May 7, 2006
Dear Family (what makes you
dear is that you will not criticize the spelling, grammar, etc),
Well, I certainly haven’t done
this for a long time. But Brent inspired
me to try to do it again. The family is
so large and so spread out that I don’t think we could keep track of everything
that goes on in each branch, but maybe this will help a little to keep us in
contact. I do think that is important
that we keep track of each other.
Let’s deal with the important
stuff first! The 4th of July
party. Food, games, and fun. Ralph and I want you to know what a privilege
we have felt it to be to have you come and enjoy yourselves here. We are so thankful to see all your little
ones playing in the back yard, like it used to be for you. If anyone has any idea how long we have been
doing this, I would love to know. The
first ones were actually on the 4th, and the grandkids were
little. There were all the years when
some of you slept overnight in our back yard after the party. And I am pretty sure we didn’t have to borrow
chairs the first years. We took all the
steaks out of one package of filet mingon that grandma had in the freezer. There were the years with illegal fireworks
and the year Gary
scared the life out of me and several others coming up through the orchard in a
sheet and shinning eyeballs. We’ve
invited a few extras trough the years; Gail’s parents, Helen, Bennions (by the
way, Faye Bennion is not doing well. She
has some alzheimers and is wandering, confusing people, even Morrey, and then
sometimes just fine). We’ve had steak every year but one, and we missed one
year. The fourth was in the middle of
the week, and you kids had begun to move away and we figured it was time to let
it go…but everyone seemed to miss it so much that the next year we did it
again.
Enough reminiscing. I am
having surgery on both my knees this summer.
They finally called a halt to my continuing to use them (or abuse) in
the current manner. I am going in on the
15th of June and then will be in the hospital/rehab most of two
weeks. So we have asked our children if
they will be the hosts and hostesses for the party and all 8 of them have
agreed.
Date: Saturday July 1st
Time: 6:30 P.M.
Place: Back yard
Food Assignments:
·
Kent’s Family: Fresh fruits and vegetables
·
Wayne’s Family: Desserts
·
Brenda’s Family:
Salads
·
Lynn’s Family: Salads
I would appreciate it if you
would talk among your own family and try not to duplicate salads within the
family. I know we may cross over between
the two families. My girls will be making a big Dutch oven of beans, and one of
potatoes.
We have a flag to retire this
year. Paul, if you are coming and would
be willing to practice taps, I would appreciate that very much.
And please, by June 21st,
please call me and give me a count of meat eaters in your family. I think we will try to have steak and chicken
again, but it is very expensive, and since all of the heads of families help
with that part, we need to try to buy an appropriate amount. Please
RSVP. You can call here and give
your name and number to the answering machine 268-0409 or you can call Anne at
685-6153. If you have little kids and a
few hot dogs would be good, say that too.
Ok, now for news. About Mom, Grandma, and Great Grandma. She is going to have a knee replacement on
May 18th, if she doesn’t chicken out. She will be in St. Marks
hospital. She should be there 4-5 days. Her
health is actually pretty good except for the arthritis. She was so pleased with all the help she got
last fall from all of us to get the yard fixed up. This year Jarom and Andrea are mowing the
lawns and Anne and Mike are taking care of her yard, so she should be ok that
way. In addition to the work we did last fall, Anne and Mike are trying to make
the yard as maintenance free as possible considering how much yard there still
is. She is going to take down Grandpa’s
rickety cement wall out in front of the house on the north side and fill that
in with grass clear to the street. It will be a lot easier to take care of. Those
of you who are familiar with the wall recognize that it has only stood there
accidentally anyway. Heaven forbid you
should try to sit on it, it falls over. In
February she went down to California
and spent some time with Aunt Lois (her sister). Ralph and I drove her down and back. She had
a good time. That’s twice in one
year! It must be some kind of a
record.
Of course the surgery on her
knee got postponed, but she is going into the hospital on June 13th. She will be in St. Marks.
Kent and Sharon’s family.
Kent and Sharon went on a
Church History Tour this spring with some friends for 10 days. They also spent a day and a half in New York. They had a great time and ran into a high
school friend of Anne’s. The world is
just weird! Anyway, after they got home,
Kent
had surgery replacing both knees. He is
doing better but is still having a lot of pain (not as much as before the
surgery). They are still living half in
LeVan and half in W.J. A lot of hours on
the road. Most of you probably know that
Sharon had a
bad accident. She rolled the
Explorer. Not her fault. Someone made a left hand turn right in front
of her on a green light. She came out
amazingly well (it was bad enough to be on the news). She is having some physical therapy on her
neck and shoulders. Sharon’s mom, Helen, has been moved down to
LeVan. She is in an assisted living
facility right close to the house and is doing very well. Cleaning out her condo has been interesting. She was a shopper! Sharon
says anyone can come stay with them.
