Dearest Family,
HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEANNIE ON
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16TH!!! I know she will have a fabulous birthday because
she, Rick and Sarah are leaving tomorrow to go to Hawaii. She could pass for
"Thirty Something" - in looks and in energy and that's WONDERFUL!!!
This week is Spring Break for the Davis County
School District and my family has scattered. Bob called me a few minutes
ago and they are at Disney World in Florida. I said, "I know that Brett
and Katie are having lots of fun" and Bob said, "Yeah, this is their
thing". I'm sure they will all have a GREAT time - Michael and Laura are
still in school at Utah State so they couldn't go. Ricky couldn't go with
his family either for the same reason.
The Utah County School District's Spring Break
is different from the Davis one so I don't know what the Woolleys have
planned and since Jimmy is the only family member involved in that school
district I'm sure he will decide what they will do - maybe stay at home and
hike Timpanogas which is what they all love to do!!! Ron's church calling
will make it difficult to leave for very long.
I went to Logan today with Jeannie so we could
attend Ricky's Sacrament meeting and hear him give a talk - he did a SUPER
job!!! I am SO impressed with the building where his ward attends their
meetings - it has two chapels and is structured quite like the Institute at
UVSC. It has many "lounging" areas where the students can gather and visit
and is just beautiful. Their meetings today were for the students' parents
and they had a "linger longer" after all their meetings where they served
dinner. Jeannie had to be back for her Young Women's Meeting here in
Farmington so we couldn't stay for the "linger longer" but there were many
parents there. Ricky is surrounded by such fine, fine young people and he
is very happy there. I met many of his friends and church leaders - Jeannie
has had his friends to her home for dinner on many Sundays so they all knew
her too. Sarah couldn't go because she was taking Barji, Boyd and Preston
to the airport - they are going for a golf competition and will be gone all
week. Rick was conducting in their ward so he couldn't go either - I was
VERY HAPPY to go in their places!!!
THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING STORY!!! Do you all
remember John's labrador Tar? He has been missing since October 5, 2000
when John's neighbor opened his garage door and Tar "bolted". John has been
looking for him since then and has had some very disheartening experiences.
One time John found a chocolate lab that had been hit by a car on the
freeway and he picked him up and even though he was dead, John took him to
the animal hospital to see if he had the computer chip in his skin. He
didn't so John knew it wasn't Tar. Well - one day last week Annie had a
message on her computer from "Animal Recovery" in Orem saying they had Tar.
John had put Ann on the list to call if Tar were found. Annie e-mailed John
and he went immediately to Orem to see if he could get him. This is so sad
- the animal recovery hospital didn't get any record of the man who brought
him in except to say that he was an elementary school custodian in an Orem
school. I have talked to John and he said he has put flyers all over Orem
besides writing letters to all the elementary schools trying to find him but
so far NO LUCK. Every time my phone rings I hope it is John telling me that
he has Tar. I believe Tar is the father of the Roy Mellor's labrador Sammy
- is that right???
I'm looking forward to going to Little Rock to
visit the Roys and seeing Sammy again - he is one of the sweetest dogs I
have ever been around and you can tell he is greatly loved!!!
About the war!!! It has really been sensational
to watch the events of this week on television. There have been many sad
things happen but today when I heard that the 7 POWs have been found
unharmed I almost cried. The U. S. Military troops have done a GREAT job in
liberating Iraq and I just couldn't believe it when I saw the statues of
Sadam Hussein being toppled and the Iraqi people so exuberant. It is very
sad that so many historical documents from museums have been looted and
probably destroyed - that part of the war has been difficult for me to
understand. It doesn't seem like anyone is in charge and hopefully that
will be resolved soon but for all practical purposes the war is over. It's
going to be very interesting to see if they find any clues of hidden mass
destruction weapons.
I had such an interesting experience last
Monday. One of my very good college friends who lived in Provo passed
away. I didn't know about it until it was too late to go to her viewing or
funeral so I went to the cemetery where I met many friends from college days
and also other people. Marion & Les Dunn from Brigham City met me at
the cemetery. Bev and Bill Tripp were good friends and Bill actually
arranged for Lynn and I to meet each other. Bill passed away about 4 years
ago but Bev was at the cemetery because she was also a good friend if the
lady who had died, Ruth Wilson. Allen and Cleone Price from Brigham City
were also there - he had served as a Mission President in the Phillipines
and we were in the MTC together. The former Montana Billings Mission
President who served 6 years before Lynn did was also there with his wife,
the Carters, who now live in Morgan, Utah. I also met Ruth's daughter, Kay
Morgan, who is in Claire's quilting club in Layton. It was such a fun, fun
afternoon - Ruth's husband is a very likable person and greeted everyone
with a smile. I stay away from sad funerals and this was a pleasant
experience. He is a former Purdue Professor and they moved to Provo when he
retired.
I stained my deck on Friday and it still isn't
dry. I am watching the weather very carefully because it if starts to rain
I will have to cover it with plastic.
Russell - I hope you and all the Madagascar
Missionaries are able to go about your regular missionary work now. I keep
worrying about an uprising of some kind from people who were loyal to the
Sadam Hussein Regime so BE VERY CAREFUL!!!
That's all the news - I think. I LOVE EACH ONE
OF YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING
YOU DO . Grandma B XXXXXXOOOOO