Dearest Family,
This has been a fun week for me - I have
received letters or news of each one of you and that makes me happy.
Jean & Rick and Bob & Claire came over last
Sunday night and it was fun to catch up on all their family news. Rick
hasn't been able to come over for awhile because he was practicing with
their ward choir for their stake conference and that is over so he has a
little more free time. I'm SO glad to know Rick has a good singing
voice - I didn't know that. I used to coax and coax Lynn to get in our
ward choir in Orem but he wouldn't do it - I think he was worried it
would interfere with his fishing - Ha!!! Bob & Claire are doing fine
and it was fun to hear Bob tell about his plans for the backpack trip
with Laura last week.
That backpack trip must have been quite
eventful - SNOW IN AUGUST. I have appreciated the pictures Claire has
sent to me of Bob & Laura and they are such WONDERFUL pictures with
beautiful scenery and I guess they used a tripod because there would not
have been people around to take them. I loved the one of their tents
covered with snow - it showed how high they were in the mountains. I am
thrilled that a daughter and father could enjoy a trip like that AND
they have done it for several years. I hope they had some good
meals!!! I also enjoyed the pictures Claire sent to me of Laura & Brett
when Laura was probably about 6 years old and they were at Lake Powell -
even before the tarp was put on the top of the houseboat. She had been
in the lake and her hair was VERY wild - she has such good hair. The
pictures she sent to me today of Brett and his roommates in their dorm
room at BYU remind me of when all of you were in college and the saying
"the Lord gives children to young people" surely does apply to all of
you at this time in your lives - HANG IN THERE!!! I have also enjoyed
the wedding phots of Michael & Stacis' wedding - I tried to order some
of them but since I haven't received them I must have done something
wrong. I thought they were very good.
Patrice - I was happy to hear some news of
your family by talking to Claire. I laughed when she told me that Roy
felt like Emily lived in a "shack" in Costa Rica and Emily said she
lived in a nice place. That Emily is such a trooper and can adjust to
whatever she has to and I'm SO proud that she had a GREAT experience!!!
I want to sit down with her and hear ALL ABOUT IT. I want to go to
Little Rock when it cools off and when it is a good time for the Roy
Mellors. I was sad to learn that Sammy had been sick - I am happy to
know they would take her to the vet as soon as she showed symptoms of
illness. I hope she continues to recuperate. I will always remember
how Roy took Hans to the vet when they came to see me just before I left
for Thailand - I knew he was going to die so I didn't take him to the
doctor - I learn ALOT from my children.
Susanna - thank you SO much for your
WONDERFUL e-mail. I keep looking at that beautiful little Caroline Ann
and when you wrote that her hair is turning blonde and her eyes are blue
I get excited to see her in person. We have so many brown eyes in our
family and it will be fun to see who she resembles - right now she looks
like Caroline Ann!!! I am SO proud of Steve for taking Jackson on a
camping trip with their ward friends - I can envision your tent set up
in your backyard - could you set up a fan - Ha!!! I'm glad you can go to
your friends once in awhile to go swimming - my condo neighbors have
their grandchildren come to swim in our swimming pool all the time but
mine never come. I wish Jackson could swim in mine - he would love it
even though it isn't as hot here as it is in Chandler. I'M THRILLED
THAT YOU ARE COMING TO UTAH FOR CHRISTMAS!!!
Annie - thank you SO much for your long and
newsy e-mail. I think it is SO smart for Jessie to be back at BYU for a
year or so getting her teaching certificate. I think it is very wise
for any graduate to be able to teach school - that is such an honorable
career that offers GREAT opportunities outside the classroom. The
Woolleys have had a houseful and Annie writes that everyone is SO
pleasant and cooperative that it has been a fun time for her. Russell &
Lee Anna have been home until they can get into their apartments and of
course Jessie is also home. Grandpa Russ had a birthday last week so
his daughter Joanne came with her three granddaughters and Mimi to spend
some time before coming to Layton for a dinner at a restaurant to help
him celebrate - I believe Grandpa Russ is about 86 years old -
REMARKABLE MAN!!! Russell's former roommate from New Mexico is also
staying with the Woolleys until he can get in his apartment. Russell
started at UVSC last Wednesday. JImmy separated his shoulder while
practicing football so he is on the injured list until he gets better -
reminds me of John's football career. Annie starts teaching at BYU
tomorrow and Jessie will be in her class this semester - Jessie will
learn everything she needs to know!!!!
John - thank you for helping me over the
phone with my picture project. When he was here the last time he
accessed one of the albums that hadn't been changed to the format he
wants them changed to so I told him I would do that. I found that I
couldn't access that album so I called him for help. WELL - I learned
how to find that album and decided to check on some of the other albums
and discovered they hadn't been changed either. I have had to change
the format on three albums and that has amounted to more than 1500
pictures - I hope I don't find any of the others that are that way. I
am SO lucky though and I know it - I go downstairs where it is SO
comfortable and I can just leave everything out because noone will
bother anything and I REALLY do enjoy it. I laugh though when I look at
some of the pictures - yesterday I found about a dozen pictures of Ricky
& Susanna when they were babies and at every stage for two or three
years. They surely do bring back a flood of memories and I love the
happy times we had at that time in our lives. I went to my eye doctor
last week just for a check-up and he said "I can see some significant
change in your macular but you still have 20-20 vision and that is
good". I feel such an urgency to finish that project because I am the
only one who will know about many of the pictures.
I don't know if I told you that I am goiing
to "Riodoso" ? New Mexico with Ellen Mae, Mel and Helen Jane about the
15th of September. We are going for the Bar J cowboy singers'
convention - the same one I went to in Tucson several years ago. It
will be such a fun trip and I'm looking forward to it - the Mannings
have bought a new van to use and I think we may go to Las Vegas for a
few days on our way. NOW they want me to go to China with them in
November - about the same time you all will be in Guatemala. I haven't
decided about that trip yet. Margaret called me this morning and wants
me to go to Star Valley tomorrow and stay this next week - she is up
there with 6 of her former High School friends and they are leaving
tomorrow. Mary Ann Holman and I may drive up there. AND I WANT TO GO
TO LITTLE ROCK. TOO MANY DECISIONS TO MAKE.
I am sad about the young boy who is lost in
the Uintah Mountains here in Utah - he has been lost for over a week and
there have been many hundreds of people searching for him. I just worry
about my grandchildren - he is about the same age as Jesse and I know
how easy it is to get lost. PLEASE, PLEASE BE EXTRA CAREFUL AND YOU
PARENTS WATCH YOUR CHILDREN. I am heartsick for the father of this
young boy who let him go alone when he should have gone with him - I
know I made a million mistakes doing similar things with my children and
I'm happy that my children are much smarter than I was!!!
I LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Grandma B
XXXXXOOOOO