March 1997

March 14, 1997

Boy it seems like a really long time since I have written you. It probably has been.

This is a piece of a poem that I want you to commit to memory and then commit to your heart for doing:

Most of life is froth and bubble

Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another^'s trouble,

Courage in your own.

There are a lot of things going on. But most of it is just the ordinary day to day stuff.

First for those of you interested in the old home town. They are digging a well just east of the dairy bar. They is West Jordan. They hired someone to do it. Anyway, they had a permit to drill a nine inch hole and they are drilling a 20 inch hole and the state inspector came out and boy are they in trouble. So, work has stopped, and they may make them fill it with cement. They are down 800 feet already. Right now the work is stopped. They are going to dig to 1500 feet down. At night it has a lighted flag on the top of this derrick and it looks pretty impressive. The road is supposed to go through sometime this year, ho, ho, ho! They have started widening Redwood tho^'. I guess you all know that they are selling a piece of the farm behind the dairy bar for condo's. They are supposed to start right away too. We are losing the lease on the store, as soon as they rebuild it. We are not sure what we are going to do. It is a bit scary.

Okay, lets start with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa has really weathered this winter pretty well. He has remained pretty spry, except he complains about his arthritis, and Monte just tells him that won't kill him. Grandma's feet are just awful. But she is taking very good care of grandpa, which is sometimes difficult, because he can get grouchy. Which is understandable. But I see that she has learned so dang much patience which she didn't used to have. It is a growing experience for all of us. Drop them a line or a call once in a while. You are all so very important to them.

Kent's family:   Andrea is working really hard for IHC still, and becoming more spoiled by the minute. It really is great being the last one at home, esp. if you are a girl. I should know. She took her endowments out a couple of months back. She has been called to be the 2nd counselor in the primary and she coached her ward girls

BB team to the stake Championship.  Kirt is in a play in Park City, and still working. He is actually getting paid a little for the play this time. Don't know how much, but who cares, he's doing what he likes and getting money too! He has been invited to direct the summer play for the Salt Lake Acting Co. children's theater, or something like that (Sharon's words). Brent has just been made executive sec. in the bishopric, Terri has a permanent position now with her own office and everything. Zoey is a struggling ballerina and Sam is a famous major league baseball player, while never having

left the living room. Alison is still teaching the handicapped kids in her school. Anne is doing that too, right now, in one of the middle schools in Hyrum as part of her schooling. Curtis works, good job, Curtis! Ben relieved a nationally recognized citizenship award and took first place in his division of the science fair, While Jared took 2nd place in his division. Good Job, Boys. Katie is still singing around at baptisms and other church functions and Megan is just trying to survive among the chaos. Cheryl just finished writing and directing the road show in their ward and tried out for their stake play, The Sound of Music, but we don't know if she made it yet. Justin got a trophy for first place in his basketball league, Kyle got straight A's and Josh is loved by all the girls. Brianne knows where the cookie jar at Grandma^'s is. Cookies Jars: Greg was down at Grandma's and wanted a cookie. Blue wanted one too. So they were lined up there in the corner and G. gave Blue the first cookie, Greg laid down on the floor and screamed his lungs out. But boy he is a cute baby. Heath is teaching Sem. this week, and has been teaching vocational classes around at the different High Schools. Kathy just got made ass. store manager at Walmart! Yeah! Kent had those steel pins put in his toes, they stick out the end, and one day he kicked them. Brother! anyway seems to be doing better. They also took some of the bone out to make his toes shorter. I think I have this story straight. Whole thing makes me sick.

Wayne's family. Amy and Scott have moved back to South Carolina Joshua went with them. Scott and Josh are working. I really do not know how they are doing yet. Chad is doing really well in school. He does have a girl friend/slit throat, same thing. He really wants to go somewhere and is working really hard. RaNae is feeling a lot better, which we are all very glad about. We have had a couple of showers lately and RaNae and her girls have been able to come. It is really good to see them. We did a baby shower for Amy, because she didn't live here when her baby was born and so she had a little shower with just her aunts and cousins. She got some nice stuff. Wayne is teaching some of the kids at home. Camille has got a job and is a good little worker. They had a crash with the Van, not their fault and so they are looking for a new vehicle.

Brenda^'s family: Where to start. Brenda, still teaching, but her feet are awful too! Look what you have to look forward to! Gary still working, which of course is good. Have you noticed that what we all do most is work? See, Ensign I think Feb. maybe March on the importance of work! Jennifer and Randy finally got the roof on the barn with the help of Gary and the boys. They have such a beautiful place. When ever I go to see them, I want to live up on that side hill and look out over hills of ripening grain. Madison is a darling little girl. She and BJ (Julie's little girl) were at Allyson^'s shower the other nite and I mean talk about cute little girls. Holly and Lee have moved to Fillmore. Lee got this new job. Which he is really enjoying. He is working for the Natural Resources Conservation (used to be soil conservation). The baby has had colic (closely related to collie, and often much larger) really bad. But we got Holly up here for a week and loved and coddled her and the baby got some medicine and things are definitely looking up. Chris is getting married next week. Allyson is a darling girl. I

Love, Diana

am impressed with her. She is quite tall, slim (yeah, we need some slim blood in this family) and has dark hair. Brad is working and going to school with great intensity, Brad does everything with great intensity. He has had an opportunity to do a boys ranch type of thing this summer. Good money, but very hard on the heart. Do not know if it will pan out yet. Neal will graduate. This is good!

Us: Well of course the big news is that Ralph and I are working! Good job, guys. Ralph was just put in as Elder^'s Quorum Pres. last week, it^'s his punishment for hating home teaching. Me am still in the Young Women^'s. Anne is doing just great. She is loving the teaching experiences more than she ever dreamed she would. I won^'t say what kind of grades she's getting, but you can't do better. She has called 5 times in the last hour because her dad is trying to help her install a new Word Perfect program long distance. Mark is in the MTC. Went in Wed. He has done a lot of growing in the last 9 weeks. I am really proud of him. His talk in Sacrament meeting was really good. I think that he is safe still as they haven^'t called from the MTC. He^'s been gone three days, and I have only sent one letter and one package, but I have another one pending. MICHAEL FINALLY GOT HIS EAGLE!                                Praise be, will miracles never cease. It made Paul get busy on his eagle project. By the way, Paul cried at the farewell because those boys will not be together again for 6 years. Michael, Neal, Paul, and Mark. (I like them all, some times I just miss CAPS). Sara looks as old as Anne, people think they are twins. No kidding. She will be 14 in three weeks and except for letting all teachers she hates know of her disgust for them personally is doing fine. She has served as Beehive Pres. the last 7 months.

Lynn: Amanda is pregnant again. She is such a help to G and G. I am glad she lives upstairs. Lynn and Gail work, oh happy day! Kay at school in Logan. Has had a very good year, and decided not to go into music professionally. She has a boyfriend/half a slit throat (due to age variance). Becky is on the cheering group, whatever that is called. Doing fine. She is going to go ahead with some surgery on her leg after all. I think this summer. This is sad news: Lori and Aaron have separated. There was hope that they would get back together, but it does not look good at this point. No other news at this point.   Paul is giving all the girls fits but at least he is spreading his self around. He is actively working on his eagle.

News Bulletin, Just in: Matt Bateman got his call, and he is going to Samoa. Great, Huh!

Well, truly not much else. Remember that an apology is a good way to get in the last word.