January 15, 1984 Billings, Montana

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

Wow!!! This is a cold, Wintry day in Montana - in fact, it isn't hard to remember we're in the month of January!!! We sleep with our windows open and yesterday morning when I got up I stepped in snow - my side of the bed is right next to the window. It's really beautiful this morning but yesterday it was kinda' dreary all day. Our ward meetings don't start until 1 p.m. and Daddy's downstairs in his office, Johnny's sleeping and I'm writing my letter. The missionaries are mighty quiet so they have either gone to church or else they are having their companionship interviews. We should really have gone out to Lodgegrass to church this morning but the roads are so icy and we decided to wait until a better day - the missionary couple out there have been so excited because they have been having about twenty come to church - including them. It is really amazing how the church maintains those big buildings and heats them for just a very few - on Christmas day no one showed up but the missionary couple.

We had the most wonderful pictures from Ann & Ron - thank you so much! Daddy is going to try to duplicate them to include with this letter - they are far from the real thing but they're better than nothing. Little LeeAnna is beautiful baby and Ann says she is so good. We talked to Ann & Ron during the week and they say things are going really well - Jeannie and Rick had all the children for a few days and they said that really helped. Beverly & Russell &Mimi, Cal Sue and Jean & Rick were with them last Sunday for the blessing of LeeAnna and then they all left with the Weinerts taking Susanna, Jessie & Russell home with them. Ann is having a lady come in every morning for awhile to help and her Relief Society has been just wonderful - they have furnished meals every day this week. Ann said it was embarrassing one day because they had a mixup and two ladies came with two different meals the same night - it worked out great though because one was Mexican and Ron doesn't like Mexican food so he ate the other one. I remember those days and it is really harder to be on the receiving end like Ann says, she will be glad when things are back to normal. Not many people find themselves in situations like Ann though - with a "big" little guy like Russell who has depended on his Mom to lift him in and out of bed and into his high chair and then all of a sudden for her to not be able to do that. She shouldn't lift for another month at least - she said her neighbors have even come over at meal times to lift him in his high chair. I'm sure Jeannie & Rick really had fun with six little ones to care for - Ann said that Susanna screamed bloody murder when they insisted she go to Farmington but Jean called her after they got there and said she stopped as soon as they turned the corner - little kids really know how to get to you!!!!

We haven't heard from the rest of you - we know you are busy!! January is still the longest month of the year - I remember so well when I was younger that it was such a boring month because there weren't any holidays in it or anything to do. Johnny seems to keep busy doing all kinds of things - yesterday was the bi-stake Seminary convention here and he was involved in that - they met as council early in the morning for breakfast and then they had meetings until about 2 p.m. They had a Sister Kohlert from the General Board of the Young Women's organization come speak to them and he said she was good - her subject was "You have to love yourself before you can expect to lover other people". She was supposed to speak for an hour and a half and she only spoke for forty-five minute and their lunch wasn't ready so they had a long testimony meeting - he said it was good. Last night he went to his school to sell popcorn for the basketball games for his Key Club. His school's basketball team is one of the best in the state so that's fun! He has finals all next week and he is studying for them.

Our new car is finally in - they called the other day and said it was ready. The only thing is Johnny can't go get it until the end of the month - he has Monday, Jan. 30th off from school so he will go that weekend. The plan is for him to leave early Saturday morning and spend Sunday in Utah and then drive back on Monday - he doesn't want anyone to go with him but we're not sure we are going to let him go alone. I think his trip to Little Rock last Summer with his friend Jason kinda' cured him from having to be responsible for someone else all the time. We have a list of things we want him to bring back from the Lehi house - I hope he will be able to find them. I'll be surprised if he goes in that house alone!!!! I hope the weather is better by them - the Mission car really handles well in the icy weather though!

