Oklahoma Trip

Dear Family, Dad said I would report on my visit to Oklahoma so here goes. The weather , for the most part, was sunny but very cold. It did rain one afternoon for a little while . Thanks to my travel agent, Dale, things went without a hitch. I got my rental car and headed for Seminole and made good time on the freeway. Upon arriving in the early afternoon I found Susan, Thomas, Natalie and Jonathan warm and cozy. The baby is tiny but making progress. Because he was jaundiced he had to go everyday for treatment but has now overcome that. I'll have Scott post on the web sight the contraption they had over his bed to put him under light.

Billy was very helpful taking Nicholas to his appointments and the other children to their various activities. He did some of the laundry and helped get the kids to bed. I appreciate all that he did for Susan and me.

I thought you would like to know a little about each one of the Choate children.

Jared: He is a tall handsome young man eager to get his driving license. He has been practicing his tennis and I believe his team starts competition soon. He has designed the logo for the team uniform. He has overcome his shyness and very involved socially. I was impressed with his expressive citing of the sacrament prayer . He attends early morning seminary and has gained a strong testimony. He likes to play the piano and has been playing music he took off the internet. He drew a great picture of me that could be titled "Cleaning 101." (I think it was a complement)

Nicholas: He is making good progress with his treatment. His hair is growing back and he able to get around the house with a walker and wheel chair. He could come to the dinner table and also played with his brothers throwing balls and directing games in the dining room, (formerly the play room). It would get quite animated in there and it was best if I didn't see what was going on. He received a chemo treatment while I was there but seemed to recover quite quickly. He is going to physical therapy three times a week and we could see improvement in his strength and appetite. He is being fitted for a foot brace which he should get this week. Susan said he went to church this past Sunday and gave a talk. He has six more treatments and the last one should be in May. He appreciates your prayers in his behalf.

Spencer: He is becoming a master cook. He was very helpful in the morning putting on breakfast for the family. He is a great help to Nicholas. He makes sure that Nicholas has something to eat and waits on him without complaint. He has given selfless service to his brother. I was very proud of him when he passed the sacrament. He takes his priesthood duties very seriously. He and tries to keep everyone happy with his cute sense of humor. He is a hard worker and was a great help to me.

Adam: Of all the Choate children, Adam reminds me of Susan. If he wants to do something he goes all out to do it. He has a great floor scrubber and bathroom cleaner. He made sure he got his homework done and was a big help to Nicholas. He was very good to Natalie and would play with her and keep her entertained. He liked to swing her around on her little pony. He enjoys watching TV and playing games with his brothers. He also likes to write stories in his notebook.

Daniel: He loves to draw pictures and arrange things. He keeps his chest of drawers in perfect order. He loves animals and would like to have a gerbil. He was a good worker and would keep the trash can empty and would sweep the porch without complaint. I took them out to eat at Long John Silvers and A & W place and he came home and drew a picture that perfectly portrayed the inside of of the restaurant.

Thomas: Thomas is a happy boy with a cute turned up smile. He loves going to pre-school and learning new things. He loves to draw and keeps busy playing with his toys and Natalie. He was a good helper and enjoyed doing his jobs including emptying the trash and sweeping the porch. He liked to set the table for dinner. He loves to be read is good at giving hugs. (We did have to do an underwear check every once in a while.

Natalie: She is a very busy little girl. She is very independent and expressive. She reminds me of Emily when Emily was little. She can be very dramatic at times and loves bossing everyone around. She likes to dress herself and is always ready to leave the house with her daddy. She loves her purses and when something is missing it is often found in one of her purses. The boys are all very good with her to make sure she is happy.

I had a wonderful visit. I had to crack the whip sometimes to get the work done but the children are all good workers.(About two days into my visit one of the boys asked when I was going home - I took it to mean they wanted to savor every minute with me, ha, ha,) I hope they remember some of the fun things we did as well as the work. We had a propulsion activity with balloons, went out to eat, trips to the store, family night, etc. Natalie loved to sing songs with me. I wish we had had more time to do that. I was also able to see Cella. She came to visit one day and brought some homemake sourdough bread and a cake as well as gifts for the baby. On the last day I went to her house and had lunch before going to the airport.

Love, Mom