November 1986 - from my journal

November

5 - Primary party

9 - Zac talk in church

16 - Amanda talk in church

18 - set apart (me in Primary Pres?)

20 - visit teach

26 - rented video recorder to tape our new home for Linda and Bruce

4 - Volleyball tournament

9 - Zac -  Lazy Eye Exam

10 - Ward Christmas Party

16 - Christmas Party

17 - Donate blood

19 - tithing settlement

November 1, 1986 - Letter from Brenda

Amanda and Zac, Hi!  What are you doing?  How do you like school this year?  Does Zac like it as much as you do?  I hope you both like it.  Yesterday it was Halloween, but none of us kids went trick or treating this year.  What did you and Zac dress up as?  Dod you go to a lot of houses?  We have to ride the bus to school, do you ride it to school this year?  Today it is raining outside really bad, the sun hasn't shined all day.  Zac, the boys said to tell you to keep your dad busy till we come back (ok) Well, you kids be good, see ya later,  Love Brenda  P.S.  Did you get our tape?

November 3, 1986 - Letter from Linda

Hi Rog and Gwen and kids, Well, another month had bone by and now we only have 20 months to go.  Gwen, I know what you felt like when your parents moved.  So what have you guys been up to lately?  And how is everyone feeling?  I bet the kids are really growing.  I sure miss everyone.  We keep pretty busy, but we talk about you guys every day.  Sounds like the kids are doing great in school.  Mandy's pictures are cute, we taped it on the fridge.  I signed the boys up for Recreation football.  Now Darrin weighs 129 pounds and Todd 88 pounds.  Darin is now a little taller than Bruce.  That doesn't have to be too tall though.  How has the weather been?  Every time we get a chance we look for Utah's weather. The typhoon season is over now.  The weather has changed.  It's not cold, 75 degrees or so, but it rains almost every other day.  They tell us we'll need a jacket in December because the wind from the ocean is cold.  We drove down to the sea wall tonight and it is really pretty.  I don't ever get tired of looking at it.  I guess you know Mom and Joni called the other night.  And let me tell you everyone was on CLOUD 9 when Joni told us she was coming and bringing the kids.  Brenda was waltzing across the linoleum floor.  I am tickled to pieces.  I can't wait to see  all of them.  The airport that they come to is only 12 miles from us, but it takes 40 minutes to get there because of the traffic.  How is everyone treating Rog at work now.  Has he got used to his new shift?  It sure takes awhile when you change shifts.  How's your new heating system working?  They turned our air conditioning off today and we're all dying because it's hot in here.  They turn off the whole subdivision at once.  I'm sure glad hunting is over now.  Bruce can quit worrying about it.  But we do enjoy hearing everyone's stories.  What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?  We'll sure miss all that this year.  But we do a lot with the Childs and that helps.  Guess we'll close for now.  Kiss Everyone for Me.  Love, Linda

November 4, 1986 - Letter from Dawna

Dear Gwen  and family,  It sure has been good hearing from you and all about your new house, can't wait to see it, and I'm going to see it this time.  Sounds like you kept busy with all the little odds and ends.  Things that need to be done to make your home the way you want it.  Before you know it, it will be all done and then you will be bored to death with nothing to do!!  (ha-ha) I think the enclosed letter was meant for someone else, because I don't think I've got married again, and I know I havn't changed my name to Frost.  I was good hearing from you anyway.  I'm staying close to the church and close to my Heavenly Father.  I know he listens and answers prayers, but sometimes it isn't always what we want, but thy will be done.  I know and feel it in my heart that He has something planned for me out there.  I'm not sure just what He has in mind but I can't imagine that He would let me have 10 beautiful years of marriage, and one year of hell for nothing.  I just have to prove myself worthy of His blessings.  I have made alot of friends at church, not close friends, but friends and they are dear sweet people.  I also have two dear close friends that I can talk to and confide in, and when I feel down I know I can turn to them at anytime, night or day.  They are both married, but I really don't feel like going out and partying right now, but would rather stay at home, read my scriptures, needlepoint, knit, or do a dozen other things that are occupying my life right now.  And I think I'm kind of down on men right now. The few single men I have met I feel are losers right off the bat.  All they can talk about is themselves---boring.  I prefer being by myself, rather than be with them.  Fred and I seem to be at least on talking terms right now, so at least it looks as if we are going to part as friends, instead of enemies--- I"m glad.  I wish the best for him always.  He is not living at this address, but some of his belongings are still here and he still has a key to the house.  He comes by every once in awhile and we leave notes for each other, but I haven't seen him in almost a month.  The divorce papers will soon be on their way to the courts, and then all we will be waiting for is our court date to finalize everything.  I feel I'm getting the better end of the deal, because he is giving me the house, all the furniture, and $600.00 a month alimony---that's if the courts except it.  I'm keeping an upper chin and through God's help life is being pretty good to me.  On October 26, 27, and 28th, Mom Nachman and myself drove up to Epcot Center.  Even though she is 76 years old and I'm only 37 years old, we really had a good time and really enjoyed ourselves.  I had been to Epcot once before (when Erika and Tami were here), but we had all been to Disney World the day before in 90 degree weather, and by the next day when we headed to Epcot, our feet were killing us and we were tired and hot.  So none of us really enjoyed it.  But this time Mom Nachman and I really got the full benefit of it in the cool weather and hardly any people there.  We just took our time and saw just what we wanted to see.  We even got to see the 3-D movie by Michael Jackson.  I'm not really a fan of his, but the 3-D movie was great, even though it wasn't long enough.  It was only 18 minutes long, and I was willing to see a full length movies.  Mom Nachman even enjoyed it, and the music.  Well, I had better close for now.  Take care and write when you get a chance.  Tell everyone hello for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of you in December.  Love Dawna  P.S. Thanks for keeping in touch and thanks for keeping me in your prayers.

