August 6, 1984 Billings, Montana


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

It's Monday morning and the Jordins just left - we had expected them to stay a couple days with us but they came in yesterday (Sunday) about 2 o'clock and said they were just worn out and needed to get home. I didn't think they were going to get here until today and I had all kinds of good food planned for them but Chris called Saturday night and said they would be here as soon as they could get here on Sunday. They are such special friends and wanted to know all about all of you and wanted us to give you their love. We don't think Marc looks very good but it could be just the stress of their trip - they have been in Idaho Falls for family weddings and reunions and that's tiring.

Yesterday and Saturday were some of the most special times on our mission - we heard from each one of you and that means so much to us! Roy - your phone call last night was the frosting on the cake and we really loved hearing about your new hospital and all the things you are going (He says he is "zeroing" in an anesthesiology now and they see a lot of V.I.P.s in this hospital and if I understood him right there are some foreign executives, etc.) Roy & Patrice had been on a camping trip over the weekend and had really had a good time - I'm sure there is really some beautiful country there and they were able to get where it was quite cool & Nice. We're happy you like your new job too Patrice! We're proud of you both!

Johnny - we surely hope you feel better today (when he called yesterday, he had a terrible cold and didn't feel very well). We know that finals will be coming up soon and that is kind hard but it is a constant occurrence in life - just do your best and that's all that is expected of you. We think "B's" are excellent grades!!!! We really loved your long and newsy letter and would love to read your research paper on how rock music affected the young people in the sixties - Roy said last night that he laughed for days after reading your "fish paper". I am so thrilled and impressed at the good spelling in your letters - I guess I am more aware of that because I try to proof-read everything that leaves the mission office because most of our missionaries don't know how to spell. We're so thrilled that you like your teachers too because that is three-fourths of learning. I don't understand your fitness program routine but it's great that you are doing that (he says what he is doing works out to 1500 meters sand 120 pushups a night) - he swims 100 meters and then does 15 pushups, then swims another 100 meters and does 14 pushups and so on!!! We're proud of you!

Bob - what a thrill to receive your long and newsy letter (it amounted to about six pages he was at the hospital in the emergency room and said that work was kinda' slow. We loved to hear about some of your experiences - that would scare me to death to have to oven see some of those things let alone have to "fix them up"!!! We couldn't believe the "Old Spice" story - Condie Call (a doctor in Phoenix) used to keep us in stitches at our crowd parties telling some stories like that. It's good thing you can keep your sense of humor or you would go beserk! We laughed about how you have to drain boils and you make sure the patient has enough local anesthetic because your remember when Daddy used to drain yours without even an aspirin or any pain killer - I don't believe any of us will forget the one he drained in the trailer - we all wanted to go on a vacation in the trailer and we weren't going to let a boil stop us!!!! We would like to have you or Roy go into General Practice (and they could do that right now) but I guess you know what is best! I'm sure Jim Griffin would love to have you go into practice with him - Chris & Marc say that everyone in Little Rock thinks that is what you plan to do (I guess Marge Lucas who knows everything is telling this). Claire is doing a great job with your yard - I think that's wonderful (I really HATE yard work). Daddy really appreciates the suggestions for missionary success - it seems like he isn't getting much help from the local Bishops and Stake Presidents and that makes it so hard. Loved your phone call too!

Annie & Jeannie - thank you so much for your letters and phone calls too!! I'll have Daddy duplicate your recipes off Jeannie and include them in this letter - they sound wonderful Rick - we're proud of your baptism (he is a Seventy in his yard now and baptized his first person a couple weeks ago). Your Relief Society "come as you are" party sounded fun. We got the pictures back of the children with the fish and we'll have copies made and send to you - you're going to be mad at me when you how Barji's hair looks and little Mary Ann in a diaper but all I cared about was that they had fun and didn't get hurt!!! Annie - thanks for sending the clipping about Ted Gardner and his practice at one Stave Training School in American Fork - I had a cousin attend that school and I think it is really wonderful for a professional like Ted to be so compassionate. We're so anxious for you to come and I guess it was better that you didn't come this week - I know it must be hard for Ron to have to work around lots of peoples' schedules in his work!! I always talk too long when you call and I'm going to be better about that - it's so good to talk to someone whom I don't feel is judging me for everything I say like the missionaries and most of the people we associate with here.

Johnny said last night that Jimmy Willardsen is going to be okay but that he will probably have to start school late and in a wheelchair -(he was riding one of those big three wheelers on a back mountain road and was on the wrong side of the road and hit head on into a truck - has a fractured femur bone and both wrists are shattered and will have to have plastic kneecaps Daddy has tried for two days to get either the Willardsen or the Braithwaites by phone and the don't answer - we'll have to write to them - what could we send to Jimmy? This just adds to my worries - I know it is impossible to keep your children in a glass bubble but I hope you are all aware of the things that can happen in just a split second when you are on motorized things!!!!

We went to Riverton last Monday afternoon - I like it this way so that I can leave the Mission Home clean at the beginning of the week. We had a meeting there the next day and then drove to Casper for a meeting there on Wednesday. We didn't push ourselves this trip and came home Wednesday night rested and that is so much better. We were home on Thursday and then went to Miles City on Friday for a meeting there. Saturday I spent most of the day making cookies and cleaning and shopping for Sunday.

Yesterday (Sunday) we had a big birthday for Daddy - we invited all the missionaries in this area to come for a hamburger cookout. Chris & Marc got here in time to help and they were so sweet and the missionaries all love them - we will never figure out why Marc doesn't join the church!!! We went to the fifth ward church so we could be home in the afternoon. We had baked beans, potato salad, all kinds of fresh fruit in a melon bowl, hamburgers with all the trimmings and delicious lemon birthday cake with orange sherbet. There were five who have birthdays in August so we celebrated for all of them - they really loved it and the weather was cool outside so we didn't have any mess in the house. The Lady Missionaries had written a song especially for Daddy and they sang it and it was beautiful - they have it on tape and gave it to him for a gift. After the party and all the missionaries left we came up to the apartment and sat and visited and visited about all our friends in Arkansas. Their son Robert was married in July and they brought in Heber and doing really well - their son John isn't married yet nor does he have a girl friend and the pictures of him show that he is still really heavy. I guess the Andrews family really has a lot of problems and Janie Bridges has already been discovered and has re-married the second time.

Dianne Power called the other night and they were on their way to Utah to go through the temple with Garic - he will be going on his mission soon. They are going to come by to stay with us on their way back to Des Moines, Iowa. It has really funny after I hung up from talking to her I figured out that they would be here the same time Chris & Marc would be here and at that time I thought maybe the Woolleys would be here - The Powers have five children, and with the Woolleys four and then the Jordins we would have had fifteen guests here the same day!!!! I had already found three sleeping bags for the Power boys to use and had it all arranged in my mind when Ann called and said they wouldn't be coming and then the Jordins only stayed one night so everything is going to work out okay as it usually does. The Jordins are really easy company and we could have them move in with us and not even notice it.

Did you all watch the Olympics? We watched a little bit of it and we came in and out of the apartment and it was so thrilling - we like the gymnastic teams the best. Johnny - we asked Chris and Marc about your friend Beth Pope and they said she was injured and couldn't compete - she reminded us of the girl who won a lot of god medals, Mary Lou Retton!!!

We love each one of you so very much and we're so proud of you - we really miss you!!! PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - let us know how we can help you!!!!

P.S. Daddy is helping them install a new water heater today - a 100 gallon one. We have two of them and one went out last Friday - it is costing $1,400.00 - can you believe that???
Always something needing fixing in the Mission Home!!!!

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