Dearest Family,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RON ON TUESDAY, THE 23RD AND
TO JIMMY ON THURSDAY, THE 25TH!!! I believe Ron will be "40 something" and
Jimmy will be the BIG 16 - WOW, another driver in our family!!! The thing I
remember the most about the morning Jimmy was born is taking care of Lee
Anna - Ha!!! SIXTEEN is such a big milestone for teenagers and such a BIG
worry for their parents and family but Jimmy is a VERY repsonsible young man
and will be a very careful driver.
CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSANNA AND STEVE!!! Their
beautiful little baby boy was born on Tuesday, July 16 - Ricky's birthday.
He weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. and is just perfect in every way and I am SO
thrilled to be a great grandmother. Susanna gave me the address for the
Alta View Hospital but I was worried that I had gone the wrong way so I
stopped at a service station to check. I was just a block away but I
couldn't see it. I told the clerk at the service station that I was a new
great grandmother and wanted to go to the hospital to see my new great
grandson. He congratulated me and I could see by the look in his eye that
he was a great grandfather so I asked him and he said, "Yes, I have 36 great
grandchildren and 54 grandchildren from my 9 children" and he didn't look
nearly as old as I do. When I got home I called Ellen Mae to tell her and
she said, "I have 12 great grandchildren with 2 more on the way". I
couldn't be more excited or happy if I had a hundred - little Wesley Jackson
Reeves is a prize and I'm SO happy they are close so I can see him often and
watch him grow - I don't want them to move away.
Susanna, Steve and Baby Wesley came for dinner
on Friday along with Aunt Jessie and then Jeannie, Sarah and Barji came over
to visit and it was an afternoon I have dreamed about. I wanted to hear
Wesley cry and he finally did for just a little while but for the most part
he just slept and he even smiled when I held him. Susanna and Steve are
"natural parents" - they seem to know just what to do and Wesley knows
that. I was absolutely terrified when Ann was born and she could sense that
and was such a nervous baby and cried ALOT. We took lots of pictures on
Friday and I hope they are good and I'll send them along in my next letter.
Bob - Thank you SO very much for your e-mail
from Guatemala - I LOVED IT!!! I thought your description of Jimmy and
Brett resembling puppy dogs who are constantly playing with each other told
it exactly as it really is. I am amazed at the difference between little
boys and little girls at their ages - little boys have to have some kind of
contact games and little girls are almost the opposite. Your letter sounded
like you were able to help ALOT of the poor people in Guatemala and WHAT A
WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY for Jimmy and Brett to see first hand the things that
are needed in third world countries. I am anxious to hear more about it -
Claire said you were to return last night and I hope you are home safe and
sound by now - I AM SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!!!
Patrice - Thank you SO very much for your
pictures taken at Lake Powell and other places while you were on vacation in
Utah. I spent alot of time working with your "Shutterfly Program" and
really enjoyed watching the pictures individually as they appeared on the
screen. The first time I accessed it I just watched them as they appeared
quite small and then I would click on some of them to have them enlarged but
the next time I did it differently and I believe I have learned how - I HAVE
THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THEM.
John - I haven't heard from you for a long
time. I received e-mails at least twice a week from you when you were in
New York!!! I know it takes alot of time making the transition into a new
job and especially one that is SO different from anything you have ever done
so I understand. You mentioned that you would try to come visit for a
little while the first of this next week so I am looking forward to seeing
you.
Our Scofield Cabin is sold and that has been
quite traumatic for me but I'll get over it!!! Steve Luck from Salt Lake
came last Sunday and gave me a check for $10,000. He had had his attorney
make up a "Bill of Sale" and he gave me both copies of it to hold until I
could deposit his check - he said it wouldn't be good until Wednesday. He
is a very nice man and has big plans for the cabin - his wife's sister and
her husband have had a cabin at Scofield for many years and have loved it so
it will be a good thing for them. I have depositied the money in the Wells
Fargo Bank with John and Bob both having signatures to get access to it. I
will never use it and John and Bob will decide what is best - John has
written to tell me he thinks Daddy would like for it to be used in a way the
entire family could benefit - probably more time at Lake Powell and that
would be great.
Steve Luck said they told him that I had 8 keys
for the gate and I needed to get them back to him - they are SO careful
about who goes in to fish there. I thought I had given a set to my brother
Don so I called them. Cheryl was on her way to go shopping so she said she
would leave them on their kitchen table. Don was asleep when I got there
and I didn't want to awaken him so I just took the keys - one of them looked
exactly like the one for the Scofield gate. Cheryl called me when I got
home and told me I had taken the key to West Canyon. I have a key to West
Canyon but it doesn't look anything like that one but I have learned since
that they have changed those keys and I just didn't know about it. Well - I
was in a dilemna so I called Rick and he came over and brought his key to
Scofield and compared it to the one I had taken from Cheryl and Dons' home
and there was a slight difference and it also had a different number on the
face of the key. I hurried and called Cheryl and apologized and she was
very sweet and understanding - I mailed their keys back to them the next
day. I appreciate all of you getting your keys to me and I have mailed them
to Steve Luck. They called me from Scofield to tell me they were making a
"Memorial Placque" (I don't know how to spell that) and asked what name
Daddy would want on it - Jesse or Lynn. I told them Lynn. They were very
kind and complimentary on the phone but they haven't been that way when I
have gone to Scofield - I have nightmares about Lee Snow's wife - Ha!!!
Russell - my neighbors who served two missions
in South Africa came to church this morning with an African woman. I didn't
get to talk to her but maybe I will if she is staying with them. They
served in Ghana and I can't remember the other place. They truly loved the
people there and have had many of them come to America to stay with them -
one came for medical help and stayed for many
months. I can tell from your letters that you
are loving the people there also and having a WONDERFUL mission. I'm sure
it must seem very different for you to be a new Uncle and not be able to see
little Wesley but Susanna told me they are sending you lots of pictures.
Steve's mother and father had airline reservations to come on July 30th when
the baby was due so they will come when he is a couple weeks old and that
will be even better for all of them.
I had a nice letter from Mark Pinegar and he
gave credit for the successful reunion to all the family members who helped
so much. I was very impressed with his wife who was right on the "front
line" with him - she had made darling Pioneer clothes to wear and she
trudged along the handcarts pushing and pulling as hard as she could. She
is his second wife and two of her daughters were with them. I was also
impressed with having ice cream for dinner when it was at least 100 degrees
out in the wilderness - Mark said that Jared and Stephanie had packed it in
dry ice and brought it all the way from Utah. Mark's sister, Holly, ordered
the t-shirts and then other members of his family had volunteered to help
with the programs. We can all learn a lesson from their unity. The Hoopers
were there enmasse and I will always remember Nancy's son, David, carrying
his little son on his shoulders and IT WAS SO HOT!!! David is a third year
medical student at the U. of U. Medical School and his wife didn't come
because she is expecting their third child right soon. Paula and Mel Pack
were there with one of their daughters and her husband and they wore long
sleeved pioneer clothing both days!!! Paula was in pain most of the time
with a stomach problem but she endured. The biggest surprise for me was the
Perkes' family and I'm SO glad I got to know Carolyn better. Their
daughter, Debbie, had come from Pennsylvania with her husband and family and
she had made Pioneer clothing for all of them - including bloomers. I am
going to scan some pictures and send them separate from this letter.
I am going to Rexburg, Idaho this weekend to
attend the International Dance Festival. Our friends from Thailand will be
participating and some of the teacher missionaries are going to stay with
Myrth Kidd - it will be fun. I probably won't write my letter until Monday.
I LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.
Grandma B
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