Dearest Family,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LEE ANNA THIS VERY DAY - 19
YEARS OLD!!! Whenever I think of Lee Anna as a little girl I picture her
sitting down on the lowest level of our Orem Home and getting "pine gum" on
her clothes from the boards PaPa had fixed against our garden plot. She was
ALWAYS smiling and just as happy as a little girl could possibly be - I said
that when Lee Anna stopped smiling I would be VERY sad!!! Now she is a
BEAUTIFUL young woman and she's still smiling - I'm very proud of you Lee
Anna.
Our Christmas festivities seem like a BEAUTIFUL
dream to me - they were near perfect and the only way they could have been
better would have been if the Roy and John Mellors and Russell could have
been with us. We all gathered at the Weinert's home on Christmas Eve
afternoon about 3 p.m. I couldn't believe all the food that was being
prepared - I thought it was going to be simple!!! There were LOTS of dips
and appetizers and then Ann was working with the neatest new kitchen thing I
have ever seen - she was cooking FRESH "flour tortillas" on what she called
a crepe fryer but it was much larger than any crepe pan I have ever seen.
THEN I saw all this meat that was cut up - chicken breast and steak - I
believe she and Rick pan fried a TON of that. There were all kinds of
"toppings" to go on the fried tortillas - red, yellow and green peppers,
fried onions, mushrooms, lettuce and other greens etc., etc. and then we
topped all that with guacamole and sour cream. We ate and ate and for
dessert we had the cakes that were left over from the wedding reception. I
regret that I had to stop eating - EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS.
Claire and Bob set up the quilting frames in the
Weinert's downstairs room and some of us who weren't involved in the cooking
started to tie a quilt for the Davis County Women's Shelter. Claire had all
the material ready and it was a very beautiful and youthful quilt when we
finished - I have to say that I am very impressed with Ron's diligence in
working - I had a difficult time trying to keep up with him. I know the
women in the shelter will LOVE it.
We all watched as the neighborhood lit up with
the luminaries that were put around the front yards. It was a BEAUTIFUL
night and just wonderful for our family to be together. We watched some
videos of our family's early trips to Lake Powell and they are hilarious and
I want to see them again and again and I want those of you who didn't see
them to see them also. There were some excellent shots of PaPa which make
them a real treasure. I LOVE to see how much the cousins enjoy each other
and I hope they always will - that also is a real treasure.
Everyone enjoyed their own homes on Christmas
Day and most of the family came to my condo later in the afternoon for some
of Wayne Smith's Gumbo - he wouldn't recognize it but I use his recipe.
Claire, Michael, Katie and Laura spent the day with their Ezell Grandparents
- they had divided their holiday time, spending Christmas Eve Day with the
Mellor family. Bob kinda' spent the day with both families. I really
appreciate having Barji, Boyd and little Preston come and Steve, Susanna and
little Jackson come - believe me I know how hard it is to get babies ready
and off their schedules. It is REALLY special to have great grandbabies
around and they couldn't be more beautiful. I hope I get to see them grow
up!!! It was fun to have Jessie with us - she loves San Diego and her
school and is doing GREAT. Lee Anna left a little early so she could be
back in Provo in time to share a missionary phone call from her friend,
Clinton. with his family.
I can truthfully say that I didn't accomplish
one thing on the 26th - I just got caught up on some sleep and relaxation.
I had made an appointment with a piano tuner to come tune my piano on my
birthday, the 27th. I thought that if I had it done on a special day, maybe
I would remember when it was time to have it tuned again. I called the son
of one of my Orem friends, Kay Ballard, to come tune it - he lives in West
Valley City but he does a good job and has done it before. His daughter was
getting married on the 28th so I know he needed the money.
