The Baptism Story

We were getting ready to go to a baptism at the stake center when we lived in Arco. I had been asked to be a witness (and I may have been asked to give a talk too). We were getting ready in the trailer and someone called on the telephone. I was in the back of the trailer and I said that I would get it. I was wearing a suit at the time and right at the end of the hallway was the couch. So I just kind of hurdled over that. When I did, I thought I heard something rip. I asked Mom to look and see if anything was torn. She looked and said, "Nope, everything's all right don't worry about it, let's go". So we went up to the baptism. They had the talks in the chapel and then we went back to the baptism room. I was asked to stand by the font to witness the baptism. As soon as the baptism was over, Lynette came right up behind me and said, "Come on, we're leaving, you've got a rip in your pants."

Green Noodles

Randy: We were living in the trailer in Powell (really newlyweds). Lynette had made some homemade noodles. They were in a green pan and I said something real diplomatic, "These are green". I think Mom's feelings were hurt.

Lynette: As he made this comment I had eaten a noodle and inhaled it. It made tears come out of my eyes. My feelings weren't really hurt.

Summer of '67

(As told by both Randy and Lynette, simultaneously - thus, the weird grammar)

For our first date we went to a drive-in movie in Cody (I don't remember what the movie was). We went with Jay and he was with Michelle Riley's cousin.

As we were driving home form Cody and as we got to the Emblem turnoff, Jay said "lets go get a shake." Randy said, (and these were the first words he had spoken all night) "Oh no, Lynette needs to get right home". Lynette said "No, it's okay, I can go". Well, they went home.

Lynette's thoughts: "I'm never going out with him again."
Two of Randy's friends later told him that they would like to ask out Lynette. He said, "Oh, I wouldn't if I were you." (He had his own plans.)

When the school year started, the football coach told Randy that he needed to ask someone to the homecoming dance or he would ask someone for him. Randy ended up asking Lynette.

Bedtime Stories (Camile - editor in chief)

Carly and Ellise love to hear bedtime stories about Aaron and I when we were little and also stories about their grandparents. I vaguely remember some of the stories I heard from Mom and Dad growing up, but I thought this blog would be a good way to record some of these memories and keep the details all straight (if Mom and Dad can keep them striaght) :).


My hope is to publish a post for each of them once a month. If you have requests for specific memory or story posts then send me an e-mail at parson27@gmail.com.

Donut (Nanny Nette)

While living in Bozeman mt, uncle Melvin Neves brought our family a little German Shepherd puppy. He was a rolly polly little thing! Of course we were all excited. Janet was a baby, so the four older kids (Linnie, myself, Mary and Lester) were all trying to agree on a name. Lester wasn't in school and went with my mother to downtown Bozeman and passed the bakery and could smell the donuts. He said, "I know what we can name him! Donut!". None of the rest of us were very thrilled at the time, but Lester was pretty spoiled about getting his way and the name stuck.

Donut was a great guard dog and was very protective of us. I remember one evening, sitting at the dinner table and Donut was laying on the lawn just wagging his tail. A salesman pulled up in his car and would not get out of his car because of this big German Shepherd between him and the front door. My Dad was thrilled because he didn't like salesmen in the first place!

A few years later when we moved to Helena we took Donut with us, but then when my family moved to Orem, UT we had to leave Donut at Uncle Callis' farm in Helena. A year later when Grandma and Grandpa Henderson got married, Uncle Callis brought Donut to us in Burlington. We were thrilled that we had our dog back. When I was a sophomore or junior in High School we got word at school that Donut had been chasing cars and been hit and died. I remember we cried and cried!

Dina Babe (Grandpa)

We had a little Pekinese dog named Dina Babe. She was grandma's girl - the only girl she had. Dina Babe had a "little dog" personality - she was ferocious (until another dog barked back at her). She thought she was the boss of everything, like the other big, outside dogs - Ruff and Guss. (Ruff was a female Collie mix and Guss was her pup.)

When we lived in Powell, Dina Babe was expecting pups. And she had 3 pups I think. The last one, when it was born, we thought it was deformed and Dina Babe started eating it. So, Grandma rescued the pup and took it to the vet. The vet said it would have been okay and that Dina was just eating the sac away from the pup. But Dina Babe ended up with just two pups.

Dina Babe died when she was about 10 years old in '67 or '68. She got to where she wouldn't eat anything, then she died. She was like part of the family.

Protecting and Providing

We Love our Children

I saw this National Geographic picture a few days ago along with some other very good pictures. I forwarded the group of about 30 pictures to Lynette. This one caught my eye. Mom also picked this one out and commented: "I really liked the one of the cheetah with her cubs. I wish I could protect my kids and grand kids from all the harm out there."

