September 3, 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 I believe it's Labor Day (holidays come and go around here without much notice)!!! We have talked to Ann & Jean within the last few hours several times so this letter won't have any news for them. Johnny - We have tried to figure out what happened to you last night and we have finally decided that you must have forgotten to call us when you first got to school - you rascal!!!! We had decided that since we wouldn't be here when he got to Utah he should make a person call to us here and that way the Elders would know he had arrived and they could leave us a note and we wouldn't worry about him. Well - we got here last night about 11 p.m. and all the house Elders were out sleeping on the back lawn (they have tried to do this before and Daddy always has to have them come back in the house unless there is a special reason for sleeping out there like watching the fire for the pig roast or watching for kids throwing eggs at the cars.) We thought maybe the phone had rung and they couldn't hear it! Johnny had said that he would probably stop and spend the night with Jean & Rick so we called the Jeannie and she hadn't seem him so then we called Ann (and waked her up) and she hadn't seen him either. They both said they would leave lights on for him and have him call us when he got there so I made a bed on the couch close by the phone and Daddy went to bed. As I waited for him to call I tried to figure out what he had done and about 12:30 I had decided he either got sleepy and got a motel somewhere before getting into Utah or had stopped in Tremonton to spend the night with Grant, his roommate last Semester, and didn't want to use their phone to call - anywhere I couldn't get comfortable on the couch so I came to bed. He finally called about 1:15 a.m. and Daddy talked to him and everything was fine and he had had a good trip - I know they wouldn't let him check into his dorm at BYU at that time so we are assuming he got there about 10:00 and just got busy unpacking and forgot to call - you're forgiven this time John but don't you do that again!!! Both Ann & Jean have called this morning to see what happened to him.

Johnny had his wisdom teeth taken out on Thursday morning - two of them were normal and he didn't have problems with them but he had to have the other to cut out by an oral surgeon and he didn't feel very good for several days - they put him out with gas or something and I think sometimes that is harder on you than the surgery. Anyway we wanted him to have the stitches taken out and his mouth checked by the doctor before he went back to school so the doctor met him in his office yesterday (Sunday) morning before he left for Utah. This delayed him in leaving because he couldn't meet him until 9:00 a.m. We appreciated your note Johnny telling us that everything was okay and we're so happy you are in school all safe and sound - the only thing I can see that you forgot to take is your bath brush and you can get one there I'm sure. We're so excited to learn how you like your new room and teachers, classes and just everything - we just know you are going to love school - we hope you get your schedule all worked out the way you want it.

Ron - we're proud of you!!! He took Susanna, Jessie & Russell to Jerome last weekend all by himself and Ann said they had a wonderful time. Ron's father had more surgery and Ron wanted to go see him - Ann said everything went good and he is going to be fine and we're so happy about that. We loved your card from Yellowstone and we laughed and laughed about the "pizza"!! I must tell you all about that! I cooked a big brisket roast for dinner the night Ron was to get here to take his family home mainly so they could make to roast beef sandwiches for a picnic lunch to take with them to Yellowstone. Well - I sliced some of it and wrapped it in foil and put it in the refrigerator for them. The week before we had fixed the pizza recipe that Jeannie had sent us and it was so good and there was a piece of it left and Daddy had taken it out of the refrigerator a dozen times to throw away but I wouldn't let him thinking Johnny would eat it for a little snack sometime. Well - Ann took the pizza which was wrapped in foil also instead of the beef so when they stopped for their picnic lunch instead of the good meat they had an old, old piece of pizza - I was sick but "it made a memory" and we have eaten beef roast all week. Your trip to the park sounded just wonderful and we know you all love it. We loved your long letter an and also the picture of Susanna's first day going to school I would love to be her first grade teacher - we could see your "wind sock" in the picture and we know you're the talk of the neighborhood (Ann bought a colorful wind sock to hang on their new deck while she was here - they're the big rage in Montana). We miss the children and so do the Elders - they keep asking about them - the Mission Home is much more fun with them and Ricky, Barji & Mary Ann around!!! Daddy & I are really old fogies to them!

