November 18, 1984 Billings, Montana

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

Wow!!!! Annie, you deserve a medal - another long and newsy letter!!! We really appreciated your appraisal of John's situation in the dorm and his desire to move into a condo with some other friends and we agree that it would be a good thing for him to do if he can see his contract (at the moment, that doesn't seem like a possibility) - I'm wondering if that is why they have you pay quite a bit in advance so if you decide to move out you either lose that money or sell your contract. The more I see of the BYU housing the more I realize how businesslike it is and I guess it has to be - also the tuition, etc. - we were a few days late in sending in an application for additional insurance for John and they wouldn't accept it! We loved hearing about how John helped put together your exercycle too we're surprised you can do that with your sore knee - don't "overdo it"! We're proud of Jessie doing so well with her part in the Sunbeam Class Presentation - she reminds us so much of you Ann and it's going to be fun to see how you and Ron handle her as she grows up. We hope you have a fun Thanksgiving wherever you are - it would be nice for Ron's parents to be with you and I KNOW you can prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. We were excited one night as we were watching the political returns and they announced that Calvin Grundahl (he is married to Ron's sister Sue) would be on to sketch some of the candidates - we kept watching but he never did come on - we have assumed that our network just didn't include his part. I think it would be pure bedlam to have all the Woolleys, the Grundahls, the Weinerts and maybe Johnny for Thanksgiving but if anyone can do it you can!!!

We talked to Jeannie & Rick and they will be home for Thanksgiving and we're glad - Jeannie is going to go into the hospital the following week for her surgery! It was fun to talk to them and also to Ricky & Barji and Jeannie says she is having problems now with Mary Ann running to answer the phone - it doesn't seem possible that they are that old!!! Rick is in Phoenix for a few days on a business trip and that surely brings back memories - he was hoping to get a chance to play some golf!!! Jean told us that her doctor called her from Switzerland (he is on a year's leave over there) - he wanted permission to sue from pictures of her "insides" to put in a medical journal. We will all be relived when this pregnancy is over and hope you will really take good care of yourself Jeannie. They have rented their old home and it needed a good cleaning so they were going to have it professionally done but when Jean found out it would cost $400 she decided to do it herself - please don't do things like that anymore!!!

We talked to Bob & Claire yesterday morning and also to Michael - he really sounds grownup. We asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he said, "A Fire Engine" - Daddy though he said, "A firing gun" and Claire added, "He wants that too!" Bob mentioned that it was the opening day for duck hunting there and wow! did that ever make Daddy homesick - he would give most anything to be able to go duck hunting again with Bob, Roy & Johnny in Arkansas. I still think that is the most miserable enjoyment a person can have but it is bound to have something I can't see - to get up at two o'clock in the morning when it is raining like crazy and so cold you can't stand it and drive about a hundred miles and then get in a cold damp boat and sit in the rain waiting for the dumb ducks to come flying in - and to top it off all you have to eat is something Daddy has concocted from left overs in the refrigerator and Vienna sausages - yuk!!! Bob still is enjoying his work but is looking forward to just the emphasis on ear, nose, & throat surgery after this year!!!

We talked to Johnny tonight and he will probably drive home for Thanksgiving by himself because he has a calculus test on Wednesday and then his calculus class on Wednesday until 4 o'clock. We're praying for really good weather because if it gets bad while he's home he will have to leave his car here and then fly back to Provo. If I haven't learned anything else while we have been in Montana, I HAVE learned to be frightened of bad weather and the roads from Billings to Bozeman can be closed really quick if a bad storm comes up. Johnny come, be sure to let us know when you leave. All the House Elders are wanting to have you come home, Elder James said, "It just isn't the same without Johnny". We're glad your classes are coming along good - we can hardly wait to have you home with us!!!

Roy - we were going to call you tonight but we didn't get home until about seven and that makes it nine your time and I know with your hours that can be really late. We will call you sometime this week though. Is everything going good? I wish you could see Daddy "lounging" in that down coat you gave us several years ago - it's so funny, because since then we have bought some that have quite a bit more down in them but that has to be the most comfortable thing we have ever had - anyway, we love it - do you still wear yours? Daddy got me a down robe last year that I really enjoy!

We went to Polson last Tuesday (that's clear across the state on the west part) and stayed there that night and then had District Meetings with our missionaries the next morning in Polson and then in Missoula that afternoon. We drove home from Missoula that night and got here quite late. At the District Meetings this month we have had the missionaries present their discussions to us - you wouldn't believe how frightened some of them have been - in fact, one of the lady missionaries got up and left the meeting and her companion had to go get her out of the bathroom where she had gone in tears. We have found that many of them don't know their discussions so we're having these "show how" sessions to help them improve. This month we have had them do the really easy part - next month, we're going to have them draw a slip of paper from the sack with any discussion on it from the six lessons so it will put them on the spot more. They really should know these before they ever leave the MTC but many of them don't - I'm sure there will be some serious studying done before our next conferences. They really are good kids though and most of them are really working hard!!! We have received there wedding announcements this past week (Johnny, Elders Elder, Harvey & Plumb are getting married - Elder Elder and Elder Harvey both lived in the home so I know you remember them) and we have also heard from Elder Madsen, Elder Parker & Sister Butler. It is really fun when they keep in touch with us.

Last week on our way to Casper the Assistants were in a car in back of us and they stopped at a rest stop - while they were there they noticed a ladies' purse sitting on the dumpster so they went over and got it. When they opened it they found about $80 in her wallet and as they looked in it for some identification they discovered an envelope with about ten $100 bills in it and besides this there were all her charge cards, driver's license, etc. They have been trying to locate her all week and as far as we know they still haven't found her - she is from Oregon and I guess she is enroute somewhere!

We went to Glendive yesterday for our last missionary district meeting and then we stayed there last night and attended the District Conference meetings today. Daddy is over the Districts in the Mission and he was really pleased with the conference today - they had both sessions today (usually they have one on Saturday night but the people have to travel so far they decided to combine them) and they were really well attended. On our way home we stopped in Galantine for Mexican food and it was so good!

Have you all heard about the "Mountain Men" who are hiding up in the Gallatin mountains near Bozeman? Last summer this man who is about 53 and his son who is about 22 tried to capture a young girl who was jogging near the mountains - evidently they were going to kidnap her and take her into the mountains to be the wife of the 22 year old. Well - to make a long story short two men went to her rescue and the older man shot one of them and killed him - in the scuffle, the young girl and the other man escaped but the two mountain men fled into the mountains. They have been searching for them for at least three or four months and haven't been able to find them - last week, a guide for an elk hunting party came across them and visited with them for about thirty minutes in their camp. He reported back to the police that they were just wearing cotton clothes and really were thin and the authorities have started searching again but they can't find them. Can you imagine that? Everytime we go near those Gallatin mountains I think of them up there - it is so cold I would much prefer prison to staying up there.

Well, little Baby Fae died - that made everyone so sad. There has been a lot of controversy over that but I'm hoping some good will come of the experiment.

It looks like we will have about 25 for Thanksgiving dinner so I am going to start some of the preparation tomorrow like making pie shells and freezing them. We hope you will all have a wonderful Thanksgiving - we hope so much we will be together next year except for you Johnny but you will be somewhere fun, I'm sure. 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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