Dearest Family,
Frustration, Frustration!!!! I had just
written a big part of my letter when all of a sudden it disappeared. I
know that all of you have experienced this sort of thing before - I
honestly don't know what I do wrong but I must hit the wrong key and it
is gone!!!!
I will start over again since Michael isn't
here to help me retrieve it - Ha!!!
I look at my calendar and all I see is
Guatemala for this week so that is the BIG news. I hope each one of you
will know how much I admire you - I am SO grateful to belong to a family
that is willing to give of yourselves to help those people in Guatemala
who are so desparetly in need of help. I know you will be protected but
I can't help but worry about you.
I had an e-mail form Claire telling me she
had talked to Bob from Dallas and they had tire problems on the plane
they were on so they had to change planes. They had ALOT of luggage so
I know they will be happy to arrive in Guatemala and "unload". They
were supposed to arrive in Guatemala City last night (Saturday) and
leave to go up into the areas where they will serve this morning
(Sunday). I believe it is about a 12 hour drive up to this area so they
will all be worn out by the time they get there. WHAT A WONDERFUL THING
FOR ALL OF YOU TO DO!!!
Claire also sent pictures she took at the
airport and you all look SO happy. I have talked to John, Barji &
Jeannie and I know they were all VERY excited about the trip. I will be
VERY happy when you are all home safe and sound. John promised me he
would take some pictures and I hope he does. I'm anxious to hear about
his friend Reid Folsom - he was such a GREAT friend in Billings and I
haven't seen him for a long, long time. Reid is a dentist who lives
with his wife and children in Oregon (I think that's right).
Barji & Boyd - thank you for coming trick or
treating on Halloween with your adorable children. They were a little
late in coming because Gracie had fallen from her stroller and had hurt
her mouth. She was surely a good sport about it and Barji said she
hardly cried when it happened. She had a bad "swollen" lip. Preston's
costume was "riding a chicken" and he had a straw hat that he was really
proud of. Gracie was a princess, I think. Boyd was carrying her so I
didn't get a good look at her costume.
Susanna & Steve - thank you for your
wonderful pictures of Jackson & Caroline. Jackson was "Frankenstein"
and Caroline was "Belle" - beautiful children!!! I appreciate Susanna
SO much in sending me pictures of their activities. They had gone to
Grand Canyon with Steve's parents when they visited not long ago and I
love those pictures too.
Patrice - thank you for your sweet letter.
I also appreciated receiving your request for internet contacts to help
Central High School win the computers they need. I "voted" many times
and will do so again tonight - I think the numbers and letters are kinda'
hard to see. It is probably my eyes. I know this week will be long for
you and I hope you will fill it with fun things for your family.
Many thanks to Katie, Mary Ann, Sarah, Annie
and John for your messages this week. There are SO many exciting things
happening in your lives and I appreciate SO much your taking time to
think of me. Katie went with her Mother and other cheerleaders to Provo
for cheerleading for a volleyball game for her school yesterday. Mary
Ann is excited for the birth of their first little baby - I know she is
experiencing all kinds of pains, etc. and hoping the "real" ones don't
come until her Mom gets home and they won't. Sarah is VERY busy trying
to schedule all her showers for her upcoming marriage, Annie & John were
SUPER busy with their preparations for Guatemala.
I said in my last letter that I was going to
Wyoming with Margaret this past week. She received word on Monday that
she didn't have water in her home so we decided to not go. She is
having HUGE tanks put in her front yard in Etna to get some of the
"runoff" water for their use. The people in Wyoming are VERY possessive
of their water for irrigation and she has had problems getting her
share.
I went to the cemetery in Lehi on Tuesday -
it was good to have a day I hadn't planned on - Ha!!! I trimmed the
trees on the grave - they don't look very good and I have decided to
give them one more year and fertilize them in the Spring and if they
don't look better I will have them pulled up and maybe they will let me
put new ones in. Last year, Timothy, Jesse and Roy "wrapped" them for
me and that helped. The tree expert told me they weren't diseased or
anything so maybe they will get better.
I stopped at John's home when I left the
cemetery and I always love to go to his home. He is using his crock pot
and his home smelled SO good - he was cooking some beef and onions. He
had called me that morning as he was on his way to Seattle. There is
ALOT of news in our papers about a HUGE shopping center that will be
built close to Highland - not too close. A company in California is
planning a 300 million dollar development by Cobelas. Now is a good
time to own property in Lehi!!!
I was happy to be here on Thursday to go to
a wedding shower for Sarah. Danny's grandmother gave it at her home on
"Flint Street' in Kaysville and it was SO MUCH FUN. Most of the wedding
showers I have been to have not had games but Danny's cousins had
planned the cutest games. Danny comes from such a lovely and large
family and they all LOVE him. I was SO happy to become a little
acquainted with some of them - LOTS of beautiful young women. He lives
in a farming community and it is beautiful. Mary Ann saw that I was
LOST as I was trying to find the home so she "saved" me and we got there
together - she is SO thoughtful and works with old people so she knows
just what to do!!! I had gone the day before when it was light so I
could find it easily in the dark but I missed the steet where I was
supposed to turn.
I am SO happy about my "fondue pot" and I'm
especially happy that it will help solve the "gift giving" in our
family. I think there is much too much emphasis on gifts at Christmas
time. I would REALLY like for you to solve the gift giving for my
birthday too and PLEASE just send cards. I don't want you to forget me
but I don't need one thing and if I do I get it. We will have a fun
80th birthday celebration in the Spring - what I would like is for all
of us to go to Little Rock for a couple days and stay at the Marriott
Court Yard that is close to the Presidential Library at my expense. Be
thinking about a time that is best for all of you. It would be GREAT if
it could be at the time of Emily's high school graduation. I don't know
the dates of her graduation and the dates for Katie's graduation SO we
will have to work that out.
I went to our Stake Conference this morning
with Margaret and would you believe it - WE GOT LOST!!! Our conferences
are always in Bountiful at the "Theatre in the Round" or something like
that - the church bought that building and it is beautiful but difficult
to find. Margaret just never gets lost so I enjoyed it. We were about
half an hour late - it was a good conference.
I had better hurry and send this before it
disappears!!!
I LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Grandma B
XXXXXOOOOO