Dearest Family,
I just came home from church and I'm going to
hurry and write my letter because my Home Teachers are coming tonight. It
is SO funny to have my meetings start at 12:30 instead of 8:30 - I LOVE it
but it is late in the afternoon when I get home and that's an adjustment!!!
WELL - it's the beginning of a New Year and I
hope it will be a WONDERFUL one for each one of us. I have learned that it
is what we make it SO let's make it a WONDERFUL one. I have also learned
that if we are in good health we can adapt to things that don't go quite the
way we would like them to. Next year at this time we could be at war and
that's a worry - I guess the question is with whom we will be at war!!! I'm
glad I don't have to make that decision but I have grandsons who are at
"draft" ages and that brings back too many memories of previous wars.
I hope you all had fun New Years' Eve
celebrations. Bob and Brett came over yesterday afternoon and told me about
their trip to California and I'm sure that is a New Years' celebration they
will never forget. It was SO neat to have them describe the parade and the
part the Davis High Band played in it. Did you all see them on National
Television? I was in Star Valley and Margaret has a "Big Screen" television
set but something is wrong with it and we can't get any channels on it so we
just watch videos - she has a smaller one downstairs but the reception is
not that good and really all I saw was "re-runs" on some news channels. I
was sure they would announce Brett's name but they didn't - Ha!!! Bob said
they showed re-runs of the parade on big screen sets where they were and
they focused in on the Davis High Band's Drum Line and Brett - he said it
was really neat. I had to laugh - when Bob asked Brett why they positioned
him on the end instead of second to the end and he said it was because the
girl on the end couldn't keep step or something. Brett was impressed
with all the floats made from organic material.
Davis County REALLY gave the band a HUGE
homecoming welcome on Friday night. They came in on buses with police
chaperones and sirens blowing like crazy and there was a big group of people
waiting to cheer for them. Even Brett thought that was neat!!! Claire,
Michael, Laura and Katie weren't home yet so I'm glad Bob was able to
participate in it. I believe they (the rest of the family) came home last
night (Saturday).
John - thank you for your phone message. He is
home safe and sound and even though I haven't talked to him I know they had
a good time on their cruise. Hopefully I will see them before long.
I saw President Bush getting off his plane and I
believe he was carrying a little Schnauzer - it made me think of Hans and I
thought of the night we buried him on our Lehi property.
Woolleys - thank you for those darling pictures
of Jackson and Preston on the internet. It will be so much fun to watch
them grow up even if it will just be with pictures. Susanna has started
Jackson on cereal and one of the pictures shows her feeding him with a spoon
- I remember that as being VERY traumatic - Ha!!! It sounds like Susanna
and Steve will be moving to Phoenix before too long - Steve has accepted a
position there with an investment company. WAY TO GO STEVE!!! I know they
will love Phoenix and it will be fun to have an excuse to go there to visit.
Weinerts - Jeannie and Rick have been in Sun
Valley for a few days on a business trip for Rick's work. Barji brought
Preston over on Friday night and it was SO much fun to have him without his
Grandmother around - Ha!!! He is such a good, pleasant baby and fun to
cuddle and play with. Boyd was out of town for a few days but he was due
back home later that night.
Roy Mellors - thank you so very much for
your WONDERFUL letters. I LOVE to hear from you and I think you have had
VERY good training from your Mom. I'm SO happy that you like your schools
and that you had a good Christmas.
I am very worried about our weather - it is more
like early Spring than it is Winter. We have had very little snow and if we
don't get ALOT more we will be in deep trouble for water. It's a good thing
we are not having the Olympics this year. Arkansas is getting LOTS of rain
and the East is getting LOTS of snow!!!
I had a WONDERFUL time in Star Valley - it is
amazing to me that five days can fly by without our doing alot. Margaret's
home is just covered with snow - she has a man who plows the driveway for
her whenever she lets him know she is going to be there and he came twice
while we were there to keep it clear. IT IS JUST GORGEOUS!!! Margaret
plans alot for New Year's Eve - she has little white furry bears that dance
and sing and she has a special centerpiece depicting Times Square with the
"ball" going up and then we have that "sparkling" apple and grape juice to
toast each other at midnight. Her dinner was delicious - roast beef,
whipped potatoes, green salad, carrots and chocolate cake.
Would you believe that five of "us girls" stayed
up until 2 a.m. playing monopoly? That is the first time in my life that I
have actually played that until the game was over. It was SO much fun and
Mary Ann Holman won - Margaret came in second and I was third - we laughed
until we were sick. We also played our version of bridge and that was fun
too. We drove to Alpine one night and they showed me where the Forest
Service was feeding the elk - I know there must have been a thousand of them
eating the hay they provide for them. They say they go back up into the
mountains but come back each night to eat.
We went into Afton one day and shopped while
Margaret went to a Hospital Board Meeting - she has accepted an appointment
to be on their board. They are building a big new hospital and we teased
her about "building a wing on it for her friends" - Ha!!!
We didn't get home until about 4 p.m. on Friday
and I felt like I really needed to go to the wedding reception for one of
Margaret's grandsons. I tried to talk Barji into going with me but she was
concerned about Preston's bath and schedule and I didn't blame her so I went
alone. It was held at "The Point" which is on the top floor of the Huntsman
Cancer Institute in Salt Lake. I left here about 8 p.m. and it was SO hard
to find but I finally found it about 9:15 and it is only about 30 minutes
from my home normally. I left the reception about 9:45 and when I got in
the elevator I couldn't get it to move - I pushed every button but it just
stayed put!!! After about 15 minutes and many poundings on the door I
pushed the only button I hadn't pushed and it went to the lower level. I
got in my car and headed down the street where I thought I would find I-15.
I stopped to get gas and directions and the time
on the receipt said 10:15 - I didn't get home until about 12:30!!! When I
passed the Jordan River Temple and a sign that said "West Valley City" I
knew I was in trouble so I stopped at another service station. I asked the
clerk how I could get to Ogden and he pointed in the opposite direction from
where I had been going - I was going South all the time instead of North and
would have been in Provo in a few miles. I won't get out in the night
anymore unless someone is with me - I AM GETTING MUCH TOO OLD!!!
Russell - it is SO much fun for me to read about
your experiences as Assistant to the President and I think he must have alot
of confidence in you to let you have influence about missionaries'
companionships, activities and transfers. The Hills sound like super
leaders and I'm thrilled that you have the opportunity to serve with them.
I wish I could hear some of your talks at zone conferences - we loved the
training ideas the assistants had when new missionaries came into the
mission. They practically took over the first meeting with slides of the
mission, etc., etc.
That's all the news. I LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU SO
VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO -
Grandma B XXXXXOOOOO