November 9, 1980 Sunday Little Rock, Arkansas

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

It's a beautiful, warm Sunday - the yard looks like it's on fire with the bright red and orange leaves. This is my favorite time of year except that I would like it a little cooler - it's around 85 degrees - but it's dry!!!

Roy - we were so thrilled to have you call last night - we sorta' expect it on Sunday night so it was a surprise. John was in Jacksonville for Super Saturday and Daddy & I were a little lonely. You sound great but you seem so far away!!! We're so happy that school is going good and we're happy too that you have a friend girl" - Patrice McDonahue (?) from Darien, Connecticut. We are glad you have a family to be with for Thanksgiving and it will be great for you to go to Ty's home too - I feel so good about his family - they are special people!!! I hope your car holds out - that worries me!!!

Annie & Ron - we really, really loved your birthday party pictures of Susanna & Jessie - their costumes were darling and the decorations looked so cute - who made that gorgeous "Witch" cake -I'll bet you had the bakery do it. Little Jessie is beautiful and looks more like Susanna than I thought. Ron - is your face back to normal yet? We surely hope so.

Jeannie & Rick - we're anxious to hear about your pheasant hunt-we hope you had good luck. I'll bet you're busy with your Elder's Quorum duties Rick - we hope you get some really good counselors because that is a terrific job. Jeannie - do you need some things for Visiting Teaching - I found my booklet they gave us for motivation at the beginning meeting if you want it. I cleaned our refrigerator yesterday and found little Ricky's teething ring!!! Is Barbara Jean sleeping all night - we surely hope she doesn't have allergy problems and ear problems this Winter.

How about the election!!! I went to work meeting at Relief Society and I told Daddy to get the popcorn ready and we'd watch the returns all night when I got back - I couldn't believe it when our meeting was half over they came in to tell us Pres. Carter had conceded. I didn't want to go back to school the next day - all the little black third graders were convinced they would be sent back to Africa if Reagan won.

The biggest surprise though was that Governor Clinton was defeated - maybe some of you read about him in the "Parade" not long ago and how he was being "primed" to be President in the near future. He didn't really campaign and I read an article that said his backers didn't think he needed to. His opponent, Frank White, is an active member of the Fundamentalist Church here and they really got behind him and campaigned all over the state - he's a nice guy but I didn't vote for him - Daddy did though. There's a lot of talk around that Bill Clinton's wife Hillary Rodham, helped to defeat him but I don't know about that. We're happy about Reagan - for one thing, it glamorizes being older!!! Carter wasn't a Spring chicken but Reagan is 15 years older. We think he shows a lot of wisdom - actually I changed my mind after the debate to vote for him.

Daddy & John & I had such a good time Thursday and Friday. It was a school vacation so we left Thursday afternoon and went South of Hot Springs and camped. Daddy & John went squirrel hunting but they didn't shoot any. We slept in John's tent-Daddy & I have new sleeping bags. It was wonderful. Friday we drove to Murfreesboro and went to the diamond mine and looked for diamonds - that is such a neat place. I can't believe it took us 16 years to get there. We didn't find any diamonds but there were 2 found there that day. We went through "Delight" - Glen Campbell's hometown - on our way back.

Yesterday, Daddy & Bob & John went to get some wood - they got one trailer load and will go back and get some more. John really worked hard and then went to Super Saturday and didn't get home until 1 o'clock this morning - he went to church this morning but he came home and went right to bed.

Thursday is Bob's 26th birthday. He is really working hard-works every night at the hospital and on Saturday mornings-they're coming to eat dinner with us tonight and Claire just called and said he had to go into the hospital to help out for a few hours. He really loves school!!!

Pete Hipps' mother died - really a blessing. Ralph is in bed most of the time.

Daddy is at the Stake House all day today.

We really love each one of you - please be careful in everything you do. Let us know if we can help you.

Lots of love, Dad XO, Mom XO and John XO P.S.

I keep forgetting to mention this. We DO NOT want Christmas buying to be a burden - you all have so many more important priorities. What can we do about it??? Could we draw names and then limit the gift cost to $10??? Annie and Jeannie - why don't you come up with an idea. We would really like you to enjoy Christmas forever and ever and put the emphasis on the real meaning of it.

We love you, Mom

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