The Balsley family in Brea has grown in recent weeks – by the addition of more Balsleys.  Dave and Jan’s son Stephen has been under-employed now for around two years  Recent job interviews could lead to work near Hollywood, so when the lease on his condo in south Orange County was up, Dave and Jan invited the family to live with them for the time being.  As a result the table is filled at dinner time.

Left to right:  Caroleen Suzuki, Meagan, Erin, Jan, Dave, Ryan & Stephen

Both the house and yard are full of activities on the days Jan is providing child-care for Ryan (almost 5) and Erin (almost 2) – a task she shares with the children’s other grandmother, Connie Seymour.  Ryan and Erin are growing and changing rapidly – as kids tend to do.

Occasional trips to nearby parks are always a highlight of any day – like a recent visit to nearby Craig Regional Park (about 1/2 mile from home).

Winter and spring rains have brought us a colorful display of flowers in Southern California this year – including these near our front door.

Jan discovered a good way to occupy the grand kids in some productive activity by enlisting them to help do some yard work on a sunny spring day.

There is seldom ever a dull moment at the Balsley house these days, but it was the psalmist’s wish for those who are blessed:  “may you see your children’s children” (Psalm 128:6).  And it was Solomon’s observation (Proverbs 17:6) that “Grandchildren are the crown of old men.”  So we are blessed and crowned!

Dave and Jan celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary with the normal trip after Christmas to the Monterey Bay area.  Dave’s three “favorite” sisters live in the area – sister Jan LaFever (and Mike) in Boulder Creek; sister Jewel (and Rick) in Corralitos/Watsonville; and sister Susan (and Horace) in Seaside (in the family “homestead” where Dave and his sisters grew up).

Dave and Jan enjoyed visits to the beach in Marina and Monterey during their stay – along with Jan’s dog Lola, of course.

Some of the family gathered for lunch/dinner on Sunday afternoon at a restaurant in Seaside named Googie Grill – where there have been several other family gatherings in recent years.  Dave’s “favorite” sisters had sent him a gift card to Googie Grill for Christmas to keep him from trying to pay for the family meal – a gift card which indicated it was coming from his “favorite sisters”!

Left to right:  Daniel and Joy Weaver; Jan and Dave; sisters Susie, Jan and Jewel; Rick Rogers (Jewel’s husband); and Jared Weaver (Susie’s son and Joy’s husband and Daniel’s father).

On Monday, December 31, some of the family gathered near the Carmel Mission for a hike in the woods.

The hike was followed by a picnic on the beach at the mouth of the Carmel River – an area known to the family as “the lagoon.”

Dave and Jan stopped for a few pictures at nearby Carmel Beach on the way back to their motel room in Marina.

On the way back to Southern California Dave and Jan enjoyed a stop for the night in San Luis Obispo – a city they have enjoyed visiting on several occasions in recent years.

It was a nice time with each other and with family members – enjoying some people and places which have provided enjoyment in our lives on numerous occasions down through the years.

Because they were camped at the Convict Lake Campground Dave and Jan decided to take the Convict Lake Trail up to Mildred Lake and, perhaps, Dorothy Lake (though they didn’t make it that far this time around).  The trail led into some beautiful country, but it was complicated by its 2,500 ft. climb!  It began at the west end of Convict Lake where the Forest Service build a boardwalk because water flowing from the mountains would make crossing challenging without some elevation from the forest floor.

The upward climb began at the trail sign at the northwest corner of the lake.

The air was fairly clear of smoke coming over the mountain range from the fire in Yosemite National Park as the trail headed upward into the mountains.

Parts of the trail were obscured because of rock-slides from higher elevations.

As the valley ahead began taking shape the scenery became increasingly beautiful – at least for those who enjoy mountain scenery (as Dave and Jan do).

Dave and Jan are always fascinated by the geology of the mountains.  What, apart from the flood of Noah’s day, could account for the folded strata of metamorphic rock, some of it at a 90 degree angle from the valley floor below?

The air became clearer and the sky more appealing as the trail climbed.

Things became more challenging when the trail arrived at a bridge which was washed out years back and never rebuilt – whose cement abutments you can see if you look closely at the photo below.

Because a side-stream fed into the main stream just above the missing bridge, two stream crossing were required to continue the hike up the valley.

On the far side of the creek the trail started to look a little more like a mountain goat path than a hiking trail intended for humans.  A misstep on the valley side could have provided quite a tumble down the talus slopes.

The first view at Mildred Lake began with a small side-lake at the trail’s top.

