August 12, 1984 Billings, Montana

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

Yesterday was Grandmother Forrest's 83rd birthday was on Thursday and she was one year old and tomorrow is Rick & Jean's wedding anniversary (is it the 8th or 9th and Friday was Granny Mellor's birthday (I don't know how she would have been) - August is a celebrating month!!!!

Garry & Dianne and their family came in last Monday about 5:30 p.m. They have been doing a lot of construction on Rimrock but it changes from day to day and I didn't know how bad it was when Dianne called to get instructions on how to get to the Mission Home - it is so much easier to come on Rimrock so that's the way I told them to come - it was raining when they came and that made it worse - Garry was quite upset by the time he got here because of their cars were all muddy. Garry & Dianne and Brick & the twin girls were in their Pontiac and Garic & Trace were in one of their "Z" cars - they had to drive two cars because of their big family. It was really fun to see them again and we visited and visited - their little twins, Jaime & Janni are adorable and really play good together. Daddy made some chicken & pork chow mein that was just excellent and we all enjoyed that. They left early Tuesday - I feel kinda' bad when people came because they can tell how busy we are and don't feel comfortable in staying very long. It isn't that way with family but it is with other - the phone is constantly ringing and last week is the one week of the month that we have no control over it is just super busy!!! Garic is now waiting for his mission call - he is really a bean pole and really sweet young man - he'll make a good missionary. Dianne looks better than I have seen her for a long time - they said to tell you all "hello" - especially Johnny & Roy!!!

We got five new Elders in on Wednesday. They came in or lunch and then we had the orientation program for them - we had two Lady Missionaries come in to help with the dinner I had cooked brisket all night and they fixed the potatoes, green beans (fresh), green salad and made a cake. It worked out really great and I didn't have to miss any of the orientation - we served eighteen. We are really happy with the new missionaries!!!!

Thursday will go down on record as being one of my worst on our mission!!! I believe I told you about the new transfer routine of using our van to transfer all the missionaries and not having their cars come in to the Mission Home. Well - that part worked our fine but we ended up having a lot of missionaries in the home for most of the day. We decided long ago that the best way to handle things was to close the kitchen and we had signs made to put on the kitchen doors to that effect. The office staff is mostly new and it hadn't occurred to us that they didn't know this routine and besides that I didn't put the signs on the doors. I had made three kinds of cookies to put out in the foyer - chocolate chip, macaroons and oatmeal p-nut butter. I had baked two huge turkeys all night and had made dressing, potatoes, congealed fruit salad, green beans, vegetable salad and hot rolls and was really working hard in the kitchen when all the office staff and two new Elders came in with fried chicken & french fries to eat and it was 3 p.m. and dinner was supposed to be at 5 p.m. I couldn't believe it and rather than scold them to their faces I came up to the apartment in tears and called Daddy down in his office and I said "Your office staff is eating fried chicken and they won't be hungry for this big dinner I have cooked!" Daddy was really upset and marched in to the kitchen and told them all they would not be invited for dinner and they had really hurt my feelings. They were just crushed and they went to the florist and bought me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and came back and apologized - that made me feel as small as an ant and I'm still not over it. Just when I think I have my emotions and temper in control something like this happens. I tell you they ate everything in sight at dinner whether they wanted it or not. The two Lady Missionaries were here helping me that night too and they said they had never seen Pres. Mellor so angry - I really goofed but as Daddy says, it doesn't hurt them to know we cat get upset too.

Did I tell you we were getting all our furniture re-upholstered? Daddy and I chose all the fabrics from really small swatches and I have really worried about how it would go with the drapes, carpets and the other things in the rooms - they brought most of it back Thursday and then again Friday and we are so pleased with it - it has made the biggest difference in how the Mission Home looks. Now that we are getting ready to leave we are getting it to look the way we would have it if it were own home and it might be hard to leave - you'll love it!

