Dave and Jan enjoyed the mid-June visit in Cedar City from daughter Alissa and Andrew and their four boys.  The family’s only trip out of town during their visit took them to beautiful Cedar Breaks, twenty five miles up Cedar Mountain at an elevation of around ten thousand feet.

  But there were plenty of things to enjoy without ever leaving town.   The family only needed to walk a block and a half to the east from the house to ascend an impressive ridge which divides town from Rainbow Canyon.

The canyon beyond the ridge is already a beautiful place to explore and a great place to get some serious exercise – for those who like to climb.

A few blocks from the house Frontier Homestead State Park provided a look at living conditions for those who lived in Utah in years past.

A major attraction for the boys, in particular, was the city’s park system. The evening the Crandalls arrived they enjoyed the zip line in a nearby ball park’s playground.

Ephraim, Silas and Elijah had fun loading their water guns from the small stream diverted from Coal Creek in Canyon Park, and they enjoyed one of the park’s play sets as well.

Park Discovery is a city park designed for kids by kids which the kids found very much to their liking.

And the Crandalls’ visit wrapped up with a celebration of Ephraim’s fourth birthday – the night before the actual birthday when the family planned to leave for home in Huron, South Dakota (via Pioneer Camp near Rapid City).

Dave and Jan are grateful for the blessings of children and grandchildren – the latter described by Solomon as “the crown of old men” (Proverbs 17:6), and Dave definitely fits the bill!

Dave and Jan enjoyed a visit from Andrew, Alissa and their four boys (Levi, 9; Elijah (7); Silas (5); and Ephraim (3) at their new home in Cedar City.  For Andrew it is something of a vacation break from his pastoral ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Huron, South Dakota.  So it seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit Cedar Breaks National Monument at the top of the mountain range just east of Cedar City.

Cedar Breaks is something like a miniature version of the more popular (and crowded) Bryce Canyon National Park, but it is certainly well-worth the visit.  Like many of our nation’s national monuments, it is awesomely beautiful!

Andrew’s family lined up along the safety rail placed by the National Park Service to keep visitors from tumbling to their peril into the depths of the canyon.

Jan joined the lineup for a second group photo.

Following a picnic lunch the group hiked the loop trail from the Cressman Ridge Overlook which took them through beautiful forests, with some snow patches remaining from the past winter, and a pleasant stop at a small Alpine Pond.

Cedar Breaks National Monument – a very nice place for a refreshing “break,” only around 25 miles up beautiful highway 14 from Cedar City (dimly visible in the distance in the photo below).

Dave and Jan feel blessed to be so close to such clear evidence of the Lord’s creative genius – even on an earth whose surface was reformed largely by the Flood of Noah’s day as recorded in the first book of the Bible (Genesis 6-9).

One of the reasons Dave and Jan chose to move to Cedar City in Utah is the city’s proximity to the mountains which border the eastern edge of the city – along with other mountains and mountain ranges in almost every direction.  So, while awaiting the completion of their house, they decided to take a hike in the nearby mountains.  And they didn’t need to travel far to hike because it is only around three or four miles from their house to Thunderbird Gardens Trailhead where there are several trails to choose from.

They chose to take a loop hike of around five miles on two trails which intersect around three miles up the mountain – beginning with the Ghost Flats trail.

There were some nice floral displays to be enjoyed along the way.

And, of course, the natural beauty of the area was accentuated by that of Dave’s favorite lady who well-deserved the day’s break after the months of packing she did for the move from California to Utah.  [By the way, though this blog was set up by Dave and Jan’s son Stephen with Jan’s name attached, those who have followed it may have guessed that it reflects primarily Dave’s perspective as the one who actually does the writing].

The trail through Stephen’s Canyon is surrounded by beautiful red rocks.

It wasn’t long before the Lightening Switch trail diverged from Ghost Flats.

From across Stephen’s Canyon it wasn’t difficult to see why the trail was named Lightening Switch Trail!

