CAMPING TRIP 18-20, 2012, AND MEMORIAL DAY FAMILY FEAST 5-27-2012

MAY 18, 19 AND 20, 2012

LANNY GOES CAMPING WITH THE GOODRICHS

This weekend Lanny went camping with Larry, Richelle and two of her boys, Alex and Willy. Philip had other commitments.   He was to march in the Moses Lake High School Marching Band in Portland, Oregon and they were leaving the same day. He would be returning late Saturday night and stay with a friend's family.  Lanny has always liked camping as shown from reading his biography and he has often expressed it.   Camping was a family thing for him.

As for my family we never went camping, but we did go for long interesting excursions after church on Sundays and would picnic and return home late in the evenings. That was before the harvest.  My dad would start off driving but it wasn't long before he would turn the wheel over to my mother. We usually had a friend or two who went along; Linda, Johnny or Wanda, or some other friend. We would travel through the mountains and canyons and go on and on until we found just the right place. We kids wanted to stop near a river with trees.  Sometimes we did and sometimes where we ended was more like the wilderness, but usually near a river.  But we did enjoy these rides and mom's picnic lunches of fried chicken, potato or macaroni salad, dessert, watermelon, etc. During one summer when I was about 18 Frank and my sister Carol took their four kids, Mom, Claudette and myself to Yellowstone Park.  I think Mom really enjoyed herself.  I got to see places I had heard about but never seen in person, including wandering bears.  I have a few pictures. 

While the kids were young Lanny took us camping every summer.  We have even managed some camping experiences with them as adults and their kids.  I think they all enjoyed those times.  Remember Grandpa Lanny's soup.  Remember the rope bridge he built-you played for hours on it.  Remember the rivers, the hikes, the bear scares, the card games, the outdoor toilet trips during the night, the fire that almost singed Grandpa's whiskers, the squirrels, sitting around the campfires and roasting S'Mores, the star-lit nights.  Forget the rain and the mosquitoes. Remember the happy Grandpa.  For this camping trip I elected to remained home.  I'm not up to the rigors of camping anymore.  So I say you all have fun and be safe.
 

Lanny has been packing the camper the last few days and when Willy arrived here from school Friday afternoon he helped Grandpa load wood into the pickup.  A little after 6:00  Friday evening he drove away with Larry, Richelle and the two boys. Richelle rode with Lanny to keep him company and Alex and Willy rode with Larry. 

They arrived at Twin Lakes a few hours later, Richelle called to say they had arrived safely.

The next two days were filled with boating, fishing, sitting around the campfire, archery, target

practicing, finding a turtle, a snake, and eating S'Mores, steak, potatoes, etc.

Someone asked Grandpa Lanny what he liked best and he responded, “watching the grandkids.”  If you want a look at some of the adventures the five had, click on Richelle's family blog;  Lots of exciting pictures to see and descriptions to read.

MEMORIAL DAY FAMILY FEAST, SUNDAY, MAY 27

We had a family gathering on Sunday, May 27 and those able to make it were Brent, Stefanie and their eight children, and Larry and Richelle. The three boys were spending the weekend with their father in Bothel, WA. Gary and Hiromi and kids weren't able to be here.

Larry surprised us with some tasty food, one was a creamed chicken with red and green peppers and onions,  and some "thin beef" as he called it which taste very good on warmed tortillas.  He had made a pot of hot, hot chili; cures anything that ails you. We supplied the hamburger patties and everything that makes up a good hamburger including jalapeno peppers and dill pickles. We also had hot dogs and beef brauts, watermelon chunks, and drinks.
Before prayer was offered, Lanny called everyone together and got their attention and said that at 3:00 there was to be a “moment of silence” on behalf of the soldiers who had died to preserve the freedoms we enjoy.   During this moment of silence, I thought about the ones who had served, did their duty whether in war or peace, and were back home and fighting in other ways to preserve peace. My brother Calvin went into the army, my brother-in-law Frank served in the Navy, my other brother-in-law also served in the Navy.