I must tell you about Daddy's garden!!! He promised me that he wouldn't plant a very big one this year and you just wouldn't believe it - it is just beautiful. Yesterday we took four huge sacks of vegetables to some of the people in ward here and then today we took this much out to the couples serving on the reservation. We have zucchini, crooked neck squash, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, lettuce, chard, carrots, onions, potatoes & hot peppers - our tomatoes will be ripe in about a week and we'll have bushels & bushels. Daddy and I put up fourteen quarts of dill pickles yesterday - I would like to make some more of Ann's recipe for Ragu spaghetti sauce and maybe some salsa, but that's all!

Jeannie & Rick - we just absolutely loved your beautiful pictures and we think you're wonderful to send them to us before you could have copies made for you. They were here to show the Powers and they loved them. You really have a good camera to take such good ones in Hawaii - the ones at the Polynesian Center are great - the ones of Barji's birthday party are adorable and made us homesick for the children again!!!! I about cried when I saw the one of Barji and her little friend in their bathing suits because it looks like the friend has a suit with Strawberry Shortcake on it like the one Barji wanted after I had bought her one of the Cabbage Patch bathing suit (we asked Barji what she wanted for her birthday and she said a Strawberry Shortcake bathing suit - I looked and looked for one and couldn't find one and so we got the other one and then we found the one she wanted and I wouldn't get it for her - that's the conservatism in me because it was on sale and wasn't expensive at all!) Thanks so much for the picture and Ricky we really loved your letter - you are a good writer!!!

Claire - thanks so much for your letter too! I'm glad to hear you are not a fantastic vegetable gardener - we were beginning to believe you could "do it all" after hearing Bob brag about you. I think it is so much harder to grow vegetables there than it is in a place like Montana because we get so much more sunlight here - the season is shorter but when they start to grow they just grow and grow. Chris & Marc told us their air conditioning bill is over $200 a month for their little house - they say that people in Little Rock are having a hard time with their bill this summer because of the increased rate and I guess it's the same in Memphis. Have you considered putting those double windows and doors on? They did that on our former home in Leawood and say that it really helps one of our Lady Missionaries has had some problems with her ears so she had to get an appointment with an ear, nose & throat specialist here and she had to wait for about three weeks - she said there are only three here and they are really booked up - Billings would be a wonderful place to live!!!!

Annie & Johnny - we loved talking to both of you this week and we're so anxious to have you come home. Johnny - will you leave right after school and be here Friday night? I told the Elders you would but Daddy said he didn't think you would come until a few days after school is out. Annie - could we help you in some way like meeting you in West Yellowstone so you wouldn't have to go to the expense of flying (Ann is going to bring the children by plane and then Ron will drive up later and get them in their van). Whatever works out best for you will be best for us but we would be happy to come part of the way if Ron could drive you that far. We think you should send the children's car seats up with Johnny if you do fly so we will have them here to use when we go places - we want to take you to the Crow Fair so the children can see a really authentic Indian dance with their beautiful costumes.

Ron - we loved and appreciated your letter and we hope your birthday bell isn't a big nuisance!!! I promise we won't get you anything else you have to "hang up" - it seems like we have done that too much and that gets to be a problem!!!

Roy - we have thought about you so much as we have listened to all the riot mews in Lawrence, Massachusetts. I'm sure there will always be those racial riots but we hope they won't affect you in any way. What did you think about that "heart man" (I can't remember his name) leaving the University of Utah Medical Center?

WE just had visitors from California come in - they used to be at the Visitor's Center in Cody and they had come back to go on a backpacking trip in the BearTooth Mountains. I think they would have liked to stay in the Mission Home tonight but we didn't invite them - that gets to be a problem with returning missionaries coming to visit. They wee on their way to Wash.

We have spent the day today on the Indian Reservation - went to church in Lamedeer and the stopped in Dunmore to visit - the White people are doing a fantastic job trying to help the Indians!!!! 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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