September 10, 1983 Billings, Montana


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

It's Monday morning - we had to go to Lamedeer yesterday after a Stake Conference here in Billings and we didn't get home until late last night.

Bob - we really loved your letter and I can't tell you what a "hit" those surgical pinchers made (he found some in the discard pile at the hospital and sent them to Daddy). Daddy and John say they will be perfect to get fish hooks out - they are really something - they look like long scissors but they just open up a little bit at the end - Johnny was showing me how they could pick up his vitamin pill this morning with little effort - Ha! You sound so happy and it thrills us to hear of all the things you're doing at the hospital, with your yard and family and still taking time to got to concerts and things like that. You say that Claire is doing "fabulous" job with Michael and Laura and we know that is true - we get so homesick to see them - we can just see little Michael in the cart with you pulling him with your "ridding mower" - I'll bet he loves that. It seems funny to have you write about tilling up your yard for plant beds - we are closing things up up here for the Winter. We think you really need a fence for Michael with all those swimming pools in your neighborhood. Your trip to Little Rock sounded like so much fun - a party at the L.R. Country Club and filet mignon - WOW!!! I'll have to admit I really do miss those times - I went to so many things like that with Helen Bridges and Janie Bass and my life has made a complete reversal. By the way - we received a wedding announcement and the clipping from the paper about Janie Bridges wedding to a Joe Campbell (we don't know him). Claire - we wish have gone with him - do you miss your L.R. friends???

Roy - we were so sorry we missed your phone call - Johnny said you called from the hospital so we didn't call you back. We can just imagine how beautiful it is in Boston and the areas around there right now with all the levels turning - we hope you can take time to take some trips to see the beautiful scenery.

Today is little Mary Ann's birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! we didn't even get a card off to her - we gave her a gift while she was here but I really planned to send a card to get there today. We got the pictures we took while you were here and as always I wish I had taken a lot more. We loved talking to you and knowing you had arrived back home safe and sound - your trip through the park sounded like so much fun - I'll bet it was different to see Old Faithful during October - I wish you could still see some bear.

Annie - we worry so much about various veins - Jeannie said they were really bad!!! It seems so dumb to tell you to stay off your feet when we know you have little big Russell to keep up with. When I called the other morning (which is the very worst time to call you, I'm sure) and Susanna answered the phone it really took me back - it's so hard to realize she is that old and she sounds so mature. Little Jessie sounds so proud to be telling me she is going to her "gymnastics' class" - we really miss them!!!

We left last Monday morning and drove to Casper for a district meeting until 7:30 p.m. - then we drove to Riverton and got there about 9:30 p.m. We had a meeting there the next morning at 8:00 a.m., then on the Worland for a meeting at noon and then on to Cody for a morning at 5:30 p.m. then we came back to Billings and got there here about 10:00 p.m. Wednesday morning I got up early to get some laundry done and then we left about 10:00 a.m. to drive to Bozeman for a meeting at 1:00 then to Butte for a meeting at 5:00 p.m. - we stayed there and then on to Kalispell for a meeting at 5:00 p.m. We stayed in Kalispell Thursday night and left early Friday morning so we could go through Glacier on our way to Great Falls - it was a gorgeous sight with all the Autumn colors. We had a meeting in Great Falls from 1:30 until 4:00 and then we drove back to Billings - we got here about 8:30. Traveling is fun but it is tiring and by Saturday I had had it!!!! We had Stake Conference in our Stake and George P. Lee (the Indian) - Daddy and I both had to speak Saturday but just Daddy yesterday and he did a great job. Bro. Lee really emphasized working with the Lamanites and also being strict with our children - he said his 14 year old son is in bed every night, including Fridays, at 8:30 p.m. He really dislikes Rock Music Groups and when he told us that the group called KISS stands for Knights in Service to Satan and the group called "Styx" stands for a river in Hell, I about died because Johnny has shirts with those names on the. Styx is going to have a concert here in Billings this Wednesday - Johnny hasn't mentioned going so we're hopping he isn't planning on it. Bro. Lee's talks were very good and he really talked on being charitable to all people but we could all tell he was hopping we would reach out to the Lamanites. It is so funny because there were only two or three Lamanites present and there are a lot in the Stake.

The Custer District (Lamedeer, Dunmore, Lodgegrass & Hardin) planned a wonderful "Women's Conference" for yesterday after the Stake Conference - they had a video recording of the Women's Broadcast from Salt Lake and the District Relief Society President (she is white and the wife of the Seminary Director out there) had gone to so much effort to have things really nice - they had a dinner after and decorations on the table and there were FIVE Lamanites who came. We went and Daddy's counselor and his wife (Bro. & Sister Erekson) and our missionary couples, Bro. & Sister Wright and Bro. & Sister Cook and then the District Presidency but that was all. We get so discouraged because the Lamanites just are not very cooperative. Bro. Lee said we really owe them a great deal because they gave us the Book of Mormon but we wonder what he would do to get them activated!!!

Johnny is doing really good - they introduced him to the Seminary Council of the Bi-Stake Region the other morning and had some information we had give them to tell about his life. He will be kept really busy with that and he gets up BY HIMSELF every morning to get to Seminary by 6:15!!!! His collarbone is healing and the coaches want him to play the last few games but we are discouraging it and we don't think he will. It's hard to believe this is his last year of school and really his last year at home!!! He and Daddy are going out this afternoon to "scout" out some good deer and antelope hunting places - there are some members of the church who own thousands of acres of land and they have told them they could hunt there so they are excited about that. The only things is they put in for some antelope permits and Johnny didn't get one but I did so I will have to go along - ugh!!! We almost hit three deer the other night coming home from Great Falls - there were six of them crossing the road and Daddy slammed on the brakes and out cooler from the back seat flew up and spilled ice and water all over everything but that was the only damage. We use Johnny's "radar detector" so we go about 65 miles an hour and that's quite dangerous after dark because of the deer crossing the roads - we see so many of them killed alongside the roads.

We get to stay home this week and I'm so glad. Daddy is planning it now so we will travel the first of each month - it really helps when we can see our missionaries each month instead of every other month. We have to go to Lovell for their Stake Conference this week-end and we hope Johnny will go with us. Our weather is really pretty - cool and crisp and the leaves are all turning. It rained most of the day yesterday but it's pretty today.

I received a booklet from my High School Reunion Committee and it is so nice - they had written to everyone and asked them to write some highlights of their lives and then they compiled them all into a booklet. It is really fun to read about classmates of forty years ago - some of them didn't respond but most of them did.

That's all the news and I must get ready to iron all day - you wouldn't believe all the white shirts I have - I have told Daddy he can't wear white shirts after our mission!!! Ha!

We really love you all so very much and miss you - this calling is a wonderful blessing because we are with young people all the time and they won't let us get discouraged or tired. Daddy's assistants, Elders Madsen and Tisdel, are so much fun to travel with and they are so considerate and remain us of our own children!!! PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Let us know how we can help you.
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