Views of the terrain surrounding the lake made the hike very worthwhile.

The hike back down the trail was a challenge to the knees, but scenic nevertheless.  Asked what she wanted to do on her birthday, Jan said she wanted to take a hike – and she certainly did!

The day ended with a tasty steak birthday dinner at Tom’s Place – a very colorful, rustic resort town with a highway crossing named after it along California’s Highway 395.  Dave and Jan always enjoy their times of refreshing in the mountains which they see as evidence of the creative genius of the Lord – “Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being girded with might” (Psalm 65:6).

Dave and Jan enjoyed a camping trip in the “Smoky Mountains” of California the first two weeks of August – at a time when it seemed as if the entire state of California was on fire.  The plan was to camp near special ministry friends, Dr. David and Suzy Bancroft, who chose Silver Lake on the June Lake Loop (north of Mammoth) as a destination.  The Bancrofts arrived earlier and arranged for a camp site for Dave and Jan, but a rain storm and mud slide in the area of the campground closed that option the night before their arrival.  So Dave and Jan headed for Convict Lake – an area south of Mammoth Lakes which was a little less smoky.

Though camp sites at the lake are normally available for only one week, the camp host kindly extended their creek-side stay for all but one night of their two-week trip.

Dave and Jan made several trips to Silver Lake where the Bancrofts treated them to some special meals which Suzy prepared in their travel trailer.  The drives were sometimes very smoky, with miles of dark highways on their return trips, but the food and fellowship was very rewarding – along with some enjoyable games in the evenings.

Convict Lake is a beautiful area in the Sierras, and there were deer to enjoy every day in the campground – frequently in Dave and Jan’s campsite.  Jan also caught a glimpse of a racoon which got into their cooler one evening and ate two pieces of carrot cake.

The first hiking outing took place at Mosquito Flat which is located up the mountain to the west from “Tom’s Place” at an elevation of around 10,000 feet.  At that elevation the air was fairly clear of smoke.

The next day the Balsleys and Bancrofts took the shuttle down to Red Meadow for a hike to Rainbow Falls.  Here is a picture of David and Suzy on the trail.

During the visit to Rainbow Falls we did something to our camera which created a blue tint to the pictures taken there – but you get the idea.

Dr. Bancroft and Dave both had bikes along, so Dave rode up the Mammoth Bike Path to meet Dr. Bancroft (who took the uphill ride with his bike on the back of Dave and Jan’s car) so the two men could enjoy the five-mile ride down the paved bike trail back to Mammoth (where the ladies were shopping at a thrift store).  The bike path is very scenic, passing several lakes along the way – including Twin Lakes and Lake Mary.

On Sunday (August 5) Dave and Jan attended worship at Mammoth Community Church with the Bancrofts.  The next day they hiked around Rock Creek Lake (west of “Tom’s Place”) while the Bancrofts dealt with some electrical challenges with their camping trailer.

A bold little Golden-Mantled Squirrel insisted on sharing lunch with Dave and Jan at their picnic table at Rock Creek Lake.

The time with the Bancrofts ended on Tuesday (August 7) with a walk around Convict Lake – surrounded as it is with impressive peaks and very interesting folding and coloration in the rocks on the west side of the lake.

Dave and Jan continued in the area for another week (another blog) before heading back to Southern California, but they had a very enjoyable time with the Bancrofts in a region of amazing beauty and variety in the “Smoky Mountains” of California.  Camping trips are almost always a spiritual high for Dave and Jan in view of their relationship with the Creator!  As the song-writer expressed it, “Heaven above is softer blue, earth around is sweeter green.  Something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen.”

The “lazy days of summer” haven’t been too lazy at the Brea Balsley residence.  We have had some very warm days in mid-summer, which have restricted some of our activities, but we haven’t been challenged to find things to do.

Caroleen Suzuki, our college student house guest wrapped up her studies at Fullerton (Jr.) College in June with graduation exercises.  Pictures were posted on Facebook, so you may already have seen her in graduation attire.

Graduation was followed shortly, for Caroleen, with a month-and-a-half visit in Japan with her mother and brother and grandmother.  Next she is preparing to pursue graphic arts studies at California State College in Fullerton.

Jan put in some extra duty in her care of Stephen and Meagan’s children when the other grandmother/care provider had two surgeries and a two-week vacation trip, but being a grandmother is one of Jan’s favorite things!

For the last year (since September) we have hosted a weekly Life Group meeting in our home each Tuesday evening.  It has been a refreshing time of Bible study and fellowship in prayer and some good refreshments – with most of those attending coming from our former church family at Temple Baptist.