Lanny's father was drafted into the Army during the Korean war, Lanny was drafted during the Viet Nam effort, and his three brothers served, two through the ROTC program, and his youngest brother enlisted.  Lanny's two uncles served in the armed forces during World War II.
My sister's grandson served in Iraq, and my brother's daughter was in Iraq. She had to leave her daughter in the care of someone else and go. (When they adopted that policy it bothered me that mothers were leaving their children behind to go off to war.)  Lanny's grandchild Zachary Starr is serving in the Army and was in Afghanistan for a while.  At the present time he is back in the States.  Larry, Richelle's husband served in the Army.  This is just to mention a few. I don't know all who are serving or have served in our extended family but I do appreciate every soldier's efforts to provide me, my family and others with a safe country and freedoms we have enjoyed for many years.

After the moment of silence, Lanny called on Stefanie to offer the prayer and say a blessing on the food.  After the "Amen" we partook of the bounty, or in other words, "pigged out."
There were several picnic tables set up, and two tables with foods on. Everyone was to dish up their own, find a place and chow down.

We missed Gary, Hiromi, Elica, Shogo, Philip, Alex and Willy and hope they had a good time too.  Happy Memorial Day, 
Love, Grandma and Grandpa Starr

The last day of May we enjoyed a BBQ at Willy's school (the one his mother and her siblings also attended in their earlier years) at 1:00 p.m. Richelle, Lanny and I went. It was an outdoor BBQ but was sprinkling, so we found a dry spot under a walkway between buildings, where there were also some chairs. The food was good, wheat hamburger buns, with patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, relish, mustard. You also could have a hot dog instead. Plus we got a bag of potato chips, slices of oranges and an apple, plus a chocolate chip cookie, and either milk or chocolate milk to drink. That was actually quite a plateful.

Gustave (Gustaf) Johnson was born May 19, 1842

On the Family Pedigree his name is shown as Gustaf Gabriel Gamaliel Johnson.

This following was written January 15, 1926 by his son, Leonard Johnson who was my mother's brother. It was written as told to him by his grandfather, Gustaf Johnson who was born May 19, 1842, Eghy, Lot, Kelmar, Sweden.   Gustaf died July 19, 1930 in Draper, Salt Lake County, Utah.

(Gustave (Gustaf) Johnson, born May 19, 1842

       "Grandfather was born of good Swedish parents. His father was born in Oland, Sweden, 1805, and his mother was born in Oland, Sweden, 1820. His parents were very poor. They worked very hard in trying to get enough food and clothing for their family. Their chief occupation was farming although they had to do other things to sustain life, such as, fishing and weaving in order to maintain the expense it took to raise their family. They suffered all kinds of hardship to keep their family alive. They would work on their farm in the daytime and weave clothing at night. When his father's brother died, he left them a farm. They began working on this farm and in a few years they were getting enough money to maintain the upkeep of their farm and enough to support their family.

        On May 19, 1842 my grandfather was born in Oland, Sweden.


Öland is an island in the Baltic Sea belonging to the Swedish county of Kalmar (Kalmar Län). A long and narrow island, Öland lies parallel to the mainland coast of Kalmar Län, separated from it by a channel called the Kalmarsund. The island is about 136 km (85 mi) long and 8-16 km (5-10 mi) wide


        During his childhood he worked on the farm. They had one or two cows to herd and he did this most of the time. He had seven years of schooling beginning when he was eight years of age and continuing until he was 15 years old. The school house was of a very crude structure. They would have to pay the teacher themselves as there wasn't very many that could afford it. But during his seven years of schooling he worked and studied very hard. He read a great deal if he could get the books. The most important book was the Bible. He read that so often and learned so many passages that before long he knew most of what was in it.        He learned the trade of a carpenter, and the rest of his years in Sweden he built many things for the people. He was considered at that time a first class carpenter and now is better than the average. He built things such as tables and churches and all kinds of furniture.
        One day in Sweden there was to be an entertainment so he went to it. During the entertainment a young lady came out on the stage and danced. From then on he began to go with this young lady and before long they were married, this occurring on December 31, 1872. The young lady's name was Anna Nielson. They are still living together in peace and harmony. During their married life, ten children were born to them. At present they have 29 grandchildren.
        As stated before he knew most of the important things in the Bible. By believing the words of the Bible he was converted by Karl August Obe. He secured a Book of Mormon from the Elders and read it through. He was baptized in Sweden.
       After living in Sweden for 39 years he and his wife decided to come to America. In August 21, 1881 they left Sweden for America. The first part of their journey through the North Sea was very rough, but when they hit the ocean the rest of the journey was alright. Landed in New York and rode on a train to Salt Lake arriving Sept 15, 1881. They settled in Mill Creek and bought a farm. Stayed there for a while and then came to South Jordan and lived there for about 20 years.
       In 1898 he was called to go on a mission to Stockholm, Sweden. He left that same year and returned home in 1901. He enjoyed his mission very much and was blessed by the Lord, him and his family.
       He had a stroke and a bad case of blood poison when he was old but he is now recovered. He is now 84 years old and his wife 78 years old. They are both enjoying good health.”
(This was written January 15, 1926)