Including Panquitch’s drama club, Kirt’s film crew, and the family, so
if you are there, stop! Join the crowd.
Alison and Curtis are building
a new house out in the dessert with the scorpions and rattlesnakes. It is a great house and you are also welcome
to spend a night with them if you are in the vicinity. Their kids are doing great. Ben has a mission call to Louisville, Kentucky. Jared is working in Flagstaff.
Katie has lost 32 lbs (Yeah for her!!!) and is happy and working and
socializing. Megan is in the ninth
grade; need we say more?
Cheryl is teaching drama at
the high school and generally keeps Panquitch’s tourish industry viable. Richard is teaching golf at SUU. Justin is in Colombia, S.C on his mission. Kyle, Josh and Breanne are all involved in
sports, drama, and anything else they can be.
Brent is still working for
Smith Hartivigson Law Firm and doing very well.
He is happy. Terri is teaching at
BYU. Zoey, Sam, Daisy, and Jeffery are
all in sports and as smart as Brent and Terri (er, almost!).
Heath is the Director of
Recreation for South Jordan and liking
it. He and Kathy are very interested in
adopting again. If you have or know of
someone who may be giving up a baby for adoption, mention that you know
someone…don’t say who or what the relationship is and call Heath and Kathy or
Grandma Bateman or Kent and Sharon.
Brent, Heath, and Jarom are
playing on a softball team and having fun, which is good, since they are
“loosing miserably”.
Kirt is still doing well at
the Clements Group and spends his extra time (not much since he travels a lot)
still doing theater. (I finally have a
grandson who will rival the best of you and he is only 3! On the 4th of July, I’ll have him
perform a tantrum and play dead for you.)
Jerry is doing theater of course and is a highly respected local
director. Kirt may have to have surgery
on his back, it is giving him a lot of trouble.
It is probably the terrible motel beds!
There are just blocks of cement with a bedspread!
Andrea and Jarom are having
their third little girl on May 11. She’s born and all is well. Emma is a little mother so she’ll be helping
Andrea. Rachel is 2. Need we say more? Jarom got a job with Novell. He begins the end of this month. Yeah!
School is over!
Just found out that Hannah,
the new baby has been in the hospital with pneumonia. But she was able to come home today (June 8,
2006). Inserted later than following material, don’t ya love computers?!
Kent and Sharon think they
have the cutest grandkids.
Ok, it is now June 6, 2006 and
I am about to pick up this letter again.
For those of you who do not know what happened to Grandma/Mom I wish you
to be enlightened about the events or more to the purpose her endurance and
character. It is about 6:00 AM and she
calls me on the phone and says, “Diana, I just wanted to let you know that I am
on my way to the hospital.” “Why”, I ask
in panic. “I’m bleeding from my bowels
quite profusely and I have been through the night and I think I better go to
the emergency room.” “Who is taking you,
I query?” “I’m driving myself.” “You can’t do that, I tell her”. “What if you pass out on the way?” “I’ll be fine.” I tell her, “Just wait for me, I will be
right down.” “You have work,” she says. I’m ashamed that I let her talk me into this
momentarily. But I call her back and
throw my clothes on and take her to Jordan
Valley. The doctors see this much blood and
“DUH!” Now she waited because she didn’t
want to drive in the dark, she wanted it to be light. I call Brenda and Wayne from the hospital who
both come, she doesn’t think Kent and Lynn need to know right now. Both Brenda and I get her settled and we go
to work. After all, what has she always
taught us? Duty, duty, duty…
As soon as I get over being
amazed and mad at her for her foolishness, I am proud she is my mother.
Wayne and RaNae’s Family.
Camille and Dustin are down
from South Dakota
for the week and visiting around. Cammy
is having another girl on the 1st of August. Dustin has received the Melchezidek priesthood and is serving as a ward
missionary.
Illnesses in the family:
·
Nathan broke his
foot, goofing around on a pocket rocket (you can imagine Grandma’s face when
she heard this) and it is having trouble healing.
·
Chad has been pretty sick, he has to have two surgeries on
his shoulders, but is doing much better
and is back to work. Both of Venus and
the babies (2) are doing great.
·
Natalie has had
two back surgeries and still has problems.
A new doctor has actually put her right down except for attending
school. She has been on home/hospital for the year but should be able to go
back to regular school in the fall.
·
Wayne had a shoulder replacement and is doing well. There are things he is still not doing, but
he can raise it above his head. He is
still coming to help Mom on Mondays. Also doing physical therapy.
Josh and Shalece are doing
great. Chad and Venus have a new house clear
out on 6200 West.
Julie and Jeff and Amy are
doing great and still living together.
