September 21, 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 & Jimmy:

It's Monday morning and Daddy is out digging a trench down at the bottom of our hill - he is going to pour cement in it and then lay a little brick wall to separate the hill from the vegetable garden. I believe he plans to make a special area for cut flowers down there too because we have found we don't really need or want a big vegetable garden - we have thrown away more vegetables this Summer than we have eaten!!!! He has SO much energy - he still has that little muscle strain in his neck, and I keep trying to get him to go see about it but he won't - I honestly believe if he would just relax and use a hot pad during the day it would heal itself but he absolutely refuses to give into it. Any suggestions????

We had a wonderful weekend. The ward we belonged to in Billings invited us to come speak in their Sacrament Meeting so Johnny could "report" on his mission - he actually left from that ward. They have been so sweet to us and have called at least a dozen times since Johnny came home - they had planned a big fireside and open house for last night but we had them cancel that because Johnny wanted to get back for school this morning. We left here Saturday morning about 5 o'clock and got in Billings about 4 that afternoon - we had so much fun driving up there and the weather was just beautiful. We drove around and as Johnny said, "It was like a drive along memory lane" - we have some wonderful memories of that place. We called the Mission Home (actually it was like trying to get through to the Pres. of the United States - they wouldn't answer the office phone that was listed and the Kunzlers have an unlisted number. Johnny finally called the Assistants and explained who he was and they reluctantly gave him). The Kunzler's young son answered the phone and I told him that his mother had invited us to see the remodeling they had done and I asked if we could come by - he was really cute and said, "Oh, you can come over anytime - my folks are in Riverton for a Stake Conference and my older sister is here with us". We gave them an hour to finish their dinner and stopped by about 7:30. You just wouldn't believe that home - it is just gorgeous and completely private for their family. They have two doors now at the outside entrance (by the big driveway in back of the house) and one of them says "Mission President's Residence" and the other one says "Mission Office". It is completely partitioned off, separating the two with an entrance and hallway. The kitchen has been "gutted" and they have all new oak cabinets and two huge oak refrigerators (one is a freezer) at the one end, a big island eating table with stools, a dishwasher and just everything - it is WONDERFUL!!!! The living room furniture must have cost a fortune - all custom made and just lovely. The carpets are a blue and the draperies are the same color with off white sheers. They have completely re-done the family apartment upstairs too - they took out the kitchen and put in oak cabinets and a big stereo system and the furniture is family style comfortable "stuff". Everything is new - carpets, draperies, bedspreads, beds and the bathroom in the Mission President's bedroom was "gutted" and it is "out of this world" with a huge bathtub (I believe it has a Jacuzzi because it is raised up but I'm not sure) and cabinets all over - this probably sounds dumb to you but the old bathroom didn't have any cabinets. We didn't ask to see the Mission Office but I guess that it is all different too with an elderly couple serving as Secretary and Office Manager. We didn't see even one missionary while we were there - in fact, it gave me an "eerie" feeling because it was so quiet compared to when we were there. The Kunzler children were eating pizza while we were there and their older daughter was on a long distance telephone call with her husband (she is a beautiful young woman and there was a large picture of her in their home when she was Miss Utah Teen World) - she was feeding her little baby pizza and it reminded us of little Brett because pizza was EVERYWHERE!!!!

As we left the Mission Home Johnny announced "Now I don't want to hear one word of criticism" - he knows us and how conservative we are and he thought we would criticize them for doing all that to the home. In reality the church did it and we knew when we were there that something had to be done - we really thought they would buy a private home and get offices somewhere else but I guess after studying the real estate market and everything involved they decided to do it this way. We would be the first ones to say that the furniture and the way it was decorated while we were there was very outdated and not up to church standards and we recommended they make it private for their family. As we have reflected back on our three years in the Mission we are really happy it was the way it was - it was harder than blankety, blank not having any privacy but it was a very homey atmosphere and we loved it. The one it was the hardest on was Johnny and he says he enjoyed being that close to the missionaries. Sister Kunzler has full time household help and that is one thing I regret not having but that's the only thing. Our baptisms were almost double what they are having so we did something right - Daddy did!!!! We talked to the man who was Stake President while we were there and he is going to move to California - he says he can't stand to see the way things are going in Montana - he says Pres. Kunzler is completely unmotivated and contended to just "get by" and that is reflected in the missionaries. That could be sour grapes too though because he was Stake President for about twelve years and things are just different when you're released. It was so much fun to drive around and see how things have changed - they have built a huge new High School and Johnny was impressed with that.

Sunday morning we went to church at 9:30 and everyone was so sweet to us. Johnny gave a beautiful talk and so did Daddy - I spoke for just few minutes. Their newly remodeled building was just packed - many of the young people who had known Johnny had come from Rick's college to see him and also others who lived in different wards. We were SO proud of him. They had an open house after the meeting so we could visit with friends - they served punch and cookies and since they knew we would be traveling home they had a big package of cookies for us to eat on our way home. It was just a marvelous time for us and we loved it. I wanted to buy an Indian picture before we left Billings from a lady in the ward who is an artist - she is very, very good. We didn't buy one so yesterday she gave us a print of one of her pictures - we're anxious to get it framed!!!! Doris Jones is her name and she will be famous some day in the area of Indian faces - she was the one who did that sketch of the mission home. We left Billings about 2 o'clock in the afternoon and got home about midnight last night - Daddy & Johnny did all the driving!

On our way to Montana we stopped at the Weinerts to leave Mary Ann's bathing suit that we had packed in with our things from the Lake Powell trip. It was about 6 a.m. so we didn't get them up but they knew we were coming and had left some pictures for us on their doorstep. Rick - they are the best pictures I have ever seen and we just love them. I couldn't believe it - I thought I was the only one taking pictures of Johnny getting off the plane and yours could take a prize. I have looked at them a thousand times - the expressions on our faces when he was coming towards us and all the children with their signs and balloons and even the one that stranger took with all of us in it - they are really professional!!!! Thank you so much - I'm going to put them in Johnny's Mission Book - he will cherish them forever and we will too. We love the ones of Ricky's baptism too - what a good looking pair you two are in your white baptismal clothing and the ones of our families in your backyard. I would like to have them all enlarged and then wall paper our home with them - Ha!

We saw the Woolleys on Thursday and they're all doing fine - getting anxious to get into their home. Little LeeAnna and Jimmy stayed with us for a few minutes while Ann went to get her hair cut (shorter!) - that LeeAnna doesn't stop talking from the time she walks in the door until she leaves and we love it but we are on pins and needles all the time trying to understand her.

We haven't heard from the Bobs or Roys - we know things are going well for you - we hope you are back in a good routine and have rested up from Lake Powell. Speaking of Lake Powell - one of Daddy's hunting buddies from Lehi has bought a $150,000 houseboat at Lake Powell that is under 175 feet of water and has been there for two years. He is going to raise it and hopes to sell it for a profit - we wouldn't like that job!!!!

Did I tell all of you that Angelo Marinelli passed away at 92 - we had notice of it from Mildred. She said it was kidney failure and he died at home. We also heard from Helen Bridges - they have moved back to Little Rock - building a new home there. That's all the news. 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!!!!

Return to Home Page