December 13, 1982 Billings, Montana

Dearest Roy, Bob, Claire, & Michael, Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean & Mary Ann, Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie & Russell,

I'm writing this on Monday morning - we were in Kalispell this weekend for their Stake Conference and didn't get home until about one o'clock this morning so I didn't get my letter written last night. We had a wonderful trip - it was just like driving through a Winter Wonderland - the trees were all white and ground covered with snow. Kalispell is a beautiful place with a huge lake - the Flathead Lake. We left here about 7 a.m. Saturday morning and visited with a few missionaries on our way in Bozeman, Butte and Missoula and got there about 6 p.m. Sat. night - it's about 500 miles. The people there were really nice to us - Chris Jordin's sister and her husband is one the High Council and is also the custodian of the chapel there. We were with Bro. Visser, and Dale Anderson (originally from Brigham City) who is head of the Welfare Services for the Region and they are just super to us. Kalispell is where they grow a lot of being cherries and is considered the banana belt of Montana - it snowed while we were there but it wasn't too cold - it was really cold in Missoula and Bozeman and Butte. They have two big ski resorts near Bozeman - one just as you go into the city and the other about 40 miles almost to West Yellowstone. John wants to go to them with Roy and "stay in the lodge" - wouldn't that be fun????

Roy - we really loved your Christmas card letter and the wonderful pictures and also your schedule - 15th in Gainesville, Florida, 17th in Salt Lake and 20th in Seattle, Wash. I will pray for wither Utah or Washington - I hope you don't like the one in Florida - that will be farther away from us than you are now. Most of all we hope you get one that will be the very best for you and we know you will. We have worried so about the weather in Utah - listening to the weather news it sounds like they are having fog like they did several years ago when you and Ty went there for a skiing vacation - we hope so much it will be pretty while you're there this time or you won't want to go back. We are really excited about having you come to be with us (and so are the missionaries) and we'll be at the airport to pick you up at 9:50 on Tuesday the 21st. We'll have three lady missionaries in the home that night so may want to bunk it with John - the upstairs will be ours after 23rd so then you can have your pick of the bedrooms. Daddy tried to schedule the arrivals and the departures so it wouldn't be quite so hectic but he couldn't do it - we get three lady missionaries and one elder in one on the 20th and they will stay with us until the 22nd and then we have nine elders who are going home come in on the 22nd and they will leave the 23rd. We are thrilled that you will be here to see some of the "goings on" in the mission home. We wish you could stay longer though - maybe through that next week???? We're planning a big Christmas Eve party with all the area missionaries and Daddy's counselors and their families and probably some of the Stake missionaries and their families and the following week could be more "family fun". We'll appreciate whatever time you can stay though - Johnny wants to ski with you every day!

Annie & Ron - we opened our Christmas package because you told us to and we really love the "soldier" Christmas decorations - in fact, we have never seen anything so cute!!!! They are perfect for the fireplace in the living room and really add so much to our home here - the missionaries are so impressed!!!! The bottom "pot" had come off one of them (it was very simple to glue back on) so we could see how they were made and they are simply adorable and so original - we love them. We also love the Christmas "roll" server - you are getting so clever and with all you have to do with your little family - we really appreciate it!!! One of the pictures Roy sent was of the three of you with little (?) Russell while you were in Boston and it is really a wonderful picture - we can't believe Russell - he is definitely a "Woolley" - Daddy thinks he looks exactly like his Grandmother Bev and I think he looks exactly like his Grandpa Russell - we're proud of him and so happy you could have a "big" baby because I know how it has worried you to have thin babies (although they're just as healthy). I can really relate to that because Johnny loves to eat so much that his table manners aren't as good as they should be - I tell everyone I am so thrilled to have a boy that enjoys food that I can overlook his manners (no offense, Bob and Roy!!!!) I'm going to send a list of some clothes I would love to have here from the Lehi House if Roy wants to go over there and you will want to go with him. If he doesn't want to go there or if you don't have time to go with him don't worry about it. Do you remember that woolen sweater Daddy brought to me from New Zealand? It is so uncomfortable to wear because it is scratchy but I have been pricing sweaters like that here and it so dumb to have that sit in Lehi when I could be enjoying it here. I didn't do a very good job of packing for cold weather.