Rich experiences with Grandfather and Grandmother Johnson while living with them. By their son Leonard.

        "I lived with my grandfather and grandmother and I had some rich experiences with them. My grandfather did most of the shopping. Every week my grandfather and I would go shopping. He always bought me something. One day I remember when we went shopping, it was November 17, 1917, the end of World War I. When we arrived in Sandy all the stores were closed. People were celebrating the end of the war. I was very disappointed that the stores were closed. I didn't receive a sack of candy that day.”
        I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by my Grandpa Johnson.
        My grandmother Johnson was a very good cook. I enjoyed very much going into their home and having some of the cake she had baked.  She was a very pretty woman. She was kind and enjoyed very much when I came to see her.

        After we moved to the home my father had built I went down to see them one day. My uncle had some prized roosters and as I came around the straw stack one of the roosters flew at me and hit me in the face with it's feet. For that act of the rooster my grandmother made chicken soup out of him.
        My grandfather Johnson was a very good speaker and he had a strong testimony of the gospel. He had a great knowledge of the scriptures especially a testimony of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I heard him many times bear witness to the truth.
        During his later years he always wore a hat and used a cane. Sometimes he sat with his hat on in the kitchen. I guess from seeing him wear a hat I enjoy wearing one to.
        He was very kind he and my grandmother, and after they moved to Draper, they enjoyed having our family visit with them. I enjoyed being with them.
        I heard my grandfather and grandmother say many times how happy they were that the Mormon missionaries came to their home in Sweden."

Max Goodrich had a birthday on May 18th

Yesterday was Max's birthday.  How do I know?  I saw it on facebook.  If you want to learn something, go to facebook.  It's like an encylopedia of  information, a scapebook of bits and pieces, and a drawer full of nuts and bolts.  On my home page I happened to see this comment by Kendra, Max's mother: 

"Going to ihop for Max's free b-day breakfast then off to hang out with friends! I can't believe 3 years ago my sweet baby Max was born, I can't imagine my life without him."

Move over Liz and Josh, there's someone else born in May connected to this family.  Max is

Larry's grandson, and Larry is Richelle's husband.  Got it.  So we are step-great-grandparents,

right.  Sounds good enough for me.

I was fortunate enough to be able to click on Kendra's family blog (which she has done an

excellent job on, she is a very creative lady.  There was a goldmine of pictures of the kids and their father building a fort.  It's not just a tipical fort, it's big enough to hold a father and two sons, plus. 

 A DOUBLE TAKE

I can do it myself, Dad

 Jason follows in his Dad's footsteps in that he likes to do things on a big scale.  It's a grand  beginning for a fort.   

 Happy Birthday Max

Levi, Jason, Max and Kendra Goodrich

May 18, 1980 - Mt. St. Helen's eruption

   By Stefanie Giles 

"Here is a seven year old take on what happened May 18, 1980.

