May 5, 1986 Monday

Dearest Johnny; Roy & Patrice; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura & Brett; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell & Lee Anna:

It's Monday morning and a beautiful day - it has turned kinda' cold but I'm sure that won't last long. We have had some really warm Summer days and then on Saturday it turned Winter again with lots of wind and rain and yesterday it was just pouring down when we went to church and was that way most of the day but the sun is out bright and pretty again today. I could really feel for you Johnny as I read about the cold and rainy weather you were having. I don't know if you remember that friend we had in Montana whose friend was also serving in your same Mission and she had written about the cold and rainy days and how they had a cold apartment and she had to wear a warm coat all the time inside and out - I guess the good thing is that it doesn't last very long - does it? How long are your Winters - I have said a million times that I was going to go to the library and get a book on Chile so I would be "more in the know" but so far I haven't done it. The weather plays such an important part in your life when you are older like Daddy and I and when you are in situations such as yours Johnny but when you are busy doing fun things like family life you really don't pay much attention to it. I know that Ann & Jean very seldom even mention the weather - they just take what comes along.

Johnny - we hope you have our new address by now! The mail coming from Chimbarongo reminds me of the saying that it comes on "the slow boat from China" - your letters coming from there have been at least three days longer than from the others places and this last week it was forwarded from Lehi so we didn't get it until Saturday. We really loved it when it finally came though and we just can't believe the success you are having - to baptize that "Scouting Family" is a miracle and we know you must have a wonderful feeling that our Father in Heaven is pleased with all the work you and your companion are doing to bless you that way - please, please don't ever get discouraged because missions are supposed to be hard (I know you have heard your Daddy say that a million times) and you will look back on every day and be so thankful that you gave it 110 percent!!! I know that I look back on our mission and wish I had done more and hope that some day we will be able to go on another one. We will take some pictures of the inside of our new home and send to you - we haven't had any pictures from you for a long time and I told Daddy the other day that I wouldn't be surprised if your camera has been stolen. The culture you are living in is really something isn't it???? We will be so happy to get you the filmstrips you asked for an we'll also send you the scripture markers you have wanted - we have looked all over for those books (Doctrines of Salvation) in paperback and Johnny they keep telling us they don't make them anymore - our next place to try will be the MTC - that's the only place we haven't looked. We'll try to send them along with something for your birthday this week - you haven't requested anything so I'll send something I would like if I were in a cold and rainy place among strangers - chocolates!!!!! We have told our new ward members about you - there are twenty missionaries out from this ward and it is really quite a small ward. They called from Lehi and wanted to know our new ward and stake so they will be sending our membership records over here - I kinda' thought you might want to go back to the ward where you left from but I guess they send the missionaries' records along with the parents so you will come back over to this one - I hope that doesn't make you feel bad. You will want to go back over to Lehi to visit I'm sure. It's hard to make changes because you have to take so many things into consideration but I am absolutely positive this is the best place for us and it will only take you one meeting here to fee that way too - Lehi has many "salt of the earth" people and we will always love them.

Bob - it was wonderful to talk to you last night and you called at such a good time (The Woolleys had come over for dinner and we had just finished eating and were visiting). When you work at the V.A. hospital like that do you work in the emergency room? Claire - we loved your letter and those darling pictures - your camera takes better pictures of me than ours does!!! We have tried and tried to call and talk to Michael - we called Saturday morning and again that afternoon and then several times on Sunday morning - we had decided you had gone on a little trip until Bob called last night - he said you were really involved in a "Fireside" and wouldn't be home until late so we decided to call another time - tell Michael we loved his picture!!! The project Michael & Bob had of putting an entrance into the attic from the garage sounded like a "big" project to us - was it to make more storage space? We loved the idea of having Bob get a "huge" chain and lock to lock up the toys when the children don't pick them up - when they learn those things early in life it makes your lives so much better. It's great that you can spend so much time at the park with the children - your park is the nicest one we have ever seen - I have always loved parks and appreciates the excuse when I have grandchildren to take with me!!!

Roy & Patrice - we are so thrilled that you are definitely coming to go to Lake Powell with us - we feel bad that it costs so much money to get here!!! They have a lot of good air fare rates going to foreign countries right now but I guess they don't include from Boston to Utah! It will really be a fun trip and we're anxious to go when we will be able to get in the water - it was too cold last time. We're also anxious for you to see our new home - you will love it! Patrice - we know you are excited about going back to school full time in the Fall - library science is such a good field. When I was teaching school I was always so impressed with the librarians - they seemed so "knowledgeable" about everything!