November 11, 1986 - Letter to Zac from Linda

Dear Zac, How are you?  We are all fine.  Thanks for the picture you sent us.  It's really pretty.  Well, how was Halloween?  Where are you eating for Thanksgiving this year?  Make sure you are at Grandma Rich's when she calls us.  I want to talk to you.  I love you Zac!  Love, Linda

November 11, 1986 - Letter to Amanda from Linda

Hi Amanda, How are you?  I bet you are getting good grades.  What is Santa bringing you for Christmas?  Have you talked to him yet?  How is your new bedroom?  I bet it's pretty.  Love and kisses, Linda

November 11, 1986 Letter to Amanda from Linda

Dear Amanda, Well, what have you been doing lately?  I can't wait till Thanksgiving to talk to you again.  We kept your Halloween picture on our fridge. You sure color good.  so, what do you want for Christmas this year?  do you have a boyfriend yet?  Remember, I love you Amanda, and miss you.  Love, Linda

November 12, 1986 - Letter from Bruce

I am sure slow answering your letter dated October 1st, but it is a lot more fun reading than writing..  I just got done scrubbing a dozen potatoes and putting them in the oven to cook.  Linda and Brenda had to run to the BX to get her some things for school, and then to the video shop.  Linda said it would be nice if one of you would scrub the potatoes and put them in the oven with the leftover turkey, so that when we get home it will be ready.  Well I surprised her, Maybe I will get a surprise now (hope hope!!)  You asked if I had my tools and the answer is yes, but I haven't put them to no more use than you could do in 4 days, what a joke.  Only the government pays people not to work.  All the people I work around are airmen, except twoOkinawans, one sheet metal and one welder.  The sheet metal retires on December 19th.  That is the day he turns 70.  The Japanese Government pays them and we pay back the Japanese Government.  They have to work till 70, then they get 100% of their pay till they die.  Roger, I wish we could have been with you to deer hunt.  I enjoy hunting with you and Buck, more than "anyone".  I am looking forward to when we get home to go with you and Darrin, and with my U.S. Sportsman, we can tell Goldfleck to kiss our "asses" (Whoops, sorry Gwen)  I also wish I could have been there to help more on your house and go wood cutting with you.  The wood cutting trips are good cause we get time to be with each other and B.S. a lot.  We really get a kick out of Amanda and Zac's letters.  We laugh and tell each other we wish we could just be around them a little.  We miss everyone a lot, even you Gwen, you big pain in the _ _ _ _ (rear).  Just kidding.  I miss teasing Gwen more than I miss hunting.  I hope before we get back, Gwen sees the light and goes back to Browning, cause when we get back we will be buying a lot of hunting stuff.  Please don't get upset if I am slow writing, cause I love all of you a bunch and think of you all the time.  I just hate writing.  Well, Linda just got back so maybe we can eat.  Love you and miss you,  Bruce  P.S. Roger, don't work too hard, and put some weight on.

