It is a beautiful day and after having several COLD days with rain it is most welcome. I drove around the city looking at all the old familiar places and it doesn't seem possible that so many years have gone by since I lived there. When I was a young girl they built a home about a block South from where my home was and I thought it was the largest most beautiful home I had ever seen - it reminded me of the "Gone With The Wind Homes". Well it is for sale now and I stopped and got a brochure on it - the price is $172,000.00 - less than what I paid for my condo. It is still really stately looking and I would like to go through it some time. Dee's former home is also for sale and the price is $169,000.00. I don't believe the real estate sales are very good right now.

One of my former missionary companions, Helen Horner, has returned from her mission to Mexico so I am fixing lunch for the single sisters who served together in Thailand. I have invited them to come at noon tomorrow and it will be fun to hear about her mission and also more about Janet's mission to Turkey. Janet told me they have taken all the missionaries out of Turkey - the Government didn't want them there. I think that will probably happen in more countries in the future with all the turmoil going on.