February 13, 1983 Billings, Montana


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

We just came home from Cody where we went yesterday for their Stake Conference meetings. Yesterday morning one of our Elders in Casper had an emergency appendectomy - when Daddy call to his mother in California to tell her she said, "Well, surely you will be with him when he comes out of the anesthesia (sp.?) " - Daddy explained to her that we were almost four hundred miles away and she was so concerned be said he would go see him. We left here shortly after 8.a.m. and drove clear to Casper to check him and then we drove another three hundred miles back the other way to go to Cody. Needless to say it was a long trip - we were a little late for the evening meeting last night and hoped to be able to sneak in and sit in the back out Pres. Gagon saw us and had us come to the stand - Daddy spoke and did a good job. Elder Loren Dunn was their stake visitor and we had lunch with him and Elder Woolley at the Stake President home - it is kinda' nice being a guest and seeing how other people do it. Their conference was really good - the Cody Stake is really special - we love Glen Neilsen and his family and also Pres. & Sister Gagon - they just can't do enough things for us!!! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous - people in Cody were in Spring dresses and suits - here it is FEBRUARY!!

Jeannie - your sweet letter and those adorable pictures were here when we got home tonight Little Mary Ann is just darling - I can't believe how big she is and she looks so healthy. Your Christmas picture are so cute - Ricky's cowboy hat looks too little - one too big and one too little - we can't win for losing!!! Their little kitchen looks like it would be a lot of fun. We tried to figure out where they were all taken - some at Ann's home, some at the Crawfords and some at yours (even your new home). We loved talking to you the other night and hearing about Rick and Roy's skiing trip - sounds like they had a lot of fun. Thanks so much for the pictures - that's almost as good as a visit!!!

Susanna and Jessie - thank you so much for the beautiful pictures - we needed some new ones for our refrigerator. Susanna, you can really write your name good and also Jessie's and Russell's. Glen Nielsen was holding his little great granddaughter today and she was so excite about going to Primary and making Valentines and she was talking a mile a minute while she was showing them to us and she reminded us so much of Susanna - she was blonde and had a little red and white valentine dress on. I loved our long phone visit the other night Annie - I should help you pay for that - let me call you now for the next month!!! We love to hear about all the things you are doing - you have such a fun life.

Bob and Claire - we had a long and newsy letter from Marge Lucas - she knows all the news in Little rock almost before it happens so we enjoyed her letter. We are surprised to hear about all the new babies and all the new expectant mothers - Jane Reber for one was only going to have one so we're thrilled she is expecting again - Carla Pearce again!!! She said that Barbie was depressed about the BYU professors frowning on career women - I surely hopes can overlook that and proceed with her education. Have you had any serious people looking at your home? Bob - wasn't that wonderful for your former Mission President to write to you - I forwarded it on so I am assuming you received it - I can't see us keeping up with many of our missionaries eight years from now - I would like to think we would though.

Roy - we're so happy you got the new water heater all installed - I'm afraid that probably took you away from your work for several days or move and we feel bad about that. I'll bet they had to re-write it and all. I'm sure we will have to expect to replace many things in that old home from time to time but that's true with all homes. We have worried that Patrice wouldn't be able to fly out of Boston - all the weather reports said the airports were all closed - we hope so much she was able to come and that you have had a wonderful time and that she likes Utah and we hope if she didn't make it this weekend that she will be able to come before you have to go back to Providence. We hope the problems with the Lincoln weren't to serious - that's whey we went to foreign cars - they are completely trouble free and all our other cars spent more time getting fixed than they did being driven. Both Ann and Jean say you look so good and are doing great and that's wonderful.

Johnny has lost eight pounds and he is so proud of himself - he is doing a lot of weight lifting, etc. in gym class and really is in good condition. When we came home tonight, he asked me to come to his car so I did and he showed me some flowers he had bought for his new girlfriend for Valentine Day - some long stemmed roses and pink carnations - we have known he has had his eyes on a girl for a quite some time and I guess it has finally developed into a friendship. He had to wash a lot of cars to buy them so I hope she appreciate them. She isn't a member of the church but goes to his school - her name is Kim Bateman and she lives a kind of out in a country East of Buildings. Johnny is really a good kid and he is raising - he is already planning for hunting season next year.

One of the elders going home this month is from America Fork - his name is Elder Carson I received the nicest package of stationery from his mother - I'm sure some of you have seen this done - tatting and putting it on white paper - I would never use it for writing on because that is almost a lost art but it was so sweet for her to send it.

We received a beautiful card and letter from Carol Ann - written the day before they all left for Utah for Memory's wedding reception. Annie, I hope you and Ron were able to go to it and will tell us all about it. They are having another reception in California and Carol Ann told us about all the things she has made for that - I can't believe all the things but I'll bet they're good - she sent this recipe for a quick and easy salad:
I can Eagle Brand milk
I can cherry pie filling
I can drained crushed pineapple
Fold in 8 oz. Cool whip (or Dream Whip)
Chill and severe

She has made 500 cream puffs, 800 ham rolls, 400 frozen fruit salads (recipe above). 800 roll up sandwiches and boiled 20 chickens. They must be expecting a big crowd!!!!

We called Elaine the other night to thank her for the painted box and she said Carol and Elly are living in St. George and doing temple work for the Winter.

Chris sent me the loveliest little purse Kleenex holder with my initials cross stitched on the front - what a sweet friend!!! I need to break my leg or something so I can be confined and catch up on some of these things - really it is so easy to by things and they are much better made than I could ever do and it take me FOREVER!!!!

Have you all watched "The Winds of War"? The end of it is on now and Daddy is calling me to go watch it with him - we have probably watched about an hour of it all together - it really brings back so many memories for us because that was our "era" - Daddy doesn't like war pictures and we both think this has dragged a lot but that is probably due to our having too many things to do.

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