April 10, 1983 Billings, Montana

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

We just came home from Missoula where we have been this weekend for their stake conference - it was just a beautiful drive over and back!!! Spring is on the way and Daddy could hardly keep his eyes on the road for looking at all the duck, geese, deer, pheasants and especially the little newborn calves out in the fields - we loved it. Daddy spoke at the conference and he always does such a good job - their Regional Representative is Elder Lofgren and he has given the same talk at all the last ten Stake Conferences - it's good but when you hear it that many times it really gets boring.

Tomorrow is little Jessie's third birthday but we talked to Ann yesterday morning and she said they had her party on Friday. Ann and Ron are going to Mexico tomorrow for a vacation so they had to celebrate it early. We hope so much you have a good time and we know you will. Do you have to take any precautions about the water? Now is a dumb time to ask since you won't get this letter until you get home a week from Tuesday. We think it is so neat that you have your children so well taken care of and they won't have to change their routine or anything (they're having a couple come into their home to take over). Thanks for all the Real Estate booklets for Utah Country - we simply cannot believe those homes in the river bottom selling for two millions dollars - I'm glad I don't have any desire for one and I hope none of you do either.

Bob and Claire - the pictures of your new home are simply gorgeous and we are keeping our figures crossed that you will get it. We think it is so smart for you to get Claire and the children settled in a lovely home and in a good neighborhood because you, undoubtedly, will really be busy for the next few years - we're thrilled for you!!! Thanks so much for taking care of our rental home there - we're grateful that hasn't been anymore of a pain than it has - or maybe it has and you just haven't told us - I can't believe that man couldn't fix the toilet leak if it were as simple as you said it was - Daddy says he is really not the kind to fix anything. It will be interesting to see if they sign a new lease. Thanks so much for pictures - we surely hope your packing won't be too hard.

Roy - we loved you phone call last Sunday - you sound so good and excited about being in Boston for next year - we're thrilled for you too!!! I can remember how excited Daddy and I were to be through school and even though you still have more training to go through you have accomplished so much and we're really proud of you. We hope you will be able to get the kind of apartment you want. You have had a lot of rain according to the weather bulletins but it will soon be warmer and we'll never forget how beautiful New England is in the Spring so I'm sure you will be enjoying some picnics on the beach pretty soon.

Jeannie and Rick - we know you had a great time in Disneyland - Ann said you were home safe and sound and everything was going good - she felt bad that you didn't get the invitation to Jessie's party in the time to get there - I feel bad too because I think it's so important for the cousins to get together as often as they can. Maybe when it gets warmer there you will be able to plan some trips to the park where the children can play together - it was so much fun to take Ricky and Susanna to the Lehi park because they loved each other so much. We are about the "tornado like" winds that went through Disneyland the Monday after you left there and we were relieved that you weren't there. How's Rick's Mom? We hope she's doing good.

Johnny went to the "Twirp" dance Friday night with the little girl he has liked from the beginning of school - Kim Bateman. She invited him and they went out to dinner first and the out to breakfast after - he didn't get home until two in the morning but he really had a good time. He bought his first corsage and wow, was he ever "fussy"!!! He found out exactly what she was wearing and he wanted it just the right size. He's really putting a lot of hours into his work and makes good money - we're trying to get him to not spend so much of it at Church' Fried Chicken - he just loves that!!! He really is a good boy and is doing great in his school work - he likes accounting and has to work at it - his math classes come easy for him. He's looking for an old 280 Z still - wants to have something to work at and we think it's a good idea for him to learn how to work with cars but I don't know about a 280 Z. We have always been so proud of the way Roy could tinker with cars and make them run - he knew his old Toyota like the back of his hand - all he needed was a manual and he could fix anything. Bob could always work with cars too. Last week when we had those 8 missionaries come into our mission Daddy assigned one of them to labor here in Billings the first thing he did was to put water in the crank case - the car started steaming and stopped and the Elder called the Mission Home and Elder Ollerton went to help him. They took a picture under the car of the water being drained out - none of the Elders could believe it. Needless to say, Daddy took the car away from him and told him to buy a bicycle. This Elder was from California and I guess had never had any experience with cars. The problem with Johnny is that he doesn't have any extra time and if he tinkers with cars he is going to let his school work go. Did we ever tell you about our insurance situation with Johnny - we have been paying $100 a month for his car insurance and when we insured the Lincoln for Roy to drive our insurance went down - by having insurance on two cars with John insured on the older one our payments are less than if we just have insurance on the Toyota - doesn't make sense!!!

Things have really settled down the last little while and it doesn't seem as hard as it was at first - Daddy says it's because we haven't had to travel with zone conferences because when Elder Dunn was here we got them all over in one week and in just traveling to two place. I surely wish it could be like this all the time - I function so much better than when I get tired. When we walked into the Mission Home tonight the first thing I noticed was that the lace cloth (the new one) wasn't on the dinning room table - I found out one of the Elders spilled cherry kool aid on it. Brenda had rinsed it out and left in the laundry room so I'm washing it now. Normally I would have been sick - maybe I'm just getting used to things and won't take everything so seriously. If I can keep on top of things and don't get too far behind then I'm okay. The Elders we have in the home now are top notch and we have no problems with the kitchen like we used to.

We had Bro. And Sister Tenney come in from Zoratman on Friday and spend the night with us - he works in the gold mine there. He told us that his son-in-law owns five drills they use and he is really working for his son-in-law. They are at least the age of Daddy and I and we think they're crazy to live in a mining camp but they seem to be happy - they own a home in Banners Ferry Idaho but they have been here about two years. Daddy wants to make him District President of the Glascow District - the one there now is in poor health and that district is really suffering. They don't have any kind of medical help in the mining camp - they have an airplane and could get help quickly but that scares me.

We'll be home all this week and then on the weekend we will go to Great Falls for another Stake Conference - I love this schedule!!! We are really loving our mission and the work is going great. We had a darling letter from Carol (Daddy's sister) and she gave us so much news of the Mellor family - everyone is doing fine except for Jimmy and Kaylene - they're the ones who lost their little boy last July and they are having a hard time which we can all understand. George Braithwaite has a new boy and John Braithwaite has a new baby boy also. Ramona and Winston also write - their son Kim is getting married in June to the girl he has been going with for three years so they're thrilled about that - Margaret had a little baby girl. Carol & Ellie are still in St. George - they have been there all Winter doing temple work - they have to do 80 endowments a month in order to keep their condominium there Glen and Shirley are in Mexico on a vacation and Elaine is still doing a lot of painting.

We surely do love each one of you and really miss you - we're so proud of our family and tell everyone who will listen to us about you every chance we get!!!!! Please let us know how we can help you and PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!!

JEANNIE - WE HOPE YOU HAVE A REALLY HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS SATURDAY!!!
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