November - December 1983 - calendar notes and postcards

November 1983

4 - Lynette Hospital?

9 - State Tournament?

9 - Club

17 - LuAnn's surgery?

21 - start minking

22 - I.R.S.

November 1983 - We both worked in the mink at Lyle Porter's farm.

November 8, 1983 (postcard from Mark Dickson on his trip to DC)

Dear Gwen and Rog,  It's really fun and somewhat different than I expected.  Washington D.C. is really "Bogus"!  c/ya at home.
Mark

December 12, 1983 (postcard from Lee and Veloy)

Dear Amanda and Zac and parents.  
We went to the zoo today and saw allot of animals.  Allot of snakes too.  A big bear waved at us.  It is really nice and we have seen allot of country.  Probably stay in Escondido tonight.  Don't think we will make it to Palm Springs. Take good care of Erika, Mark and Tonya.  Love Grandma and Grandpa Dickson

December 1983

10 - Bakery Christmas party

14 - Club

21 - Dentist gwen

December 1983 - We bought a NEW 1983 Chevy Citation.

June - July 1983 - from my journal and calendar notes

June

Summer Rog and Layne went to Palm Springs to work hanging sheetrock for Parson's Drywall

4 - Party at Verl's park

5 - Darrin's birthday

7 - SET up ramp for fashion show?

8 - fashion show?

15 - Doctor appt.

16 - send cards to Rog

18 - CLEP

June - Roger quit the oil rigs in Wyoming.

1983 - (Note from Rog, he was in Palm Springs sheet-rocking with Layne, and LuAnn, Gwen, Linda, and Joni had gone down to visit him and had headed home)  I love you and the kids.  You have only been gone 3 hours and I miss you.  Give Mandy and Zac a big kiss and a hug.  It won't be too bad.  I will be home soon.  Take good care of everything.  I know you will.  We are just going to bed now.  Wish I was with you.  I am not much of a writer, so I hope you can read it.  I bet the kids will forget me.  Spend a lot of time at your mom's.  It will make the time go by faster.  I hope your ride home was not too bad. Well, better go to sleep now.  Write me soon, and call.  Tell everyone hello.  I love you all.  Love you hubby

June 1983 (Father's Day)

Dear Rog, I miss you so bad, and wish you were home.  But we're doing fine and the kids still ask about you.  We are all sitting down right now, and the kids are drawing for you on their card.  Amanda says "My daddy will be so happy"  We hope you are fine and the heat isn't bothering you too much.  If you decide that maybe we should move out, that will be okay.  What ever happens, it will all work out.  I miss you at night especially.  I'm always wondering what you're doing. The years may come, the years may go, and times may change it's true.  But time will never, change the love, within my heart for you!  We miss and love you a whole bunch.  Hurry home, but be careful.  Love Gwen and kids.

July 1983 -  (Birthday card to Rog, from Dawna)

Roger D. Rich

% Phillip R. Parsons

31370 S. N.

Eljay Ave.

Cathedral  City, Ca  92276

Dear Roger, You sure have a cute family.  I'm sorry I didn't get to see you while I was in Utah, but I got thoroughly acquainted with your little family.  You can sure be proud of them.  Have you decided yet whether the whole family is going to move to Palm Springs, Calif.?  If so, when?  They can move, just as long as they are back in Utah next year when I make my annual visit. (ha-ha)  The weather here is very humid right now, but we have been going to the beach to make up for it.  Well, I had better close for now.  The pictures I took in Utah really came out good.  I sent a set to Grandma Tonks.  You'll have to go up and see them.  Take care and write when you get a chance.  Dawna

July 1983

1 - Camp

2 - Kris wedding

7 - Inservice

8 - Roger started working back at Wonder Bread

9 - Keith's wedding

13 - Lagoon

14 - Amanda Dentist

15 - Register for college?

16 - Demo derby

17 - White family party

18  - Swimming lessons

21 - Joni to Soda Lake

22 - Camp at Hardscrabble

24 - Randy broke his back on the 3-wheeler at Hardscrabble

February - May 1983 - calendar notes

February 1983

8 - Zac's first haircut?

14 - Bought a 1977 yellow and white Chevy Blazer

19  - ACT test (for my college?)

21 - SKI

22 - SKI

I am tending Debi's kids (REES?)

March 1983

2 - Mandy to Doctor, she has earache

3 - Inservice

5 - Moonlight bowl

9 - club

I am going to an Exercise class

15 - Zac shot

15 - Register?

