Dear Ones:
This has been a rather quiet one, but busy for me. No trips overseas, not one new grandchild or great-grandchild, but a couple of the latter on the way. One grandson missionary is home, but two more remain, and two more will leave within six months. It is a great joy to watch their development as they teach the Gospel to others.
We had a terrible winter last year, but Christmas was wonderful with all my family together, except one, at a lodge up Hobble Creek Canyon. About 33 in all. The snow was so deep, we had to be pulled in by Steve’s 4-wheel drive, but it was a never to be forgotten Christmas.
I have continued on as Cultural Refinement teacher in the Relief Society and this year has been a real challenge to make them come alive. At the first of the year, I took over as President of the then Women’s Division of the Provo Chamber of Commerce. It has since been changed to Civic Improvement Division so men can join and the change over didn’t help the gray hairs on my head. It was a dire struggle but all is fine now.
My summer was busy mostly keeping the highway warm going from here to California. Spent April caring for Joan and Dick’s boys while they went to Europe. Then in July, Marilyn called me frantically asking if I would come down and play for her Roadshow which is always a Broadway production. ME PLAY FOR HER ROADSHOW! She must have been double desperate. Bur, I did and hammered out bits of 24 patriotic songs and was so engrossed in trying to keep my fingers in the right place that I never did really see the show, but I hear it was great and they won. I returned to Provo for three days for the then Women’s Division ‘Trash to Treasure’ sale, and then back to California for my sister, Donna’s, retirement parties on July 31, which were fun.
Back to Provo for a couple of weeks and then, you guessed it, back to California to go to Canada with my daughter, Marilyn and her family, Joan and her boys and Donna. We had a lovely trip in their motor home, going north in California, Oregon, Washington, the Island of Victoria in Canada where we got stuck for two days with a Canadian ferry strike, then across Canada and ending up going down to Yellowstone Park for a delightful time and then home to Provo.
Much of the Fall has been spent rooting our football team into No. 1 in the ratings. A big first. When we got up yesterday morning (we meaning Provo’s population, there was a big white #1 on the mountain by the Y.
My family is all well and I am thankful for them and their lives. Rich directing his symphony and Linda writing music. Joan and Dick trying to keep up with their ’gaggle’ of sons, three of which either have been recently, are or will be on missions. Marilyn and Chris with one missionary and another to go in April and trying to get used to being alone in their home for the first time. Their hilarious younger son, Mark, commented to his parents, “Now you can run around the house in your underwear!”
Steve and Cheryl doing beautiful thing in the remodeling of their beautiful home and keep up with their six girls.
May this find you happy, in good health, and enjoying this joyous season. Love, Klea
(While reading this, Joan made the comment that 1974 was the year before she married Dick. She wondered if the Christensen’s went on another trip. They didn’t. Mother may have gotten the years mixed up.)