As the trail ascended the view of Cedar City below continued to open up.

There were some nice and varied and attractive floral displays to be enjoyed at various points along the way.

Looking toward the south, snow was still visible on some of the heights.

This telephoto shot shows a ball field several hundred yards from the house Dave and Jan are expecting to begin living in – perhaps as early as Friday, May 29th.

In the months and years ahead there are mountains across the valley to the southwest to be explored – along with the mountains just to the east of Cedar City.

Back in town the city’s patriotic perspective was on full display with the approach of the Memorial Day week-end at the beautiful veterans’ park just blocks from Dave and Jan’s new address – 421 North Highland Drive, Cedar City, Utah 84720.

So what’s not to like about Cedar City?  Dave and Jan are grateful for the way the Lord has “greased the skids” for their relocation to such a beautiful region of the country!

The cupboards at the newly built house Jan’s parents bought in Brea, CA in 1960 have not been bare since they moved in, but bare cupboards were one of the characteristics of Dave and Jan’s plans for moving on.

As the cupboards were emptied, the garage was increasingly filled with boxes of things to be moved from Brea to Cedar City, Utah by professional movers (Family Affair Moving of Fullerton), a company recommended by Ted Tardie, one of the faithful members of our Green Hills Baptist Church Life Group.

Jan’s dog Lola wasn’t quite sure what to make of all of the commotion as, little by little, everything seemed to be changing around her, but she kept a watchful eye on the process so she could be sure she would be included.

Friends and family paid visits to the house which has been home to the Badens and Balsleys for the past sixty years – including Don and Diane Harvey who live in Oregon but travel regularly to Southern California to care for a house which belongs to a family member who chooses to live elsewhere.

Caroleen Suzuki, who lived with Dave and Jan for six years while pursuing college training at Fullerton College and California State University Fullerton joined Jan in packing up some of the final things in the kitchen.

And, of course, Stephen and family stopped by for some visits and some fun and food as they anticipated the miles of separation in days ahead.

May 19th was the big day for the move of furniture from the house in Brea to await (stored in the truck) the completion of the new house in Cedar City and the arrangement of things in the new location in Cedar City.

Until then, this is what “home” looks like – although Dave and Jan have chosen motels over camping during most of the transition to their new address.

As much as they anticipate the comforts of their new house in Utah, Dave and Jan are grateful that “this world is not [their] home, [they’re] just a passing through, [their] treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue”!

While many Americans are running out of patience with the lock downs they have been experiencing because of the corona virus pandemic, Dave and Jan had the perfect excuse to “hit the road” in view of their anticipated move to Cedar City, Utah.  Besides, their house in Brea was tented for termite treatment so they needed another place to stay.  So they drove to Utah to see the progress on their house, to set up banking, and to make arrangements for mail delivery at their future address – 421 North Highland Drive, Cedar City, Utah 84720.  This was the first time to see the inside of the house, where walls and ceilings are finished, flooring was being installed, and cabinets were in the process of being installed.  Jan and Cindy (our realtor) were careful to maintain social distancing as they viewed progress in the nice-sized living room of the new house!

Dave and Jan like the view they are going to enjoy from their living room and dining room windows (minus the “porta potty” when all is complete).

Lola inspected the cabinets to see if they would meet with her approval.

Cabinets are up now in the kitchen, with counter tops under construction.

The exterior of the house is finished, with grading under way in the yard.

During their visit, Dave and Jan enjoyed walking trails to a small waterfall and along Coal Creek which are each a short distance from their new address.

They also drove up the Cedar Mountain to the Brian Head ski resort where conditions still looked a little like winter!

And ten miles west of town they explored the Three Peaks County Park where hiking and biking and picnicking and camping and all terrain vehicle driving and rock crawling and shooting at the rifle range are all options – with beautiful views back toward Cedar City and the mountain range immediately beside it to enjoy.

