April 16, 1978
Little Rock, Arkansas

Dearest Ann & Ron, Jean & Rich, Bob and Roy,

I'm out of tying paper!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEANN IE!!!!! We've thought about you all day and talked about your birthday - Hope you had a birthday cake and all the trimmings We may call you later on tonight but if we don't it will be because Daddy has been tied up.

We have had conference this weekend and we're always happy when that's over. Bro. Low has been here with us - he is a professor of soil science at Purdue University and he and Daddy know a lot of the some people. He really is a wonderful man and we have enjoyed him - they have six children - four girls and two boys - one of their sons is a biochemist (PhD from Stanford) and teaches at Purdue also - they have a daughter at BYU and she has a lovely singing voice and is going to Israel with the Aceapella choir (spelling???) this summer - they also have a thirty year old daughter who is unmarried and lives at home and this really worried him. They have fourteen grandchildren. Pres. and Sister Richards gave their farewell talks - they won't leave until the first of July but this is the last conference before they leave. Bro. Low was very complimentary about Daddy and his leadership of the stake and also of his children - he knows how proud we are all of you - he was impressed with all the things in Bob and Roys' bedroom telling of their accomplishments.

Annie - we really loved your phone call - I hope we get a letter though this week. We're so happy that you're feeling pretty good and that everything is going well - hope it continues that was. I was already to make your cookies yesterday and couldn't find the Roman Meal - what is that and where do I fund it? I made peanut butter cookies instead with the chocolate chips on top (the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip pkg) and I cooked them too long and we don't really like them. We hope Ron's paper is finished and that he can relax more now. We also hope you both continue to like you renters.

Bob - we really loved your wonderful letter. I promise to get Claire the wedding list this week and also the tux measurements - Roy, please send your measurements to him. Claire, we think your idea of fellowshipping on elderly person in Lehi once in awhile is simply wonderful - I can't think of anything that would please Aunt Marvel or us more. We're so anxious to have that home lived in with such a sweet and happy spirit as both of you have - it needs to have happiness and laughter and noise in it again and that old depressed atmosphere out. Steve and Aileen are anxious to see you - they hinted that they would like to stay with you and I told them the house was a hundred years old and only had one bathroom but they didn't care - they'll be in Utah sometime during that first week in July. They really make a darling couple and their little girl is adorable - did I tell you guys that Shawna's husband was made Bishop of the Hot Springs Ward - that entire family gives every-thing they possible can to the church here and we really love them.

Roy - so many people at conference asked about you. We went to an open house honoring Becky Ewing before she leaves on her mission and she told us about her visit with you - she really thinks a lot of you. Keith has received his mission call to the Los Angeles, California Mission - he doesn't leave until 1 June 10th and he's hoping to see you before he leaves. We had a cute letter from Mark Richards and he said to tell you "hello" - he loves his mission and said he had met Claire's sister - it's a small world. Sera Preston is always asking about you - Theresa Preston ____is doing fine now - they live in Denver.

Frances James taught the mini-cooking class last Wednesday in Relief Society - she showed us different ways of cooking chicken and I learned so many things. Her daughter who lives in Virginia was here her husband and five children and her son and his wife who live in California were also here with their four children and they all helped with demonstration - the daughters did. Nancy made the caramels that are in Frances' cookbook and they were delicious - she uses whipping cream. Nancy, at one time, weighed about 250 lbs., but she isn't that large now. I can well understand why - Frances doesn't cook anything without using a lot of butter and cream. She made the chicken and broccoli casserole that is in her cookbook for our luncheon and it was so good. She also de-boned chicken breast and sliced them really thin and then stir fried them in an iron frying pan with just a tiny bit of butter and then added Worcestershire and soy sauce - this was a diet dish and very good. Frances' cookbook is in its third printing and she has another book just about ready - it's called "Let's have a pretty".

Johnny is really having fun on his mini-bike (Roy's mini-bike). Daddy got a license for it and the tow of them rode it to Sacrament meeting this afternoon. Johnny isn't old enough to ride it but he does on the yard. They got some really good helmets so I don't worry quite so much now. Daddy wanted us to go to Houston with him this week but Johnny wouldn't miss school even for a couple days - he wants to get straight "As" this Semester. Daddy and I went to sort of an orientation night at Forest Heights one night last week and we are so impressed with the principal and the teachers and it's much a beautiful school.

Well - Terry Woods has been over here for the past hour - she's applying for graduate study at BYU next year and she'll go there if she's accepted - she had to have Daddy interview her and send in the papers - it also says she must take an English test but it didn't say where she could get the test - we have tried to call you Bob to see if you knew anything about it.

The missionaries were just here - it was so funny - one of them Logan and his grandparents are from Brigham City and his Grandfather was my class father in High School - I got out my old year books and we had fun looking through them.

It's almost 9:30 p.m. and we will this downtown to mail it so I'll close for now.

We surely do love each one of you and hope you'll let us know if you need anything. Please be careful in everything you do.









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