I was sitting, in my Sunday dress, on the living-room carpet. There was a sudden underground vibration that I could actually feel through the floor. I didn't have an explanation for it so I ignored it. We arrived at church, classes went on as normal. Things got strange when the sky darkened and the sunlight was blotted out mid-afternoon. There were mixed reactions. Some recognized it as a sign of a natural disaster. Others were wondering if they were about to witness a scriptural re occurrence. Church was canceled and surgical masks were distributed for the return trip home. By now ash was falling from the sky and no one wanted to take a chance that it might be toxic. Cars became stranded on the road. I later learned it was a result of the filter getting blocked by the ash. Ingenuity struck the imaginations of some and they corrected this problem by placing panty hose over the filter to prevent blockage. The next day, when the sun made its appearance again, to the relief of many, ash lay 3-4 inches thick like a blanket of dirty snow! This is when community members worked together to hose down yards, sidewalks, and streets. Neighbors spent hours helping with the cleanup project. Sandwiches were brought out to feed the volunteers and children made the most of it by playing in the "volcanic snow". Anything from ash angels to unsuccessful ash ball fights because ash does not pack well at all. Still to
this day, if one digs deep enough in their gardens and fields, one will spot an ashy reminder of that day!"

photo from the internet

            Do you remember where you were when Mt. St. Helens erupted?   My daughter said she remembers it vividly and she was only seven years old.  

           I remember it quite vividly too.  It was early Sunday morning and the three older children had gone to church with Eva, a friend, while I remained home with Angie who was sick. Lanny was home also.   We had heard a loud noise earlier, which is not unusual in this area because of the jets which take off from Fairchild Airforce Base in Spokane. It seemed like quite a while later that we saw very unusual clouds appearing over Moses Lake. They were like upside down stratocumulus clouds, but discolored. Soon we heard on the radio what had actually happened and we were being warned to stay indoors, because it wasn't known if the ash was toxic or not, and also to wear a mask if you went outside. 

I  

The kids' bicycles covered with ash (this is the middle of the day)

Soon the ash began falling and it became dark even though it was late morning or early afternoon and normally would have been light, especially on a day in May in Moses Lake.  With the thick ash it was almost impossible to travel in a vehicle.  Lanny and I became very anxious about our children because they were away.  Soon they arrived, a little shaken and anxious.  The trip home from church was arduous, and it was especially difficult for the driver to see.  We watched the ash continue to fall, listened to the the radio for any information.  Nobody seem to know exactly how to advise people in this situation, so many precautions were advised.  

Richelle spraying ash from lawn,
You can see ash on the roadway and
the neighbor's lawn

           The next morning the darkness had dissipated with the end of the falling ash
     but it was everywhere.  And this ash
     remained for months to come. Lanny went
     to work and noticed abandoned cars along
     the highway. The ash was interfering with
     the operation of the vehicles. He rigged up
     a system by putting a nylon sock over the
     air filter, then running a plastic hose from
     the air filter intake into the cab. This way it sucked air from the inside of the cab rather than the ashy air on the outside. This made
     it possible to keep the car operating.
           Lanny helped others to clear the ash from the roofs of the stores downtown.  He and a friend, I think it was Earl, 
     borrowed a fire hose, hooked it to the fire hydrant and began cleaning the ash
     from the road in front of our house and the neighbors.  I had begun spraying the
     ash from the patio when lots of birds
     swooped down to the water. They  were desperate for water.  My crops in

Richelle talking to the next-door neighbor Connie

     the garden were basically destroyed, especially the strawberries.   

Lanny to the left spraying ash from grass;
 neighbors in the street one with a shovel

            People from other areas visiting Moses Lake were not able to leave for several days. I heard and read that the people in Moses Lake did an excellent job of arranging accomodations for these stranded people.  Trucks delivering produce to the stores were not able to come into Moses Lake or surrounding area for several days, so the stores ran short of food products, especially milk, bread and prepared foods. I remember being out in the backyard with my drooping flowers and for the first time in many days seeing several large trucks traveling by on Hwy. 28 toward town.  What a relief that was to see those trucks.  It took several years before things were back to normal and businesses started moving into the area again. 
     Hey kids, what's your story on the day Mt. St. Helens erupted?  By Grandma A

32 years after the eruption

      St. Helens remains the most active volcano
       in the Cascades.

        Before the eruption of
Mt. St. Helens

     

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH MAY 11, 2012

Surprise!  We have another family birthday this month.  Lizzy can move over and share the month with her Grandpa's granddaughter Ryan's husband, Josh Davis.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH, even though it is a little late.  I can't say I know much about Josh, except Ryan loves him very much, so he must be an okay guy.  Lanny has met Josh and told us that Ryan did well in choosing Josh to marry and that he is a good person.  Lanny is a good judge of character and is usually right about people.  I have copied a few pictures from facebook and will post them here so you may enjoy meeting him through pictures. Also there are a few lines taken from Ryan's e-mails that are included which will help to know Josh a little better.

