January 24, 1980
Little Rock, Arkansas

Dearest Ron, Ann, Susanna & Jessie,
Rick, Jean, Ricky & Barbara Jean,
and Roy,

Hasn't this been an exciting week???? I really love things like inaugurations and decided my students should love it too - I borrowed John's portable television set and took to school and it caused utter chaos but I do believe the kids left school that day a little more aware of our government leaders. I stayed up until 12:30 a.m. the night before the inaugural to watch the entertainment with Frank Sinatra, etc. and I thought that was so good. There have been several articles in our papers that have given the impression that Donnie and Marie Osmond's' act was too frivolous but I enjoyed it. I hope you all were able to watch that and also the parade - we had a little snowstorm and they closed the schools at noon so Daddy and I were both home - Daddy built a fire in the fireplace and we just sat in front of the TV. all afternoon - the most impressive thing was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". And then to have the hostages set free was really a climax - two of them are from Little Rock and North Little Rock so our news has been full of that - neither Daddy nor I thought they would ever come home so that was really wonderful. In all of this, I have felt sorry for President Carter - nothing went right for him and of course he has to take the blame for so many things. We feel that Pres. Reagan will be good for the country but he is certainly going to bring glamour to everything and that will be different - wasn't Nancy Reagan elegant through everything????

It was wonderful to talk to both Ann and Jean this week - everything seems to be going great for you and we're happy about that. We surely hope things are going good for you too Roy - we know you are super busy. We have watched the weather bulletins each night and Utah is having such different weather this year and the New England states are having such cold weather. We had the snow storm on Tuesday and then today it was 70( - there is a lot of Bangkok (sp.?) flu in Arkansas - the teachers I teach with has been out four days and there is an average of six absences in each one of my classes. John was sick but Daddy and I haven't had even a cold - we tell everyone it's because we sleep with our windows wide open. It really is unusual to be so exposed to everything and not get it - I hope we continue to luck out.

Daddy and I went to Jacksonville this morning with Johnny to watch him play in the basketball tournament - Little Rock I won by thirty points and Johnny made twenty of them. He isn't that good - the other team (Conway) was very weak - but he had a ball. Each team only had five players and two on their team fouled out so for that last few minutes our five were playing their three - it got to be really funny. John really loves basketball - I'm sure you all remember the court over at David Bass's - well, they have had so much fun over there but the Lutens dog just barks up a storm - one day last week, Johnny and Ronnie were playing and their ball went over the fence and the dog wasn't anywhere around so Ronnie jumped over the fence to retrieve the ball - all of a sudden the dog appeared (Johnny and Ronnie both think Betty was watching and let it out of the house) and it took after Ronnie and he jumped the fence and landed on his back and really hurt himself - John thought it was so funny and giggled for the rest of the night. Anyway - Betty talked to David and said she didn't want any more basketball playing there - the kids were too noisy and bothered "precious" - the dog. We are really disappointed in her - she has turned into a really frustrated old woman but when you realize all that has happened in her family I guess I would be too - Betsy is getting a divorce now - so, all three of her children have been married and are now divorced. Chick is gone all the time - either being a dentist or with the Air National Guard and she is really unhappy. One of the fist things we are going to do when we get to Utah is build John a good basketball court - we have so many first things we'll have to decide what gets top priority but that has to be one of them.

Bob and Claire are doing fine - they came over last night to watch "Dallas" with us - Bob had had another test yesterday and he was relieved to have it over. Monday is Claire's birthday so they're coming over tomorrow night for dinner - we're giving her some tuna fish for their food storage - seems like a "corny" birthday gift but they are always saying they need food storage. Bob is taking her to "That Little Restaurant" for dinner tonight. She went to her doctor last week and Bob went with her - he said it was neat to hear the baby's heartbeat - the doctor has given her a new date - July 15th - we definitely want to be here when it's born but we were counting on June so now we'll have to come back from Utah because I surely don't want to be here for the hottest part of the Summer. They're getting excited!!!!

There is the neatest article in the paper today about Brad Smithers - it has pictures of him with two of his homes. He earned $2,000 by working in the restaurant and has bought the homes (he started this about three years ago) and now he says they are worth a total of $60,000 (of course he has to make payments on them each month but he does that with the rent money). He says he plans to have a million dollars in real estate by the time he's 26 - I'll send the article to Roy since I guess he remembers him the most. He's eighteen and waiting now to go on his mission. He really is a nice guy!!!

Daddy has to leave at 6 o'clock in the morning to go to Memphis for a Regional Meeting. Last week they had the two conferences in Hot Spring and Glenwood and they were really good - someone has donated a $75,000 pipe organ to the Glenwood Branch and right now they have a little tiny home they are meeting in - Daddy told them in his talk that the Stake had promised to raise money for a meeting house but they didn't promise to build them a tabernacle. He is really going to miss this association - every once in a awhile I get the awful feeling that we're getting excommunicated instead of just releases.

Cindy Jones had a little baby girl this week - she is Steve Jones' wife and they have been married for quite awhile but this is their first child. They are raising Steve's little brother Brent Orlicek - they adopted him and they're doing a wonderful job.

Ralph Hipp is back in the hospital and the doctors have said he might last a week or a month - Daddy went to see him and he said he looked dead already. Pete stays at the hospital day and night - Daddy offered to relieve her but she wouldn't let him. Our neighborhood has changed so much and there is no end to the things we should do to help people - I go to bed every night feeling guilty - I should quit teaching and help!!!!

We had a short note from Grandmother and Grandpa Forrest along with a brochure of their trip - it really sounds exciting and we're thrilled for them. They were so happy to receive your letter Ann - thanking then for the Christmas money. They said they were trying to stay well so they could go on the trip - that is such a big incentive for them.

We also had a sweet note from your mom Rick - we surely hope she is getting along okay - that would really be a hard adjustment to make - we wish we could help her.

I just made some whole wheat bread and also some banana bread. We finished the barrel of good wheat and I started on some new and it isn't nearly as good as the other - I can't believe how much difference there is in the bread when you use different wheat. Daddy and I aren't doing very good on our diets - he fixes my lunch on the days I teach and he only gives me a half of a candy bar for dessert but when I get home I eat the other half.

I am still at Mann - I am becoming attached to some of those naughty kids - the principal called me in and asked if I would stay through this Semester. I told him I didn't want a full time job so they are looking for another teacher - I think this next week will be my last - I think I told you all this in my letter last week. Daddy was at Hall, Forest Heights, Parkview and Mann last week.

That's all the news - we love you all so very much. Please be really careful in everything you do and let us know if we can help you in any way.

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