While there will be many people and things to be missed with their move to Utah, Dave and Jan are looking forward to many new people and things to be enjoyed in their new location in beautiful Cedar City.

Dave and Jan enjoyed a recent visit with Stephen and his family at their town house in Burbank – one day before Ryan’s sixth birthday (and just a few days before Erin’s third birthday).  Because of the Corona Virus “pandemic,” everyone was pretty much confined to their homes by order of authorities in the state of California.  Like many others, Stephen was even doing much of his work for the Zeiss Lens Company at home.

Clearing out many things at the Balsley house in Brea in view of Dave and Jan’s anticipated move to Utah, Jan brought a Piranha preserved many years ago by a taxidermist in Venezuela where Jan’s uncle Dean Hollingsworth served as a missionary.  Ryan found the fish quite fascinating!

Erin was more fascinated by a container of Playdough and a stuffed kitten which belonged to Caroleen (the Japanese university student who lived with Dave and Jan for six years) before she moved to new quarters with another family from the Church at Green Hills (Green Hills Baptist Church).

After a pizza dinner, Jan produced some small gifts she had brought for each of the children – including some light up wands and some small office sets.

Who would have thought of indoor “smores” at the kitchen table with marshmallows roasted over the fire in a small can?

And Ryan enjoyed creating a robot with a set of magnetic blocks which he received for his birthday (with a matching set coming soon for Erin with the arrival of her birthday several days later).

Jan enjoyed the chance to fulfill her role as grandma by doing some reading for Ryan before the evening’s visit was over.

Dave and Jan will miss the proximity of Stephen’s family when they make their move (anticipated in mid-May) to Utah – but they will be a day closer to Andrew and Alissa’s family, so they will experience the pull of both sets of grandchildren and their parents with their move closer to the “middle.”  They look forward to sharing the beauty of their new surroundings with both families when they visit Cedar City were Dave and Jan were visiting when this blog was created.

Who would have thought we would be living with all the changes our nation and our world are experiencing today because of the Corona Virus?  It is amazing to think that a microscopic organism could cause so many things we are accustomed to experiencing to grind to a halt, but here we are!

In the midst of it all Dave and Jan have been busy preparing their house in Brea, California to be sold and anticipating the completion of the new house they expect to occupy in Cedar City, Utah.  But among the signs of the times they are experiencing is the “for sale” sign now posted in their front yard.

Changes along the way have included some upgrades:  some new cement for the driveway which was cracked because of roots growing under it.

Because refinishing the front door wore through the wood veneer the time had come for a new entry door.

And because the comfortable couch and chair which Jan’s parents bought many years ago was starting to look a little worn, the set was re-upholstered for the third time in Dave and Jan’s possession for a fresh look at their new address.

Meanwhile, in Cedar City the changes continue to mount with each week as the builders progress from what started out as an empty lot –

– to what is beginning to offer some promise as a completed residence.

The exact timing of the anticipated change of address is still uncertain, as both the sale of the Brea house and the completion of the Cedar City house are indefinite dates yet, but there seems little doubt at this point that change is not too far around the corner.  Dave and Jan are looking to the Lord for the details, resting in the reality that He is sovereign over the affairs of all of our lives in the midst of changing times.

Dave and Jan have enjoyed numerous anniversary celebrations in recent years with trips to visit family (Dave’s three sisters and their families) in the Monterey Bay area.  This year, uncertain about whether they would be needed to help Stephen and Meagan relocate their family to a new community near Stephen’s job during the Christmas holidays, no trip was planned until, shortly after Christmas, it became evident that the anticipated move would not take place quite yet.  So, on short notice, an anniversary trip took Dave and Jan to explore St. George, Utah, and visit Cedar City (weather permitting – which it did).  St. George will be the nearest “bigger city” (70,000 population) when the move to Cedar City (30,000 population) occurs.

The city included some very colorful Christmas light displays – some of them associated with Dixie State University whose campus is in St. George.