We went to Casper last Monday and the roads were good until about 100 miles before we got to Casper and then they were terrible - snow drifting across the freeway and many cars were off the road. We saw a huge semi-trailer turned over - we didn't go very fast. We had our zone conference there on Tuesday morning and then headed back to Billings - we got here about 9 p.m. The missionaries in Casper really endure a lot - it is always snowing and blowing!! They have such good attitudes and it gives us such a boost to be with them. Our missionary couple who labor in Riverton but belong to that zone didn't come because they aid they couldn't afford it - that really upsets us because that was just an excuse. Elder & sister Atkinson are really different but we thought they were going to be super missionaries - he is the one who is a friend of Keith Boyer in Brigham City and Keith is kinda' like that, "heap big smoke, but no fire"!!!

Thursday we had to go to Great Falls - I had a permanent in the morning and then we left and got in a terrible snow storm about 100 miles before we got to Great Falls. We were in the motel by 6 p.m. and we were glad because it was such bad weather - we always worry about the assistants but they made it okay too. We had our zone conference Friday morning and the snow was drifted all over the roads but the missionaries all made it okay. The Relief Society there had the most delicious lunch for us after our zone conference - they served lasagna, green salad, garlic bread and all kinds of dessert. This really helps the morale of the missionaries and I feel bad because I used to complain so much when we had to do this in Little Rock. We left great Falls after the conference and headed back to Billings - you wouldn't believe the storm we came through (I'm sure you would because you have to travel in this kinds of weather in Utah and also in Boston - maybe you don't in Tennessee) - Daddy wouldn't let me drive and the snow just blinded him for about four hours. Each time we do this we vow that we won't travel at night in bad weather but the temptation to get home is too strong I guess!!!

We won't have to travel again for a couple weeks and I'm so glad. It will help Johnny to have us here during his final exam week, I think. He really loves a big breakfast and when we aren't here I don't think he ever eats in the Mission Home - he just gets hamburgers or chicken. I bought some quilted material right after we came to Billings to make new place mats for the home and I haven't even cut them cut yet - hopefully I will be able to work on them this week. It doesn't work for Brenda and I to both be in the kitchen so I have to keep busy doing other things. I'll have to tell you what happened yesterday. The desserts in the home have always been quite a problem - mainly because they are more times than not, ice cream and cookies, etc. I usually serve the dessert and invariably when I have asked the Elders what kind of ice cream they want I get six different requests and then they add, "I just want one scoop, or I want a big dish". I finally decided that we would only buy one really big container of ice cream and since we get it at the dairy where we buy our milk, the one going for milk could choose the favor of ice cream and then they would only have one choice. Well - I went for the milk the last time so I chose black cherry ice cream. The Elders aren't too crazy about it so there is a lot left. Yesterday we had a delivery man for an ice cream company "Schwann's" come to the home to try to get us to buy from him - I weakened and bought some chocolate marshmallow and also some chocolate almond. Last night I announced to the Elders that I had bought it and they could have whatever they wanted - one of them said, "Oh good, now maybe we could give that black cherry ice cream to the town Elders". Can you believe that missionaries could be so spoiled that they wouldn't eat any flavor that was offered to them? I was disgusted!!!

We felt bad about elder Mark E. Peterson dying (I don't know how you spell that!) He was such a special visitor in our home when he came to release Daddy from the Stake Presidency. We didn't know he was that sick - they called daddy from Salt Lake to tell him about it. There are two vacancies now in the quorum of the twelve - it will be interesting to see who is called.

It's now night time and we have just finished dinner. Daddy and I went to the 2nd Ward today for their Ward Conference meetings - Daddy had to speak and did a super job. It is such a cold and windy day today it reminds us of Laramie, Wyoming. Brenda made a lemon ice box pie for tonight and I said I wanted a small piece and she brought me a huge piece and I crust was pre shortening and flour and an inch thick - I have gained five pounds and it's so hard to lose it. She said she talked to her daughter Sally in Little rock today and learned that the nursing home next to our church there caught fire - the young people playing basketball at the church rescued all the people and brought them to the church but the home burned to the ground!

We love you all so very much - PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you!!!
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