April 26, 1981
Little Rock, Ark.

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

We are having an absolutely gorgeous day - the weatherman said it would be near perfect and it really is - our fences are completely covered with the climbing roses and our yard looks like a fairyland. We had quite a bit of rain last week and it just made everything bloom out and the lawns are all so green. We are enjoying it but know that it won't last long - they are predicting 900 here tomorrow.

It's so nice having Daddy home with us - we all went to church together and noone grabbed him as soon as we went into the building for an interview of some kind - he is enjoying but I know he is going to want to get involved pretty soon. I am swamped with assignments - everything sort of piled up while I was gone - I have to give a talk to the Stake Young Adults next Sunday, Saturday is our Stake Visiting Teaching Meeting (if I get any good ideas for you Jeannie, I'll send them), Tuesday I'm in charge of the dinner for our Relief Society Work Meeting, last Thursday I gave the In-Service Lesson for Primary Stake Board at that time and I'll be so happy - that is one calling I haven't enjoyed. Gayle Wing is Stake Primary Pres. and she's going to be released too because of George's calling in the Stake Presidency.

Roy - I told Daddy I had been thinking so much about Providence lately - I guess it's because it was just a year ago that we were planning our big trip for your graduation - we loved that trip so much and we'll look forward to it again in two more years. We received a graduation announcement from Jill - we are so thrilled for her because we didn't ever think she would make it - we're proud of her!!! This will be a fun Summer for you Roy after your tests the first of June are over - we think you will enjoy the Air Force experience - we surely hope so anyway. We haven't seen Robert for a long time - we don't even see him around his home - I'll try to call Dot before I send this letter and see if she has any news about him.

Annie - it was fun to talk to you yesterday morning - I love to call when noone else is home so I can do all the talking!!!!!! We know your yard is going to be pretty too with all the planting you are doing. We hope you'll be able to go to Colorado with Ron in June and we hope we're in Utah so we can do the baby sitting. If all goes we have it planned we will be there around the 17th - Claire will have her baby on the 8th and we'll help them and then John will go to Youth Conference June 13, 14 & 15 and then we will leave for Utah. Now if they baby comes late our plans will be changed.

Jeannie - we loved talking to you and Rick too. We keep thinking about your beautiful lot and we know how thrilled you are to make plans to build - I'll bet Ricky has fun running on it now. We are really sorry about the tragedy in your ward (for Roy - one of their friends was killed in an automobile accident and he had a wife and small children). It is really hard to understand things like that. I think Mr. Blasingame is worried about losing his job at Mann - they are going to have to cut back so much that everyone thinks they will do away with the Vice-Principals.

Bob and Claire were at church this morning - Bob slept through most of the meetings so I'll bet he is still working the night shift. Claire's parents were here from England and spent Tuesday evening with us - we brought a lot of seafood home from the coast with us and Daddy fixed stuffed flounder and also shrimp, oysters and crab - it was really good. I think Bob and Claire took them a lot of places and Bob is probably worn out. They are lovely people - they think they will get a new assignment the first of January and they are worried it might be Nigeria - Bro. Ezell is Bishop in England and he says they are converting a lot of Negro people over there. They will be in Provo this next week with Carolyn and Steve.

John is doing really good - now he wants an "exercise bench" - he has grown quite a bit and is really trying to build up his muscles. Ronnie has been accepted into the Catholic High School here so that means all of John's close friends will be going there - a lot of people at church have been talking about us moving to Utah and John is quick to tell them we are not moving - we're just going for the Summer so I guess he has strong feelings against it. That's fine with us if he will be content to stay there during the Summers and get some friends out there too. He is really a fine young man - he and Lynn went fishing yesterday and they were gone most of the day didn't bring home one fish - they said they caught some and threw them back - I'm not sure about that.

Sister Wilson was at church this morning and showed me some pictures of Becky (Ewing) and her little baby - he is a little doll and Becky is so happy. Her husband is a student at the University of Utah so we're going to try to go see them this Summer. Becky has come "a long way" and we're proud of her.

All the college kids came home from BYU yesterday - Shelly Cobb is engaged to a young man from California - they are planning a Fall wedding and she is going to stay here this Summer and work at the "Rose and Thistle" - the Smither's Pub and Gift Shop. Barbie Lucas drove home with some other Arkansas students and her mother says they got carbon monoxide poisoning on the way home so she couldn't come to Sunday School this morning. Gayle Littlefield is really cute. Martina Bisbee told me this morning that she is going to Utah this Summer and will stay permanently if she can get a job - that sounds so familiar, doesn't it? I really hope she will though because she needs to get away from her environment - she is really special.

President and Sister Jones and their family are really anxious to leave - they have a mother home and some of their family is going to bring it this far and then they will tour the church history places north of here; Nauvoo, Kirtland, the Hill Cumorah in New York and other places before going home. The new Mission President and his wife are from San Diego, Cal. and they have six children but their youngest is 17 and she will be the only one coming with them - we will miss the Jones' family.

Jeanette Barbee is having a hard time - I have been over several times but she hasn't been home or else she has had company. We expect her to sell her home soon. The Woods are about the same - Terry and Dana graduate the same week-end so Dorothy is going to Fayetteville and Dan is going to Fort Worth - they are both getting advanced degrees - Dana is getting a Master's degree in Home Economics and Terry is getting some kind of physical education degree that will allow her to teach church groups or something David will also graduate this next month - if Janie were still alive we would be having a lot of graduation parties. We hope David will be proposing to Anna but we haven't heard anything - they are still spending a lot of time together.

The folks will be leaving on their trip May 5th - we haven't talked to them but I know they are excited. The man from Brigham City who is coordinating the trip, Keith Boyer, called me the other night (he wants to buy our Brigham City lot) and he says they are really looking forward to it. They really feel close to him so I know they'll have a good time.

I can't think of any more news. We surely do love you and we're so proud of each one of you and the things you are doing - everyone who know us knows how much you all mean to us - please let us know if we can help you in anyway. Please be really careful in everything you do.


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