I had a WONDERFUL birthday and I appreciate so
very much all your phone calls, cards and visits. I believe I must have had
a hundred phone calls and from all over - Wantana called me from Thailand
and that was special and a former boyfriend of over 60 years remembered my
birthday and called me from Fort Worth - I couldn't believe it but it was
fun!!! (He is very happily married and has a beautiful wife.) Things like
that mean a lot to me because I don't remember anyone else's birthday
outside my family and a few friends. I WAS THRILLED TO HAVE JOHN CALL ME
FROM HAWAII!!!! He said they were having a GREAT time and had been scuba
diving. He also told me they had been able to land on the Island that we
couldn't when we went on a similar cruise last Christmas - I'm looking
forward to hearing all about their trip when they get home. I had a long
phone visit with Dorothy and Terry Woods and they told me that Donald Bass
died the week before Christmas - it wasn't unexpected but sad. I was VERY
impressed with his wife and his son whom I met when I went to Little Rock
last Spring.
I went to Salt Lake on the 28th, yesterday, to
attend a birthday party for one of my friends from my former Orem
neighborhood - Percy Smith. I was too dressed up and felt uncomfortable so
I didn't stay long - it was mostly for his family and they were all in
casual clothes. I thought there would be people from our Orem neighborhood
but I didn't see anyone I knew other than Anne and Percy Smith. The party
was held at Zion Summit where my former missionary companion, Virginia,
lives so I went to her condo and visited with her and that was fun.
I had such a good phone visit with the Roy
Mellor family - I felt bad because I had a message on my phone and they had
called while you were all here on Christmas day but I guess no one heard the
phone ring. We could have all talked to them even though Roy doesn't like
for me to pass the phone around like that - Ha!!! They told me about their
Christmas and it sounds like they had a WONDERFUL time too. They all went
to a friend's home after their church services on Christmas Eve for dinner.
I remember how much Roy enjoyed going to church services on Christmas eve
with some of his friends when he was young - the L.D.S. church doesn't have
services then. Emily played the flute in their church Christmas program - I
would have loved to hear that. She says she loves Central High and plays in
the orchestra besides her other classes. Timothy said he got some books for
Christmas and I have forgotten what Jesse said he received - I should have
taken notes. It was WONDERFUL to visit with them - I MISS THEM!!!
Bob just came over - I LOVE it when he drops in
like that. He was on his way to Carolyn's home for dinner - Carolyn is
Claire's sister and their brother and his family are here from California so
they will have a good time. Bob, Claire and Katie are flying to California
on Tuesday. Michael and Laura were supposed to drive to California leaving
today but maybe they will leave in the morning. Bob has to come home
on Thursday and then Claire, Michael, Laura and Katie will drive back on
Saturday. Brett has been in California for a day or so - the band left
early so they would have time to practice. I'M SO EXCITED FOR THEM TO WATCH
THE ROSE BOWL PARADE - Brett will be in the drum line so all of you
watch for the David High School Band.
Ricky - Thank you SO much for inviting me to
your Sacrament Meeting today. Ricky was one of the speakers and he did a
BEAUTIFUL job!!! I went to my own meetings earlier and then went to their
meeting at 11:30 a.m. It was fun to see Jeannie and Sarah walk in all
dressed up and of course Rick was on the stand. I have met so many of their
ward members that they all know me and are SO nice - I really like their
ward!!!
Russell called his family on Christmas day and
he is doing WONDERFUL. Annie says he is almost too busy and THAT IS
GOOD!!! Ron and Jimmy went to Jerome on Friday to get Mimi and bring her
back to Layton where she will live with Sue (Ron's sister), for a little
while. We are all willing to help Mimi be happy in new surroundings - that
will be difficult for her, I'm sure.
I am going to Star Valley in the morning with
Margaret and other friends - it will be fun to be with them and just relax.
We really don't do anything special but it is SO beautiful there and the
time just flies by. We play "Wyoming Mention" which is our version of
bridge because no one knows how to play real bridge. Margaret makes sure
everyone is comfortable - we will probably have alot of snow and that will
be fun. I'll be home on Friday.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH ONE OF YOU - I hope our
New Year will bring much happiness and success in whatever we want to do in
righteousness. I'm SO proud of each one of you and LOVE YOU SO VERY, VERY
MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.