It was a challenge to me having another child in the house but the children seemed to enjoy Peter's friendship. The most difficulty I remember is trying to have a Family Home Night without a lot of wiggly children and mayhem, but we did try and they all loved conducting or performing, just not listening.
I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when I caught Peter kissing Linda in a very grown up way. Someone said they all lived in a huge room together on the Indian reservation and he had probably learned things my children didn't need to know yet.
One thing I learned from Peter which I did for years when it was cold was this. He would wrap himself snuggly in a blanket (he preferred an afghan I had) before crawling under the sheets. It is much warmer!
At any rate, the next year he did live with the Riries. They had two boys. While he was there I was the cub leader of his and John's group. Maria did not like going into Sunday School and so I often had to sit in her class with her and John was resisting baptism. John also felt he didn't need to go to Primary because he heard the same thing every year. Being a Mom was a challenge to me and with Richard's work and church job it seemed he was never home enough. The picture in the dining room says a lot. I took mothering and everything else very serious and I never felt quiet adequate. Looks like the children were happy, though. Richard must have taken the picture, do not know why I did not smile.
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| Grumpy Look on me. I remember one night I had gone to bed early because of the pain in my legs when I was pregnant. I heard something downstairs and I was sure there was an interloper in the house. I stood at the top of the stairs with a pillow in hand, very much full of fear, ready to protect the children if anyone came upstairs. Of course, they didn't, but I did not like being alone so much. |
Richard was rarely there for our early supper so I would always put a plate for him in the oven. Linda or Maria especially loved to sit with him when he finally had his supper and he always had fun things to say to them.
But I must say Richard was always ready to take us on an outing. Trips to Big Bear, Las Vegas, Zoo, Sea World, Bay, Beach, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, he always was ready to go as long as it was on the weekend. One trip the girls especially loved was when Jimmy was a baby he took the three other children by himself to Las Vegas and took the girls to look for television stars at the hotels. They were able to meet "Jeannie" and Bill Cosby. Richard made life fun for the children.
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We also had a very fun young married's group in 7th Ward and the Moncriefs had children the same age as ours. This meant beach and bay trips and other excursions, even Disneyland.
We really had a lot of fun outings and trips when out children were little.
We really had a lot of fun outings and trips when out children were little.
We had decided to have some woodworking done in our family room/kitchen and it looked very nice. Very warm and cozy. I also loved the living room which was off by itself and quite formal. John later got the love seat, table, and piano and I gave the couch to our cleaning lady when we replaced them with the couches I still have today. We liked living on the cul de sac with lots of friends so near.
