Sunday - June 11, 1978

Dearest Ann & Ron, Jean & Rick, Bob and Claire,

I decided it was time to add Claire to the family - we're so happy you're back in Utah Claire - we loved your letter from England and you sounded as if you were having a wonderful time and seeing so many interesting things - I hope to go there some day!!!! Is your Mom in Utah with you now? We have had a million people call to tell us how beautiful the announcements are - you sent them at exactly the right time and we're so proud of them. The ones with pictures on them are very unique here and the people just love them and you really do make a very handsome couple!!!!! We're getting so excited about the wedding and everything - we sent invitations to our relatives that I told you about to the wedding and also the dinner afterwards and you should be receiving letters of acknowledgement very soon. Would you please write or call the ones who say they will be there and tell them they need to come earlier for an endowment session - Daddy and I would really like to go through a session before your wedding so if you will find out the time we need to be there and then tell those who plan to come. The place you have chosen for the dinner sounds perfect and the menu will be whatever you want - sirloin tips sounds good - maybe you could go before and try them out to see if they're good enough. I would like to have some flowers on the tables too - would you be thinking of a good place to get them? Claire, if you will send the names and addresses of your family members coming we would love to write them an invitation also - if there isn't time for that, would you please extend an invitation to them for us. Please, please tell me of anything we can do to help with your plans.

We manage to keep so busy. Tuesday was John's birthday and he was so thrilled to hear from each one of you - Ann and Ron - when I told you he would call you right back, that wasn't John coming in as I thought - when he did get home Carol came over to bring his present and they played for a little while and then he tried to call you and you weren't home. I made him his chocolate fudge cake and we took him out for pizza and chicken after his baseball game and Ronnie came over for birthday cake but that was all - he didn't want a party and he had been to so many end of school parties that I could understand why. He got a fishing pole and reel, new fishing box with lures and pinchers and things in it (a filet knife too), a new bathing suit, beach towel, goggles and gym shorts that fit!!!!! He also passed his test for Primary graduation that day and that was a relief. He was ordained this morning and passed the sacrament for the first time - I asked him if he liked it and he said, "Yes, it makes me feel so important". He is one great kid!!!! He got his report card and he made straight "A's" but Merry Lateana gave him a 2 in citizenship again so he still didn't make the Beta Club - maybe next year.

WOW!!! What a surprise we all had Friday with President Kimball's announcement. Daddy started getting phone calls about two o'clock from people who had heard it on the radio or had their relatives call them - Susan Bohn called Otto and he called Daddy!!! Daddy thought it was something the press had made up and the local radio and TV stations kept calling him to make a statement and he wouldn't do it. We decided to call Jeannie and Rick because we hadn't heard from them for awhile but right at 5 when we planned to call we had to go get John from Pleasant Valley Country Club where he was with Ronnie - With all the traffic and by the time we delivered all the other kids home it was 6 before we got back - then Jeanie beat us to it and called us. She finally convinced him that it was true and right after she hung up they called again and he said it was true and we were all happy about it. The next morning Dave Gonce called and said so many people were calling him and said they couldn't accept it until they had it confirmed by the Priesthood leaders of the Stake - Daddy was over to the Special Interest Conference so I called and Rick read the letter that was in your papers from the Prophet. We are all still surprised it wasn't made known to the leaders first - President Richards heard from Salt Lake and they may have tried to call Daddy - Gordon Fuller was here and had called everyone he had ever known here that day. Anyway it is a wonderful revelation and will really change things in the Mission here in the South - the most important things to me is that an actual revelation of that magnitude was given in our times - so exciting!!!! The Negro people who attend to Aunt Marvel at the rest home are generally so much more compassionate than the white ones and it is very evident they are as worthy as anyone else. We really must realize how important it is for us to live the commandments, doesn't it?

We have had Regional Special Interest Conference here this week-end - they were trying to line up homes for those who would come in from out of town so we said we would take four. Well - Gordon Fuller called on Wednesday and asked if he could stay with us if he came for it so we said he could. He came on Friday morning at 6 o'clock and will leave tonight at midnight - after he got here he decided he wouldn't go to the conference but would just stay and visit - Daddy decided he would go to the conference so he did - I'm sure he enjoyed it but most of the people there were older than he was. Daddy had to speak to them yesterday and I went out last night for the banquet and program - it was all just excellent. Mark Goodwin sang songs from "Fiddler on the Roof" and I was really surprised he had so much talent. Suzie Wiggins sang several songs and she has a beautiful voice - Pete gave a reading and that was very good - they make a darling couple and he seems much happier.

I went out to the Stake Genealogy Library today with the Ward Genealogy Class - it was so interesting - the first time I have ever looked at any genealogy micro-film - it was so fun to find group sheets on our families - there wasn't as much as I thought there would be though - they are supposed to have all the families that have had work done for them in the temples up to 1976. I was surprised to find complete group sheets for the Lee Rhodes' family - I didn't think he was even religious - his are there and ours aren't!!!!

We have finished the quilt for Pres. & Sister Richards and It is really beautiful they're going to have an open house for them this Saturday at the Gonce's home - we have also made them a photo album of members of our Ward - we have pictures of a few Stake people too. We're all quite excited for the new Mission President to move here. We really love Mary and Dick and I'll bet the new ones won't be quite as "down to earth".

Daddy says he's feeling better but I notice he is very careful getting in an out of the car and sitting down. He's going to work tomorrow - I still can't believe he actually stayed out of work for one whole week due to illness. If he gets worse I hope he'll go into the hospital and go into traction - it would be terrible if he is like this for the trip. I'm sure he will be fine - I believe the weather has a lot to do with it - it has been so very humid for the past month.

Roy took the boat and three friends and went to Hot Springs on Friday - he called Saturday night and said they were having such a good time they wanted to stay until Sunday noon. He got home tonight about 6 - said they had a marvelous time. The shifting gear in the boat still isn't working right though and it really worried me. He starts work in the morning and I'll be glad to get on some kind of a schedule around here.

I had a permanent last week - he styled it in a really different style - everyone says they like it but I'm not sure I do. I had it done two weeks before the wedding so it would have time to get back to normal!!!!!

John's baseball team has really improved but they haven't won many games - like just one!!! He has made so many friends and two of them live right close by us so it has been well worth it - I'm just hoping they win some from now on.

Well - that's all the news. We surely do love each one of you and hope everything is going just great. Please tell us if you need anything - we'll see you before long and we're all anxious to be together - especially Roy. I'm a little worried that they won't let him off for the whole week but he really wants to drive out with us so I hope he can.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!
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