September 30, 1985 Lehi, Utah

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

It's Monday afternoon and I waited until today to write my letter because this is the day Johnny left to go to Chile and I wanted to tell you all about it!!! Ron stayed home from work for a little while this morning so he could get Susanna & Jessie off to school and Annie & LeeAnna & Russell came over to Lehi at 8 a.m. and they drove up to Salt Lake with Daddy & I. Rick & Jeannie, Ricky, Barji, LeeAnna & Sarah all met us at the airport. It was so funny - Johnny has really been good to give us all the details of his flight in several letters and then we left the house this morning not knowing what airline he was going to take or anything except the time he was leaving - I guess that was really my responsibility and I am so used to that little airport in Billings that I didn't even think about taking that information with us. Luckily, Johnny was looking for us and saw Daddy as he parked the car - Annie & I had already gone into one terminal to see if we could find out by process of elimination which airline he would be on. We realized right then that Jeannie & Rick wouldn't know where to go either so we waited for them to drive up (they came right shortly after we got there.)

I don't believe I will ever forget the events at the airport this morning and the great feelings of love & appreciation for the support of the Woolleys & Weinerts - it really is a big job to get such little children all ready so early in the morning and they were all so happy to do it. The little children love their Uncle John and he loves them - I hope so much that our pictures turn out so we can share them all with you. JOHNNY LOOKS GREAT!!! We are so proud of you Johnny - you just have it all put together! We can hardly wait to get your first letter from Chile. It's such a wonderful & exiting time for you and we know you are going to make every minute count. I'll bet your companion will be a native South American - and that will be an adjustment! All the Elders who were so close to you from the Montana Billings Mission are so interested in everything you're doing - Elders Madsen & Taylor were so anxious to see you before you left this morning and I'm so glad they were able to do it. It was great to hear about hour visit with Roy and we know that meant a lot to you and we also know that Bob knows exactly what you're going through - we couldn't help but remember the pictures of Ann, Jean & Aunt Marvel at the airport on the day Bob left for Colombia. The next two years will go much faster than you could even possibly imagine at this point - I'm glad it is going to be warm weather when you get there - the missionaries coming to Montana were never quite prepared for the frigid winters!

Daddy left right shortly after we got home from the airport for his big elk hunt!!!! His friends were here waiting for him about ten minutes after we got home. I have never seen him any more excited and I hope so much it is as much fun as he thinks it is going to be. They all came over here Saturday morning to plan their food - Daddy made a big stew and they were going to have ham & beans, chicken stew, granola bars, etc., etc., etc. I really wish Daddy didn't have to come home early - one thing he is going to insist on is that we only have our missionary reunions once a year and have them at the April General Conference time instead of October. The men he is going with have four wheelers, campers, etc. and he is going to leave our car somewhere close to the camp and then come back to it on Thursday and start for home - the rest of them will stay until next week! He says if he gets an elk he'll just have to "bless it and leave it" - I'm sure his friends would take care of it for him - I don't think he plans on getting one - Ha! They say that deer hunting over in West Canyon is really good so maybe in future years all you men could set up camp there and enjoy it - all the missionaries want Daddy to take them hunting - that could be a challenge because most of them have never had any experience with guns. I really believe that Daddy could live on the land if he had to - he loves that sort of things and this is the country for it!!!!

Last week was kinda' hard for the Woolley family. Annie was about three months pregnant and she began to have problems so she went to see her doctor. He couldn't detect a heart beat so he sent her to the hospital for a "sonogram" - when they couldn't detect one with that either her doctor scheduled her for a D & C which they did on Friday at Utah Valley Hospital. This is such a disappointment for all of them but they have accepted it and everything is fine now - they all have such healthy attitudes and outlooks on life and that is so important. Annie really looks wonderful and is "her old self" now - that little family is so bubbly and happy all the time you would never know they had any problems.

Roy - we really like the doctor you sent us to and we'll have to admit it is very reassuring to have one we could go to if we need one. He was very, very thorough and took every kind of test imaginable and they have all come back with good reports. He put me on more calcium and also a hormone pill (he said I was a prime candidate for osteoporosis (sp.?) but I have no signs of it at this point). Our blood pressures were really good and also our cholesterol count. We got the impression that he went a lot by the ages and health of our parents - he asked a lot of questions about them and also our other relatives - I guess I didn't realize how important all of that was. It's amazing that we haven't had any problems with arthritis considering how much both our mothers have had. I told him that my biggest problem was keeping up with Daddy - you wouldn't believe all the energy he has - since we left the mission he is like a wild animal let out of a cage - Ha! We're so glad the hurricane wasn't as bad as they expected - your sounded so calm the night I talked to you and it was headed right your way - did you get a lot of wind and rain???

We're thrilled with Jeannie and her good news about her position with the Tanner Clinic in Farmington. They have offered Jeannie and her dietitian fried such a great deal to come and be on their staff and it will be such a help professionally for her and the best thing is that she won't have to be way from their children as such - now she almost has to go into the McKay Dee Hospital whenever they call and doesn't have the control over her hours that she & Rick would like. That is such a sweet and happy family and that little Sarah just never cries!!!


Claire - thanks so much for your sweet letter. Your trip to Little Rock sounded like so much fun and it was good to hear about some of our friends there - we would be like strangers in that ward I'm sure. Your mini-van sounds great - can you make beds in it like for camping? We can hardly wait to meet little Laura for the first time and also to see if Michael remembers us - I'll bet he doesn't. We had a furnace man come check the furnace the other day and we have had it on since and it really warms this place up - we don't want to close it out of any of the rooms if we don't have to - I think a home is more comfortable that way. The wall furnace in the kitchen really warms it up fast - it can be so cold and in such a few seconds it's warm and comfortable.

Our missionary reunion is going to be this Friday night and it looks like we'll have about 125-150 come for it - we are really surprised at the response. We told them the deadline for making dinner reservations was last Saturday so yesterday and today we have had lots of phone calls from those who forgot go send in their money. Daddy's cousin, Carl Mellor, has a catering service here in Lehi and he is going to provide the dinner - we are counting on it to be really good food and will be disappointed if it isn't. It is going to be served buffet style and they will have chicken, ham, etc. and also a shrimp cocktail for $6 a serving. We had our final planning meeting last night - the missionary committee loves to come over here and we love to have them.

Daddy has built a beautiful picket fence out in front. It is so funny - we had only planned to have it right in front but after he got it finished we could tell it just looks uncompleted - as Ann said, "It looks the hurricane came through Lehi and that is all that is left of the fence". That will be a wonderful November project for Daddy. The house looks so good and it really is comfortable. Daddy is doing a great job as Gospel Doctrine teacher and they have called me to teach Spiritual Living.

We plan to leave here on Sunday, Oct. 6th and spend the 8th in Little Rock and then go to Memphis that night - leave Memphis the 10th - get in Boston the 13th or 14th. Don't plan any thing for us - we are bringing sleeping bags and will just make ourselves at home!!! 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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