The drive along I-15 to Cedar City is very scenic, especially when winter snows coat the mountains behind some of the area’s characteristic red rocks.

The Christmas lights on Main Street in Cedar City were quite attractive.

And though not a great deal of progress has been made yet in the construction of the house Dave and Jan expect to live in, their lot has been cleared of its vegetation, and “piers” have been sunk deep into the ground to anchor the foundation to rock far beneath the surface in view of soil conditions in the area.  The 2015 Subaru Legacy, by the way, is a recent acquisition in place of the much enjoyed 2002 Camry because of its all-wheel-drive, a definite asset in snow country.

A house under construction in the neighborhood by the same builder who is building for Dave and Jan provides a rough idea of the style of the house to be built – including a similar color scheme on the exterior.

An anniversary hike found Jan wearing the kind of clothing which has gotten little use in Southern California but will be far more useful in Utah winters!

As Dave and Jan enter their 50th year of marriage, they are looking forward to some interesting and sometimes very “cool” changes in the year ahead – hoping that you had a wonderful Christmas celebration, and wishing a  Happy New Year to one and all!

Dave and Jan always enjoy the Christmas season because of its spiritual significance.  What a stroke of genius on God’s part that, though much of the world does not recognize the reality about His unique Son Jesus, whose birth is celebrated at Christmas (though no one knows exactly when He was born), much of the world joins in on the celebration of Christmas in one way or another.  A big part of many celebrations, of course, involves the giving of gifts and, with grandchildren living in the Balsley home in Brea since last March, gifts were definitely a part of the celebration!  Erin, Stephen and Meagan’s daughter, received a new dog to walk from her parents – with technical assistance from Stephen.

For Ryan, it was a remote controlled race car from his parents.

And a race car in a tube which Jan selected for Ryan.

And Jan’s selection for Erin was a shopping cart full of “groceries.”

Another part of many Christmas celebrations is the tasty Christmas dinner!

But the most important part of any Christmas celebration involves some serious reflection on the “reason for the season” – the birth of God’s incomparable Son, Jesus – come ultimately to “seek and to save that which was lost.”  In recognition of the birth of Jesus, Green Hills Baptist Church presented its 34th annual “Living Nativity” – viewed this year by somewhere in the neighborhood of five thousand people.

How thankful we are that God the Father sent His unique Son to provide salvation for all who will trust in Him as their Savior, Christ the Lord!

Thanksgiving Day is definitely a favorite holiday for Dave and Jan, with so many reasons to be thankful.  This year Stephen and Meagan’s son Ryan participated in his first school celebration of the thanksgiving season as part of a choir of youngsters from Laurel Elementary School in turkey costumes.

Ryan and Erin also enjoyed dressing in Halloween costumes a few days earlier, as seen in the photo below with their parents, Stephen and Meagan.

A major reason for thankfulness in the Balsley family this year is the great new job Stephen began the last week of October as a cinema technical sales specialist with the German lens company, Zeiss, at their new cinema lens demo center in Sherman Oaks, CA.  It appears so far that his new position is ideally suited to Stephen’s interests and abilities in the field of digital cinema.  He is not working in a store front, but in an appointment-only demonstration center for movie directors and other technical people in the cinema industry.  His office is high in a fancy high-rise office building in Sherman Oaks.

The company has just released a new set of seven cinema camera lenses which can be purchased for around two hundred thousand dollars per set, so it is a rather limited clientele who will be coming in to see demonstrations of these and other products available from the Zeiss Lens Company!

The center features cinema cameras and testing equipment and a small but luxurious theater where people in the movie industry can see first-hand the capabilities of various cameras and lenses so they know what they want.

The next hurdle for Stephen and family will be to find a suitable place for the family to live in the Sherman Oaks area as Stephen takes on the role of bread-winner and Meagan adjusts to her new role as full-time Mom.  At this thanksgiving season we are grateful for the doors the Lord is opening up for Stephen’s family – even as we anticipate changes in our own lives in months ahead.