5-15-12

"Hey! Our little guy is doing great, He's growing like a lil

weed! I can't believe it. He's almost 13lbs now and 

sleeping through the night! Joshs birthday 

was Friday, May 11th. He's 26! Hope all is well! 
 
-Ryan Davis-"

 It's dated 12-2-2011
"Hey there,
I just wanted to write and say, "THANK YOU!!" for the birthday card and email! It really does mean a lot :) I had a great birthday! Josh did a great job spoiling me. He woke me up with breakfast in bed and my gift was a glider and ottoman for when this lil one gets here! We also went out to dinner and movie and spent some time with Angela and her lil family while they're in town. I lucked out and we both already had the day off so we were able to spend the whole day together! I hope all is well in your neck of the woods! Love you guys! ...and thanks again!"

Elizabeth (Liz) celebrates her 12th birthday today, April 12, 2012

       Today is Elizabeth Giles' birthday. She is twelve years old, old enough to attend Mutual or

Young Womens with her older sister Olivia.  She is young enough to see the world from the eyes of a child yet old enough to venture into young womanhood. It's an exciting time and challenging time for a young lady. I had the the opportunity to teach the Beehives for a few years and found them very creative, curious, full of talk, giggly, eager to do things, and even very tender-hearted.  I know Liz will do just fine as she embraces her "new beginnings." 
If I had to compare Liz to an animal or creature, I would compare her to a "butterfly."She flits and she flutters and if she could, I believe she would sprout wings and fly. In fact I wrote a little story with her in it for Hunter and Lucy, but never did send it, because writing is not my expertise.
Liz has many talents, one is art. I have added a few of her pictures. One I particularly loved was a picture of a Donkey and it said “I'm as stubborn as a Rock.” I laughed whenever I passed

the refrigerator. Loved that donkey. 

She also likes to sing and does it very well. Below is a video of her solo in a school program last year.

And she use to love to wear hats, all sorts of hats and looked cute in them. I have her in a Fireman's hat but that was not the hat I was thinking about. The hats I've seen her in are more feminine.

Lizzy, we love you, you are a special young lady. I enjoy the happiness and playfulness that bubbles up in your soul and springs forth like a ray of sunshine.
Enjoy your 12^th birthday. There are special birthdays in one's life and the 12^th is one of them.

The following is an e-mail from Liz's mom,
Stefanie:

Dear Mom,Here is a picture of Lizzy's cake. The theme is Princess and the pea. We planted a single green M&M in one of the layers. Whoever is lucky enough to find it will win a prize! A whole bag of "peas!"Love,Mom (Stefanie) Seth won the the bag of peas which was green M&M's. check for the pic later. technically difficulties!

At 2:00 this afternoon Grandpa and I met the Giles' family at the Bowling Alley on Stratford Road. They have an arcade where they sponsor birthday parties, kind of like Chucky Cheese in the bigger cities. Richelle also was able to be there. We ate pizza, drank soda pop, and watched as the kids collected tickets as they played arcade games. Get 1,000 tickets and you can turn them in for a prize. Liz had a friend with her, as well as her eight siblings and parents. I also have a video below of the party.
We hope you had a lovely time. Once again Happy Birthday to a delightful young granddaughter.
Love you, Grandma and Grandpa Starr

watch how the tickets disappear

and Cumorah about to pour her own water

To My Mom on Mother's Day

God could not be everywhere.....

.......and therefore he made mothers.

My mom before she met me.

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. 

She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never. 

A mother is something absolutely new.

And then we met!  Me and my mom.



A mother holds her children's hands for a short while.....

......but their heart forever.



And there were additions...

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice....

....once for herself

...and once for her child.





And more additions.



You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his mother every time around.....

.....and why his mother will always wave back. 

I get it now, mom.



My wonderful mother!

Happy Mother's Day to the sweetest, kindest, prettiest, most patient, giving, kind-hearted, unselfish, positive, talented, thoughtful, supportive, encouraging, sacrificing, angel of a mother in existence.

I love you, Mom.