May 2014
Dear Family,
It’s been so long since I have written that I don’t remember quite how to do it.
It’s been great to be with all of you a couple of times even it one time was for Mama’s funeral. I
still can’t quite wrap my head around that one. She still feels so present and real. I guess that is one of
the beauties of the Church, knowing they are still near and very much alive. I am so grateful for that. I love you all so much and have appreciated being there to help clean and hopefully be of some help.
Burton always said if the house was full he could just go sleep in the shop. Guess what, those
cockroaches changed his mind forever!
Farming is in full swing. All the corn except the sweet corn, is all planted. The wheat is growing
and sweet corn will be in soon. Today if Burton gets his way. This year the onions were planted as sets instead of seed, one and a half million plants. That is a lot of being really close to the dirt. There is not a machine in this area. They were planted by volunteers in less than a week. Thank goodness for good people. There were more than a few who claim they didn’t plant any weeds so they won’t have to come back when it is time to weed. But, they will come back. Good people.
We have had some other sad times. Liz’s grandma, who we knew well, passed in either Feb or
Mar. Then in April, Burton’s younger brother, the one Nancy’s age passed away. Laray had lived a hard life, alcohol, smoking and failed marriages. In the last couple of years however, he decided to go back to church and even went to the temple. Some of his children, in fact, most of them did not understand how he was dressed but he earned the right because of the Atonement to be buried in his temple clothes. Now we pray he will be able to learn all the things he may have missed on earth. I think that is what all of will do in Heaven.
Jed’s family had quite a time of sickness this winter. Hopefully that will change now that the sun
shines some days. They are looking to paint and get some new flooring in their house the spring/
summer. The carpet in their house was pretty worn when they moved in and they have been there 11
years. I hope it all works out. The girls are busy with school and clogging right now. They started
clogging about a year plus ago and learned so fast that they are on a competition team, and the team
wins a lot! Tycen had a hard time enjoying school but I think he got it. Zach will finish preschool in a
week or so and Brynlee keeps everyone on their toes.
Angela is once again counting the days. Testing has been a joke so far at her school but I guess
they will find a way. She well spend her summer finishing up project in and out of her house and in the fall will start year round school on D track. Hope she gets a trip or two in also.
Shayla’s family finished up their bedroom project and now are on to other projects. Tyler works
and travels for work. Kolten has started showing up at work now that there is some work to do. He even gave up a horse riding trip to stay and help on the farm so Burton could go to his brother’s funeral.
Bridger may be helping on the farm this summer, Kelsie plays soccer and Bryson plays.
Rob stays busy with work and fir fighting. He’s the chief .Not bad since he lives across the
street. Liz works for Garland City and subs in the schools. Morgan will be on the dance team again next year. Wyatt spent time wrestling, don’t know if that goes on in the summer. Kassidy and Kache keep themselves busy.
Mark was made a supervisor at his job and now gets a salary instead of being paid hourly. Julie
does great work doing fund raisers in Brigham and Tremonton I think. She is on some kind of board at the hospital. I don’t see their kids much, I really need to get over my fear of driving on the freeway and go visit. The girls are still cute and the boys are too and they all keep Mom and Dad busy. They have purchased pigs and are starting to get them ready for the fair. I don’t know if Julie is cooking them pancakes yet.
Charlene always has something new and this has brought us to looking at her wheelchair yet
again. If all goes well, she will have a new one by the end of the summer. This time she has chosen pink as her preferred color.
Kyle and Charise keep working and trying to keep with active children. I keep telling Kyle to
enjoy them as they grow so fast. They have announced and this may still be a secret that #4 will come in October. That will give our family 6 October birthday’s I think.
Ben has finished another term of school and got good grades. They have moved to a little house
farther from school and work but the only walls they share are garage walls and no one lives under them and play loud music. I hope it is a good area for them. Ben says he is trying to change his work schedule so he can have Sunday’s off which would be good because they now live to far away from Church for LeighAnn and the girls to walk.
Well, I hope I remember everyone. I don’t know what I do these days except whine and make
Burton’s life harder than it should be. I just have to make sure with all the farming that he remembers
me! I love you all, pray constantly for Darlene and Gale, and hope all the rest have health and all else
they need.
Love,
Johnsons, Cooks and Johnsons
November 2013
Dear Family,
Happy Anniversary to me and Burton, 45 years. People this young could not be married that
long! Only old grandpas and grandmas are married that long. Seems like Mama and Daddy just had
their 50th
.
