1982 January 16, Sue, Dixie and Betty gave me a surprise 50th birthday party, and I sure was surprised. Bob and Ellie, among a lot of others, were there. March 1st, David went back to Mt. LaConte for the season. July 2, Zackary Mixson Woodruff was born in Lacy, Washington.

July 16 - August 16 Morris and I went out to Washington see Beth, Mark and our new grandson. We drove our new TransVan and went 8180 miles and spent $2700. It took us six days to get to Lacy. We took Beth, Mark and baby Zackary to Victoria and around camping in our van. We all slept in one bed. We visited Mt. Ranier. We came home through the Canadian rockies and through Michigan where we spent a few days visiting the relatives.

While we were at Beth and Mark's, Zackary had the colic and only Morris could keep him from crying. He would sit outdoors and rock and rock him to sleep (sometimes it was quite cold out). When we were ready to leave Beth told Morris, "You can't leave, what will I do without you?" It was a good trip and we saw a lot of new territory. The area around Lake Louise is just beautiful.

Sue, Jim,. Morris and I went to the reunion at Weirsdale High School, I saw my old friends Joyce Curl and Barbara Duff and Georgie Albright.

In September James, Anita, Dot and Bill Storey, Betty, Billy, Morris and I went to Tennessee in our TransVan to see the Gators play It was a good and fun trip.

In December Brenda, Tom and the boys came home on furlough for six months. They lived in the mission house next door to Southside B. church in Jacksonville. They spent Christmas at our house. We had a big 70th birthday party for Mom under a big tent at Corky and Connie's home. It was an all day event and we had about 50 people to come. This was the beginning of our annual reunion and Mom's birthday party on Labor Day weekend.

David spent an extra two months at LeConte in the winter, all snowed in. Larry, Julie and Anne hiked up in the snow to spend Thanksgiving with him. They took a whole Thanksgiving dinner with them. (see story) Sheba was almost ten years old and she got heart problems and died. Beth, Mark and baby Zackary flew home for Christmas and to see Brenda and Tom and boys.