November 16, 1986

As long as I can keep going forward, that is good.  I'll always keep going and trying and never, never, never give up.  Hopefully tomorrow I can get with it and go on and get my body physically and spiritually back together.  I know I need to stay close to my Father in Heaven.  I must.  I know when I let down, and it makes me feel so terrible.  I need to be strong and get myself to bed earlier and up earlier too.  These next few weeks are going to be busy, busy.  I'm going to work at the courthouse, AND in Lyle Porter's mink. I will be loading a flesher. (Lyle Porter is Kerry Porter's dad.  Kerry is Joni's husband.  Joni is Roger's sister.  Roger is my husband HA HA.  Rog and I have worked on and off for him the past few years. Roger usually kills the mink, and I have pinned and fleshed also.) We really need the money.  Oh well, life goes on.  We love our house.  Been in it 3 months yesterday.  It's great!!

November 17, 1986

Boy I hate to get up in the mornings.  Probably always will.  Oh well, gotta overcome the flesh, right?  I've got a sore throat.  Hope it doesn't get worse.  Amanda had a bad dream last night.  The way she screamed, it was horrible.  She came in our bed and before she went back to sleep she wanted to say a prayer so she wouldn't be scared.  I think that's great!  She knows and has faith that Heavenly Father will bless and help her.  I might go to Ogden today if I can get an appointment for Zac at the doctor's office.  He has a sore on his bottom.  Mom thinks it's ring worm.  I hate to spend 5 minutes in the doctor's office, and then pay $22.00, and then have to go buy some ointment that costs $15.00, but the rash seems to be getting worse, so I guess we better.  Last night at Inservice was really good.(Inservice is a monthly meeting that Primary teachers and workers go to, to help them be better teachers and leaders)  Susan Wiscombe always has such a sweet spirit about her.  I would like to be more like her.  The lesson was on "Dealing with Distraction".  Well, I better get going and read the Book of Mormon a little and then go over the Family Home Evening lesson for tonight.  I hope I can be a good mother and wife so I can go to the Celestial Kingdom and be happy forever.

November 20, 1986 - letter from Bruce in Okinawa

Dear Roger, Gwen, Amanda, and Zac:  We received your tape today.  I listened to it a little on the way home from the post office at lunch time, then the rest tonight.  Gwen, I could listen to you all day, and I really enjoy your kids.  Zac he gets so excited and Amanda, she is really something.  She is sharper than a "tack" and she has to keep everyone in line and tell them your turn now.  I enjoy listening to it, but it really reminds me of what we are missing.  "Family get-togethers"  Oh well, like Roger says, when you are busy, time flies.  I wish it would at least get going a little fast.  Just think by the time you get this around the 30th, we will have been here five months.  Only 19 big ones to go. I am leaving Saturday the 22nd to go to Kunsan Korea TDY, (about 2 1/2 hour flight from Kadena)  I will get back here at Kadena Wednesday afternoon.  Only me and our engineer are going.  There are two F-15 eagles that can't fly because of cracks, and they need me (ha-ha) I think they are sending me to try and change my attitude, because a week ago I told our biggest boss that this place was boring and he said then would you go TDY for 2 or three days at a time and I think he is trying to help me like it, but I got a good one on him. He doesn't know how hard a Frost's head can be.  Pretty "hard". Gwen thanks for the letter to me. I'm slow writing back, but don't think anything of it cause we all love and miss you allot and sometimes letter writing is hard for me.  Talking to radios is hard too.  Linda and Terri and Brenda and Brandy just went to the main exchange (BX) our K-mart.  Todd is in the shower and Darrin is taking a nap.  It is just starting to rain a little, but so warm I have the patio sliding window open and I am sitting by it just a sweating.  No kidding.  The high today was 77 degrees and low 70.  In Kunsan Korea, where I will be Saturday, the temperature is a lot like Utah.  Just about on the same parallel on the globe.  54 degrees high, and 37 degrees low.  Did you ever get the mouse?   I can't remember you saying.  I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving Day, and we will be thinking of everyone.  We love you lots, being away helps you think and decide what and how you feel about everything.  But I would rather be there than here.  Linda bought a 22 pound turkey.  Wow, I can't wait to start on it.  I will write you about Korea when I get back.  With love, Bruce

November 21, 1986

Well, I made it this morning!  YEA!!  I'm not a morning person anymore.  Took Zac to the doctor and it was Impetigo.  He put Zac on some antibiotics that taste horrible.  Poor Zac.  It's been such nice weather lately.  But I guess it's supposed to get bad today.  Well next week we start in the mink.  Hope I can survive 3 weeks of it.  Roger goes tomorrow for Peterson's. (Roger had helped many people in their mink.  Spence Peterson was one of them.  Roger usually always kills the mink, either by gassing or by breaking their necks.  Let's hope the animal right activists don't read this!!!) Yesterday I went with Lee Rollins and Gwen Francis and measured and assessed a few homes that are newly built.  None were as good as ours (I thought) But I really did like Stan and Julie Stuart's.  Well I better get going.  I need to be at the Elementary School at 9:00 a.m. for Amanda's parent teacher conference.

