April 8, 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 has been quite an eventful week and especially an eventful conference!!! I am writing this in between the morning and afternoon sessions and probably won't get it all finished. What do you think of the two new apostles?? We are thrilled with them and as we listened to Russell Nelson speak this morning we couldn't help but think of the great sacrifice it is for him to give up his profession. (Roy - did you hear anything about him when you were in Salt Lake last year at the medical center? He is an Internationally respected surgeon who has been a pioneer in heart surgery.) It is really neat to have these people drop everything and heed the callings that come them in the church. His wife, Dantzel White, grew up in Perry and went to school at Box Elder High - she was Lela's age and also Boyd Packers - they have nine daughters and one son. When he was the General President for the Young Men's Program he came back to Little Rock for one of our meetings - Daddy picked him up at the airport and took him to the meetings but for some reason I wasn't available and didn't get to meet him. That must have been twelve years ago because he spoke today about how his son (who had just been born) was now old enough to go to his first priesthood meeting. We loved his talk. The other apostle is Dallin Oaks who is a Supreme Court Judge who is on some kind of special assignment right now and won't be ordained as an apostle for another month - he is the former President of BYU. They also named some members of the Seventies Quorum to serve for five years and one is the Mission President in Idaho and we were with them at the Mission President's Seminar in Denver. Also, the new Relief Society General President, Barbara Winder, is the wife of the Mission President in San Diego and we were with them in the MTC before coming on our Mission - (I'm not sure her first name is Barbara). We used to listen to General Conference and not know anyone but Boyd Packer but with this Mission Calling we have had the opportunity to at least meet a lot of the others and it makes it more interesting. It was a thrill to see Pres. Kimball there - he must be very weak to have as much help in standing up as he did.

Brenda and her daughter, Linda, left Monday morning about 10 o'clock. She couldn't find her traveler's checks worth $600 - we looked everywhere for them. She called the bank and they were really nice to her and said they would replace them. That was quite a thing for her to get everything packed and some of it shipped and then make arrangements to take in her car the things that were left - I think she packed them in something that was shipped. The weather was really rainy when they left and I suggested they stay another day but they didn't want to. They went from here to Salt Lake where they were going to do some work in the genealogy library and then go the Southern route down through Arizona and across - I hope they had good weather. The Elders in the home haven't really had a true test for what it's going to be like to cook their own meals yet except for today. Someone in Billings gave them a package of venison stew meat and they made a stew for lunch today - they invited the Elders who labor in Billings to come and eat with them and they asked us to come down and taste it. They set the table in the living room and they had made Jell-O with bananas and biscuits to go with their stew - it looked good! I go down every night when they leave to go proselyting and "clean up". They are pretty good and we have put Elder Cardinet in charge of the kitchen and he is so cute - he has put some of the pretty placemats on the kitchen table and it looks so homey - he is small in stature but is really dynamite when it comes to maturity and desire - he worked all day Friday and most of the day yesterday out working on the lawn - he rented a "power rake" and went all over the yard and then raked it up. I am going to have to close my eyes to a lot of things I normally would be really fussy about - one day I went down and found one of the stove plates on high and it was red hot and all the kitchen lights were on so I had to fuss about that but I will overlook some messes.

Last Wednesday we received our new missionaries from the MTC - we only got one Elder and one Lady Missionary and normally that would be an easy meal to prepare but I told the house Elders we would let them eat with us for those two days so we ended up having about 18 for lunch and for dinner that day. I fixed sloppy joes for lunch and tostados for dinner. Thursday was a special day because Daddy's two faithful assistants, Elders Madsen and Tisdel were among the missionaries going home - we had two other Elders and one sister go home. I fixed a really nice dinner for about twenty of us - we bought 16 pounds of brisket (that is quite inexpensive and so good) and then fixed mashed potatoes, corn, congealed salad, green salad, rolls and fresh strawberry shortcake. They loved it and what roast was left we gave to the house Elders so they didn't have to worry about food for Friday and Saturday. Those two days a month are going to be hard but from now on when we have a big crowd coming in I will use the Lady Missionaries. This new arrangement will take some getting used to and some supervision but we are convinced it is the right thing to do. Johnny has moved his things down in the "cook's quarters" and he loved it. He can play his stereo a little louder and he has a little more privacy - he has surely been good about this whole thing - it's really hard to be a teenager in a Mission Home. The home was "toilet papered" this morning - the girls have discovered where he lives!!!

Annie called last night and we had such a good visit - I know we talked too long but I was alone in this big house and it was so good to talk to you. Daddy and Johnny had gone to the Priesthood broadcast from Salt Lake - Ann said Ron had come home while we were talking and said Kevin Durrant was one of the speakers - he was a student of Ann's at Provo High and had come to their Wedding Reception (he is that famous athlete) - Johnny was impressed when I told him he had probably shaken his hand at the reception. Ann is in the market for cabbage patch dolls - it is amazing how popular something like that is (and I think they're ugly). Little Jessie will have her fourth birthday this coming Wednesday and Ann said they are going to have a party for her on Saturday - when I asked if it would be an Easter theme party Ann said Jessie has very definite ideas about what she wants and doesn't want and she definitely wants a birthday cake that can be cut and served - she doesn't like to go to a birthday party and have cupcakes - I think that's so cute (I shudder when I think of all the cupcakes I have served at birthday parties).

We didn't hear from Jeannie, Bob or Roy this week and we know you're all busy - I like to write each week because it makes me feel as if I have had a little visit with you - it's really good therapy for me - I'm sure you don't read all my letters and I don't blame you - no one is quite as interested in all the things we do as we are!!!!!

We just listened to the last half of conference and that Bro. Carmack who spoke is in the picture I sent to all of you of the Mission President's Seminar in Denver - he and his wife are standing to my right - they are lovely people!

Chris Jordin called me last night - I had gone to bed so it was quite late. She told me lots of news you will be interested in. Marge & Ed Lucas are moving to Fort Worth, Texas where Ed has received a really good job - his work with "sleep habits" at the medical center in Little Rock has been very successful and Chris said he was as far as he could go in Little Rock. Skylar & John Merrifield are also moving to Fort Worth - he is changing insurance jobs and leaving New York Life - Chris said Skylar's sister has been living with them for quite a while and I guess she has some serious emotional problems so it will be a good change for them. Chris said the Gold & Green Ball for our "old" stake there was very successful but she says there is a definite "age barrier" in the ward now with the new Bishop being so young - Ha! Chris has always been very sensitive about this age thing. Their son Robert will be getting married next Saturday and she is really excited about that.

A young girl who was a senior at Johnny's High School here was killed on her way to school last Friday - she had worked in the office with him all year - she just lost control of her car and they don't know why. I was listening to the early morning news this morning and heard that Roosevelt Thompson was killed on his way back to Yale from Little Rock a few weeks ago. We used to hear a lot about him - he was a black and student body president at Central High and was very outstanding - he had just received the Rhodes Scholarship to study in England. I really worry a lot about automobile accidents and hope each one of you will be very careful.

I called Grandmother & Grandpa Forrest last night and we had a good visit - they both sound good - we hadn't heard from the since Christmas. Grandpa will be 88 this June - Grandmother will be 82. Grandpa says he is as old as the State of Utah - I hope if I live that long that I will be as chipper as he is. Daddy and I try to stay in good health - we walk at least two miles each day and then jump on our little "re-bound trampoline" - I especially like that. My brother Dee will have two weddings within the next two months - Daren & Janelle!

I can't think of any more news. We surely do love each one of you and miss you so much. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Let us know how we can help you.

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