January 31, 1981
Little Rock, Arkansas

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

We just talked to you Roy - we were so glad you called because it has been a long time since we heard from you - Daddy doesn't worry about you and keeps telling me you're doing fine but I imagine all kinds of things when we don't hear. We're happy that Ty could come for a visit - how far is it? I remember when we left Brown and went through a place that was close to where I remembered that he was going to school and it seemed like a long ways from Providence.

It was good to talk to you this week too Jeannie - we surely hope your house plans work out - you really do need three bedrooms and we hope you can get what you want. We're anxious to see the article about you in the paper. It's hard to believe that little Barbara Jean has a tooth and almost two - she is really a good baby if she can teeth and you don't know it. I'm not surprised that she looks like Rick's baby pictures - I could really see that she looked like him at Christmas time - she'll be beautiful. We surely hope your weather is such that little Ricky can play outside some of the time - I can't imagine what he would do if he has to stay inside all the time.

We hope to get a letter from you on Monday, Annie - that's when your letters usually come and we really love them. We got all our pictures developed and the one taken on your camera is the best Ron - I am going to take it to the Photo shop and see if they can have some made for us. The ones taken outside had too many leaf shadows on them - you can't even seen Claire on them - there is one that was taken inside that isn't too bad - they didn't develop it the first time so we took the negatives back and asked if they would try to do it and it is quite good even though the lighting is wrong. The ones of Susanna and Ricky are just precious and also some that were taken on the back porch swing of Daddy and I with Jessie and Barbara Jean are good but the group pictures would have been better if we had gone to Olan Mills.....Ha. I'll be glad when I can call and just talk to Susanna - she is a doll to talk to - it was so cute when I asked her about the zoo picture with the bears and she said, "But Grandma's B, I'm in Utah" - John would love to call and talk to her. Is little Jessie crawling yet?

John and Ronnie and some of the kids were playing basketball over at David's this afternoon and Ronnie went for a "lay out" and ran right into that iron pole holding the basketball net - they rushed him to the dentist and he put it back in and they're hoping it will live. Johnny said he covered his mouth with his hand and John ran to see if he was okay and he opened his hand and there was his tooth - John said you could see the tooth marks in the pole - he chipped another tooth too. We feel so bad about it - he hasn't had his braces off very long and he had a beautiful smile. When Ronnie left for the dentist the rest of the kids went to the Grace Presbyterian church for a basketball game.

We haven't seen Bob and Claire this week - we will at church in the morning I'm sure I talked to Bob last night and he said they were signing up for their hospital rotation schedules - he would like to take them in this order: medicine, OB Gyn, surgery and pediatrics. I'm not sure I understood all he was telling me but I think he said there was a possibility that could take one of them at a hospital other than in Little Rock and he thought he would try for Utah - he said he was beginning to see a dim light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sure you feel that same way Roy.

Bob and Claire usually come over and watch Dallas with us but last night Daddy and I went to a High Priest party and they had been invited over to Linda and Ken Garretts. David took Johnny to the basketball game with Parkview and Hall - Parkview won by about ten points and that was a real surprise to everyone. The Party was really fun - Daddy and were supposed to teach them how to waltz but we chickened out - really they all knew how to waltz better than we did. Marge Lucas was in charge of the games so she brought all their family games - Daddy and I and Dave Gonce and Gene and Sandy Jones all played monopoly and it was hilarious - we laughed and laughed and had so much fun - Dave ended up winning everything but we really didn't play at right. Laura and Sandy Blankenship had decorated the Junior Sunday School room for it and it looked so nice. We took our cider punch and they had vegetables and dips and things. Gene and Sandy can hardly wait for their mission to be over - we tease them about getting an extension and I don't believe Sandy could take it - she is really a cute woman and so tiny and is on a diet.

I went to a bridal shower for Connie Bisbee on Thursday at Ann Cobbs home. Ann and Marilyn Harris gave it for her and it was really nice - we tied a beautiful quilt and did some other little things for her home. She is going to be married in Salt Lake in the temple in about two weeks and neither of their parents will go with them so Ann's sister and her Mother will go through with them. Her future husband is in the Army so they will live in Oceanside, Cal. for the first year or so.

The Powers are coming next week-end - they'll stay Friday night with the Cobbs and Saturday night with us - I think she's trying to not hurt any ones feelings and really we don't care who they stay with - we're anxious to see the twins and Dianne and Garry are anxious to come.

Johnny has cotillion tonight - it's supposed to be a Western disco and he is trying to decide what to wear - he has been playing basketball all day and isn't too excited about going. He'll probably just wear slacks and his Christmas sweater. He got his report card this week and he is doing so well - got four A's and two B's and straight 0's in conduct - he has such a good cooperative attitude about life and after working with the students at Mann, I really appreciate that in a student. It's our turn to drive to Cotillion and it's a late affair - Daddy picks up about four boys and taken them and then picks them up and takes them for pizza and then they call him when they're ready to come home and it's usually around midnight.

I'm still at Mann - they came from the Head Office of the Reading Center last week and asked if I would finish out the year. I told them I really didn't want a full time job and for them to look for someone else - I said I would keep it until they could find someone. It has been wonderful for me and I have learned so much but I really get too involved and too tired and I neglect so many things at home. Daddy can teach everyday and do everything else too but I get too tired - he has so-o-o-o much energy. He was at Parkview, Hall and Booker last week - he loves the good classes.

Daddy and John are trying to sell an old gun - it's one that Daddy's grandfather had and John has refinished it - it's a beautiful gun but they want to sell it and get another kind - one that will kill deer, etc. Johnny is so interested in things like that.

Ralph is still in the hospital - we talked to Pete one day last week and he is taking strong medicine to kill the pain so he doesn't know much of what is going on. She says he can't stand for them to even change the linen on his bed or give him sponge baths so he must really be in tough shape. It would be such a blessing if he could pass away.

Daddy has to leave early in the morning to go to Benton - he is going to put Marvin Green in as Branch President there - can you believe that??? Keith Mckell has done a wonderful job there but he has been there for quite awhile and has requested that they release him so he can spend more time with Floy and Mary - I guess Mary is really hard to handle. After he does that he is going to North Little Rock to release Bishop Butler - that is going to be a heartbreaker - everyone just loves him and he has done such a good job - that is the strongest unit in our Stake now. Mary is really hard to handle. After he does that he is going to North Little Rock to release Bishop Butler - that is going to be a heartbreaker - everyone just loves him and he has done such a good job - that is the strongest unit in our Stake now. You wouldn't know the new bishop over there - he is new - his wife is from Layton and he's from Ogden. Next week he's going to release the Bishop of Little Rock II - he wants to get this all done before he is released. It will be good to have some new younger people take over.

We surely do love each one of you and want the best for you - please let us know if we can help you in any way and be really careful in everything you do - all of you!!!!
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