February 7, 1983 Billings, Montana

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

It's Monday evening and we just came home from Helena - we left Billings on Saturday afternoon to go to Bozeman for their Stake Conference meetings Sat. night and Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon we drove to Helena for a special missionary correlation meeting with the Stake Presidency, etc. and we stayed there that night - this morning we drove to Butte where we attended a Tri-District missionary meeting. We are "meeting" out!!!! Daddy gives such good talks at all these meetings and everyone seems fried up about missionary work but I'm afraid after we leave they forget their commitments. During the month of February we are "Declaring War" against all the things that detract from missionary work and it's really cute the way they are doing it - they have "flyers" for each championship to hang in their rooms and then a big poster for each missionary in the mission of sign. Our baptisms were down for the month of January so we have to do something.

Bob and Claire, we have loved your wonderful letters. I can really relate to what you are going through in trying to sell your home - we hope you will be able to sell it yourselves so you can save the realtor fee - one thing we learned is that once you give it to a realtor it is practically impossible to avoid their fee - they have all kinds of ways of proving they sold the home even if you really do. It's wonderful that you have a lot of time to sell it. We really love the pictures of little Michael and his Dad - he has grown so much since we saw him and it's hard to believe he is walking and talking now - we're thrilled that he likes to eat and the picture of him in his highchair proves it - what a little doll!!!! We hope you won't accept the offer of a job in Memphis, Claire - they are tempting you, aren't they? We know you will want to be a full time mother and wife foe a little while anyway. Bob, don't worry about our rental house there - we'll just have Lee Gibson take care of it after you move - we would really like to sell it but we haven't even had an offer on it and it's been for sale for three years - maybe the renters will stay for another two years!!!!

Ron, Ann, and Roy - I have loved talking to Ann and hearing about Roy being settled in Lehi - it was so funny, I called Ann the night I thought you might all be together and she and Ron were to a party so I called Mamie Hansen - I asked her if everything in the house was okay and she said it was and she guessed Roy was there because she had been lights on and the car going back and forth. Roy - we are really sorry the hot water heater isn't working - I think that would be quite miserable and we wouldn't care if you want to hire someone to come try to fix it - Bishop Peterson down the street is a contractor and could probably advise you Daddy says he wouldn't be surprised if it is just "worn out" - I have no idea how old it is! We are really proud of you to be able to get everything going - it makes me feel as if we have a family home after all!!!!! We hope so much that the rest of February will go really well for you and that Patrice will enjoy her visit to Utah - Ann says you are enjoying your work at the Med. Center and that's great!!!! Little Susanna is so darling when she answers the phone and it gives me a boost to just hear her say, "it's Grandma B" without my even having to tell her. She said, "Grandma B, we went swimming with Uncle Roy" and I kinda' had the feeling a million years had passed by without me being a part of it. I'm not complaining but it's strange.

Rick and Jeannie - we haven't heard from you for awhile but we can just imagine how busy you are getting everything in order and all - Jeannie - I really don't know how you can work and do everything you're doing!!! When we went to Bozeman this weekend, Elder Hess came up to me and said he had something for me and he handed me a picture he had taken of little Ricky sitting in Elder Stucki's chair and his feet up on the desk - it is just adorable and Daddy and I kept passing it back and forth while we were up on the stand showing it to everyone - we are so proud of our grandchildren. Elder Hess has requested that his mission be extended another month - he was supposed to go home the end of this month but now he will stay until March - he and his companion have been living in a cabin up in the hills in Bozeman and they have been heating with a wood stove and all and he has lost nine pounds - rental units are so expensive in Bozeman besides being really hard to find.

Johnny has been on a little diet and has lost seven pounds - I really don't want him to lose but he thinks he's too heavy and I guess his P.E. teacher has been encouraging him to lose - he weighs 160 pounds and is over 6 ft. We are proud of him - he washes and waxes cars three nights a week and on Saturdays and even in freezing weather. He is doing much better in school - it just took a little while to get adjusted - his favorite subject is Trig. and he brings home all his papers with "A's" on them - his worst subject in English!

Roy - we have loved the Arkansas papers and they have really brought us up to date on things. The last one had a full page picture of John's friend-girl - Beth Pope. She is the gymnast who left Hall High the same year Johnny did - she is in Houston studying under the person who coached Nadia Comenic (sp.?) and someday she will probably represent the United States in the Olympics. Johnny had the nicest letter from her and she compared his leaving hall as a sacrifice similar to hers. She used to come to our home all the time with him - that's something I really miss here - I guess the mission home is too "austere" or something for him to bring many of his friends here. We also saw that the Caveness's' home is up for sale and also the Sherrods again.

Ron - I would heartily recommend that you get your father to Mayo Clinic for tests for his headaches. I am really impressed with that place and even thought they couldn't really help my mother they were so thorough in their testing that they would have found something in the early stages and could have treated it - many of our friends in Little Rock were really helped. One of our new Elders is from Rochester and I talked to him about Mayo. They have a long waiting list but now during the winter months when your father isn't too busy they could go there for a little vacation and just wait their turn - it took us three days before Mother could be admitted.

I have been repenting all week for being ugly in my last letter about doing so much of the cleaning - I have found that when I get too tired I get really ugly so I am going to try to no get so tired. I have also tired to act as through everything I do is spiritual and that is helping. I'm sending you this picture to show that I am really happy and "spoiled". This was actually taken on New Year's Eve and that's why the Elders are dressed the way they are and also the reason the roses aren't as pretty as they were - I was going to send you one of Daddy with them that night too but it isn't good of Daddy so I'll wait and send a good one.

We received the most beautiful "box" from Lynn's family this weekend - it was here when we got home tonight. It is a large oval one and has been hand painted by Elaine - a black background with beautiful white roses and other flowers all around it - really it's the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen - it was finished and sent by the Crawfords with a sweet letter explaining that it was supposed to be filled with family pictures - we won't have any trouble filling it. We appreciate it so much - especially having them want to do something to wish us well on our mission - that's a wonderful family!!!! The Crawfords are going to Maryland so they can be with Margaret when her baby comes - they are leaving this week so they won't be to Memory Willardsen's open house - we surely hope some of you will be able to go to that - Roy, you received an invitation and it was sent to us. We have already sent a gift.

We received the sweetest note from Margaret Seely - she has surely taken Grant's death well - she sent us a copy of his funeral and Hartman Rector Jr. spoke so they must have been friends. We are wondering about Sandy Jones - she promised to call when her baby came and we haven't heard from her - they lost one and I'm worried about calling her.

We have another Elder in the home right now that we're trying to rehabilitate - that is much more of a problem than we expected - some of them are so immature!!!

We surely do love each one of you and hope everything is going really well for you - PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - let us know how we can help you!

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