Farming is kind of over for this year. People ask me what Burton is doing now that farming is all
done. Obviously not farmers or their wives. Now we get land and equipment ready for next year and
plan and prepare and study out why some crops were good and why others were not and how can we
make it all better next year. And you help your children with all their problems and projects.
Jed called Burton one evening this week and asked for help. He was stranded on the freeway
and his car would not start. Burton went and towed him home. Found out yesterday it was a broken
timing belt. Jed’s family has been having sick tummies and colds. Ashlyn turned 13 on the 8th
Mckayla will be performing in their Jr. High’s production of Beauty and the Beast later this month.
Angela is painting in her spare time (ha ha). Burton and I have been trying to help. She hopes to
move into her new home next week. She is really glad when Sunday comes and she can sleep all day.
Shayla’s family have had three birthdays this month. Kolten turned 17, Bridger 14 and Bryson 9.
Bridger was also ordained a teacher on the 13th
bedroom. Been working on that room since May. We haven’t helped with their painting. They like it to
be better than we can do.
Rob and Liz stay busy working and keeping up with their little ones, who are not so little any
more. Morgan is on the High School dance team and Wyatt wrestles.
Beautiful Baylee was baptized and confirmed by her father on November 2nd
Carson gave talks on baptism and the Holy Ghost. It was a nice meeting. Mark and Julie stay busy.
Charlene has the cast off her leg but we put an ace bandage on it to make her feel okay. She is
wrestling with her congestion. Some days are better than others but we are about ½ step ahead of it
right now. It takes a lot of watching and treating.
Kyle can now officially give legal advice and add Esq. to his name. He was sworn in as an
attorney in late October. He will continue on in the job he has and use his legal skills in compliance,
updating contracts and being able to legally sign them. Charise continues to work 2 nights a week and
their happy little ones just stay busy.
Ben called us just before Jed did and told us his car had been towed to the Ford dealership
because it quit. His problem is a little more costly. It’s a blown engine. Trying to decide what to do
there for sure. Burton went up and towed it to their house. Now he will go up and tow it to our house
to see if it’s worth putting a new engine in.
. She and
. They are also painting and getting new carpet in their
. Hunter and
Well, that’s our month and the starting of this one. I was honored to make a dress for Baylee
and she seemed to like it. Other than that I grumble and pace around the house. I just had my regular
blood test and though my blood sugar was okay my pancreas was not so I am off my shots and taking
another pill. I have to go back in 2 weeks to see if my blood and pancreas like this one. My stomach
doesn’t hurt as bad but my blood sugar is a little higher. So time will tell.
We love you all and hope everyone is healthy and happy.
Love to all,
Johnsons, Cooks, and Johnsons.
October 2013
Dear Family,
I guess it’s Fall. We didn’t get any of the snow and very little of the rain this last week, but it is
colder. The harvest is all done here on our farm, the geese are flying over (not landing at our house
again this year) and fall work is starting. The main thing is getting wheat planted and then the other
fields prepared for spring. Everything did pretty well despite not enough water and plenty of heat. We
hope for lots of snow in the mountains this winter.
Jed and his family are busy as usual. The girls are busy with school, the Jr. High production of
Beauty and the Beast and clogging. Tycen is still trying to adjust to first grade, Zach loves preschool and
Brynlee is just busy.
Angela sold her trailer and is in the process of buying a house. She is staying with us until it is all
finished. She will want to do some painting and fixing before she moves in so she will probably be here
until November. I knew teachers had to do a lot of work outside of school, but I have never seen it
before. Teachers are not paid enough.
At Shayla’s house there is still a lot of hunting going on. Tyler and the boys have been gone a lot
but I think they are about done. The work they have been doing in their house is not quite done yet.
She will be happy when it’s done.
Liz has got a job at their city hall and still does subbing at the schools in Garland. Rob is fire Chief
and works full time. Morgan is on the school dance team and the others stay busy. Malena will turn
twenty this month. It will be nice to be able to wish her happy birthday for the second time in her life.
Julie is in charge of a tree festival and a bazar. I think it has something to do with the hospital in
Tremonton. Mark works and the kids are busy. Baylee will be baptized in November and so I am trying
to translate a picture into a dress.
Charlene’s leg seems to be healing and we have been okayed to get some medicine for her
osteoporosis but her fall chest stuff seems to be starting. It’s early for that but I guess you deal with
what you have to deal with.