Helps with babysitting. Amy got a
good job in her field, medical assisting. It is where she interned so we know
they liked her.
Ralph and I see Melissa at
Costco all the time and she is so happy and cheerful. Bob has a new job. They are doing well. Grayson is mid to high
autistic and is learning to use sign language at the Pingree School
and learning to speak. Melissa and Bob
were married in the fall of 2005.
Grandma says August, Wayne
says September
Jeff has a new job delivering
supplies for sign companies and both Jeff and Julie are both working at the
Spaghetti Factory, and Julie is in management training.
Wayne is doing very well. He misses Ranae very much. He has very hard days of course, but handling
things like a champion.
Wayne thinks he has the cutest grandkids.
Brenda and Gary’s
Family
Statistics: 15 grandchildren; oldest is
Madison (Jennifer’s), 10 ½ , and youngest is Tanner (Brad’s), just turned one
this spring. No new children currently
in the making.
Jennifer
and Randall are still in Mendon. Randy
started work at Hill Air Force Base about a year ago, and is doing so many good
things there. He works on the F16 and
others, mechanically and engineeringly–I’m not sure exactly what, but he is
innovative and motivated and has won several employee recognitions, even
awards. Jennifer is always involved in a big family history/genealogy project.
The T.P. Bateman family history she is working on now is certainly a big bite;
the new available date is now after
the reunion in August, but a first copy of it will be at the reunion to look at
and order. After Madison is Jacob, just baptized in April;
Jonathan, age 5, and Levi, 1 ½ .
Holly
and Lee are in Richfield
and loving it. They have been in their
new home for 1 ½ years; they built the great majority of it themselves. Lee has
spent most of his last work year in St. George area working on the Virgin River/flooding repair job. Nathan is their oldest, 9; then Abbie, 5, and
Nicholas, 4. Holly is Primary president,
and Lee is in scouting.
Christopher
and Allyson have built a new home (now a year old) in Wellsville; along with
Mendon and Petersboro, they are in the most beautiful stretch of rural land and
small communities on Earth! They, too,
did most of the work themselves; Chris put a lot of his art ability into the
woods in the home. Allyson just finished
her first school year doing a pre-school in her home, and she is continuing
next year, of course. The boys in this
family are doing well– Ethan, just finished first grade; Dalton, turned five in March; and Seth, will
be four in August. Chris is YM’s president, Allyson is Enrichment Leader.
Brad
and Myrissa are in Phoenix,
in their sixth year. Brad just took his (PE) Professional Engineer test, and
thinks he passed. He works for Carollo
Engineering and is almost finished with his Master’s, which will give him the water engineering specific he
wants. He would like to move out of Phoenix; Myrissa has
adjusted to the heat, but Brad hasn’t and he loves snow and cold mountain weather. They have moved once while there, across the Phoenix Valley,
and are now finishing up a big addition onto the house (no basements in Arizona!). Myrissa is involved in PTA, and community
theater (has had a couple of roles in college plays) and she’s doing some
children’s writing which she is beginning to send out to publishers. She is
currently Cub Master, and Brad is second counselor in Elders’ Quorum. Their
boys are Logan, 7; Gabriel, 6 in September: Addison, 3 last February: and Tanner, 1 last month.
Neal
and Lori have Meg, who will turn two in September. Meg’s being two won’t be able to touch the
difficult first year N & L spent with her– she was a month early and tiny
and she spent her first ten months screeching with colic, then the next four clinging
to Lori only. Ugh! We hope next baby will be easier for them.
What’s great is that Meg is completely over all those things now and is a
charming, smiling little girl! Neal teaches Seminary at Riverton High School;
he just finished his second year. They
bought a home in Eagle
Mountain (west of Levi),
and immediately put on a big deck.. Neal
was just released from Elders’ President and put in as ward Exec. Secretary.
Brenda
had a big 60th birthday party in April! Wonderful fun to hear and see the kids’
tributes, memories, children, growing family.
B. still is Stake Activities chairperson, but expects to be released
from that this summer; she just finished year 14 in school and will do two more
before retiring. Gary is 62 and continuing his work with the
11-year-old scouts (5th year).
He still works for Bodell. There is not as much in Hawaii,
the work has slowed down quite a bit there, but jobs in Gillette, Wyo.,
and here in town, and bidding new work are all keeping him busy. A mission in 5
or 6 years is part of their future plans.
They are currently living quite the ho-hum life. If something exciting happens, you’ll be the
first to know about it!
Brenda thinks she has the cutest
grandkids.
Lynn and Gail’s Family
Lynn and Gail healthy and
Strong. He has really recovered from the
hip replacement very, very well. They
simply love Levan (Navel backwards, by the way because it is in the middle of
the state). An aspirin a day makes his life great now. Gail is starting a job a Juab Title this
coming week. She does have to travel
into Nephi.