Jeannie and Rick - we really loved your wonderful letter and those precious pictures - what a beautiful family you are!!!! We couldn't believe those huge onions from your welfare farm - wouldn't they make delicious onion sandwiches??? I was so thrilled to have you go see Grandmother and Grandfather Forrest and then report to me - Grandmother must have been really sick with a kidney infection and I'm so glad they have been able to help her - you say she is quite thin - I hope she doesn't keep losing weight - wish I could fix something tasty for them to eat, like hot soup!!! Rick - we think it was so neat that you would run into some of our missionaries in Lander - the very next day they totaled their mission car - they ran into a slick spot and rolled it over - fortunately they weren't hurt. We have had a rash of bad accidents for cars but they aren't bad to us if the missionaries don't get hurt. The pictures of your home under construction are wonderful - that will be such a beautiful spot and we can just imagine how excited you are to have it finished - we're thrilled for you.

Bob and Claire - Daddy was so thrilled to receive a report from our missionaries in Bozeman telling of their "follow up" on a referral you sent in while you were in the airport in Montana - I'll enclose if in this letter. It really makes us proud to have our entire family doing missionary work. Daddy is really pushing a new program suggested by Hartman Rector Jr.- it is called the two question program. You ask people if they like to read and after they respond you say, "if I were to send you a book telling about Christ's visit to the people of the American Continent, would you read it?" - most people will say "yes", so you give them a piece of paper to write their names, address and telephone number then you give that to the missionaries. It is really working well in our area - can't keep enough copies of the Book of Mormon.

When we left Saturday morning Johnny was spending the night with one of his friends who had promised to take him fishing that morning on the Yellowstone River - it is practically iced over and it worried me so much but he was really excited. Daddy got up with him this morning to get him off to school and Johnny was so proud to show him his fish - five big rainbow trout!!! His school was having their Winter Ball Saturday night and I had hoped he would go to that but I don't think he did - he is really loving all this outdoor life - you know Johnny - if he can keep busy hunting and fishing he is happy. I would like for him to get a girl friend but he isn't the least bit interested and Daddy's glad!!! His explorer group had a candy making party last Wednesday night at the home economics department at his school and he loved that - the girls made it and the boys ate it - sound familiar????

We have the Mission Home decorated inside and out and it is beautiful - we have a tree that goes to the ceiling in the living room - it cost $40 but the man who owns the Christmas tree lot is a Mormon so he gave it to us half price. I really think I have too many decoration on it but the Elders love it - I tried to use everything they had here and I believe it is an accumulation of twenty years or more. We also have an artificial tree in the foyer - it's aluminum and we have red balls and candy canes all over it with a beautiful lighted star on top - it's darling. Then we have our Norfolk pine tree decorated with those miniature lights all over it - everything is really beautiful. The tree in the living room is right in front of our mirrored wall and it lights up the whole room and when we open the drapes it lights up the outside too. I want to get a fresh poinsettia for the dining room table.

We are loving our mission - I can't believe the difference in the home now. The house elders are so considerate and don't take advantage - when they go in the kitchen at night I feel so confident they will leave it clean - the others had just been in here too long. Daddy secretary, Elder Madsen, is such a wonderful influence for all the others and also his new assistant, Elder Parker. Elder Madsen's Aunt was such a good friend of mine at Utah State, Laura Lee Lundahl and it is so much fun to hear about her family through him.

We surely hope each one of you is happy in your preparations for the holidays - please don't emphasize the material things for you or your children - take time to teach your little ones the real meaning. We love you all so much and we're so proud of you PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!
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