Daddy & I went to Brigham City one day last week and stopped in to see the Weinerts on our way - it is always such a treat for us to drop in on them because there is such a beautiful and happy spirit in their home! We could hear the piano being played and the door was locked so we had to ring the bell several times before they heard us - it turned out that Jennie had most of the neighborhood children in to play and she had Barji "tending" them while she practiced the piano. They were all so happy and of course, that "makes our day". Jeannie had made "truffles" that were out of this world - it is a very special recipe and I promised her that I wouldn't give it out but I'm sure if you really wanted it she would give it to you. She gave it to us and we stopped on our way home and got all the ingredients but I haven't made it yet.

Today is little Russell's 4th birthday - I think Ann is going to take him and a few of his friends to a place to have hamburgers this afternoon - their family really celebrated it yesterday after church and gave him a new soccer ball and a bicycle. We invited them over for dinner last night but it wasn't fun for the children and I'll change my ways the next time. I just love to have "formal" dinners and I also love to have our family come so I had a "formal family dinner" in our dining room and Ann & Ron were so nervous the children would spill that I don't think they even ate. I have wanted to make a special recipe I had found for a "seafood casserole" (last year when we were in Boston with Roy & Patrice we went to a seafood place for dinner and Daddy ordered one and it looked so good). This was good but not the kind of food children enjoy. The children were just darling and we always love it when they come which isn't very often. Jessie brought her violin and played three pieces for us - SHE IS VERY GOOD!!!!

Daddy & I went to a church production with the Woolleys on Saturday night. Ann & Ron are Activities Chairmen for their ward and had arranged for them to put on three productions! The King & I, Oklahoma and Hello Dolly - you just wouldn't believe how good they were. Ann had chosen directors for each one and then they had a budget to work from and they went from there - she told us that she had written someplace to get scripts for those three and it would have cost almost $500 for each script and then an additional fee for each time they were presented so she inquired around and found out they could use just an original simplified version of a small part of each one without any fee or problems so that is what they did with the directors doing their own. They had everyone who wanted to participate from their ward sign up according to the ages they needed and it was just wonderful to see so many young people have that opportunity and they were really well done and the costuming and makeup were outstanding. Susanna had a part in the "King and I" and she was made up as a "Siam" with her hair blackened and face made up as an Oriental - you would never have known her!! Daddy & I sat with Jessie, Russell and LeeAnna because Ann had to help with everything and Ron video-taped it all. We are really proud of the work Ann & Ron have done in their callings - they will be released soon because of the new baby coming.

I believe I have told you that the basement of this house for the most part was unfinished. We originally planned to have it as a Winter project to finish it but it is such a comfortable place to be, especially with the grandchildren that we decided to do it now. Actually Daddy is the motivator behind all of this - he can't stand to see something "unfinished"!!! He has done a magnificent job in getting all the electrical things working and last week we bought four new doors (going between the rooms) and he has put those in and has stained and varnished all of them - we ordered our carpet last week and that will be put down on Wednesday so it will be almost finished by this weekend. Johnny - your room was finished but this is the larger family room down there. It is so cool on the hot days we have had and we feel like we will probably spend a lot of time down there this Summer. I know you are probably all tired of reading so much about our new home - living in the Lehi house has really made both of us (especially me) so much more aware of many things we really wanted in a home. We read about all the retirement condominiums in St. George and other places and they don't even interest us anymore - we are really contented here!!! Sometime we will probably buy a little van and travel a little to the warmer spots during the Winter months but for now we are happy here.

They will inspect the Lehi house for a FHA loan this Wednesday - it will be interesting to see what it is appraised for now. It was appraised for $57,000 last Fall before we put a lot of things into it - the man who appraised it said it was in "mint" condition then and he put the highest value he could on it but they have to discount it almost 75 percent because of the age of it. We said we would sell it for $60,000 so we're hoping it will at least be appraised for that but if it isn't and the couple backs out we have two more buyers for it.
Johnny - we have been so grateful that you haven't been in the European countries during this past week. Have you heard about the nuclear accident in the Soviet Union? That is the strangest thing - they have kept all the information about it to themselves and it has been impossible for the United States to get accurate accounts of the amount of radiation put out in the atmosphere and they have proof of radiation in areas far from the explosion. One of the couples in our ward has two girls in the BYU Study Abroad Program and they have really been worried about them and we understand many of the students were brought home by their parents.

Wow!!! This is a long letter. That's all I will write!!! We love each one of you so very much - PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO * Let us know how we can help you!!!!

I have fouled up the computer in some way - we moved it again last week when we re-arranged the "computer room" - it works fine until it prints and then it prints the letter in "German" - Ha! Daddy is busy downstairs and can't help right now so I have typed it on our old typewriter - hope you can make it out!
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