Nuna, Throughout the Years---part 1

A letter to me from my mom on my birthday:

HAPPY, HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY,

It is hard for me to really believe that you are 50 and yet there are so many memories that it has to be 50 years to have them all.

You were born in the American Fork Hospital...the old one and Dr. Talmage Thompson was our Doctor. You came about a month early and I believe weighed 6# 8 oz. Not real big, but not real little either. I think it was because Dr. Thompson remembered the trouble we had when Mark was born that he decided because you were early that you should be put in a heated bassinet.

We were, expecially me, delighted that we had a baby girl. And in those days you didn't know until you came what the baby was going to be. I had worked at the Hospital as a Dietitian so you had a group of admirers from day one. I had so much fun of putting dresses on you every day. Your Dad and your brothers were also very proud of you.

You were only 6 months when we moved from Pleasant Grove to Provo (1020 E. 3rd N.)

This would be your home until 1963. This home was right across from the St. Francis Catholic School. A private school run by Catholic Nuns. I know it was twice that you made your way over there and the Nuns and the students were so excited to have a little one to get excited over.

You didn't start to walk until you were about 15 months. The way you would get around was to sit on your seat and put one foot out and then bring it toward you and this would hitch you forward. You could really hitch around quite fast, and you wore the seat of your pants out fast, it was hard to hitch with a dress on. We had a sand pile in the backyard and you and the boys played in this a lot.

Denise was born when you were about 2 years. You thought that she was your dolly and thank goodness babies can take a lot because you managed to be quite the little mother.

Sometimes when I was taking care of Denise you would take off...sometimes I would find you around the block at this older woman's home (I can't remember her name, but she was a widow and she liked to grow irises). She loved to have you come visit and always gave you a treat. You also loved to visit with Ann Thayne who lived just two houses west of ours. Ann and Rick would be two people who you got to know well as Rick like to take pictures of you!

He was the one who took your wedding pictures

and the special one of you and Alisha.

One time I couldn't find you anywhere on the block, nor at the Catholic School...and I was really getting worried when I saw you come down 9th East all by yourself with a stuffed white rabbit. You and I walked back up to the IGI Store and gave it back. The store man said that he had seen you come in and look at all the stuffed animals, and pick out the one, but he couldn't make himself go and take it away from a little girl. I guess you had seen me go in and bring out stuff...and you didn't realize you had to pay for things.

We moved from that house and spent one summer in a big story BYU home. You and Denise each had a bed of your own. This house had a long flight of stairs and all of you became very good at sitting on your seats and just slipping down the stairs. After this we moved to Bellaire, Texas while Dad got his Doctorate at Rice University. We rented a house at 4355 Effie Street and this would be our home for 3 years. It was a dead end street so we didn't have a lot of traffic and you kids could play all around.

You had friends on the street, I can't remember the two little girls that you played with a lot, They weren't Mormons, but were good people. But your best friends were the Davis's. Although they were all boys you played a lot with them. This is where you started school and Harts Elementary School. (I believe this was the name) You went to kindergarten

and first grade.

In first grade you went to a special class because you did not say your "r"s right...now you live where everyone says their r's like that! One memory at this time was when you had the chicken pox. You had had a flu type sickness right before you came down with the chicken pox. I believe this was why you got such a terrible case of chicken pox. You were covered everywhere, all over your outside skin, the soles of your feet, on your little palms, your mouth and you were so sick. I just held you and kept a damp towel wrapped around you. Sister Simons came and thought you had the small pox. I called the Doctor and he came to the house. He said it was a very bad case of the chicken pox, but it was chicken pox. What surprises me is that you were not scarred!

We came back to Provo and you went to 2nd grade at Joaquin School. You were good friends with Diana Walker and you had spent the night with her when I went to the hosptial and had Susan Kay. Then is when you started your lifelong journey of being a 'mother'. It was shortly after this that we moved to 590 East in Orem. You were in the third grade when we moved. Once you came home and told me that you had to move each day because they didn't have a desk for you! It was the next day that I was at that school and you had a desk of your own. For the next three years you were at Scera Park and you like school...the teachers all loved you and you did well. In the next years you remember more about things than I do.

Now you know how it is to have your babies grow up and away from you. It is a comfort to see they can take care of themselves...have babies (Oh, when you had Alisha I just wished I could do it for you...because I knew how to do it), work out difficult situations and it is also a comfort to know that they still like to come home to Mom and Dad. Not to stay, but to just be with them.

I believe that you are more loved now than ever, loved as a daughter, but also a s a friend. I love to visit with you on the phone but am so excited that you will be coming out.

This will not make it to you on your birthday. I was going to write something on the other side of your card...then decided to tell a few memories. That is always eaiser to do on the computer where you can read and correct and insert...

You are very much loved. Mom