March 18, 1985 Billings, Montana

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

I'm writing my letter on Monday morning this week - we spent the weekend up in Glasgow, Montana and didn't get home until about 9 o'clock last night and it was too late to start typing. Johnny came home late Friday night and he went with us and it was just a wonderful trip - we visited and visited (you all remember how much I love to have you confined to the car so you can't get away). He came home to get his dental exam and do some other things in order to put his mission papers in - he has to go back to Provo early Wednesday morning so it's a short visit. Our weather is just beautiful and the trip to the Eastern part of the State was pretty - that is a very desolate part of the whole world but he hadn't seen it before so I think he enjoyed it. We went to the Fort Peck Dam and he saw that and that is very unusual to see such a large body of water up there where it is so dry. Daddy had to put in a new District Presidency in the Glasgow District and that was interesting to have Johnny see all that. He put in man who has been a counselor in the last Presidency and he has a few people who dislike him and I was really worried there would be a "fuss" but there wasn't - one of his new counselors is a very humble and sweet man and he has 17 children - he's a custodian for the Government in one of their building up there. They had a potluck dinner following the meeting and during this time one man (Roy Marris from Wolfpoint) took Johnny aside and gave him a beautiful beaded Indian belt buckle - really the prettiest one I have ever seen. Now we have to buy him a belt to go with it - Ha! Johnny looks really good and it is so wonderful to see how well prepared he is for his mission and how excited he is to go "anyplace" he is called - Daddy was so proud of him in the Priesthood class yesterday because he explained some of the things the teacher was having problems with. He has decided to stay in school until the end of May and will probably leave the first part of June for his Mission. He is going to try to sell his car right soon and if it sells we'll drive two cars to Utah when we come for conference and he will be able to use our new one until school is over. I hate to have him sell his car because it is in perfect condition but it would be foolish to have it just be parked for two years - he has already had one good offer on it but he is holding out to get better price. He is playing basketball with the Elder this morning.

Annie and Claire - we loved your letters last week and then talking to Ann & Ron Saturday morning (they called to make sure Johnny had arrived safely). It was so much fun to talk to Susanna, Jessie & Russell too - we hope Susanna's piano recital went really well (I remember those days with Ann & Jean and they were CHAOTIC!) Jessie sounded so excited to have their trampoline up - guess Spring is on its way in Utah. I can't believe Russell - he talks so grown-up. Johnny said that Ann & Ron were going to California this week - you need a "little trip Annie and we hope you really have a lot of fun in a short time 'cause John said you would only be gone a couple days. The Mission home has a pasta maker and Johnny is going to help me make some pasta today - he says it is just like yours; Ann. Claire - you are doing enough church work for the whole family!!! I have always admired "anyone" who has the patience and talent to be the roadshow specialist - we would love to be able to see the final production. I'm sure Bob is able to give you some professional advice on the script (the roadshow is about duck hunters)! AND then to have to make all the favors and flower arrangements for the Relief Society Luncheon too - I'll bet your home is filled to the brim with all the "mess" - Ha! I think it's great that you have Michael & Laura in a pre-school two days a week - that gives you a little break and it's good for them - you would be excellent as a fashion coordinator for Casual Corners but I don't blame you for not wanting to work that much - something fun and interesting will come along that will fit into your schedule, I'll bet. I wish so much that you would coordinate my "fashions" to go to April Conference - I really don't want to buy any new clothes but I know there will be a lot of pretty new Spring outfits there and I don't want to look shabby - Oh Me!!! It's hard to have the right things to wear for five day in Salt Lake and then five days on Mission tour with Elder Lee right after. Johnny is really homesick to see little Michael - he was looking at his pictures last night and said, "I'll be he wouldn't even remember me" - he says it is hard to think it will be two more years before he gets to see Roy and Bob & Claire and their family - he's really a sweet kid! His idea of Heaven is to get a bass boat and have a home on Lake Quachita and go fishing all Summer and duck hunting in the Fall and maybe work a little in the Winter - Ha! He says the Utah weather is the Pitts!!!