At the end of June Dave volunteered for a week of service in our church’s Mega Music Mash-up program – a week-long Vacation Bible School (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) with a significant musical dimension to it.  During the week every child learned a full musical and learned how to play a simple musical instrument.  Dave was a small-group leader with the 3rd and 4th grade children.  It was one of the best VBS programs he has ever witnessed.  Barbara Barr (wife of Pastor-Emeritus Jamie Barr) was the lead teacher for the 3rd and 4th grade group.

The week ended with two performances on Sunday (4:00 and 6:30 p.m.) of the Christmas-themed musical “A Certain Small Shepherd” to full-house audiences.

And what would summer be without at least one hike in the Angeles Forest at Ice House Canyon – a nice escape from the heat in the valley below.

Dave and Jan look forward to more summer scenes in the Sierras, camping with ministry friends from Tucson days (now living and serving a small church in the eastern Sierras town of Independence, California), Dave and Suzie Bancroft, before the summer is over.

Because our daughter Alissa Crandall and family live in South Dakota we don’t get to see them as often as we would like.  So we decided to take a short trip to visit over Mother’s Day week-end.  Alissa’s birthday was the next day (May 14), so there were two special days together.  We enjoyed our visit, but the travels were a little crazy.

We flew on May 11th from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport to Denver, but couldn’t land because of strong winds.  So we backtracked to Colorado Springs, refueled the jet, and returned to Denver – missing our connecting flight to Sioux Falls as a result of the delay.  So we spent a night in Denver, then cancelled our rescheduled flight on May 12th for a slightly earlier one on another airline – arriving in Sioux Falls late in the afternoon.

Our rental car was a brand new Hyundai Elantra (nice car) with just over 500 miles on the odometer.  But around 20 miles out of Sioux Falls the left front tire exploded – really!

Towed back to Sioux Falls, we started over in a new Toyota Corolla – arriving in Huron just in time to say good night to our four grandsons and eat a delicious warmed-up salmon dinner Alissa had prepared to welcome us to Huron.

Three of Andrew and Alissa’s four boys (L to R – Silas, Elijah, and Levi) were on kitchen duty on Mother’s Day – emptying the dishwasher to make room for another load after Sunday morning breakfast.

During morning worship at Huron’s First Presbyterian Church Pastor Andrew delivered his weekly children’s sermon – along with an excellent message on Christ’s ascension.

Grandma Jan enjoyed the opportunity to do some reading with the three older boys.

She also had fun playing with some light-weight flying disks in the Crandalls’ front yard.

The older boys (Levi and Elijah) spend many happy hours creating things, often with careful discussion and deliberation, with their many Legos.

A park just a block away from the Crandalls’ house is a fun place to get some exercise.

And bikes (Levi and Elijah), trikes (Silas) and a one-man car (Ephraim) are good for exercise on the sidewalks and driveways in the Crandalls’ nice neighborhood.

An unexpected surprise of the trip involved the opportunity to attend Elijah’s pre-kindergarten graduation at the James Valley Christian School he and Levi attend.

Tuesday’s return trip to Southern California came quickly – but the adventure was not over.  Our flight from Sioux Falls to Phoenix went smoothly, but our connecting flight to Orange County was delayed an hour and a half.  When we finally got there, our son Stephen picked us up and took us to our car (11:30 p.m.) and we headed for home on the 55 Freeway – coming to a stand-still on the freeway in just a few minutes because of an accident in the left lanes.  So we arrived home in the early hours of Wednesday, May 16th – happy to have had a nice visit with family, even if the travel was a little crazy.

It has been quite a while since our last blog, but not because there has been nothing to say or no pictures to share.  A lady in the Life Group we host in our home each Tuesday evening said this of retirement:  “Retirement is when you get up in the morning with absolutely nothing you have to do, and come to the end of the day only half done.”

We enjoyed an extended family gathering at our house in April to celebrate the birthdays of both Ryan and Erin – Stephen and Meagan’s two children.  Ryan has turned four years old, and Erin is now one.  Stephen and Meagan decided it might work to celebrate both birthdays together this year because the kids are both too young to care about separate birthday parties.  That is likely to change before very long!

Our celebration included Stephen’s family, Meagan’s parents (Dr. Bruce and Connie Seymour), and the family of Meagan’s sister (Chip and Heidi Clampitt, Zerlinda, Amos and Benjamin).

Erin clearly enjoyed the catered Mexican meal which Stephen and Meagan provided.