Amanda and Alan have had their
baby. It is a little girl named
Ruthanne. All is well there. She is healthy and growing. Amanda is working at Lowe’s. Alan is working at his sound and lighting
business. They are busy working at
remodeling their home.
Lori and Cory are doing very
well. Lori is a stay at home mom
now. Their baby was also a girl,
Paige. Everything is peachy keen there. Cory’s job is going well. Adam was baptized and ordained a deacon. They
are living in a great ward that is really supporting them.
Kay and Ryan have had their
baby, a boy (someone fix this sex thing!)
Someone is confusing which families need which sexes! Ryan’s job is going very well, too.
Paul and Elisa have two kids
and they have a boy and a girl. So this
is good. Paul is still working for
Praxair and Elisa is a stay at home mom, too.
Paul is going to school to be a lawyer.
Rebecca and McKell are
good. Still with one child, Caleb. Rebecca had her leg surgery in April. She also got a new hip. Even though she was so young she has had so
many surgeries that her hip was gone, gone, gone…(it are probably with the rest
of our knees). She struggled at first but is doing very well. She is back to work now. And if you remember, she had just lost her
job at Christmas, but she was able to get a new one in good time. She is
putting diamond bits in giant drills.
Like oil drilling stuff.
The kids love to go to Levan
and be with Gail and Lynn, besides, Mom and Dad foot the bill.
Gail and Lynn think they have
the cutest grandkids.
Ralph and Diana’s Family
Gosh, we are so boring! Nothing is happening to us. Did we have the new sand in the sand box on
the 4th last year. That was a
highlight of our year! Oh, Robyn is in
beauty school, she and Jenn are always talking shop. Michael and Robyn are
trying to save money and so we asked them if they would move into the basement
so that they could help us with a few projects this summer. Really, new sand should not be the highlight
of your year!
All the boys’ jobs are going
very well. Mark is still with Medicity,
Michael with Discovery Research, Mike with Fidelity, and Dustin at Orwell. None of them are appreciated to the fullest extent
that Ralph and I believe should be the case, but at least they are not being
neglected by their companies. They have
all received recognition in some way and so we are proud of them.
No one is pregnant in our
family, including me. This is somewhat
of a problem, because it is pretty hard for me not to spoil the ONLY girl! (It
is not not a problem for me not to be pregnant!) I’ve explained to the girls
that I had my turn, now get busy. Anne
and Mike’s Jonathan does have sleeping issues, but I have assured her that what
goes around comes around and look at her, she’s finally sleeping through the
night! Actually, part of the problem is
that he has had reflux and that has been miserable. But he’s on his way up!
Mark and Jenn moved into a new
old house. Kaitlyn has always had some
skin issues (our family has issues) and when she moved into the bedroom in the
house her skin just erupted horribly. She cried and cried and putting the
medicine on stung like crazy and it breaks your heart to have her crying and
begging you not to put the medicine on. But it didn’t get better. The room the twins were sleeping in had had
dogs in it. Dr. Jackson said that she
had to be moved out of that room. Well,
what we did was all dig in and help them totally strip the bedroom to the
framing and redo it. It looks so cute,
Jenn is a good decorator. And Kaitlyn’s skin is better. In the
meantime, Sara and Dustin were ready to put in their front lawn and so everyone
was also helping with that, and then we had major leaks in our sprinkling
system (UNDER THE PATIO, of course) and
since we thot none of you wanted to eat in the middle of the desert with weeds
for your view (why will weeds grow when EVERYTHING else dies?) we had better
get them fixed and in fixing them we cut the BIG electrical wire running across
the yard and everyone was helping with that project, and all of those happened
about the time we were tearing Ralph’s work room to pieces and then we had to
move Michael and Robyn. Phew…it has been
a crazy spring.
Mike and Anne are living above
grandma and helping her. Sara is working as a massage therapist in a
chiropractic office on 90th South and Redwood. Robyn has a new job (while she is going to
school) working in a real estate office.
I am getting a reading endorsement, cuz I’m not a highly qualified
teacher (spit, snarl) (which has nothing
to do with how good a teacher you are!).
I am teaching Drama and
reading. I am loving the Drama and it
brings back all the wonderful memories of the plays you oldest grandkids did
for me, and the fun we had. I produced
the melodrama I wrote for you kids for the school play this year. Of course, it has gone through two and a half
(after I held tryouts there was a kid I just couldn’t pass up, but no part for
him, so over that weekend I wrote in a new role) revisions since then. Those days were such fun and I have very
sweet memories of practices on the lawn and performances at dusk.
AND, I have the cutest grandkids!
All my love (and all
disclaimers for spelling, grammar, misuse of words, not making sense, etc),
Aunt Diana
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