Claire- we loved visiting with you the other night too and we're excited about the possibility of you and the children coming to see us. September is going to be super busy but we think we will be on the downhill run after that - we have a big pig roast, the couples conference and the Mission President's Seminar all within the next few weeks but after that we will just have the normal schedule of zone conferences and missionary work. We're excited to hear about your trip to the Atlanta Temple too - I'll bet that is a beautiful place. We would so love to see Michael & Laura - before Michael forgets us if he hasn't already and to see that we really do have a little Laura!!! Bob - your work sounds really hard and we're glad you're enjoying it - did I understand Claire right that you are now in neuro-surgery?

Rick and Jean - we're happy things have settled down with you and that your life won't be quite so demanding now and we know Dorothy is much better off (they had Catholic services for her and buried her in Kaysville). Daddy said it was great to talk to Ricky & Barji this morning (I was still asleep when they called). We think you are very wise to not have Ricky start school this year - he will be so much happier when he is more ready next year.

Roy - we know you are doing good too. We can just imagine how beautiful it is in the New England states at this time of year and it will be pretty for the next three or four months and then you'll have cold weather again. I really enjoy the season here in Montana - it has been a long time since we have lived where we have really had the four seasons and I love it!!

I'm sure you have all heard about the fires in Montana during the past week - we have kinda' laughed as we have listened to it on the National News each morning - they have pictured it like the entire state was on fire!! We could see the smoke from the outskirts of Billings and at night we could smell it like the backyard was on fire but we knew the cities were never in danger. It has been sad to read about many of the ranchers who have lost their homes and cattle and I was interested to read that one family saved their photo albums by putting them in their freezer - that would be my first priority if our home were in danger of fire. One of our missionaries in Helena had an appointment with the Governor during the week when everything was the worst and he presented him with a Book of Mormon with his name engraved on it and told him about the church. The Governor was really nice to him and asked him to have the missionaries pray for rain so this missionary said he would ask if the entire mission would fast and pray for rain to help the firefighters fight the fire - the next day was Friday and would you believe it rained most of the day!!!

We went to Casper last Tuesday afternoon and then had our Wyoming Zone Conference there on Wednesday morning and came home that night. Daddy had had notice from the Missionary department that we would be receiving a missionary who was transferring to our mission from Japan (the young Elder was Reno, Nevada). The day he was supposed to come something went wrong with the plane schedule or something and he didn't arrive so he was scheduled to come in on Tuesday night. Daddy had arranged with the House Elders to meet him at the airport and have him stay in the home until we got back on Wednesday. Well - they met him and they all went out proselytizing on Tuesday night and everything seemed fine but in the middle of the night one of the Elders waked up and discovered he had gone. This Elder waked up his companion and the two of them went to the bus station and sure enough there was this young man waiting for a bus to take him to Butte where he was going to fly back to his home. This was at 4:30 in the morning. They couldn't persuade him to come back to the home so they called the Elders in Butte and had them meet him in Butte and had them meet him in Butte and help him and then they called Salt Lake the next morning and alerted the missionary department and they in turn called his Stake Pres. in Reno so he could meet him at the airport. We were really proud of our House Elders the way they handled everything. Salt Lake called Daddy the next day and just praised the way it was done.

Elder Cardinet has been one of our favorite young men to ever have in the home and he is going to go to Missoula this week - we will really miss him. Daddy asked him if he would have time to shampoo the carpets before he left the home so last Saturday he rented a Rug Doctor and cleaned all the carpets in the home except for our apartment and they look just wonderful. He has really made a contribution while he has been here - he can do just everything and is really a good worker - he has done some great landscaping on the yard too. It's hard when they have to leave the home because they feel kinda' rejected and when they have done such a good job it isn't quite fair but it isn't fair to leave them in too long either.

I can't believe my space is all gone. Daddy & I spoke at the missionary fireside in Miles City last night after attending our zone conference in Glendive and it was really well attended.

We love each one of you so very much - PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you.

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