January 5, 1981
Little Rock, Ark.
Dearest Ron, Ann, Susanna & Jessie,
Rick, Jean, Ricky & Barbara Jean,
and Roy,
I didn't write my letter yesterday because I wanted to wait until Roy was safe back at school - and besides, Bob came over and spent the day and it was really fun to just relax and visit. Some of
Roy's friends came over and we really enjoyed the day.
Rick - we well want to extend our deepest sympathy to you in the loss of your father - what a shock and so sad and our thoughts have surely been with you. We are so concerned about your mother now - losing her mother and husband within two months is really going to be hard and we wish we could help. We surely hope your trip to Milwaukee has gone well and that Ricky was well - he is such a doll and we know having him with you would help your mother and you too. We didn't know your daddy but we know he must have been a fine man to have raised such a wonderful son.
We want each one of you to know that we truly love and admire and appreciate you for what you are - we have been so proud to tell our friends that our children were going to be with us for the holidays - we are very much aware of the sacrifices you must make to make this possible and we love you all very much. I expect daddy to announce in conference some time that his grandchildren were in our home for a week and we didn't put one thing out of their reach and they didn't bother anything - all of you decorated and re-decorated our trees several times when you were that young. I hesitate to brag too much about this because I know there are going to be things broken by our grandchildren and we surely don't want you to feel uncomfortable when this happens - we really do want to have normal grandchildren. We really loved your visit and we look forward to many holidays like this one when we can all be together - Christmas is really a family time.
Roy left this morning at 8:00 a.m. and Daddy and I just left him at the airport because we had to be at school - I was back at Mann and Daddy went to Booker so we were right close together. We just called Roy and he got in Boston at 2:30 and in Providence at 4:30 so you're all back in your right slots now, expect for Rick. They are predicting an ice storm tonight so we really "lucked" out in having you all get home safely - Johnny is hoping school will be cancelled and it probably will. Little Rock can change from Summer to Winter in a matter of twelve hours.
Daddy and I went to Margie Stewart's wedding Saturday afternoon and it was lovely - she was in a long mauve chiffon dress and carried deep red roses and those in the wedding were dressed in the same color. Mike's wife played the piano and she is very good. Sherry looked really pretty and Nell did too - Nell put on the reception and it was really nice - she told me that they were so thrilled to have you visit them Ann and Pete was there and he couldn't say enough nice things about your visit and your beautiful little girls. He is a remarkable man to be eighty years old and doing the things he does. Louise Voegele was there and she is just the same. They had a big crowd - the Beyers came over from Hot Springs for it - they had little rice bags and everything - it was done in good taste.
Chris Jordin just called to tell me she had a letter from Pat Mathis (Mathis) - now hold your hats!!!!! Pat is serving a mission in Vancouver, Canada - we were so surprised but isn't that wonderful????? (That might be Victoria, Canada) She read the letter to me and Pat is so thrilled with the Gospel - she said that Mimi is taking care of their five bedroom home in San Antonio and she is 21 - Grant is on a mission in California and Mark is a Geologist (sp.?) and Todd is a
Philosophy major - Mark and Todd are not active in the church. I didn't realize that they live in San Antonio - maybe she and Dianne will become friends. Chris said she sent a picture and she looks like a million dollars.
Daddy and John just left for a hunter safety course that is put on by one of the television stations - they went duck hunting Friday morning and got five ducks - that will probably be the last time this year - it really hasn't been very good - Daddy really felt bed that he didn't get to take Rick and Ron on a good duck hunt.
Claire is in New York, so she isn't in her right slot either - she left yesterday morning will be for two weeks. Bob was having a hard time getting in the mood to start school this morning - I'll bet their home gets mighty big before she gets home - that's a long time to be gone. Would you believe that Bob shaved his beard off Friday???? I could have choked him - we took pictures of Bob, Roy and John that I'm going to include with our family picture to our friends. He looks a thousand times better. It was so funny - he and Claire came over to watch Dallas with us and he talked to me for quite awhile and then Claire took me aside and said, "You forgot to notice that he had his beard shaved off". It has been quite an issue with me for a long time and then to not even notice when he shaved it off - ugh!
We surely hope you got your car started without any problems Ron - Roy felt bad because he said he thought he could have gotten it started okay. Our first Toyota was that way - daddy finally got so he would carry something with us to spray on it but I have forgotten what it was. We were in Houston one time when it wouldn't start and they towed it into the garage and sprayed this stuff on it and it started right off.
I really felt bad that we didn't fix a little lunch for Ricky and Susanna - they must have been starving to have eaten that many
Reese's Peanut Butter cups - I was too concerned about getting a family picture before we had to leave for the airport because I have lived with daddy long enough to know that he refuses to have to "hurry" to the airport - we're usually there thirty minutes ahead of time and we were Thursday. We'll get our pictures back on Wednesday and can hardly wait.
We had a letter from the Powers today and they had the pathology report on their twins and they are identical - they are really having fun with them.
Well - I'll close fort now and take this to the Brady Post Office - if we have an ice storm in the morning it could be into next week before you get it.
We surely do love each one of you and hope so much that things are back to normal and that you have been able to get rested up - I don't believe any of the Weinert or
Woolley parents got more than two hours sleep at one time while you were here.
Oh yes - we had a lovely note from Beverley - they sound busy but happy. Jeannie - Bruce Pearce really felt bad that he didn't get to see you - evidently you were both in the same ward at school.
Please be careful in everything you do and let us know what we can do to help you.
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