January 30, 1983 Billings, Mt.

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

This is really a special day - Mary Ann was blessed in Sacrament meeting this morning, Roy is arriving in Utah tonight to spend a month at the U. Of U. Med. Center and Daddy and I went to Dunmore where Daddy dedicated their chapel!!!!

We have thought about the Weinerts all day and wished we could have been with them for the blessing - they have their Sacrament meeting at 8:00 a.m. so it wasn't possible for the Woolleys to go to it either. Your new ward members will think you don't even have a family - I hope Rick's Mom was able to be there!!!! We have so many people her who saw Mary Ann when she was so tiny ask about her - have you decided who she looks like yet??? We surely hope you're pretty well settled in your new home by now.

I'm going to send Roy's copy of the letter to the Lehi address - I hope you get it Roy. Then usually just forward everything that goes there. We are really anxious to hear how everything goes there for you and if you can get the things in the house all working. We hope so much you will enjoy your stay there and that you will like the University - let us know if you get to see Barney Clark - that is such a remarkable "page in history".

Bob and Claire - we really loved your letters - couldn't believe it - such long and wonderful ones from each one of you. You sound so busy and happy - your situation in Memphis sounds like a dream come true and we're so thrilled for you - we hope you'll be able to sell your home as soon as you want to so you won't have to make a lot of trips back to Little Rock. I'll bet it will sell quickly - besides being such a lovely home, it is in a wonderful location and prefect for Med. Students. I called Chris for a recipe this morning and she told me about going to your shower yesterday for Kandi - she said it was really nice and your home looked do beautiful and so did you, Claire. Bob - we would be so thrilled to have you and Michael come spend awhile with us - Bro. Dunn will be here March 8, 9 and 10 so we will get all our zone conferences over quickly that month - the last part of March or during April would probably be better than May since we will have zone conferences again in May. We may have to leave for some Stake Conferences but our zone conferences months take us away most of the time. It would be wonderful if you and John (and maybe Daddy some) could be fishing - they went to the Bighorn river yesterday and caught 8 more beautiful rainbow trout. I'm so glad you're going to be Nursery Leader in the Ward Claire - that will help Michael too!!!!

It was really fun to talk to Susanna yesterday - she sounds so "grown-up". (I called Ann to get the recipe I finally had to call Chris for - she wasn't home and Susanna answered the phone and it really threw me - she said, "My mother is out to lunch with friends".) Actually she had gone to lunch with friends and then to a luncheon for Memory Willardsen at Carolyn Crawford Perkes' home. It was fun to talk to you last night Ann and hear about the shower and all - I think it's wonderful the way Ramona is always involved in honoring the family members who are either getting married, having babies, etc. - we're surely glad you went. We appreciate so much all you have done to get the power, etc. turned on for the Lehi home and we know how much Roy appreciates that too and also going to pick him up at the airport tonight.

Monday morning ----- I wrote the top part of my letter yesterday between coming home from Dunmore and helping with dinner. Yesterday was the birthday of one of Daddy's assistance Elder Stucki who is serving his 25th month in the mission field (Daddy was able to give him an extra month extension) - we had his favorite dinner, chicken pot pie, and then I made him that chocolate mousse cake - we all gave him a picture frame of different pictures taken of the mission family in the house - he is really a special young man!!!!!

We had a fireside in the home last night of the "Student Ward" - there must have been fifty people here - they brought their own refreshments but Daddy and I were the speakers. Daddy always does such a wonderful job - my talks are about a minute long and he can talk and keep them interested for an hour. This ward is made up of young single members of the church and they are really sweet - fun to be around!

Last week was really a busy one. Wednesday we received our new missionaries from the MTC in Provo - five elders and two sisters. We always have a special dinner for them and then we have orientation and they spend the night with us - we served baked ham, a rice casserole, that pistachio fruit salad, hot rolls, carrot and celery sticks and cake and ice cream. They are always so nervous they can hardly eat - my heart really goes out to them because they go to strange places and live in dumpy apartments and have to make friends with their companions whether they want to or not.

Thursday was transfer day and that is really something - we had nine elders come in early because their missions were over and they go home the next day. They stay around the house all day and come into the kitchen at least a million times for a "little snack". We had missionaries transferred from one part of the mission to another this time so it was really hectic. We served tostados because Elder Ashcroft had requested them and he was going home - they love those - we deep fry the flour tortillas (next time we're going to try the corn ones) and then have the toppings: ground beef, refried beans, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes, guacamole and salsa. We fried sixty tortillas and just had a few left - they had banana splits for dessert. We have a meeting with them after dinner and they tell about the highlights of their mission and give us suggestions for improving the work - we lost some really good leaders but nothing compared to February - then 14 leave!!!!

They served dinner after the dedication yesterday and it was special - the Lamanites prepared most of the food expect for a few of us who brought in salads (I took that pistachio fruit one and they loved it). We had buffalo steak, barbecued ribs, Indian fry bread, salad, baked potatoes, buffalo berry and wild plum pudding and a Valentine cake. The whole program was special - one of the Lamanites sang the Lord's Prayer and four girls dressed in their native costumes did the sign language to it - I took a lot of pictures and if they're good I'll send you some. One couple drove clear from Downey, Idaho to attend it - they had served there as missionaries several years ago. They had 105 in attendance which was wonderful!!!

Last night after the fireside one of the elders came up to me and said, "Sister Mellor, did you know there were cobwebs all over the ceiling?" I about died when I looked up and saw them. Daddy got out the ladder a few minutes ago and we swept them all down this house is a killer!!!! Last Friday after the elders who were finished with their missions left I washed 36 sheets and pillowcases and about that many towels and cleaned all the bathrooms and bedrooms - on Thursday morning I had washed 14 sheets and Daddy tried to get them to not change their beds for the next group but they changed them anyway. I vacuumed throughout the house and scrubbed and waxed the kitchen floor because there was going to be a missionary (Stake) fireside here Friday night - Daddy and I couldn't stay for it because we had to go to an open house out in Dunmore - they had steak fondue and vegetables and dips and it smells like they had had a wonderful time. Brenda said to me the other day, "You know Barbara, I'll bet we're the only ones in the whole world who do all the cleaning" - I think that was her was of telling me she was not going to get involved. I'm hard to please I know - she gets out her little feather duster and thinks she ahs done it all!!!!! We could hire help but it seems so ridiculous to me to have two healthy women here and not be able to keep the house clean - the former mission president's wife had a girl come in once a week - I may turn to that too before we're through.

It is really a gorgeous day here - we have had wonderful weather - the big beautiful bright sky is so welcome to us after living in Arkansas where we had a lot of cloudy days. We love it here and are really happy - so very grateful for our good health and the opportunity this calling gives us to serve our Heavenly Father and also to grow ourselves! Johnny is doing good - he's taking a gym class that requires him to lift weights and exercise a lot - he said, "Mom, I'm going to be big when I finish this class!!!" I think he's already huge!!!

We love each one of you so very much - we think about you all the time and pray for your success in everything you do - PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!!
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