July 31, 1983 Billings, Montana

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

I thought sure we would have another name to add to that by today but Claire hasn't had her baby yet - we are so excited and can hardly wait to hear - every time Johnny's phone rights I am sure it is going to be Bob. Claire, aren't you glad we're not there to pressure you into having it by a certain time - when Michael was born we were really a bother even though we knew there wasn't anything you could do about it. Please know we are thinking about you and praying that everything will go just perfect!

Roy - are you still there? We haven't heard from you for a long, long time - we surely hope things are going great for you and that you really love your new position in life!!! I have thought about you all week as I have watched Johnny prepare for his backspacing trip because you were so methodical in your planning - every single thing you took had a special place in your backpack and I don't believe you ever forgot anything.

Annie and Jeannie - we haven't heard from you this week but we know this is a busy, busy time with all your canning along with everything else you do. Today in Relief Society they had some case studies on problems in different families and one of them was of a mother who had three children under the age of four and I immediately thought of both of you and how beautiful your homes and your homes and your children are all the time and how happy and well adjusted you all are - we're proud of you and believe me I understand how hard it must be!!!

Daddy and I took Johnny and his friend, Bill Lenfield, up to the Beartooth mountains last night so they could pack in about 8 miles to "Golden Lake" for this next week. We left here about 6 p.m. and got there at 9 p.m. and back home by midnight - it was about 100 miles and over that steep and curvy Beartooth mountains Pass - the most gorgeous scenery we have ever over seen. I am really worried about bear and I think Johnny was too but he wouldn't admit it - he took his 22 gun and I guess could inure one if he had to and that might make it worse. They have packed all week but they got the giggles on the way there yesterday as they thought of things they had forgotten. It just isn't possible to pack enough food in his back pack to last Johnny for seven days - he is counting on catching a lot of fish and if they don't he will surely starve. He was so excited he could hardly stand it. Jimmy called and when he found out about the backpacking trip he decided not to come - I think Johnny was a little relived and I feel bad about it but I know better than to interfere. Jimmy just isn't the outdoors type and this trip is one Johnny has looked forward to since we came here a year ago. I had to practically lasso Daddy to get him back in the car to come home last night - he would give anything to be able to go with Johnny on a trip like this and they would have a "ball"! I don't know when Johnny is coming to Utah - football practice starts in two weeks and he has to get things ready for that - we'll let you know.

Last week was our busy week again - I made that batter for thirty dozen cookies last Monday so I could have the kitchen all to myself - I also made a batch of bread and it was so much fun. Tuesday I worked out in the flower garden and got things all ready for our new missionaries to come in on Wednesday - everything looked so pretty. Eight new Elders and one new Sister came in and that evening just as we sat down for our orientation we got the biggest rainstorm - it rained almost an inch in twenty minutes - it best up the flowers and flooded the outdoors carpet and really made a mess of thins. Right in the middle of it Johnny called from work and asked me to bring him something to eat because he had to work late and couldn't leave. We had had turkey for dinner and I had saved him a big leg and thigh so picked that up on the plate along with some potatoes and ran out to the car - the turkey plate was filled with drippings and I spilled it all over my skirt - Johnny had just waxed and buff our car and I got that all messed up and when I got back to the house the orientation was just about over. This group of missionaries was the most unresponsive group we have ever had - they just sat and looked at us - I surely hope they make good missionaries. The sister who came is really overnight but could be a beautiful girl. Thursday was our transfer day so I baked the cookies up in the apartment and served them really fresh - they loved them! We had five missionaries who had completed their mission come in for their "de-orientation" Thursday might and they left early Friday. One of those going home was Elder Ollerton and the house Elders had arranged a treasure hunt in the house so he cold find a "plaque" we all gave him for serving so long and so well so financial secretary and car czar - Daddy wouldn't let them give him the plaque in front of the other missionaries who were going home so they had to wait until they were all in bed - as a result the treasure hunt didn't start until after 11 p.m. and it ended up on our apartment - Daddy and I were really "zonked" by the time that was over.

Friday morning I cleaned up the soaked carpet outside and tried to 'mend" the flower beds - actually we had another really bad rainstorm Thursday night too. Daddy and I went to the garden early and "harvested" our crop - you just wouldn't believe that garden - I haven't had to buy any lettuce, onions, or any vegetables for the last six weeks and we have had the most delicious meals - chard, zucchini, crooked neck squash, cucumbers, tomatoes - I could go on and on. We have made relishes, pickled, beets, dill pickles and frozen about six large package of the sugar pea (they are simply delicious). Our corn will be ready this next week and wee will have bushels and bushels of corn - I believe I told you that Daddy bought four rows of the corn just for the mission home - I really don't know what we're going to do with it because we have only so much freezer space - I would give anything if we had a chest type freezer. Brenda has really worked this past week - Daddy talked to her and explained that we were giving her the maximum allowed for help in the home and if that didn't work out we would have to fire someone to come in and clean and reduce her salary. I think things will be much better when she comes home from Arkansas - she has been packed for that least week!!! There is absolutely no way I could do everything that was expected of me and the cleaning too!!!

I have told you how much I was looking forward to being home and doing the cooking while Brenda was gone - well, the assistants really have changed my plans. We start with leader meetings tomorrow and they go on for the two weeks she will be gone - we have to travel all over the mission. They planed these extra meetings to try to motivate the missionaries to get 100 baptisms for the month of August - they are calling it their "Harv August" month and hope to harvest 100 souls. I get tired just looking at our calendar and besides this we have to go to Worland this weekend to speak at a Sake Young Adjust Conference being held up in the mountains - they wanted us to stay in a primitive cabin but we said "no thanks"! We will be home for a day or two in between the meetings during the two week period. I have made the menus for the four Elders who will be left in the home so they will be able to prepare their own meals - I think they are really looking forward to it. Our pantry and freezers are really well stocked now - I just hope they don't go berserk and clean them out - they are such good Elders I'm sure they won't. I can just see Daddy and I preparing the corn for freezing in the wee hours of the morning when we come in because it is going to be at its prime right then!!!

Daddy takes Johnny's dog, Suzy, down to the canal that is about ten blocks from the Mission Home each night. I have gone with him several times and it is so neat to see how well trained she is - Daddy throws a stick out in the water and she goes after it at his command - I told him that she minds a lot better than our children ever did - Ha! Johnny is looking forward to taking her to duck hunting.

We had a neat experience the other night - the door bell rang and when I went to answer it there was an Indian family there. Invited them in and we went to the living room where I fixed them some punch and served them some cookies (they must have eaten two dozen). Come to find out, they had joined the church about a year ago and two of the daughters with them had been in Washington and Oregon on the placement program. They said I had invited them to the Mission Home when we went to one of their meetings in Lamedeer they were Bro. And Sister Weasel Bear and family. Daddy has told me they would come if I kept inviting them but I did believe him because they barely speak to us. It was really a wonderful thing because they really opened up and we had fun with them and they really enjoyed it. I don't know if this has ever happened before but if we can get closer to the Lamanites we will have accomplished something.

We are going to have an open house here tonight for a young man who has received his mission call to Japan - his parents are divorced and quite inactive so we thought this would be good thing to do. I have made some cookies and then they will brings some.

We surely do love each one of you and we are so proud of you. My brother Don called last night - he is building a fence separating our properties in Lehi and just hearing about things there made me so homesick. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!! Isn't that sad about the man who killed those little boys in Utah - can't believe it. Let us know how we can help you.
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