November 23, 1986 - letter from Linda

Dear Rog, Gwen and kids, Well, we received your letter and tape.  It sure is great hearing your voices.  We really got a kick out of listening to the kids, they sounded so cute.  Please kiss both of them for me.  Oh, and the pictures are terrific.  It's funny, we forget how things look at home. I guess by now you're both working hard at the old mink ranch.  Darrin misses that, but I'm not sure if Bruce does.  Speaking of Bruce, he left Saturday morning for a TDY trip to Kunsan, Korea, he's coming back Wednesday night.  I hope that nothing messes up the flights so he'll be here for Thanksgiving.  Terri read in the paper another typhoon is headed this way.  Anyway, they told Bruce to dress warm, that it was in the low 50's in the daytime there.  It's a 3 hours flight from here.  He rode on a C-12.  Anyway, it's a great big green cargo looking thing.  So, I sent all our Christmas lists with him.  I guess he'll be going TDY to Korea, PI and Mainland Japan once in a while.  So we think that's great.  Me, I just keep going to work (which I hate) but it's a pay check right? Sounds like you're really enjoying your home.  You both deserve to, it's so nice.  I'm jealous.  And I'm glad your heating system works well.  It's still raining here, it is almost everyday now.  But we still don't need a coat.  In December, we'll need one until about February.  But it's the wind off the ocean.  The ocean temperature is still in the 70's.  We don't go swimming anymore.  It's hard to find the time when everyone's busy.  One good thing, the kids don't complain now at all like they did at first.  So, I guess they've pretty much adjusted.  Well, I'm on my way to the commissary.  So I'll close for now.  Hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving - Love ya lots, Linda

November 23, 1986

Well Amanda and I are just sitting here being lazy.  Last night it snowed a little bit.  But if the sun comes out it will be all gone today.  Yesterday I sewed and sewed.  I have got 5 shirts, 1 jumper, 1 dress, and 2 pairs of pajamas  that I have working on.  Also I got one coat of paint on one side of Amanda's bed.  It makes me mad, because if I would have worked on it last week, it would have been done by now.(This bed, is an old iron bed frame that is over 100 years old.  It was up in Grandma Dickson's attic, and she gave it to us and we are refinishing it.)  Tomorrow I start in the mink for Lyle Porter.  It will be a long 3 weeks, but I'll make it.  Mom had a hernia operation last week.  I don't think I mentioned it.  We are going to have Thanksgiving at Mom's this year.  I'm going to help allot.  I hope, HA, HA.  Well, better get ready for church.

November 24, 1986

Today's the day!  I hope.  I'm up at 4:45 a.m. and I've read the Book of Mormon.  I'm writing in this, and then I'll exercise and sew a little.  Today I start in the mink. Hope the next 3 weeks go by fast.  I love reading the Book of Mormon.  We read it every night with the kids too.  It's a good habit we plan to keep. Also, we are having Family Home Evening regularly now.  I give the lesson all the time, and I wish we would alternate, but Roger doesn't seem to want to.  Oh well, I must go on.  I will always.  I have certain goals and I will never, never, never, give in.  The holidays are approaching.  I hope I make it through them without too much trouble.  I love my Heavenly Father.  I'm so glad I can rely on Him at all times.  He is my comforter.  I know he loves me, and knows what is best for me.  I pray I can always follow Jesus' example.

November 26, 1986

Boy, yesterday morning I felt awful.  My body felt like it had been put through a wringer.  I was feeling pretty awful.  But I listened to my Heavenly Father's promptings and did what was right and I was blessed for it.( As I look back on this previous sentence, I can't even think of what God prompted me to do?)  I always want to do what's right.  Today is Amanda's Thanksgiving Program, and we are also getting the video camera.(We rented a video camera so we could video tape our new home and send it Linda and Bruce who were over in Okinawa.  This was our Christmas present to them.)  I'm working till noon.  I am happy.