15 - Band concert?

17 - Candle party?

17 - Susan's wedding?

18 - Mom left for California

19 - Clep test for me for college

21 - Roy Complex

22 - Zac shot

25 - ski

26 - BPW show, go out with Linda and Bruce

28 - START COLLEGE FOR ME

31 - Tend Lynette's kids

April 1983

2 - Egg hunt at park

3 - Easter and General conf.

4 - Exercise class

7 - Inservice

9 - Mandy birthday

12 - TEST

13 - Club

14 - LuAnn's birthday

16 - Tonya's meet, CLEP test

18 - TEST

23 - Classic skating for Heath's b-day

April 17, 1983 (Letter from Aunt Dawna) 

Dear Amanda,  Sorry we missed your birthday.  I have been so busy at work.  The other secretary quit, and so I had to cover two desks.  Some nights I stayed at work until 7:00 p.m. just to keep up with the work.  Then by the time I got home from work, got supper over with, and a few things done around the house, I was ready for bed.  We finally hired a new secretary.  I have been training her for the past two weeks, so I feel that she is starting to get the feel for it.  This last week I have been able to leave work by 5:00 p.m. or shortly there after.  It sure feels good.  I do like the overtime pay, but the hours, forget it.  How is your little brother doing?  I bet he is growing like a weed.  I'm sure looking forward to seeing all of you again when I come back to Utah in June.  Fred and I are both fine.  He is as busy at work as I am.  They got a new computer at work, and Fred is the one that has to use it.  So the other night we went out and bought a small computer for our home, so he could learn how to program it, and get more familiar with it.  I told him he could learn how to use it, and then he could teach me.  Well, Amanda, I hope you had a very very Happy Birthday.  Sorry again that we missed it.  Tell your daddy and mommy hello for us, and give your little brother a big hug for us.  See you in June.  
Love Dawna and Fred.

May 1983

Diane Call is tending the kids

5 - Inservice

6 - Brooke's birthday

27 - Alabama concert

January 1983 - from my journal

January 1983

2,3 Rigg down, Roger must still be working at the oil rigs

4 - shots Zac MMR

5 - URINE (Amanda's checked for sugar)

8 - Bunkbeds for the kids

9 - Gwen's birthday

12 - Joni's birthday

18 - hometeach

21 - Jared's birthday

26 - visit teach

28 - Kaley and Randy Peterson's wedding

29 - SKI

January 5, 1983

I wonder how long it will take until I fill this book?  It's already holding 1980, 1981, and 1982.  It's been 3 months since I've written.  We had a very nice Christmas.  Amanda is now 3 months shy of 3 years old, and Zac is almost a year and a half.  I quit Browning on October 31, 1982, and have tended a few kids since then.  Rog and I had a talk the other night, and I'm gonna start taking some college courses next semester (Spring Quarter), Winter Quarter just started.  Hopefully, someday I can become a nurse.  That has been my dream ever since I had Ambure.  She would have been 5 years old soon (March 8th, 1983) and should have started Kindergarten next year.  It's hard to believe.  We put a little Christmas tree up on her grave this year.  Amanda and I decorated it ourselves.  It was done with love.  Saturday we are going to look at some bunkbeds for the kids.  LuAnn's friend at work is selling them for $90.00, and they come with mattresses and all.  They have the drawers underneath for storage also.  Rog is over playing church ball now.  We didn't go because his game was at 9:00 p.m.  He also plays Recreation ball on Monday's, and he has been asked to play in the Alumni game next month.  I got him some new shoes and shorts so he really looks spiffy.  In November, Amanda's urine had traces of sugar.  We got the last check of that today, and it was clear.

January 9, 1983

Today I am 22 years old.  It's hard believing that I've been married since I was 16.  Our 6 year anniversary will be this July.  In the Spring Quarter at Weber State College, I'm going to start taking some classes.  I'm going to try and get my generals out of the way, and then when Zac and Amanda get in school, I'll go after my nursing degree.  In 1987, Zac will be in Kindergarten, and Amanda in 2nd grade.  So in 1988, they'll both be full-time in school.  5 years from September.  That's a long time, but I'll keep this goal in mind.

(I ended up taking classes Spring Quarter 1983, and then was all signed up for Fall Quarter, but couldn't go because we didn't have enough money for registration.  Never did finish my college education)