Dave and Jan headed for the Phoenix area on October 14th so Dave could participate in the annual meeting of the International Board of Directors for UIM International (United Indian Missions) in Gilbert.  Dave has been a part of this board for more than three decades now, and was elected to serve another three-year term at this year’s meeting.  It has been an interesting assignment, serving with a great group of missionary administrators and board members.

Having traveled some 375 miles from home, Dave had decided to turn a round trip into a triangle by driving north to Cedar City, Utah where he and Jan are planning to relocate in May of 2020.  Following the board meetings, they drove north through Flagstaff, Arizona to spend the night in Kanab, Utah.  The drive the following day included spectacular fall scenery as they drove over Cedar Mountain toward Cedar City.

Because their last drive over the area featured a blanket of fresh snow, it was nice to be able to pay a visit to Navajo Lake and the numerous camp sites which occupy the area at the top of the mountain range there.

Arriving in Cedar City around lunch time, a picnic lunch was in order – in a park Dave and Jan have already learned to enjoy – near the part of town where they would like to live in years to come.

Following lunch was a stop by the real estate office (Century 21, Prestige Realty) from which they have been receiving e-mails each week, with real estate possibilities in the area.  Their realtor was not in the office, but intended to meet them the following day, so they drove around town to several locations they thought might be of interest – preferring a site where new homes are being built which would seem ideal for their needs.  The house with the floor plan they were most interested in was scheduled to be built on the lot pictured here.

When they met with the realtor, as well as the builder, the following day, they learned that they could have the house they were interested in located on any of several lots in the area which the builder had purchased for future houses in the neighborhood.  So Jan (with Dave’s concurrence) preferred a lot across the street, because it backs up on an attractive golf course – a nice view from the anticipated dining room and the back yard.

The builder is currently building three houses in the immediate neighborhood, including this one on the lot next door to the lot Dave and Jan have chosen.

Dave and Jan were very pleasantly surprised when they were able to sit down with the realtor and builder and plan out many of the details for the house they would like to purchase, and they were able to put money down and sign the papers to initiate the process of having the house built.  The projected date of completion is May 22, 2020.

Before their stay in Cedar City was over they were able to further explore the city and ponder the day when they should be experiencing “life elevated” – which is the state motto for the state of Utah (in view of the fact that, like Cedar City with its 5,000 ft. + elevation, much of the state is characterized by higher elevations than many others).

Before dinner in a local restaurant on Thursday evening, Dave and Jan enjoyed a short hike on one of the many hiking trails in the area – including many which originate in town.

It was a very refreshing trip, and another fun and exciting visit to a city Dave and Jan look forward, before too many more months, to calling their new home!

It has been almost two months since the family gathered for the back-yard celebration of our son Stephen’s 38th birthday.  Many things have happened since that time, but Dave and Jan have always had many reasons to thank the Lord for bringing Stephen (as well as Alissa) into their lives.  And Meagan’s life has been changed in many ways as well because of Stephen’s life.

The family who gathered for the birthday party included (left to right) Chip Clampitt, Connie Seymour, Heidi Clampitt, Jan, Erin, Dave, Meagan, Stephen, Bruce Seymour, Benjamin Clampitt, Ryan, and Amos Clampitt.

Missing from the family picture (because Dave didn’t realize she had gone into the house) was Zerlinda Clampitt, shown here beside her grandmother, Connie Seymour.

Instead of the traditional birthday cake, Jan made ice cream pies – some of Stephen’s favorites when it comes to dessert.

Among Stephen’s birthday gifts was a package of “face coasters,” with a variety of facial alternatives for those who like to experiment with different facial options.

For the youngsters the day included some cruises in one of two motorized cars a neighbor put out on the sidewalk with a “free” sign several weeks before Stephen’s birthday arrived.

The youngsters also enjoyed some play on a “slip and slide” on the lawn in Dave and Jan’s back yard.

Another reason to celebrate came soon after Stephen’s birthday when he received word of a job offer from Zeiss (Carl Zeiss, Inc.), an international lens company headquartered in Germany.  After around two and a half years of unemployment and under-employment we are all excited about the company’s offer of the position of Cinema Technical Sales Specialist.  He will be in charge of a new office in a high-rise in Sherman Oaks, beginning Monday, October 28th, where he will handle technical issues and sales for Zeiss’ cinema lenses – something Stephen is very familiar with because of his 7-8 years with Red Digital Cinema and, more recently, two years with Maxx Digital.  With his wife Meagan out of town for a homecoming celebration at the college she attended in Indiana, the family joined in a small celebration of the long-awaited good news of Stephen’s employment opportunity.

