December 18, 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 the Stake Center where we went for the Christmas Devotional from Salt Lake - that is so neat the way we can get that by satellite - we hope you were all able to go to the ones in your stake centers. Bro. Faust spoke about the Christmases he remembers when his father was in law school and there were no presents - they went to their grandparents home and he could remember the good food but no presents. Pres. Hinckley spoke about the true meaning of Christmas and how Pres. Kimball has always helped other people and been a true disciple of Christ and he admonished us to live lives like that. The tabernacle choir was so good too. Daddy, Johnny and I went together and it was really special. We have had a very spiritual day - the choir in our ward put on some special programs and we really enjoyed them.

Bob - we really loved your letter - it's wonderful to hear how you spend time with little Michael - we can just see him turning the Christmas lights on and off - I can see his eyes sparkle clear from here. We really love their picture - sounds like Laura is a model baby!!! Isn't it wonderful that you have been working in the children's clinic - I really can't think of anything nicer than to have a built in doctor at that stage in my life. You say you want some of our snow so you can have a "White Christmas" - how about our cold temperatures too!!! We had -18 last night and it hasn't warmed up very much all day. Many of the missionaries are calling Daddy to see if they can get excused from proselyting in places like Havre and Cutbank where it is -60 with the wind chill factor. We'll be lucky if we get any baptisms this month.

Roy - we really loved your long phone call - we would worry about talking so long except that we haven't talked for a long time. I have to pinch myself several times a day when I think about what you told us - (Roy received a phone call from the University of Utah Medical School offering him a residency starting next June) - AND HE TURNED IT DOWN!!!! I have shed a few tears but we really do understand that you have to do what is best for you. That is the answer to many of our prayers and we know you would have loved it BUT we also know that there will be a place there for you after you finish with Harvard if you want it - and we hope you will. We are so proud of you - they called him and told him they had reviewed all the applicants and his name came out on top - how wonderful!!!! I', so glad to have the phone number of the hospital where you work so we can call you - we can never find you home.

Jeannie - we loved talking to you too and it's so much fun to hear about all the excitement with Ricky & Barji - we think it's great what you're taking them to Temple Square and teaching them the real meaning of Christmas. We have had our tree up here in the Mission Home about the same time you have had yours and we don't have little children around but it's getting kind of ragged looking. I always think of how I used to curl up under the tree when I was a little girl and have all my dolls with me and a box of candy "all my own" - I would still like to do that. The Elders keep receiving gifts from home and the tree is getting loaded with presents - they also have received all kinds of candy, cookies and fruit and I LOVE that!!!

Annie - it won't be long until you will have a real live "Baby Jesus" for your nativity scene. You were so smart to get all ready for Christmas in plenty of time - you sound so calm and collected when we talk to you. I am so grateful that Beverly is going to be with you! I'll bet Susanna can sing all the Christmas songs - have there been programs at her school. As we watched the Primary Children sing in the program at church this morning Daddy and I both said we will be happy when we can see our own grandchildren participate. I used some of the spaghetti salsa I made last Summer from your recipe last week and it is absolutely heavenly - that is going to really help this Winter.

Johnny is really buckling down to his studies and we're so happy about that. He says he understands calculus and can see how he can use it in his life so that makes it worthwhile. He got an A in his physics test last week and even "set the curve" in an English Literature test. The Elders in the home really are cute to him and they all love each other - this is such a marvelous experience for him - he doesn't realize it as much now as he will in later years. He doesn't drive his car very much - he takes our Mission car whenever he can because of the bad roads.

People here are so good to us - the East Billings Stake sent us three huge boxes of fruit - oranges, grapefruit and apples. The Elders love fruit and I just very seldom buy it because it's so expensive and they "gobble" it up so fast. Members are constantly bringing us fruit cakes, candy, etc. We really appreciate it too. Brenda is feeling better - she came into the kitchen on Thursday and said she would like to start doing something. Can you imagine the luxury of staying in bed for six days???? The doctor gave her some medicine for a kidney infection and said her real problem was a flu virus going around - our missionaries in the home have had it but it has only lasted twenty-four hours. I kept suggesting to her that I "never" go to bed when I get sick - it would serve me right to get the flu and really be sick. She is constantly on the go - she's the most social person I have ever known and most of the time her job gets in the way of her social activities. She is going to have her "special interest" group over tomorrow night for dinner. This makes it kinda' hard on our family because we stay up in the apartment or go someplace for about four hours and she'll have the kitchen tied up all day - she is the kind that just "takes over". Monday is supposed to be our "P" day but Daddy and I never have one - he is usually doing missionary business and I'm always doing the laundry. Last Monday two of our Lady Missionaries were over all day long playing the piano and just relaxing in the living room - it finally got to Daddy so he has issued a rule that no missionary comes into the Mission Home without permission and an appointment. This huge home is a real "bug a boo" with everything going on all the time - we are very seriously considering the change in July or sooner.

It's really fun to receive cards form our friends all over - we had a card and note from Angelo Marinelli and he sounds just the same and so do Bob and Aino Mayer - it will be fun to go to Phoenix sometime and see them all again. The Little Rock friends all sound the same - I guess Dave Gonce is really doing good now - it's about time!!! Dick Cobb has bought a big new boat - when he sold his last one he vowed he would never own another one. We also heard from David and Anna Bass - they're so cute!

Our lights went out in the Mission Home last night - we hurried and got candles for every one and it was really quite fun. Johnny took a shower in the dark. They were out for about an hour and then kept coming on and going out for another hour - we worried about starting a fire with all the candles in the rooms. This home reminds me of a big "country estate" and with the snow all around and the cold temperatures it kinda' lends itself to candle light.

I don't even like to think about next week. We get new missionaries in on Wednesday and that is a big, big day - then on Thursday they come in for a big dinner and testimony meeting before leaving to go to their homes. Thursday is also transfer day and I made molasses and oatmeal cookie batter this afternoon - I won't bake them until Tuesday - they will freeze out in one of our storage rooms by the kitchen - I made enough for twenty dozen cookies each.

Friday we hope to get ready for our big open house on Saturday night besides having our usual meals. We're going caroling as a Mission Family Saturday night - have waffles and fruit and whipped cream for breakfast on Christmas morning and a big turkey dinner on Christmas day. It's fun and we love it but it takes "some doing"!!!!

We hope so much that each one of you will be happy during the holiday season and that you'll be really careful and take time to "smell the roses" - especially take time to read the Christmas story in Luke and ponder it. We hope you know how much Daddy and I love our Heavenly Father and how much we love you and how proud we are to be your parents. This is a special time of the year and we look forward to being with you in future years for caroling, eating and just being together as a family.

Daddy just brought me a piece of "John's jerky" - it is really delicious - every once in awhile he treats the missionaries to some. We're going for our "walk" now - we walk for about two miles each night - it takes us an hour to get dressed warmly enough on nights like tonight.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you and MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
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