Ryan probably took a greater interest in breaking the pinata which was part of the party.

Moving inside as darkness closed in, it was time to open birthday gifts – and there were plenty of birthday gifts to be opened!

With two birthdays to celebrate, there were two birthday “cakes” to enjoy – a chocolate brownie cake for Ryan and a pretty pink cake for Erin.

Erin clearly enjoyed “digging in” as she sampled her first birthday cake!

We are enjoying the opportunity to be close enough to Stephen and Meagan’s family to be able to take in the celebrations of the grandchildren’s birthdays – and to have other extended family members close enough to join in on the celebrations.

For each of the past several years Dave and Jan (sometimes with Caroleen Suzuki, college student guest at the Balsley home) have made year-end trips to the Monterey Bay area for family visits.  The new 2017 year got off to a busy enough start that there was no blog entry about the end-of-year 2016 visit, but it was a very pleasant visit as always.  The Monterey area is always is almost always a pleasant place to visit just because of its physical beauty.

A drive north to the San Jose area provided the opportunity to connect with Jan’s cousin Linda Rollo and her husband David in their new setting in a retirement community in the hills east of San Jose.  We look back to 2016 because Dr. Rollo and Linda were in Florida during Dave and Jan’s 2017 Christmas trip to the central California area.  The view from the Rollos’ back deck reveals the nice surroundings in their new setting.

And a meal together in the community club house restaurant was a pleasant experience – as visits with the Rollos always are!

Dave and Jan’s 2017 visit to the Monterey area provided numerous nice opportunities to connect with family – like the walk along the beach at Seaside with Dave’s sisters Jan and Jewel and Jewel’s husband Rick.

We all enjoyed lunch together after the beach hike at Seaside’s Googie Grill, a restaurant we have enjoyed several times now during visits to the area.

We also enjoyed family meals at the Black Bear Diner, just across the line from Seaside in Monterey (where only sister Jan took a good picture which she posted on Facebook), and at sister Susie and Horace’s house – where Dave grew up and where nephew Jared, his wife Joy, and son Daniel live as well.

Another family visit along the way for Dave and Jan was a lunch visit in Santa Barbara where Jan’s aunt Edna lives in a nice retirement community.

Whether he said it first or not, Dr. James Dobson (of Focus on the Family fame) said something to the effect that “no one ever says, as they are approaching the end of their life, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.'”  What a blessing it is to be able to spend time with family members we love!

Dreaming of a white Christmas is never very productive in the city of Brea.  We dream instead of a nice Christmas, and – given the reason for the celebration, the incarnation of the Lord Jesus almost two thousand years ago – it is pretty easy to have a nice Christmas in Brea.  The city’s crews always get in on the celebration with some seasonal decorations.

The week before Christmas the city of Brea opened a nice present for city pedestrians and cyclists with the addition of another portion of the Tracks at Brea Recreation Trail – the portion nearest the city’s downtown area.

Of course, there are always Christmas decorations around our house during the Christmas season.

And Christmas dinner is an important part of the traditional celebration at the Balsley home – a dinner which was enjoyed this year by Stephen, Meagan, Ryan and (for the first time) Erin, along with Dave and Jan and Caroleen.

Our family is grateful this year not only for the birth of Jesus so many centuries ago, but also for the arrival of Erin Laurel on April 21st of 2017.

Christmas in Brea has been a happy experience once again for our family – all because of the event which got the celebration going long ago, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He has enriched our lives in more ways than we can begin to count and, because He came to birth on earth as He did in order to accomplish the significant saving work He accomplished a little over thirty years later by His death and resurrection, He always will!

When they are not doing other things (and there are quite a few other things to do), Grandmas care for and play with their grandchildren!  And “Gramma Jan” has opportunities to do what Grandmas do fairly often with two of her six grandchildren – Stephen and Meagan’s son Ryan and daughter Erin – living not too far away.

Erin, at six months, is learning all kinds of new “tricks” – like push-ups.

And perhaps she is already apparently into pondering some deep thoughts.

Is she off to an early start with concern over the appearance of her hair?

It appears that she may already be giving some thought to carving her first pumpkin.

Ryan enjoys being outdoors – and helping Grandma with the yard-work.

And he enjoyed tossing glow rings over pumpkin stems in the back of our car at our church’s Fall Fun Extravaganza – among the other fun activities.

Grandma Jan is having a good time doing what Grandmas do!

And Grandpa Dave is in on the fun as well because – in addition to the crowns on some of his teeth – Proverbs 17:6 says that “Grandchildren are the crown of old men”!