Given a November 31 target date to have his family relocated in the area of his new job, Stephen has been making trips to explore housing options in the Sherman Oaks area north of Hollywood where the family would like to settle.  We are all very grateful for the Lord’s provision, after a lengthy wait, of what looks to be an ideal job situation for Stephen for the years ahead – on a job which will pay a significant starting salary with a company which has over 200 years of experience in the lens business (making virtually every kind of lens imaginable).  As you can tell, there is plenty of reason to celebrate!

Monday, August 19, was the first day of kindergarten for Stephen and Meagan’s five-year old son Ryan.  Unlike his grandfather, Dave, who found the prospect of kindergarten very frightening many years back, and marked the first day with tears, Ryan was quite excited about the beginning of school.

Not surprisingly, Ryan’s first day was a big day for the entire family.

Because the school is within a comfortable walking distance from the Balsley residence the big day began with a family walk to school.

Brea schools have a good reputation in the educational community, and Laurel Elementary has a long and well-established record as a good school.

Like many schools in our time, Laurel Elementary was asking school families to help provide some of the supplies which make classwork go better.

Ryan’s teacher, Mrs. Diaz, seems to have good control of her classroom, which is quite a relief to Stephen and Meagan, because Ryan is full of energy.

Playground equipment has recently been upgraded in what may be a joint venture of the school system and the city, because the playground doubles as a city park during hours when school is not in session.

Ryan’s first two weeks appear to have gone very well, so his parents are encouraged by the prospect of a good year and a productive education experience for a bright and energetic young member of the family.

Dave and Jan took advantage of the final opportunity, before the busyness of late summer and early fall months fills their weeks once again, for another short camping trip in the Santa Ana Mountains in south Orange County.  The Blue Jay Campground is near the top of the mountain range three miles north of the Ortega Highway which goes from San Juan Capistrano (not San Clemente as their last blog had it) to Lake Elsinore.  The campground is a beautiful but fairly primitive US Forest Service campground, where an overnight stay costs twenty dollars, but people with senior passes pay ten dollars.  What a deal!

The weather was fairly warm during the middle of the day, but nights were pleasant, and Dave and Jan found the perfect shady spot under mature oak trees to make their tent trailer more comfortable.

The campground has fifty camp sites (most of them unoccupied – so it was very peaceful), with space for an additional 140 campers in three group sites at the Falcon Group Campground.  The trail between the two sites offered views of colorful nearby hillsides.

Evening walks were very pleasant – with the the full moon lighting up the night.

Other creatures out for their evening walk each evening included quite a number of tarantulas crossing the paved roads – to prove, perhaps, that it could be done!

The only full-day-stay at the campground included a morning hike along several miles of the San Juan Trail which makes its way eventually back to the Ortega Highway, through primarily oak forests with nice views of surrounding mountains.

Much of the trail was shaded by the oak forest, and there were plants indicative of both shady forest and warmer desert-like conditions.

The trails displayed a variety of fruits and flowers native to the area.

It is always good to get away for change of scenery, if only for a few days, but it was nice to get home again to some of the conveniences of life – like showers – which most Americans take for granted.  Dave and Jan consider themselves to be richly blessed with the Lord’s good provisions in their lives and relationship – and they like it that way!

Dave and Jan spent some time vacationing in Orange County during the last week of June while Stephen and family joined Meagan’s parents and her sister and family at a family camp at Mount Hermon in the Santa Cruz mountains.  Their “staycation” included a three-day camping outing at O’Neill Regional Park in South Orange County in the Lake Forest area.

The park has around 75 individual camp sites plus group camp areas, an equestrian camp area (with corrals and arenas), day use areas, and many miles of trails for hikers and bike riders.  The camp’s facilities are very nice, with oak and sycamore trees and views of nearby Santa Ana mountain peaks.

Dave and Jan enjoyed the hike from the Featherly Day Use part of the campground up a hiking trail to the Mesa Trail on the ridge along the west part of the park – the Twisted Tire trail.

Tires would not have been the only twisted thing along that trail.  There were some very twisted trees in the park as well – both oaks and sycamores.

There were also some colorful flowering thistle plants along the trail.

The most amazing flower display on the trip occurred on the Bear Canyon trail high on the coastal range along the Ortega Highway (74) which takes drivers from San Clemente (on I-5) to Lake Elsinore (on I-15) to the east.

