Dearest Family,
We came home about an hour ago from John's
home where we all gathered to watch the last session of General
Conference and have dinner together. IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTELY
WONDERFUL DAY!!! We listened to the first session of conference on our
way to Highland and got there about 11:30 and John was waiting for us.
His home is such a perfect family home and we told him we thought it
would be an annual affair for us to get together there for conference -
Ha!! He lives in a perfect place because it isn't too far from the
Woolleys or those of us who live in the Northern part of the State.
We missed the Weinert family and of course
the Roy Mellor family and others who weren't able to come. The Bob &
Claire Mellor family all came and I thought it was SO special for
Michael & Staci to make the trip from Logan - WHAT A DARLING COUPLE!!!
Laura was there with a VERY nice friend boy, James ? and it was fun to
become acquainted with him - he is going to school at BYU and has just
passed the Law School entrance exam. Brett & Katie were with us and
that was special - it seems like it has been a long time since I have
been with them. Brett loves BYU and is doing well in all his classes -
Katie is worn out from all her school activities and studying for all
her "AP" classes!!!
Grandpa Russ was with us and he is an
amazing man - looks just GREAT at 88 years of age. He has been with Ann
& Ron for the last couple days and they brought him to Layton after
being with us in Highland to be with Sue & Mimi and then go back home to
Jerome. Jimmy and Lee Anna both came and of course Ann & Ron. Russell
was translating Malagasy for the conference sessions so he couldn't be
with us - he was SO sweet to call me and thank me for sending some food
home for him. We are all SO proud of Russell to be able to serve in
that way - he does a GREAT job and that is alot of work. Lee Anna
looked SO cute - when she first came in to the kitchen I thought it was
Susanna - they look ALOT alike. Jessie was SO sweet and called me
yesterday morning and said she would come and watch the Saturday morning
session of conference with me - WHAT A DOLL!!! She is happy living in
Salt Lake and doing her job - she has a nice friend boy too - Jared
Richards and I want to meet him. He is studying for the law school
entrance exam - they went to the conference center for the afternoon
session today and then they were going to his parent's home for dinner.
It is such a WONDERFUL thing for me when our
family makes the effort to be together and I lOVE seeing my
grandchildren making wise decisions as they grow up. I talked to
Jeannie before they left to go to Sun Valley and she was excited about
being with their family in their favorite vacation place. She said they
all enjoyed the swimming pool there and other activities.
We all enjoyed seeing John's barn and
throwing the ball for Tar - he is such a beautiful lab and will always
be special to all of us because of the miracle of finding him after
losing him for five years. I just love John's home and he has surely
made it into a lovely place - I can't get over how big it is and yet so
liveable. His back yard needs a goat - ha!!! It is large and John
showed us where the former owners even had a potato garden!!! He has
peach trees and he told me today that he even has a plum tree.
The conference sessions were very good and
it was interesting to learn about the two new apostles that were
chosen; Elder David Bednar and Elder Dieter Uchtdorf. Elder Bednar has
spent a good deal of time in Arkansas - he was a Stake President in
Fayetteville I believe and a leader in Fort Smith. He taught at the
University of Arkansas and recently he has been President of BYU Idaho
in Rexburg. He is in his early fifties and Elder Uchtdorf is in his
early sixties - he is from Germany. That is a lifelong calling and they
are younger than most of the other apostles.
I was with Bob & Claire and we stopped on
our way home tonight to see a young man who is here from Quatemala for
conference. He always buys things from D.I. here to take home to his
family - he asks Bob to take them for him when the "group" goes on their
humanitarian mission because he has too much to take himself. I LOVED
meeting him and his friend with whom he stays when he comes to Utah and
I also LOVED hearing Bob communicate with them in Spanish - I didn't
know Bob was that fluent in Spanish. He always reads the church
publications in Spanish and makes notes of the words he doesn't know so
he can look them up - THAT IS SO SMART!!! I wish I could learn a
foreign language!!!
We enjoyed the gumbo that Chris & Wayne made
when they came to see me in August for our dinner today. I am VERY sad
they had so much damage to their home from Hurricane Ivan. I talked to
them and they told me they had 3 feet of water in their lower level and
lost all their furniture there as well as all their appliances. Their
son Rick and daughter Linda went down this week with a truck and
furniture dollies to help them clean up. They told me that many of
those beautiful condominiums on the beach front had their third floor
dropped down to the bottom floor. I don't think I would want to live in
Florida or Alabama.
I had some eye surgery this week so I have
been kinda' confined!!! Bob took me to the surgical center by his
office on Tuesday afternoon and Dr. Washburn removed some of the excess
skin on my eyelids. I had no idea it was going to be that extensive. I
have wanted it done for a long, long time but I thought it would be a
matter of taking a slit of skin off in his office and then going home
and having it over with. My word - it was a BIG DEAL!!! I had
anesthesia and Dr. Lehman talked about working with Roy in Quatemala and
of course, Dr. Washburn knows all of you and EVERYONE in the surgical
center knew Bob so I really got the ROYAL TREATMENT. I have NEVER had
that much attention and I LOVED it!!! I have done very well until
Saturday morning - it had itched and stung so bad that I took every
medicine I could find in my medicine cabinet and by the time Jessie came
I was SO sick to my stomach that I thought I was going to die. I should
have known better!!!! I was fine later on in the day and my eyes are
almost back to normal today. I appreciate SO VERY MUCH Bob's help - he
stayed with me all the time in the surgical center and then came home
with me and stayed until late. I also appreciate SO VERY MUCH Jeannie's
help and her delicious cookies. Annie, John & Claire were also SO sweet
- actually I should have just done it without telling anyone - I hope I
don't have to ever have anything serious done.
Emily - there was a young woman accompanying
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir today with her flute and I thought about
you. I am SO thrilled that you have chosen that musical instrument and
I'm anxious to hear you play it for me. I am thinking that Timothy is
very good on his saxophone too and Jesse on the piano - I'm SO proud of
all of you!!!
I believe 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