Kyle took and passed the bar exam and will be sworn in as an attorney in a couple of weeks.
They are all moved into their house and have one of their projects finished in the house. Kyle plans to
keep working where he is and use his law skill in the contracts and such that they use.
Ben is still in Logan trying to keep up with school and full time work and taking care of himself.
LeighAnn and the girls are in Missouri visiting her family. Her sister from Chicago has been there, her
brother left on a mission and she had a birthday. The girls are growing and learning new things. They
have had a good time.
We are enjoying conference. So many good talks. So much to think about. I have tried to take
some notes and am eager for the Ensign so I can read and think about it all again.
love you all,
September 2013
Dear Family,
First, thanks to Geri and Jerry for a fun time together. The food and together times were my
favorites, the cold not so much, but it got better!
Well you all know Charlene hurt her knee at the reunion (she had help). We stopped at the
doctor’s office on the way home. He x-rayed and said it was just going to be sore for a few days. It was
black and blue from the knee nearly to the ankle. After 2 ½ weeks she finally went back to “work” for a
week and a half. The next Sunday she had a horrible day so the next day we went back to the doctor
wondering if it was her hip. He x-rayed her pelvis, hip, and above and below the knee. He says she does
have a condition in her left hip that comes to people who set a lot. But the real problem is that her right
leg is broken, both bones, at the knee. She looked at us and in her own way smiled and said, “I told you
it hurt!” The doctor went back to the first x-rays and they don’t show the break but said maybe it was a
hairline fracture that got worse because of our need to pick her up and move her. She feels better now
that it is stabilized, not free from pain but better. We also think she may have had Shingles on her
elbow and behind. She has been miserable!! Her miserable parents feel really bad (I can’t say stupid)
because we got so tired of her whining that we told her to be quiet! “ Parent of the Year Award!!!
This has been the summer of the move. We moved Ben and LeighAnn to our house in May and
then to Logan in July. We moved Kyle and Charise from Syracuse to Kaysville a couple of weeks later.
And Now we have moved Angela from Layton to our house until she finds a house to buy. I say We but
it is mostly Burton with the help of Shayla and children, Mark and Angela and of course those who were
moving. I had good intentions but remember I had the whining Charlene at home.
Ben and LeighAnn seem to be doing all right and settling into Logan. He changed Jobs because
the one he had wouldn’t give him enough hours. He is trying to be the grown-up. He will succeed one
day. Kyle took the Bar Exam in July. Now results yet. Mark also hurt his leg at the reunion but he won’t
go to the doctor so Julie told him to stop whining. Their pigs didn’t do so well at the fair but Mark’s boss
buys them so they did all right at the end. Rob and Liz’s kids do sheep for the fair and they didn’t do so
well but they made money also. Shayla and family stay busy. It is hunting season you know. They spent
last weekend trying to decide where to find Elk (I think) So they can hunt this week. A special treat for
the boys. Angela is off to a new year and it’s been quite hard with moving and all. Hopefully she can
catch up on sleep before she has to do it again. Jed and family went on a trip to St. George and stayed
in the pink house. They had a good time seeing the sights and resting or playing. Now its time for all the
little ones to be off to school and maybe the Mom’s will find time to catch up or maybe take a nap!!
Farming is moving along. The sweet corn is gone and the onions are being lifted. Grain corn is
not many days away. Burton’s health has worried me some. While moving Angela he was so dizzy and
had very little energy. Angela said she had never seen him set so much. Well, I made him go back to the
doctor and it’s blood pressure. He has always had high blood pressure and recently the doctor changed
his meds because it seemed to be low. Well, the meds he gave him also made his body give up it’s
water so he was dehydrated. Now he is on a new, new medicine and feeling much better.
I really enjoyed my few days in St. George, being with Mama. I don’t do it enough so I don’t do
it right so Jeanie came and helped me. It was so nice to go to the Temple with Jeanie and Darlene. I
hope to come again. Next time I will be smarter and will know what to cook and what to do to help
Mama. (Today marks four years since my Cancer surgery. Glad that’s over)
I love you all so much. I wish I was closer and could share more times with all of you. We are
so blessed to be a family and have such wonderful parents. Today is the anniversary of Daddy’s passing
and I still miss him. I’m sure we all do.
Well, Love to all For now.
Johnsons, Cooks and Johnsons