Retirement Mansion

Someone sent this picture to us during the past week and it reminded us of where we have lived over the years. Our first 6 years of marriage were in two different trailers while we lived in Powell, WY; Rexburg, ID; Helena, MT; and Arco, ID. We were happy and very much in love. I would still do it all over again. We like this set up for retirement: pool, yard, flowers, deck, trees, and a suite for each child and family. Of course, Lynette and I will be using the one on the ground level, too many stairs for retired folks. Requests are being taken now on specific suites! I can imagine the grand kids all building their own living quarters in the surrounding trees. Looks like heaven!

Winter Wonderland

The snow just keeps coming! The ground is covered, however our temperatures are warming slightly. Randy has once again started riding his bike to work.

Rexburg Temple Dedication

On February 10, 2008, we attended the dedication of the Rexburg Temple. We started out with the BYU-ID 8th Stake in the Hinckley building for the 9:00 a.m. session. Then we walked over to the temple, and we were able to go to the 11:30 a.m. session in the temple. President Monson conducted both of these sessions. He remarked this was his first official responsibility as the president of the church. We felt it a real privilege to have been able to attend. The morning started out foggy but ended up sunny with temperatures above freezing. The next day we were able to attend a session. What a beautiful place! We plan to return often.

Christmas is Over and the Decorations Must Go

Today is the day that Lynette says that the tree and decorations are to come down. She asked me to find out who sing the song "I Cry the Day I Take the Tree Down". I found out that it is from the "Forgotten Carols" CD. So I found it (#9 on the CD) and it's playing right now. I think it makes her feel better.

Lynette - Along with the music, I had to make some of my cinnamon citrus potpourri to have on the stove. After all this, I better get in gear!

30 Years

January 24, 2008 was my 30th year with the U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA). I received the gold 30 year pin to the left. I can retire now anytime that I want as long as Lynette approves and she retires too.

It was actually 36 years ago (1972) that I started working for NOAA . It does not seem like 36 years ago - it has been too much fun most of the time.

Awesome Sniper Rifle

If I were to say that I am not a gun person - this would be a major understatement. When my son-in-law Aaron told me about this rifle, I asked him if I could go with him when he went out to see it demonstrated.

Well I not only saw it and held it (very heavy and very loud), I was allowed to shoot it. What an experience. I will never forget this trip.

I also got to see some beautiful art on the way back home. That was something I will never forget.

Start Your Engines for the Cub-Annapolis

Ken, Gina, Blake, Brandon, Brigham and Emma were here this last weekend. Brigham needed to build a cub scout Cub-Annapolis box race car for their next pack meeting. We rounded up the parts we could find around the house and started hot-gluing them together. The purple plates are the headlights and the silver plates are the wheels. Fairly simple.









Brigham looks like he is ready to race.

Silver Medal Announcement and Picture from NOAA

I just downloaded this picture from the Commerce web site two days ago. Looking at the picture to the left: In the center is the Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, with the Under Secretary Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher (NOAA) on the right, and I, Randy Johnson, am standing on the left. The date of the picture is November 15, 2007.

Here is the text from the NOAA/OAR/ARL/FRD web site about getting a silver medal on November 15, 2007.

NOAA Employee Receives Silver Medal

On November 15th in Silver Spring, Maryland Randall C. Johnson with the National Oceanic & Administrative Agency (NOAA) received the 2007 Silver Medal. The Silver Medal is the Commerce Department's second highest honorary award. The Secretary awards it for exceptional performance characterized by noteworthy or superlative contributions which have a direct and lasting impact within the Department.

Since 1992, Randall Johnson has developed four generations of autonomous Smart Balloons that use state-of-the-art technology to observe air motions and air quality over extended periods of time. Randy Johnson developed the NOAA “Smart Balloon” that has been deployed in seven air quality and hurricane research experiments since 1992. These experiments have led to significant advances in the understanding of marine boundary layers and the chemistry of aerosols and various gaseous constituents of the atmosphere. In 2004, a Smart Balloon carrying a miniature ozone sensor successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Long Island, New York to the African Coast of Morocco. NOAA Smart Balloons have also been used to study atmospheric dynamics within the inflow regions of hurricanes.

The data from the Smart Balloon are now being incorporated in air quality and climate change models. Many peer-reviewed journal articles have been written from the seven field experiments. In some of these experiments the balloon was a key to success, because it allowed U.S. and European research aircraft to locate and repeatedly sample the same marine air mass over several days in the vicinity of the balloons.

The research supports improvement in the National Weather Service air quality forecasting. It also helps the Environmental Protection Agency with its air quality assessment and regulatory functions.

Congratulations Randy!

In the beginning.....