August 26, 1983 Billings, Montana

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

Our Merry-Go-Round has stopped for a few minutes so I'm going to get off while I can!!!

I didn't get to write my letter last Sunday because we were in Denver so let me tell you about our trip. I believe I told you that we were so excited because we were going to have our zone conference in Casper, Wyoming on Saturday morning and then go to Laramie and spend the night there and visit friends and go to church on Sunday - then on to Fort Collins where we were going to visit more friends and then on to Denver. Well - Daddy had to cal Pres. Rasmussen of the Denver Colorado Mission to give him our transportation plans because they were going to pick us up at the airport. Elder Loren Dunn called Pres. Rasmussen to see if all the plans were made and he told him about our plans to drive - Daddy got a phone call from him just before we were to leave for Casper and he told him we couldn't do what we had planned. He said it was against the rules for us to spend the night outside our mission except at the place where the Mission President's Seminar was held and we were not to visit friends on the way - so we spent the night in Casper and drove straight to Denver and then straight back. We were disappointed but I guess they have to have rules like that.

We arrived in Denver about two in the afternoon on Sunday and just rested until they picked us up to take us to the Mission Home. They had lovely tables all set up in the Mission Home and we had the most delicious dinner - ham loaf, broccolli, potatoes in the half shell, hot rolls and banana cream pie. Bro. And Sister Boyd Packer were there and we were seated right next to them at the big table in the dinning room - they were so sweet to us and he even asked me to cal him Boyd but I just couldn't do it. we had a wonderful time visiting about Brigham City and old friends and we even gave the old Box Elder High cheer "Ye Triumphe" - I was surprised that I could remember it. That's the first time I have been with Donna since we were in High School and it was so funny - I kept watching and listening to her and saying to myself, "I'm going to be a sweet grandmother like she is someday" - she seems older than I do but she is beautiful and so serene and self assured. She's kinda' heavy and I have been concentrating so much on losing my ten pounds that I really noticed it - I weighted 123 pounds when we left for the Seminar - the missionaries were proud of me but-weight seems so insignificant when you're around someone like Donna. She has let her hair go completely grey and Of course I still color mine - I have a million wrinkles and she has none!!! She spoke to us that night and then again just to the women and she emphasized in both her talks that it is our role to support our husbands - she told about how Boyd comes home in the evenings and she has so many things she would like to do but he wants to "saunter" to the lane and he wants her to be with him so that is what she does. I couldn't help but compare her to Ellen Mae all the time we were together - Ellen Mae is equally wonderful in her own way but she is happier with Mel and Donna is perfect for Boyd. She was very warm and kept putting her hand on mine as if to say, "I understand what you're going through as a Mission President's Wife but you're doing fine" and I really loved and appreciated being with her. She told me about her mother passing away and how her father came to live with them and how much there children enjoyed him. Boyd gave beautiful talks both days - don't quote me but I came away with the feeling that he things the members of the church are at the top of a cycle like the people were in the Book of Mormon and could be heading down the other side of the cycle into some days of strife and hard times. We emphasized sacrifice and diligence in keeping the commandments.

They took us by the new temple site near Denver (it's actually in Littleton) and it is in a beautiful residential area overlooking the city - they said it hadn't actually been cleared for building there but it was 95% sure. The meetings were all held at the Littleton Stake Center and it seemed like every few minutes we stopped for a refreshment break - the food was all delicious - the Relief Society women in that stake had done it all. Sharon Dunn gave each one of the wives the cutest personalized file - she is a very special person and so down to earth. Elder and Sister Pinnock were there also and they are really great people.

We really enjoyed being with the other Mission Presidents and their wives from this region. The mission up in Calgary, Canada has a mission home exactly like the one we live in - we had heard they served lunch to their office staff but we didn't know until this trip that they had exactly the same set-up that we do. The mission president before this new one had five children and when the General Authorities visited with him he told to "kick" the missionaries out and just have them come there for office hours and lunch so that is what they did. The new mission president who came in the same time Daddy did said that as of the first of September they are letting their cook go and they're not going to serve lunch to the missionaries anymore. They have a son living with them who is going to be in the 8th grade so they have a very similar situation to ours. The Mission President's wife told me that she was just spending too much of her time planning meals and shopping for food - and they have just several lunch and they have charged $1.50 for that. When we told them we charge $2.00 for three full meals a day and I do all the meal planning and shopping all they said was "You're crazy!" We didn't think we had any alternative but I guess we do. It was really fun to talk to her - she has had the exact same problems I have had with the cook - that cook has been with that mission home for ten years and she will be let go next week. They just felt it was too hard to not have family privacy and too much work - can you imagine having a home this large for just through of them? We told Brenda and the missionaries here what they had done and they have really been extra helpful all week. It made me feel so much better to talk to Sister Green because I thought it was just me but evidently it's the "situation". We're not going to do anything drastic for awhile and probably will keep it this way all the time we're here but it's nice to know we could change it. the mission home is Denver is really gorgeous but very private with just the two of them living there - they don't allow any missionaries to come to home without an appointment and we have them here every minute of every day!!!

We left Denver about 5 p.m. Monday - the others were staying that night and flying out the next morning but since we were driving we left so we could be home when Bro. & Sister Wright from Brigham City came to the mission home on Tuesday. We stayed in Douglan, Wyoming Monday night and got to Billings about 1 p.m. Tuesday - we had just been home about an hour when the Wright came. They are really a sweet couple and we hope they make it on the reservation - Sister Wright told me she had called Grandmother Forrest before she left and everyone was fine there. I really enjoyed visiting with them and learned a lot of news about some of my friends in Brigham City - their daughter is married to one of Dee and Ida Smith's sons. Sister Wright had on beautiful dress and high heeled shoes when they left the mission home and I wanted to tell her that was inappropriate for Lodgegrass but I didn't !!!