The trail followed a stream to a waterfall which dropped around 20 feet.

Along the trail there were an amazingly attractive number of wild flowers.

The stream offered some very refreshing scenes along the lower trail.

Jan’s good friend Lola required a little assistance along the 2 1/2 mile trail.

And, while much of the nation is experiencing the rising temperatures which are typical of the summer months, south Orange County was still enjoying the normal May/June reprieve of May Gray and June Gloom.

It was a refreshing camping trip.  And there is more to discover, because Dave and Jan drove to a somewhat primitive Forest Service campground three miles removed from the Ortega Highway with 50 camp sites, only one of which was occupied!  So one doesn’t have to travel far from home in Southern California to enjoy a very refreshing “staycation” – compliments of the amazingly ingenious Creator of it all!

Dave and Jan’s camping experience at Moab in southeastern Utah and Airbnb experience at Duck Creek Village in southwestern Utah – with daughter Alissa and her family (Andrew, Levi-8, Elijah-6, Silas-4, and Ephraim-2) – was an enjoyable exposure to the red-rock country and mountain heights of the state of Utah.  It was followed by the drive west to Brea, California and a family reunion with son Stephen and his family (Meagan, Ryan-5, and Erin-2).  For the Crandall family, from South Dakota, a trip to the beach is always a highlight – so the family headed for the “Baby Beach” at Dana Point.

Erin, a California native, took quickly to exploring the surf with Daddy.

Stephen and Meagan were the ones who suggested the “Baby Beach” which they discovered while living at Foothill Ranch in South Orange County.

Andrew (with Elijah) joined Stephen in a game of catch with the Frisbee.

Cousins Elijah and Ryan appear to be consulting together in some of the finer points of sand castle construction – a favorite boyhood pastime at any beach.

Nearby an experienced sand craftsman created a Memorial Day tribute.

Grandpa Dave did a grandfatherly picture tour of the Dana Point Harbor.

The family headed, the next day, to the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana – a museum of discovery options specifically intended for children.  Dave didn’t get any pictures because he opted for a bike ride to the Discovery Cube for a picnic lunch which the rest of the family – which didn’t take place because it was decided to get lunch for the family in the center itself (but Dave enjoyed the bike ride, and the family enjoyed the Discovery Cube).  The family did enjoy dinner together in the evening – filling the dining room with the senior Balsleys, Stephen & Meagan’s family, Andrew and Alissa’s family, and Caroleen Suzuki – the university student who lives with the Balsleys and who flew to Japan on the same day the Crandalls headed back to South Dakota.

It was an eventful week-end in California to top off a very nice vacation experience for the Balsley and Crandall families – with thanks to the Lord for family blessings, for safety in many miles of travel, and for His creative handiwork all along the way!

Dave and Jan were contacted by daughter Alissa (Crandall) and family about the possibility of meeting them for some camping and adventure as the Crandalls made their way to California on an ambitious road trip with their four boys (2,4,6 & 8).  It had been some time since the Crandalls had been to California and since Alissa had seen her brother Stephen and family – both families with a 2-year-old neither family had met yet.  Dave and Jan welcomed the plan, so they drove to Moab, Utah to join the Crandalls for a camping stay at Slickrock Campground (private) on the edge of Moab and close to Arches National Park.

Rainy weather made the camping experience a little challenging (especially for Andrew, Alissa and the boys who were tent camping on the wet ground).  Dave and Jan were a little more comfortable in their tent trailer.  On the day between the two-night camping experience the family toured Arches National Park – a beautiful part of God’s creation, even in the rain!

L to R: Ephraim, Alissa, Levi, Andrew, Elijah (back), Silas (front), Jan & Dave

Alissa, Jan and Silas at the “Delicate Arch” at Arches National Park.

After two nights of camping the family headed southwest (on the 70 and 15 freeways) to Duck Creek Village where Alissa had made reservations to stay at an Airbnb “cabin” on Cedar Mountain east of Cedar City at around 9,000 ft. elevation.  The drive took us through rain and hail and sleet and snow to a surprisingly white place!

It was nice and cozy inside even if it was a “winter wonderland” outside.

One day trip took the family for a drive through (crowded) Zion National Park.

Kolob Canyon is a separate western section of Zion Park (along I-15)

We also enjoyed a day-trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.

The family took a hike and stopped for a picnic on the Arches Trail at Red Rock Canyon.

And the day-trip included a stop and exploration at Mammoth Cave lava tube.

