January 6, 1985 Billings, Montana

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

Daddy has gone to a Regional Meeting with the Stake Presidents and the Regional Representative in this area so I'm home alone this morning - Daddy and I will attend church services somewhere in Billings for the afternoon session. It's a beautiful day here and I'm so glad - we have had a lot of really cold, bleak Wintry days and we're not used to that.

I just talked to Annie - she is going to have to go into the hospital this next week to have an ovarian cyst removed (that's kind of a personal thing to write about in a newsletter and I hope she won't be mad at me). The doctor has been watching it for about a month now and he said it has to come out - they will have to do surgery in the same place they did for her c-section when LeeAnna was born and she will be in the hospital for about five days and then down for awhile. Ron's mother, Angel that she is, is coming form Jerome those wonderful Christmas pictures - we'll try to duplicate them so the rest of the family can see them. We felt like we had almost been with you and the Weinerts when we heard about your get-to-gethers and then to see the pictures was great!!!

Jennie - we loved your letter too and loved hearing about the children and their Christmas things - the sled run at the side of your house reminded us of the one we had when we first moved to Little Rock at that rented house - do you all remember that??? We are impressed with all the things they have now to slide on the snow and ice - the old fashioned sleigh is kinda' obsolete. We also loved the newspaper article about your diet class - I underlined your name and then showed it to all the missionaries - we're proud of you but we wonder how you can carry on your classes with your pregnancy and everything else!!! Ann said you were able to gain a few pounds with this pregnancy and that food tasted good to you where it hasn't before - that indicates to me that it is going to be a boy - Ha!

Claire - we loved your letter too and your Christmas really sounded special with your folks and Steve and his fiancé, Sharon. We think it's great that Steve is going into business for himself - it's so much better to do it now while he is young and without children rather than later and we know he'll be a success at whatever he does. Your weather has been crazy and especially this past week - the news showed pictures of your snow and ice and we couldn't help but think how lucky you all were to have your company when it was in the 60's & 70's. You asked for some suggestions of good books to teach children to read and at your childrens' ages it is best to read, read, read and then some to them! Johnny doesn't enjoy reading and I tried everything but forcing him and don't ask me why he doesn't - Ann & Roy were our best readers and they read everything they could get their hands on! I'm glad Sally & Chris came to see you - we had a Christmas note from Brenda and she said they were going to Memphis for part of the holidays. Chris Jordin had told me everyone thought Sally would be the new Relief Society President in their ward but when I had a letter from her and she said it was Pearl Brumfield. Chris also wrote that Dave Gonce gave a talk in their Sacrament Meeting and it was on love and he said he could truthfully say he loved everyone there - even Dick Cobb - Chris said the whole congregation just roared with laughter - I'll bet Dick didn't!!!!!

Roy - after the fabulous seafood dinner, you're off the hook for awhile - Ha! We have noticed your weather too and you have had crazy temperatures - it sounded like it was really nice for your trip to New York and then it got bad - we hope you didn't have any trouble with the bad roads (flooding, I think). We don't worry nearly as much about you and Bob in driving as we do Johnny because we know your cars handle well on the snow & ice. I'll bet it's kinda' hard to settle back down into a work routine after having a few days off - we'll be so glad when you and Bob will have more reasonable hours and not so much stress! Patrice - if I had a hundred cards to choose from, I could choose the one that would be from you - I love your choice of cards and thoughts!!!

Johnny - it was fun to talk to you last night now that you are back at school. Johnny has a close friend who is a Resident Assistant at Deseret Towers and his family lives in Logan - he invited Johnny to come stay with him for a couple days and go snowmobiling so he did and Johnny had a wonderful time. We hope you'll write to us and tell us all about school. Daddy and I were in church today with Dave Middleton's folks and we told them we had gone out to see them because you wanted to say "Hi" to Dave but they weren't home - they were so pleased that we would do that. George Walker is the Bishop of that ward and he said to tell you "Hello" - the chapel was almost full today and they have only been organized as a ward for about a month. We miss going to see you play basketball (Johnny played in a tournament that was organized just for the holidays and they won most of their games and then lost the last one for the championship - he is really good!)

We have enjoyed watching the news coverage about BYU being chosen the national championship team - especially Barry Switzer and we were really thrilled when Oklahoma lost their bowl game. We can't imagine a coach putting his reputation on the line the way he did - we feel bad for the players he represents because they probably don't feel that way. Did you know that Daddy had a phone call here at the Mission Home after the BYU game and it was about 11 P.M.? The caller was just irate about the fact that BYU had won and he thought they played in a very unsportsmanlike manner - he said he was already to join "our" church but after seeing the game he had decided he wouldn't. People are so funny!!!!

We hope you all had a fun and exciting New Years Eve !!! Daddy and I fixed waffles with strawberries & whipped cream and then sausage & eggs for the Elders about 10 P.M. after they came in from proselyting. Daddy didn't think it was appropriate for us to stay up until the New Year so we played "Celestial Pursuit" (the Woolleys had given us that for Christmas) until about 11:30 and then we told them they had to go to bed - we could hear them in their dorm through and they stayed up until midnight! Daddy is having Elder Morris who has been in charge of the cars go out in the field this week so we have a new Elder in the home - Daddy asked Johnny who he thought he should bring in and his suggestion was an Elder Neel so that is who it is. Elder Neel really has a cute personality and is just full of fun - I'm hoping he will liven this place up - the Mission Home needs to be reverent but it has been a little too reverent the past few months. The Elders have received so much food from home that they haven't been cooking in the kitchen very much - I scolded them the other day and said I was worried that they were buying too much food at the fast food places - I really think they have had a lot of dinner appointments during the holidays. They had left some of the ground venison out thawing in their refrigerators too long so I cooked them up a big batch of chili and they loved it!!

Daddy and I went out to Dunmore for the final inspection of their remodeled chapel the other night. You just wouldn't believe the changes they have made. The church used to be one big long building that was used mostly as a basketball gym and then they would try to convert it on Sundays to a chapel. They don't even have a basketball court anymore - they have lowered the ceilings and have a beautiful chapel that can be divided off to make it really small or really large and then they have lovely upholstered benches and a really nice kitchen and a big Relief Society room upstairs and beautiful restrooms - I couldn't believe it. NOW, if the Indians will just take care of it and appreciate it. It was so funny though - when they started to put the range and refrigerator in the kitchen they found out that they had not planned for the refrigerator so there isn't a place for it and it will have to just be out in the middle of the room. I told Daddy that I wish they would let women go over plans for the kitchen!!! Elder & Sister Wright are getting ready to leave their missions and it's kinda' sad they won't be there to enjoy the new building - they are excited to get home though!!!

We had a nice picture Christmas card from the Fuller family along with a letter - that is a remarkable family!! One of their sons is practicing medicine in the American Fork hospital and another one is finishing his residency in Oklahoma and another one is a dentist. Barbara Ann has seven children and lives in Orem - Gordy is still with them and they didn't mention "Sherman the Tank" - do you all remember that family in Little Rock? I'll bet Gordy still remembers all of your birthdates - he was borderline genius and it was hard on him - I'll never forget the time he came to stay with us for few days and he just brought one suitcase and in it was a HUGE picture of himself that was all framed and he kept it right by his bed!!!

This has been a restful week for us - I took down all the Christmas decorations and put them away very carefully with everything labeled and I also threw away a lot of things that wouldn't work and were too old to keep. Next week is going to be another BUSY WEEK!!!

We love you all so much - PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you - wish I could really help you Annie this next week!!!
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