August 24, 1986 Orem, Utah

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

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon - we spend Sunday mornings preparing our Sunday School lesson (mostly Daddy) and preparing dinner and then after church and dinner it seems so strange to have time to do what we want to do like writing letters, sleeping, reading, visiting, etc. We haven't been to Brigham City for about three weeks and I really feel guilty - Dee called the other day and said he had bought a "pig" for us and was having it butchered and would call us when it was ready - every day I think he will call us and we can get in our visit with Grandmother & Grandpa at the same time. Dee - in his work - has access to 4-H meat and the beef he got for us last year was so good and we hope the pork will be that good.

Johnny - you have no idea how happy we were to receive your letter and the pictures yesterday - I had told Daddy I was sure I would cry if we didn't get a letter because I knew Monday was Labor Day and there wouldn't be any mail delivery. The pictures of the flood in Chimbarongo were scary - you were a little too close for comfort. We loved the one of about thirty Chileans with all kinds of luggage and you trying to get on a little bus (he said they all made it too). It looks so dreary with all the clouds and the water and all - no wonder you were over-joyed to get transferred. We're anxious to get the negatives you sent all developed - held them up to the light and will love to see the pictures of the Bar-b-q and the hog's head, etc. We're thrilled that you are using the best advantage of your time by studying a lot - you're so right, the gospel is an everlasting subject to study. I don't know what Daddy thinks of your new weekly letter forms but I can guess - you know how he feels about "busy work"!!! I thought Elder Stucki was going to have a heart attack when Daddy changed the reporting forms from the way Pres. Milne had them. When I worked in the mission Relief Society in Little Rock I had access to the missionary reports and they had to send in the amount of money they spent each month and then they published all this in a somewhat comparative bulletin - Daddy didn't do that in Montana - the missionaries had to tell him in their weekly reports but that was as far as it went. One thing I have learned (the hard way) in the church you just have to go along with what those over you ask you to do - sooner or later you get to be the one who has to tell others what to do and you learn to appreciate those who are humble and teachable enough to do it - you'll always have those who won't!!!

We are worried about your ankle Johnny but feel a lot better since we have talked to Dr. Steel. Last Wednesday we received a call from the Missionary Department and they said you were having a lot of pain and that you wanted to talk to our Doctor about it. I gave them the Steel's home phone number and then when Dr. Steel came home I took your letter describing your injury over for him to read so he would know how to advise you. As it turned out, your Mission President called him instead of you. I have written all this to you but I'll write it again so everyone else will know what happened. Dr. Steel was just wonderful to me and know where the injury was and he was worried that it was your knee - he said your ankle can be repaired when you get home next August if it isn't done right in Chile. He also said they don't do surgery on torn ligaments and he wished we had asked him first - but we didn't. He said you should keep the cast on for six weeks and the pain you are having is normal and to not worry about it.

All of this is "after the fact" --- Johnny called us Thursday night and said he had insisted they take the cast off because the pain was so severe and they found that the incision was wide open with a bad infection. He was to go into the Mission Home on Friday and see the Mission Doctor - we can't understand why he didn't see him in the first place. We talked to Dr. Steel at church this morning and he said the infection should clear up quickly but if you still wanted to talk to him he would be happy to arrange that. We know this is really hard for you!!!

Claire - we loved your letter and also your phone call - it is so fun to be included in the day to day activities of our grandchildren and we love it!!! We can hear about all the things you have to do and worry about and then we can leave the solutions up to you - one of the added joys of grandparent-hood. I can just see little Michael being completely overwhelmed with all the chocolate milk in the cafeteria (he said, "hundreds of them"). What is bringing all the "new" them for dinner - we miss the "Mission Field Spirit".

I talked to Jeannie yesterday for a little while and she said she thought she would be able to cope with "Motherhood" now that two of theirs are in school all day. I can remember what a wonderful feeling it was to have all of you happy in school all day - Summers can be so long! Rick is doing a lot of traveling with his new job - he leaves tomorrow to go to Minneapolis for two weeks - ugh!!! Jeannie works at the medical clinic on Fridays and then teaches a diet class one night a week - I think she has decided that some of that is going to have to go - they still call her often to go into the hospital too!

Annie and the children came over on Friday afternoon for a little while - Susanna and Jessie wanted to report on their first week of school. Little Jimmy is growing like a weed - we still can't decide who he looks like but he is a doll! Ann is losing her weight too fast to suit me - she looks so thin. It's so much fun to watch the other children around Jimmy - Ann has made certain definite restrictions such as "not kissing on the mouth" and "not picking him up unless she is right there" but other than that they can do most everything else and they do - he is going to grow up feeling like just one of them and greatly loved!!!

Roy & Patrice - we always wait for "the rates" to call you and should have known that you are gone on the weekends. We don't have anything special to talk to you about but we just miss you and will get you home one of these times. We haven't talked to you Patrice since you were here in June. We surely hope you are having fun, fun camping trips!!!

Elder Taylor stayed with us until Tuesday and then he went to stay with one of the Elders who also lived in the Mission Home with us - Elder Beese. It's hard for me to call them by their first names but I guess I really should start doing that. It was fun to have him here. We had an ice cream social her on Thursday night after we got home from the Temple for our Sunday School class and our former missionaries came to that - we had about twenty here. Daddy and I made a freezer of Ron's ice cream and they ate every single bit of it and loved it - we also had other ice cream but they liked that the best. We ate out on the patio and then played that "squirt bottle" game - they left about 11 p.m. That Sunday School class is quite an experience - this morning one of the girls just wouldn't quit talking so Daddy asked her a question and when she didn't answer it he said, "I don't think you are very interested" - I was embarrassed but she deserved it! Of the thirty in our class (most of the time) twenty-five are really wonderful young people but there are always those who come to disturb. We didn't have to put up with this at zone conference and I'm not sure Daddy is going to now!!!

Daddy and I had a fun afternoon yesterday. Do you all remember Nelson and Bennie Abell from Monroe, Louisiana? Daddy knew Nelson in the fertilizer business and through our business associations with them we became good friends. He owns a big fertilizer operation in Monroe (that's just one of his business interests) and has three sons who work with him. He bought a big ranch up in Wallsburg, Utah 16 years ago and I wish you could see it now - it is just fabulous. He and Bennie are only of the homes on the ranch. They invited us to lunch yesterday and we just had a marvelous time - they raise thorough-bred quarter horses and we sat out on their patio and it was like I imagine Reagan's ranch is - we loved!!!

That's all the news! Daddy has a tremendous project started on the lowest level - he is going to build a brick wall and then plant grass and fruit trees. He & and our neighbor - Paul Theobald are working together!!! We love you all so very much PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you!!!








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