December 5, 1983 Billings, Montana

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

Today is Annie's Birthday - we hope you have a really happy day - we'll be thinking about you all day. It isn't hard to remember the day you were born now that we're here in Montana because the weather right now is just like when you were born - cold and snowy!!!! Mother came by bus to help me from Brigham City and after she left I cried for two weeks because we couldn't go home for Christmas - I'll never forget all the candy Lynn bought me that year - Ha!

It's early Saturday morning - I have put coloring on my hair and it has to be on for 45 minutes and then I'll shampoo it and roll it up and hope to get that done and packed so we can get to Johnny's basketball game by 9:15. We have to go to Missoula this morning and we'll be gone until Tuesday night - we will have missionary district meetings and also a stake conference in Stevensville. We really hate to leave Johnny that long. His church basketball team is quite good and he is really good so it's fun to watch.

Last Monday we had a conference in Hardin - the missionaries were in much better spirits than they were the month before. We had made mints and took quart containers full for each championship. After the conference we went to "The Big Medicine" family home to take them some donuts and visit with them because of the death of Maxine Big Medicine - the only one home was a young man we didn't know and he was so unfriendly we didn't give them the donuts and we weren't even invited in. the Indians here are really different. We hurried home after the conference and I hurried with some laundry (during the day I did seven loads between the other things I had to do) and then we went to Johnny's National Honor Society Induction. That was really special and he looked so handsome - we are so proud of him! It was neat to meet the parents of some of his friends - one of his best friend's father is a doctor and he and his wife are so nice. Johnny's teachers have the nicest things to say about him - they filled out part of the application for BYU and marked "excellent" in all the parts about his character and his abilities for success in college.

Tuesday we had our Institute class at 8 a.m., then the Billing's district conference from 9-11 a.m., then we drove to Miles City (about 150 miles) for another conference - we got home about 10:00 p.m. Wednesday we bought our Christmas tree and decorated it and also the outside of the Mission Home. Our tree is different this year and I really like it better but I'm not sure about the missionaries - it isn't as tall but it's a little fuller. We put it so more people will be able to see it and have decorated it with only red balls - some red and white Christmas dolls, tiny lights and then I put icicles on it - the first time I have used those for a long, long, time. Then we put up another artificial tree in the lobby - it's white aluminum and we put candy canes and red balls on it. The nicest decorations we have are the "soldiers" you gave us last year, Ann - they look us so cute by the fireplace and everyone notices them! We love the ornaments you gave us too Roy - handmade wooden reindeer, Santa Clause and chicken. I like to decorate that way instead of the way most people do - flocked trees, shiny balls, etc.

Thursday, Daddy went to Denver to meet with the Regional Representatives from this Region, the other Mission Presidents and also Elder Loren Dunn. He came home last night - he hasn't stopped talking about the Stake President's home in Littleton, Colo. They had a dinner there Thursday night and also a meeting and he said the home is just unbelievable - his name is Taylor. He stayed at the mission home in Denver where Pres. Rasmussen is the Mission President - that home is also unbelievable. He said the meetings were really good - our mission is going to be down about 11% this year compared to last years and we are doing the best - the other missions are down anywhere from 25 to 35%. The reason is because of the change from 24 to 18 months for the missionaries to labor - you just don't develop the leadership it takes in that period of time and when you don't have leaders to train it really shows. I made mints all day yesterday but we still don't have enough. It's really been cold here - down to 90 one morning.

We love you all so very much and we're so proud of you - we worry about you traveling on the icy roads and hope you will BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL!!!!
Let us know how we can help you!!
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