MOM & DAD'S COMPUTER UP & RUNNING

After almost two months we finally have our computer going - and thanks to George for showing us how to get on this blog. We don't even know what a "blog" is but we sure hope it get's all of the family staying in touch.

We enjoyed our winter trip to Idaho for Christmas and enjoyed being with Shawn and Susan and their sweet kids. They have quite an addition going on to their home and we hope some of you will be able to see it this summer, either before or after the reunion.

After Idaho we spent a few days in Salt Lake and stayed with Gayle and Jack. we enjoyed a quick lunch at the Red Robin with Phil, Andrea and Elle and saw (from a distance) the new Oquirrh Temple. One evening was spent at dinner with Mom's sisters and their husbands (Uncle Tom was sick and unable to come).

We then met David and his family at the Salt Lake Temple where we went thru a session with Kyle. It's been many years since we've been to the SL Temple and we enjoyed being there with Kyle. He went into the MTC the next day and we headed for home taking the southern route through Moab (where we stopped and visited for a few minutes with your counsin and our nephew, Brian Ballard. We made it home in two days and had dry roads the whole way.

When we got home, Mom had a terrible pain in her abdomen and she was taken, at 4:30 AM, by ambulance to St John's Hospital where she was diagnosed with Kidney stones. They gave her morphine for pain and a few days later she had out-patient surgery (no incisions) to have them removed. It took her another week to gain her strength and she is now back to normal.

Tomorrow we leave for our two weeks at the OKC Temple and looking forward to it. Today at church, Sister Hickman came up to Mom and said her friend had called her from Salt Lake and asked her if she knew any Richins in Tulsa. Her friend works in the baptistry at the Jordan River Temple. She said she met sweet young lady who was there doing baptisms for the dead and she went with her to the Cafeteria for a bite to eat. Sister Hickman's friend said this young lady's name was Elle and she had relatives in Tulsa.

Elle, you made a very good impression on this sister and we are proud of you. We love all of you and look forward to seeing you soon.

Grandma & Grandpa