January 12, 1987 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 and Jimmy:

It's Monday afternoon and I am going to have to hurry to get this in the mail today. I had planned to write my letter this morning but one of our missionary couples (Bea & Jack Robins) called and said they were on their way over to see us - they didn't get here until almost 11 o'clock but I didn't want to have to turn the computer off and start over again. They have just had their family genealogy book printed and they wanted to show it to us - they have been working on it for three years and it's really nice. We have really had a lot of our missionaries come see and we enjoy it but it surely does take up a lot of our time - Daddy was downstairs refinishing some furniture and I had a hard time getting him to come upstairs to visit. Saturday night some friends from Billings came (Bob & Louise Erekson) and then last night (Sunday) former Elders Madsen and Tisdel came by.

Johnny - we received a wonderful letter from you last Tuesday and it was written on Dec. 27th, the day you got the Christmas package delivered by the Juchaus. I call that the "phantom package" - I didn't really ever think you would get it and I don't think I did a very good job with it - I couldn't wrap things the way I would have liked because I thought they would go through everything at customs and we wanted to make it as easy as we could for the Juchaus. That was surely a memory making thing and we think it is so neat for them to be willing to do it - you are very sweet to say everything in it was "great". I lost Dan's telephone number at his office in Salt Lake so I haven't called him - we want to have him come for dinner and I'll have to wait until I think his folks are back from their trip and then I'll call them and find out how to get in touch with him. We had such a nice letter from Sister Taylor and she included a wonderful snapshot of you and the other assistant with Pres. Taylor - Johnny, you look marvelous!!!! I hope we get to see the video pictures the Juchaus took of you. What did you think of the Christmas video - we hope you get it. Greg Madsen was telling us last night that he received a video from his folks while he was in Billings and he started to play it and it made him so homesick he just packaged it up and sent it back home - I hope the one we sent to you doesn't have that effect!!! Did the gamma shot make you sick or anything? I have said that was on thing I would change on our mission - we had some of the missionaries giving those shots and that wasn't too smart - especially the girls!!! Who gave you yours? I guess it is inevitable that when missionaries start to have mental problems they end up going home - most of ours did anyway - it's great that the missionary escorting him home was able to have Christmas at home - how did he explain that - Ha!!! We're glad your last Christmas in the mission is over - the last part will go so fast for you and we hope you will continue to give it your "best shot" and not let up at all - that is easy to do!!!

Roy & Patrice - thank you for your sweet note. We were so pleased to read that you had had a Christmas tree (Patrice wrote that they had taken it down on New Years) - I was worried that since you were coming here for Christmas day you might not put one up. These next few months are such exciting ones for you with a lot of decisions to make and also school and training to finish - emotional times that can be hard but things you have worked so long and diligently for - we're thrilled for you.

Bob & Claire - we hope you are doing good and things are back to normal for you. I have forgotten to mention how much we appreciate your putting in that electrical plug downstairs Bob - I guess everyone who has used that bathroom had to use an extension cord - isn't it funny how you take things like that for granted - it will really help. It's fun to look at our Christmas pictures - it helps us to realize that you really were here!!!

Jeannie & Rick are doing good - Daddy and I went to Brigham City yesterday to see Grandmother & Grandpa Forrest and then we stopped in to have dinner with the Weinerts. They had baked a turkey and it was so good along with mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables and whole wheat raisin rolls that Jeannie had made and then we made our own hot fudge sundaes. They had just come home from church when we got there and they all looked so beautiful. After dinner we all played with a marble game that Ricky had received for Christmas - the cutest thing I have ever seen!!!

Annie and Ron are doing good too - it was our Stake Conference yesterday morning and it was so much fun to be able to sit with them. One day last week Annie called and said she was coming over to visit while Russell was in pre-school. I know that she is watching her weight so I decided to just peel some apples and oranges for lunch - when she came she brought a bag and announced, "Mom, I have brought a baked potato for each of us and some cottage cheese to put on it" - she had also brought LeeAnna a sack lunch. Can you imagine having to bring your own lunch when you come to visit your mother???? But it was wonderful and we sat and ate and visited.

Michael and Laura - guess what we have in our backyard???? The hills are covered with snow and lots of sledders. It has been so much fun to look out our windows and watch the children play on the hill - it's especially fun when it's dark outside and the lights shine on the snow - it's like a fairyland!!!!

Daddy went "ice fishing" one day last week. He and Ray took their four-wheelers and drove out on the ice at "Otter Creek" - it's down in the Southern part of the State - and they caught 8 of the biggest rainbow trout I have ever seen. I took a picture of them but I took it out in the garage where it was dark so I doubt it will turn out but if it does I'll send you a copy. I believe they are planning to go again this week - they ice is 10 inches thick and it is bitter cold and they love it!!!!

Daddy has re-finished that old bedroom set that was Aunt Marvels and it looks so nice. He loves to keep busy doing things like that and it surely helps to make our home prettier - he has a nice warm place to work and I'm so glad about that. He will love working on the hill when it comes Springtime.

We took Grandmother Forrest for a ride yesterday - we planned to take Grandpa too but the male nurse at the nursing home advised against it - he has really gone downhill. Mother loved the ride - we took her to her home and drove in the driveway and she wanted to know who lived there now and when we told her it was her granddaughter she seemed happy and content to go back to the nursing home. I need to go up and spend the entire day and hire a beautician to cut her hair and fix her pretty again - her hair grows so fast and right now she looks like a wild woman.

Last Tuesday morning we had a big snowfall and as we were driving to the temple at 4 o'clock we said how foolish it was to go because there would be so few there. We were right - workers were there but that was about all. They had had a hard time clearing the parking lots on the temple grounds and many cars got stuck. It will be interesting to see if there are more people there in the morning.

I believe that's all the news. We surely do love each one of you and we're so proud of you! Please be really careful in everything you do and let us know how we can help you!!!!

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