October 23,1983 Billings, Montana

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

We just came home from Lame Deer and Dunmore where we have had the Custer District Conferences - we can't have them in the same chapel because they are two different tribes and they won't come if we mix them - the Crow and Cheyenne Tribes. We had the Lame Deer conference at 10:00 a.m. and Daddy made them start it on time and there was not even one Indian in the chapel - finally at about 11:00 a.m. they started coming. Pres. & Sister Howard Marshall are with the church education system and he is the Branch President there and they are doing such a good job - our missionary couple out there, Elder & Sister Cook are trying really hard but they get discouraged. They served a delicious lunch after the conference and then we went to Dunmore for their conference - the Branch Pres. there is struggling but they had quite a few people come - Elder & Sister Wright from Brigham City were there and they are doing such a good job!!!! They served cake and punch after their conference but we didn't stay - we like to be here for Sunday dinner with Johnny if we can because we had to leave at 7 this morning and hadn't seen him all day.

Claire - we really loved your wonderful letter and you sound like such a happy family. We can just see all of you loading up "Big White" and heading for the hills - Daddy always loved to go camping on the spur of the moment and that was hard for me because I liked to plan every little detail but it's really more fun if you don't work so hard at it. I am a firm believer in camping for families - you get closer to each other and to the Lord than in any other way and besides that you get away from the telephone. We are so happy you are still breast feeding little Laura. Your church jobs sound busy but fun - decorating the cultural hall as a "Love Boat" sounds terrific!!! Your friends all sound great too. We would love to see chubby little Laura - she must be a little doll!!!

We loved talking to you Ann and Jean - this is such a busy time for you and I realize it more and more when we can hear the children in the background needing your attention. Annie - we will be so happy when your baby comes - we worry about you and hope the Doctor will be able to get your blood built up - it's a good thing you are going to a "high risk" doctor. I hope you know that I could help you if you could get your children up here - I would just stay home from the conferences for a few weeks and it wouldn't matter (our baptisms are down this month so we're not convinced all these district meetings help that much anyway). We hope Susanna had a Happy Birthday yesterday - I can remember Roy's birthday parties and they were always so easy because it was Halloween time and the parties kinda' made themselves.

We are really proud of your new calling Jeannie (she has been called as Homemaking Counselor in her Ward Relief Society Presidency). That will be so wonderful for you and for the members of your ward - just be sure to not overdo. I'm glad to hear that the other two members of the presidency are older women whose children are grown because they will be able to you with your little children. The Relief Societies are doing so many fabulous things now and it will be so much fun for you - you and Claire will have to exchange ideas. With Rick as a stake missionary and you in the Relief Society you will really be busy but it will get you involved in the things you really enjoy.

Roy - we hope you have a Happy Birthday on Tuesday and we hope you get your telephone. We decided to get you a phone because when you call it's kinda' hard to hear you but we had no idea how many different phones there are to choose from. Times are really changing for us because so many years you didn't even have a choice about the kind of phone you could get and you couldn't own your own phone and now there are lots to choose from and you buy your own. The kind we sent you is the same kind that Johnny has only we don't own his.

Last Monday and Tuesday I planned and shopped for the meals for the week and now tomorrow I have to start all over again for the next week. I'll bet if I kept track of the number of hours I spend doing this it would be about half my time and that seems so foolish but I don't know what else to do. We had eleven new missionaries come into the home on Wednesday and they used to come in at 3 p.m. so we just had an evening meal to fix for them but now they have started sending them to us on an earlier flight so they get here right at noon and they are starving to death. We had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for them and cookies and fruit then they studied all afternoon and we had a Mexican dinner for them at 5 p.m. - tostadas and chocolate cake and ice cream. We had our orientation and then they went to bed - every bed in the Mission Home was used. We are very impressed with all of them this time and that's unusual - we got 8 Elders and 3 Sisters (one sister is from California, one from New Jersey and one from Wisconsin - the Elders are from all over the country).

Thursday we had five missionaries come in to go home - they had completed their missions. We had three Elders and two Sisters. It was a big transfer day and Sister Lowe had made her cookies and I had made mine and they were all eaten. I believe I had told you that I was looking for my favorite molasses cookie recipe - well, Daddy and I went to Johnny's school to see one of his football films and they served refreshments and they were molasses cookies like my favorite recipe so I called the school cafeteria and asked for the recipe. Johnny went to pick it up and when he brought it home I about died - it called for 10 pounds of white flour and 15 pounds of wheat flour, 40 eggs, 1 gallon and 1 quart of molasses etc., etc. Daddy cut it down for me so I made 1/10th of it and I had to make some adjustments but they turned out great - so now we have an "original" cookie recipe. The missionaries ate them like they just dropped out of heaven - they have no idea how much time it takes to make them. For the dinner that night the missionaries going home had requested a pork loin roast with vegetables all around it and hot rolls and chocolate cream pie - Brenda did a good job with it and they all loved it.

Friday was beginning of a big Women's Conference for the East Billings Stake - hey had guest speakers and musicians from Rick's College, BYU and Mesa, Arizona. I went to the night meeting and then hurried home because Cissy and Charles were coming in - they got here about 9:15 Friday night. We were so thrilled to see them and we talked and talked until about one in the morning - in fact, we talked and laughed so loud I'm sure we kept the missionaries awake. It was really fun to hear about the little personality problems in the Arkansas stakes. They say that the Jacksonville Stake got all the material things like the big Stake Center, the satellite disc, etc., etc. We get the feeling they're not too happy with things the way they are now - especially the new stake presidency. We all ate breakfast together Saturday morning and then we took them for a ride all over Billings - Brenda fixed a big Thanksgiving dinner (turkey and the works) and we ate that about noon and they left. They had arranged to meet Shawna and Rex and their three little boys in West Yellowstone by 4 o'clock. We were so surprised to learn they had never been to Yellowstone and Daddy routed them through the Bear Tooth Pass and that is a beautiful drive. They have a big Lincoln, as usual, so they wouldn't have any problems making it, I'm sure. They say they will come back to see us next May - they were surprised at how pretty Billings is - they said they expected snow to their knees. We are having Indian Summer and it is just gorgeous.

I talked to Grandpa and Grandmother Forrest yesterday - Grandmother is home from the hospital but she is flat on her back. She has a crack at the base of her spine (I think that's right) and will have to be in bed until that heals. I'm so glad she didn't break anything but I'm sure it will be hard to stay in bed - it's a good thing she has Grandpa to help her.

Johnny is doing really good - the Beyers couldn't believe how much he has grown - he is really a handsome young man and the Elders won't let him get by with anything - right now they're on him to get his hair cut and it isn't really that much too long. They really love him and he loves them too. He and Daddy went pheasant hunting last Friday and shot two and one duck. I believe we're all going hunting this Tuesday - that's opening day here and I have to go because of my license. Johnny will probably be driving our Mission car to Salt Lake the first of December and pick up the new one to bring back - he is excited to go because he needs to get another gun.

That's all the news - we love each one of you so very much and we're so proud of you - keep up the good work because we surely brag about you - let us know how we can help you and PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!!
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