February 5, 1984, Billings, Montana

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

This has been a rather hectic week for everyone involved with Johnny's trip to Utah to pick up the new Mission car - we appreciate so much the help of the Woolleys and the Weinerts. Johnny went into Salt Lake to pick up the car and everything went as planned - that was quite a big deal to find the church office building and then get to the eight floor and find the right person. Then he went to Orem to be with Ann and Ron and their family. Tuesday he left Orem to got to Lehi to pick up some things in the Lehi house to bring back to Billings and then we had asked him to go by the "meadow" and take a picture of the fence Don had built - well, he go to he meadow and everything in the new car went funny - it wouldn't shift out of gear and all the engine lights went on. He finally got to a service station in Lehi and called Elder Hansen here in the Mission Home - Elder Hanson told him to stay put and he would arrange to have a truck come and tow it into a Chevrolet dealership in Provo. Johnny called Ann and she went to Lehi to get him - the new car went to the garage and they found they would have to put in an entirely new transmission which would probably take about ten days. Johnny didn't find this out until Wednesday and after talking to us in Cody he decided to fly back to Billing on Thursday - Chevrolet paid for his ticket. Isn't that the dumbest thing you have ever heard? The Woolleys loaned him their car so he could go to Farmington and take little Ricky on a hike that he had promised him. We were so grateful that it happened where it did instead of between Idaho and Montana on one of those isolated roads with low, low temperatures. They have told him they would fly him back to Salt Lake when the car is finished but we will have to wait to see. We're concerned about the things he left in Utah between Ann and Jeans' homes - the Cuisinart, the garage door opener, his portable TV, his mounted ducks, Bob & Claire's pictures and the emergency clothing - the doesn't know where he left what!!!! Everything was in the new car and when it went to the garage I guess things got mixed up. We don't think much of American made cars - we have a lot of trouble with them in the Mission.

It was so good to have Johnny tell us about things in Utah - Ann & Jeans' families and also Grandmother & Grandpa Forrest - he said he loved it except for the fog and I guess that was really bad most of the time he was there and it was also really cold. He said that Lehi house looked terrible because no one had been there for such a long time and it was COLD!!!!

Claire, we loved your wonderful letter and we're so proud of all the planting you are doing - river birch trees and pine trees - we know your yard will be pretty. We can't imagine that little Michael is old enough to ride a tricycle - he is growing too fast! We're happy you had a happy birthday - its great to have good friends(six of her friends had a surprise party for her). We hope little Laura is over her cold by now.

Roy-Daddy and I watched a special on television last night in the motel room that showed a lot about a heart transplant operation being done at the Bingham - Women's hospital in Boston is that where you will be next year? We know you are getting excited for your big vacation!

We really had a "stern" home staff meeting one morning last week - things have been getting really out of hand. We found out that the reason the Elders were in still in the kitchen last Sunday at 6:30 was because Brenda's Visiting Teachers had come to visit her from 5 until 5:30 - making eight Elders thirty minutes late in getting out to proselyte and Daddy was really upset. I talked really stern to her privately not just about that but about other things too and I hope we got the message across - she has been sick for the last three days and went to Dr. on Friday. I really don't want her to be sick but I would be happy if she decided this job was too much for her. It's so funny - she went to the Dr. in the afternoon and then went out to a church function that night - she is so social!!! We have changed a lot of things - I have been doing the Elders bed linen every Monday and sometimes I have had to wait until about 10 in the morning for Brenda to get out of the room so that means I am still doing laundry at 7 at night. I told Brenda she could use the laundry room any other day except Monday - her bed - room is right next to the laundry room and it is so easy for her to do it for any time. Then I told Elders they were going to have to do their own bed linen - I know that seems quite dumb but we travel almost every weekend so I have a lot of laundry to do on Monday. They were quite shocked but this has been a bone of contention between Daddy and me ever since we moved here - he has never felt that I should do their laundry. I made each of them a large laundry bag and have assigned each one of them a special day in which to do their laundry - they have been doing it all on P-day but now they must do it on their assigned day and have it all done by 8:30 a.m. Then we said that they could each have three towels a week - they have been using at least one a day - Daddy had one of the Elders put up a hook for each Elder to hang his towel on and they are NEVER to put them in their bag or any place until they're dry! We did this partly because our gas bill last month was $775.00 and we know that hot water to do their laundry and also the dryer use can be cut down. We also made other rules concerning the kitchen and meals, etc. - we really hate to be this strict but we are both convinced that unless we are they will get by with murder!!! I'm sure this sounds like I am really hard on Brenda nut I'm really not - we have very simple meals and she is never troubles with planning any thing or shipping or worrying about the cost - she has a wonderful job!!!

We went to Casper last Monday - the weather was great, in fact, there wasn't even any wind and that is most unusual. We had a district meetings there on Tuesday morning and then went to Riverton and then on to Worland - we drove to Cody from Worland and spent the night there. We had hour district meeting in Cody Wednesday morning and then hurried back to Billings for a meeting here that afternoon. These district meetings are really hard on Daddy but they are very effective and help so much - it makes us see the missionaries about every three weeks instead of every six weeks.

We went to Bozeman yesterday (Saturday) to have a district meeting with our missionaries and also to attend their Stake Conference. We had the funniest experience last night at the evening meeting - we were sitting on the stand and there was a really nice looking couple in the congregation and they kept smiling at us so naturally we smiled back. Well, after the meeting they came up to the stand he said, "Barbara Jean, I knew you would recognize me". I felt so helpless because I really didn't have the slightest idea who they were. As it turned out I went all through school with him and his mother worked with my mother at Penneys for year. His last name is Nelson and he told me his first name but I couldn't remember it and I was too embarrassed to ask him again. His wife is a distant cousin of mine and she said we used to play together while we were growing up - she is eight years younger than I am. Her father was Leond Jensen and her name is Jerry and her grandfather was W.B. Jensen and they used to have the big grocery store on main street in Brigham City where my folks did all their shopping. We really had a wonderful visit and I appreciated so much their coming up to introduce themselves - they would never have recognized me if our places had been turned around. He reminded me that he went Boot Camp with Del Holmgren and used to help Del answer the letters I sent to him - I can't believe so many people from "my past" who are showing up on our mission and I love it. They are also good friends of Marvin and Merle Wright who are serving on an Indian Reservation here so I will ask them to tell me his first name. They have ranch in Ennis and are in the Bozeman Stake.

The two lady missionaries in Bozeman had prepared dinner for us last night and it was so good - bar - b - cued chicken, baked potatoes, fruit salad, hot rolls and a delicious chocolate dessert. They are really cute girls, and they're having real success in Bozeman. One of the girls is Sister Ficklin and her uncle had just been called as a Mission President - he is in Insurance Business in Orem.

Today after the Stake Conference we were invited to dinner at some of the members' home and it was really a neat experience. They have a home up Bear Canyon and it's quite a ways from Bozeman - they have been their own home and its really something. They don't have central heat, they don't have a television set and they have nine children - one of their sons has just returned from the California Mission and he is such an outstanding young man. Four of their children are away from home, some married, and one of their daughter in leaving next week to go to Utah State in Logan and then they will have two daughter still at home. He is a school teacher and she runs a bakery - she used to bake out of her home but now they have a shop in town. It's hard to believe they cold live that way but they have lived there 27 years.

Johnny came back to Billings with a "deaf" Elder who is now serving in our mission - he is a sweet young man but we all felt so helpless in communicating with him - our deaf sign Elder came to pick him up to take him to Great Falls and they got along fine.

We surely do love each one of you and really miss you * PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO * and let us know how we can help you!!!


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