Jeannie & Roy - we hope everything is great with you. Ann said she had talked to you Jeannie and that you were feeling pretty good - I'm surprised - she said your doctor wants you to carry the baby for seven more weeks - that would make it about the first of May before it would be born. We're s anxious to see all of you in your new home - your bathroom wallpaper is beautiful and we know your home is very tastefully decorated. Roy - it's about time for the gorgeous Spring water in the New England States - I'll bet you spend every free minute you can find out in it and we don't blame you. Patrice, I'll bet you are doing a lot of sewing I remember that darling dress you had made when you visited us in the Little Rock.

Last week was our busy week and looking back on it I can't help but laugh a little, even though it isn't funny. We received twelve new missionaries from the MTC on Wednesday and we had a wonderful orientation and felt so good about everything and would you believe that we have had three of them want to go home already - Daddy has encouraged them to stay out for at least a month - taking it one week at a time but he has one flying in this afternoon from Missoula and he doesn't think he is going to be able to get him to stay - his folks have called several times just pleading with Daddy to get him to stay but once they make up their minds they're going home there isn't much you can do about it. All three of them have wonderful companions and they're in some of the best places and it's beautiful weather so we don't know what has happened. They have all said they didn't want to come in the first place and they just came please their families - they're a little disappointed to not receive a foreign mission too! Daddy won't cry when he has to turn these problems over to another Mission President.

One of the missionaries who came in last week was a 55 year old woman from Salt Lake. She is a very pretty lady and has six children - one of her sons was with her in the MTC and he is going to Spain - the other children are grown and away from home. She is obviously quite well to do (a divorcee) and has a mind of her own - I told her that breakfast would consist of sugar frosted flakes and milk and all the missionaries were on their own for fixing it and she said, "I won't eat that but I have some fruit so I will just eat in my room" - I wanted to tell her that having food in the bedrooms was against the house rules but I didn't. Daddy put her with a darling companion up in Kalispell and he has heard there are already some problems - that's another blessing Daddy will be happy to turn over to some else.

Daddy and I shop all day on Monday for these busy days and then I cook all day on Tuesday and everything works out so well - the dinners aren't really elaborate but the food is good and breakfast is probably the only meal that isn't all that nutritional but when missionaries get out in the filed I know what they eat and sugar frosted flakes won't hurt them one bit. We had enchiladas when they first came in and we had sixty of them and ran out - for twenty people and four of them were women who didn't eat very much. They ate four pints of sour cream, eight avocadoes mashed, four pints of salsa, six heads of lettuce etc. - Daddy and I scurried around and tried to make some more but the flour tortillas were frozen and wouldn't separate without breaking so we gave up after fixing about 6 more and served ice cream sundaes for dessert. They said it was the first time they had had enough to eat for a month - I guess they have to pay extra for "seconds" at the MTC and some of them couldn't afford it. We had lasagna the next night and I made some delicious blueberry cheesecakes for dessert. I also made at least a MILLION oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to put out for the missionaries coming through on transfers and they were all eaten.

Last Tuesday we received a new missionary couple from Redmond, Utah - Elder & Sister Draper. They are in their late sixties and just wonderful people - they came in about noon and I fixed them a sandwich to eat on their way because Daddy sent them up to Wolfpoint and they wanted to get there before it was too late. It is so neat to get missionary couples who come on to really serve and don't expect a lot of "babying" - we are so happy with them.

When two of our Lady Missionaries came in to go home because they had completed their mission they gave Daddy and each a big box that had been beautiful wrapped. We hesitated opening them because the other missionaries hadn't brought gifts so they came up to our apartment where we cold open them - you just wouldn't believe what they gave us - beautiful hand knit sweaters (cardigan) that have the mission symbol (the Eagle) on the back and then "Mellor down the sleeve. They had had someone in Casper make them for us - they are perfect fits and so warm & nice - all lined. I'm out of room! 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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