November 28, 1982
Billings, Montana
Dearest Roy, Bob, Claire & Michael, Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean & Mary Ann, Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie & Russell,
This has really been a fun, fun week and I don't have even one complaint - I don't know if it's the new group we have in the home or if I am improving but something has changed and I hope it stays like this.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving - Sister Lowe and I met in the kitchen about 9 in the morning and we didn't leave or even sit down until about 7 that night. We fixed things for them to snack on from about noon on - shrimp, vegetable and fruit dips and fruit punch - we had all kinds of fresh vegetables (raw), chips, crackers and apples, bananas, grapes etc. They loved it. We had the traditional foods for dinner but decided to only cook half of our turkey and we were so glad we did that because we had plenty that lasted two days after Thanksgiving. Wednesday night a man called and asked for the Elders to meet him at the hospital to give his wife a blessing because she was going to have a baby - the baby was born that night and she was released from the hospital about 2 o'clock Thanksgiving afternoon. We decided to invite them to share our dinner so the whole family came - the parents and three older children and the little baby that wasn't even a day old - the baby is a little girl and she weighed 8lbs. 9 oz. It was fun to have them. Daddy and Johnny went deer hunting early in the morning and got home about 3 in the afternoon but they didn't get a deer.
Jeannie told us the Woolleys went to Jerome - we know you had a great time with Ron's family - she also told us about someone sitting on all the pumpkins pies you had made for the dinner Annie - that's a memory!!!! She said you had made them from fresh pumpkin and I don't believe I will ever be satisfied with a canned pumpkin pie again - we use Frances James recipe for praline pumpkins pie only we don't put the toppings on it and we use the pumpkins from our garden and the pies are heavenly.
Bob - we loved your long letter and especially the beautiful picture of your family. That is exactly what I want - a wallet sized picture of each family to carry around with me. Claire, it is so good of you and we love it of Bob and Michael too. Everyone who looks at pictures of Michael say how much he looks like Bob and Daddy - I really can see a lot of his Mommy in him. We're keeping our fingers crossed about your internships - what a stressful time for you!!!! Did you all drive to Oklahoma and Alabama? I'll bet your folks enjoyed being with you for Thanksgiving, Claire - we missed your pecan pies and fruit salads!
We loved your long letter too Jeannie - we're getting so excited about your new home. We are thrilled to pieces that you are feeling good and that little Mary Ann is doing so well I made bread yesterday with your wheat and for the first time in five months I made a good batch of bread - I really can't believe what a difference the wheat makes. I surely wish we could get wheat like that all the time. Remember - I had the same problem in Little Rock and with your wheat the bread turned out great. Brenda is my witness here - I have been so distressed over the bread and she kept telling me it was good but when I made it yesterday she could really tell the difference. Anyway, thank you Rick for bringing it to us. Try to find out what kind it is - you can tell the difference in looking at the kernels.
Roy - we hope you had a great time with Patrice's family - we loved our visit with you over the phone. We're so excited to have you come for the holidays - let us know how we can help you - you're welcome to take John's car (I'm sure he'll let you) and drive to Utah from here or whatever works out best. He won't get out of school until Dec. 17th. He's really excited about the skiing in Montana - Daddy has written for an application (or whatever) so he can buy some ski equipment wholesale through Olin and Johnny has quite a list of things he wants. He is on the go constantly and we're happy he isn't a "sit at home" - he loves his job and they love him.
The day after Thanksgiving Daddy and I went to the Crow Agency to visit with some of our Lamanite members. I made thirty-six little wheat cakes (they're delicious and if you ever want the recipe, I'll send it to you) and wrapped them individually in saran wrap.
We got some names from our missionary couples of those who would appreciate our visit and welcome us into their homes and then we took off - loaded with wheat cakes. It was really a wonderful experience and we're going to another reservation tomorrow. The way they live is unbelievable but they were really sweet to us and when Daddy asked if we could leave a blessing on their home they were so appreciative and we knelt in prayer with 8 families. One lady had just had her foot amputated and she is almost blind - we're going to see if we can get the record player and records for her. It is so sad though to visit in the homes where there are young men who are very healthy and strong and they just sit around all day and watch television - one young man told about how he was kicked out of the Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City in 1975 for rioting and then spent 3 1/2 years in prison for it - surely there must have been more to it then that. He has a little baby boy but no wife and he wants us to see if we can get him into the Vo-Tech school in Provo - his sister wants the same thing and she has a little baby girl and no husband and she hasn't graduated from high school. The church is so wonderful to these people - they provide transportation to Seminary and Institute among other things. We counted and there are ten people living in one little tiny home - two generations and they have lived there all their lives. It really would not be hard to love these people - you get a much better feeling for them when you visit them in their homes than when you just meet with them in church. The missionary couples told us to not dress up so Daddy wore an Indian beaded tie and a sweater and I just wore my old coat - we hope to be able to do more of this.
Last Tuesday we left about 4:30 in the morning to drive to Bozeman for a zone conference - it had been snowing a little bit and the sun came up and the whole country side just glistened. It was 1300when we drove out of our driveway and that is cold!!!! I guess that was the best zone conference we have ever had - the missionaries are truly united - many of them had driven about 100 miles to meet us there and yet they were so enthusiastic and prepared in their assignments.
Dorothy and Dan called us on Thanksgiving - we had a good visit but Daddy wasn't here. Terry, Dana and Carol were all on the line - Dana is working at Shelly Rand's in Breckenridge village and she is thrilled to be back in Little Rock. Terry is still in Texas and wants to come to Montana next Summer and go back packing - we told her she could stay with us - I think the missionaries could convert her. They said they hadn't been in our home in Little Rock and didn't like to go by it so they couldn't tell us anything about it - they said the lady is really a work horse and is already to plant the garden for next Summer.
The Beyers also called - they were with Shawna in Pocatello and anxious to get back to Little Rock. I had a long letter from Chris and she gave me lots of news - seems it is rumored the Little Rock Stake will be divided next June and that will be wonderful. She also told me about all the people expecting babies - Skylar, Jane Reber, Kim Aday Sherwood, and also that Millie and Fred Hickshave separated - I love her letters!!!!
You won't believe what happened yesterday. Johnny went deer hunting all day on Friday with a friend and his father (he was very upset that Daddy couldn't go) and they hiked for miles and miles and he came home completely worn out and disappointed that they didn't even see any deer. Well about 2 yesterday afternoon Daddy and Johnny and I got in the Mission truck and drove out of town about twenty-five miles and he shot the most beautiful two point buck. I really couldn't believe it - we saw a group of about five deer and Daddy said. "Okay now Johnny hurry up and load your gun and get your deer" - in about a minute I heard the shot and saw the deer fall - it was about 150 yards away and it was a perfect shot at the top of the back. Daddy went with him and they "gutted it" and put it in the truck and we were home in time for dinner. You can't imagine how impressed our missionaries are!!!! Johnny had slept until noon yesterday, then had his hair cut, went out and shot his deer and cleaned and skinned it and cleaned the truck and then went to the Stake Thanksgiving Dance - what a day!! We will have about 100 lbs. of ground venison in the freezer and it is delicious.
We surely do love each one of you and hope so much that everything is going just great for you - we are really proud of our family - PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!
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