July 29, 1981: Princess Diana and Prince Charle's Wedding

I was almost 7 years old when Princess Diana wed Prince Charles. I remember sitting in my living room on Lawnel Avenue in such amazement at the gown that Princess Diana wore for her wedding. I had never seen anything as magnificent as that in my whole life. I told my mom that when I got married that I wanted to have a dress just like that.  The wedding took place at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.    After the ceremony, she and Charles took a carriage ride around London.    It truly was a fairy tale wedding.

Summer 1981: Plastic Surgery on Ears

I had two plastic surgeries done on my ears when I was around 7 and 8 years old.   My first surgery pinned my ears back.  The second surgery, the doctor made the top of my ears smaller.   The doctor my mom chose was Dr. Kislov, who was the best plastic surgeon in town at the time.  He also carved a Jesus statue that was on top of the Episcopal church in downtown Muskegon.  I had to wear the bandages until I got the stitches out. Then, for two weeks, I had to wear nylons over my head and ears when I slept.    I am so thankful that my mother did this for me, as I might have been named 'Dumbo' later on in life.        

Spring 1981: First Plane Ride to Florida

Mom and my dad took me on my first airplane trip down to Florida. This is where I got my wings for being a first time flyer. It was so exciting going fast down the runway. To this day, that is still my favorite part of the whole airplane ride.


We flew down to Tampa, FL, where we stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Gonyo. They had bought a small camper and stayed at Palm View Gardens in Zephyrhills, which was about 45 minutes northeast of Tampa.


We went to Disney World, Cypress Gardens, and Busch Gardens. Of course, I did get my Mickey Mouse ears and wore them proudly.


Cypress Gardens was so beautiful back then. They were known for their women dressing in the full southern belle dresses, carrying an umbrella, walking around the beautifully, manicured gardens.


Busch Gardens had a bunch of different animals, much like a safari. It didn’t have the rides, which it now has today.


It was a great trip for someone almost 7 yrs old. I think all children should have the experience of going to Disney World when they are young.

September 1979: Kindergarten Class

I attended Lincoln Park Elementary through 6th grade.   My developmental kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Blue. She used to always favor the boys for some reason.      Some of the kids in my class were:  Andy Rush, Brendon Depoy, Dan Burlingame, Greg Novak, Denise Anderson, Dionne Tomorsky, and Aaron Tracy.  I pretty much went through grade school with all of them.

Summer 1979: Mackinac City/Mackinac Island

Mom and dad took me on a vacation to Mackinac Island, Mackinac City, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, and Taquamenon Falls. I remember taking a boat by the falls and there were so many mosquitoes which drove me crazy. We all wore hooded sweatshirts.


I loved the fudge we got on Mackinac Island. I laughed at the horse poop all over the streets.  I was not used to seeing that on the roads. There were no cars on the island, which was quite nice.


Mackinac City was full of shops and restaurants, which was nice to check out.

Southern Trip: Summer 1978

My mom, dad, and I went on our first long road trip down south when I was almost 4 yrs old. We went to Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee (Gatlinburg, Nashville, Memphis), Georgia (Plains), Missouri (St. Louis), and Asheville, North Carolina.


There are only a couple of things I remember from the trip. I remember we did visit Elvis’s house in Memphis and wearing this t-shirt I got in Plains, GA, that said “I am a little peanut from Plains, GA”. I wore that shirt many times over that summer.


My mom remembers me seeing a child asking for orange pop, so that was my new thing to ask for on the road trip.    It would drive my mom crazy constantly asking for it.

Summer 1977: Cousins - Kelsey, Kim, Wendy, and Joy

My mom's sister, Charlene, had one daughter, Kelsey, who was born two days before me on August 22nd.    We used to celebrate birthdays together each year either at Grandma Thomas's house or at Pioneer Park.   In the summers, Kelsey and I would go to each other's houses for a week at a time and do fun activities.  

My dad's brother, George, had 3 daughters.  Kim was born September 20, 1971. Wendy was born  November 18, 1974, and Joy was born October 16, 1977.    We used to enjoy going up to the cabin every Memorial Day weekend and I spent many years at their house in the summers.  Then, I started to go camping with them and the Klee and Lawver families in 1985.   I was in Kim and Wendy's weddings, too.