Good times, of course, were enjoyed around the cabin’s dining room table.

As you can clearly tell, the family enjoyed a very cool trip to Utah!  And then there were California adventures.  But that will be another blog.  Dave and Jan are very grateful for the blessings of their growing family.

Dave and Jan headed east in early March to see what winter is like in the state of Utah.  They have driven through the town of Cedar City on previous vacation trips and camped overnight at the local KOA campground, but were curious to know what winter weather would be like in that part of the country.  Because the town is at an elevation of 5000 feet, it was predictably cool, and there were even times when snow was falling.

But is wasn’t snowing most of the time, so Dave and Jan had some fun exploring the town during their visit – including the downtown business area.

The town’s population is around 30,000, so it is large enough to have many of the conveniences of a population center.  There are no shopping malls, but it is likely that Cedar City’s stores which are connected indoors preceded many of the malls larger cities have.

The indoor attractions in this part of town include an old-fashioned soda fountain in a colorful variety store.

The largest employer in town, after earlier lead mining operations faded out, is Southern Utah University – home of the annual Shakespeare Festival.

A nice series of in-town trails for walkers and bikers circles much of the town and some of its parks and other attractions.

One of the features Dave and Jan find most interesting about the town is its proximity to the mountains.  Brian Head, one of the state’s premier skiing areas (not that Dave and Jan are skiers) is in the mountains around 25 miles east of town – where it is reported that there are hiking and biking trails and a resort setting where summer temperatures can be expected to be comfortable.

It was a cool trip!  And the Cedar City area is an area Dave and Jan hope to visit again because of the natural beauty which surrounds the area – one of the many beautiful areas the Lord has created for His people’s enjoyment!

Dave and Jan’s grandson and granddaughter (Ryan-5 and Erin-2 – Stephen and Meagan’s children) both celebrated birthdays during the month of April.  Because their birthdays are within two weeks of each other a joint birthday party was held in the back yard at the Balsley house in Brea.

Joining the celebration were the Seymours and Clampitts, Ryan and Erin’s other grandparents and uncle and family.  From left to right around the table are Zerlinda Clampitt, Jan, Dave, Amos Clampitt, Ryan, Benjamin Clampitt, Bruce Seymour, Meagan, Stephen, Connie Seymour,and Heidi and Chip Clampitt.

The theme for the party (planned by Stephen) was based on the video character Mario and company – as evidenced by this colorful crew.

Gift opening, of course, is always a highlight of any birthday party.

Erin became better equipped to serve as a cheer-leader at the event.

Erin’s gift in the big box (which kept the kids fascinated until it was finally opened) turned out to be a slide of an appropriate size for a busy two-year-old.

And what birthday party would be complete without yummy deserts?

Two weeks later, on Easter Sunday (Erin’s actual birthday), the same group re-gathered at the Clampitt home in celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.

Grandma Connie Seymour planned a clever Easter-egg hunt where each youngster was searching for “eggs” with individual animal faces so everyone ended up with the same number of “eggs” in their basket after the search.

Grandma Seymour also had an “Easter basket” for each of the young people, so everyone had fun exploring and playing with the contents of their basket – as Amos and Stephen are doing in the picture below with Heidi Clampitt.

As you can easily see, Ryan and Erin (along with their Clampitt cousins) are having a good time growing up – and they are certainly growing up!

It happens every spring.  The hills come alive – not just with the sound of music, but with fresh new foliage and colorful blossoms.  And this spring, in Southern California, blessed with such abundant rains that talk of drought has subsided for the time being, the Lord has turned the hills green and golden.  So Dave and Jan have enjoyed some recent hikes not far from home in some of their favorite places – like Chino Hills State Park, for example.

It hasn’t been only this year that the hills in Chino Park have come alive with fresh green and gold because in 2017 the park looked like this.

At another nearby location, Powder Canyon, park authorities have spent a great deal of time and effort and money (to be sure) replacing colorful mustard plants with plants which were native to the area before the mustard plants moved in – though there are still some higher and rougher elevations where the mustard plants are abundant and colorful.

Wooded areas at lower elevations are displaying lots of green grasses.

And hillsides where the mustard plants have been replaced with native grasses are showing both some beautiful greens and some nice stands of lupine.

With all the talk we have been hearing recently about a Green New Deal we are far more grateful for God’s Green New Deal which comes each year with the spring season.  And Dave and Jan are grateful, as well, that there are numerous “islands” of open space in the middle of congested Southern California to be enjoyed after only a short drive (or even a bike ride).