Letter to Kathy Hellberg

Wrote this up-date letter to Kathy Hellberg after she wrote me a birthday card...

Kathy:

I am thanking you for several things.  #1 gift card to Amy and Dan. It was a delightful wedding and we had a good time.  I was so relieved to have it all done and that it didn't rain on the outdoor reception. 

#2 Birthday card and wishes to me and update on your family!  It was great to hear about your grandsons and your girls & spouses.  I intend to bring Jim out there one day so he can meet all of you and enjoy a vacation as I did (now long ago).
#3 Your email address which I believe is new from the one I had.  I had my email hacked about 6 months ago and although I wrote a letter to my email friends I never got around to mailing it.  Therefore I haven't had an email for you and like you do not spend time on facebook.
I thought I would fill you in on our latest:
We have opened a cute little shop and cafe in Cedar City.  It is a fun venture for me - I am patterning it after a New Hope kind of shop.  I take in consignment items that involve things from antiques to handcrafted items.  I never know what will come in next and my greatest fun is to decorate them on the shelves, tables etc. that I have.  I also make fudge that we sell in all kinds of flavors - maplenut, chocolate pecan, island rocky road, butterscotch penuche, pistachio... you give us an idea and we'll try it.  Jim is the inventor and he does very well in his creations.  I also make goodie baskets and have fun putting those together. 

Besides the shop is also the cafe which has been a huge success for lunchtime crowds.  We mostly make sandwiches and use a foccacia (seasoned) bread for things like pulled turkey w/ jalepeno raspberry jam, chicken salad, BLT, etc.  Or we do a variety of grilled cheese on sourdough:  3 cheese w/sliced asian pear, 3 cheese w/ bacon and guacamole.  We also do a lot of grilled sandwiches like The Thunderbird which is on a hogie bun with grilled chicken, bell pepper, mushroom, onion and cheese w/ lettuce, tomato and red onion; or the Philly which is similar accept w/ beef... plus several others like a Ruben, hot pastrami, loaded pastrami.
It has been fun to try new sandwiches out and see how people like them.  We have some great salads and wraps as well.  In a central Utah small town we are something unique and people are enjoying our menu.

So obviously that is keeping us busy, busy, busy. 

John is working with us.  He moved here from Florida when he and his wife were divorced 2 years ago.  She decided she didn't want to do the fulltime mom thing and went back to Alaska to go to school.  He brought his 3 kids here and is doing very well.  I am working hard to find him a new wife! He has one girl Natalie who is now 12, Jack who is 8 and Andy who is 6. 

Dave also works for us while going to school.  I think he has one more year because he keeps changing his major. Dani works for a dentist here in town - she got her degree in business two years ago.  Amy worked for us as well but will move to Provo Utah while her husband finishes up school there at UVU

Laura and her family are in Salt Lake where her husband is getting his MBA at the University of Utah in finance.  They have two cute little kids - Sheylani who just turned six and will go to first grade and Donovan who will be two in October.
We enjoy seeing them as often as we can and Amy and Laura will just be about 45 minutes apart...they are very good friends so this will be great to them.

Mike is in Wyoming and still going to school.  He drives a school bus and I think would love to do that the rest of his life if he could... He is aiming towards and degree in business as well.  His wife, Liana, is the sweetest thing.  She also is working on a degree in family therapy and works at their local hospital.  She would quit it all in a minute if she could get pregnant but hasn't been able to yet.  They will have been married 4 years in August.

Jim is still in North Las Vegas where he still works for the same law firm he has been with for 8 or so years.  His kids are growing up:  Marien 15, Clayton will be 14 in August, and Kathryn is 11.  Clorinda keeps busy tutoring math and getting the kids to all of their activities since Las Vegas has a school system where the kids can go to magnetic schools that focus on certain curriculums - Marien goes across town to a Rancho for medical prep. something or other.  Clayton went to another special school in Henderson which is in the other direction... Kathryn will start middle school this year but I believe that both she and Clayton will be staying in their "neighborhood" schools this year.

Pete is in Houston.  I went to visit them in May.  Pete works for Shell Oil.  They just had their fourth baby this last month - June 26th. He was 3 weeks early so it was great he came and Pete and their daughter Abbie (8) were able to come for Amy's wedding. They have 4 children:  Jeremy (10), Abbie, Ben (5) and new little Oliver Charles.  Pete's wife Tara is amazing and takes great care of the kids and their home.  It is always fun to visit them - she takes such good care of us!  Abbie will be baptized in August and the baby will be blessed so both Jim and I are going for a few days.

Jay is finishing up at animation school (online) where he has been working for the last 18 mos.  He is hoping to find a job in animation anywhere!  He has been designing t-shirts since he got his degree in fine art 8 years ago for a tshirt company called Duck Company.  He has also taught classes at the university here in Cedar but wants to move into this new opportunity.  They are looking forward to a move somewhere.  He and Sara have 6 children:  Mackenzie (12), Tara (10) twins Jaykob and Jayson (9) Anna (4) and Tommy (2)  Sara is a great mom and does all the homemaker stuff like great desserts, homemade bread.  I like living by her, we have a good time together - got pedicures for my birthday even!

Might also mention that I hear from Kelly now and then.  She is living in Iowa now and managing a museum.  She said she is working 60 hour weeks but I think she likes it.  Both of her girls live nearby.  Cammie and her husband, and Bronwynne and her baby, Taryn, who is about 8 mos. old - I think she lives with Kelly and Mike.

So look what your letter brought you....  Thanks for writing. 

Let's keep in touch!!!

Love you forever - Kathy