JOHNNY MADE THE NEWS TODAY!!!! There was an article in the paper about the Billings Broncs Football team and it mentioned John Mellor as "one to watch". We are proud of him-he has really stuck with the practices and loves it - they're going to have their first scrim mage tonight and Daddy and I are going so I'll tell you about it. He was also accepted into "who's Who in American High Schools" and he was happy about that. We think he's over the hum now and will really enjoy his Senior year. A girl he has been friends with for the past year just came by to see him - it was the first time we had met her and she is just a doll and has a darling personality - she graduated from high school last year and will be going to Eastern Montana College this year and that's here in Billings so they will have fun together. She isn't a member of the church but very few of his friends are. He really enjoys just being in the apartment and watching television and being with us when we're here and of course we love that - he really loves his car but doesn't just bum around. He starts school next Wednesday.

We have had Bro. & Sister Birdbill from Wolfpoint here in the hospital - they called the mission home and wanted to have me come see them so I did - -hey had a long list of things they wanted - a warm robe, food, money and a job for their son. I went to Good will and found a nice robe and we took them a meat, loaf, dressing and fresh vegetables. Boyd Packer told us that his grandfather served a mission in Wolfpoint many years ago and had a complete Indian head dress and clothes and they loaned them to someone and they got lost.

We have bottled a lot of beans and frozen a lot of corn, peppers, peas and squash and have made relishes, dill pickles and pickled beets but I think that's al we're going to do. Our garden is still producing like crazy and we have told the neighbors and everyone else we see to pick from it - much has been wasted and that makes me sick but Daddy and I are the only on who will spend much time getting things from it and we don't have that much time.

Wednesday we received twelve new missionaries from the missionary training center in Provo - nine Elders and three Lady missionaries. They came in about 3:30 and we had a nice dinner for them - ham, potato casserole, creamed fresh carrots, squash, hot rolls and cake & ice cream. We don't see many leaders in the group but hopefully they will develop into leaders - the ladies are darling. Thursday we had seven who had completed their missions go home (actually they left on Friday, this morning). One of the lady missionaries went back to England and another to New Zealand. We changed our program for the night before they go home - we had a nice dinner at 5:30 (your Mexican Delight, Annie), than a testimony meeting where they tell some highlights of their mission and then we had an open house from 7 - 9 p.m. We told them they could invite anyone to come visit with them and have refreshments - one of our Elders had his family come from Indianapolis, Indiana come to pick him u and it was fun to meet them. We must have had about 30 come and we served cookies and the best frappe' - they served it in Denver and I got the recipe: 1 gallon vanilla ice cream, 1/2 gallon of raspberry sherbet, 1 large can pineapple juice - beat that up with an electric beater until smooth and add two large bottles of seven-up. It is delicious and so easy!!! Actually you can use any flavor sherbet you want.

Daddy "g-Q'd" a darling girl the other day while he was in line to get the license for Johnny's car (that's asking the golden question.) Lo and behold she is really interested in joining the church - she came to the home for lessons yesterday and wants to be baptized soon. We are supposed to go to Cody tomorrow evening for their Stake Conference but if she wants to be baptized that soon we may wait and just go down Sunday morning for their other meetings. Bro. Franklin Richards is going to be their General Authority and he is going to come back to Billings with us and see the mission home and leave for Salt Lake from here. The Cody Stake President has just been called as Director of the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center so they will be moving and he will be released Sunday. Pres. & Sister Gagon have been just wonderful to us and we'll miss them but they are thrilled to be going to Mesa.

Saturday - August 27th - Johnny's game last night was wonderful - he intercepted a pass and almost made a touchdown. Their football field as right is right beside their school and it is so nice and the weather was really cool and crisp and we loved it. we hope we won't have to miss too many games.

Bob - your letter just came and we were so thrilled to hear that Laura is doing good and everything is under control. It's great Claire's Mom could come and help out so much and that her Dad will be able to come this weekend and pick her up- WE'RE JEALOUS!!! Your work at the hospital sounds so interesting but you really sound busy. (Bob is working with cancer patients and he said he had talked to Roy and Roy is working in the cardiac care dept.)

Today is Brenda's birthday so I have made her a cake - it's called a "Hummingbird Cake" and has crushed pineapple and bananas in it so it is really moist. The Mission Family will give her a pair of Fiskars scissors and a birthday card. It's about an hour before dinner and I want to hurry to finish this so we can get it copied and mailed tonight - Kim is getting baptized tonight (Daddy promised her he would go to her baptism), and we leave early in the morning for Cody and so telling what tomorrow will bring with Bro., Richards here.

Daddy went out to the garden early this morning and picked a bushel of the most beautiful tomatoes you have ever seen and almost that much in cucumbers and zucchini and crooked neck squash. We also have fresh beans for all next week because I refuse to bottle anymore and corn on the cob. He is really proud of his garden and it has been a good place for him to relax.

The Elders just brought me the September calendar and it is almost as bad as August has been - two members of the Primary General Board are coming to spend two weeks in our mission. We have to take them to the Districts in Eastern Montana and then bring them back here where they will stay in the mission home and have conference in Billings. This along with our zone conference. Jeannie - you had mentioned you might be able to come see us in September if you can arrange it, we'll probably be less busy that last week in September. I really their after September we are not going to be this busy - I hope not!!! Boyd was telling us that when he was called to preside over the New England Mission they took nine children with them to Boston and their oldest son was Johnny's age and he had just made the football team in Utah and had to leave - he said he made the team there too so all was well. I sometime think it would be easier if we had our whole family with us - at least I wouldn't get so homesick!!!!
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