We are fine!

After a very eventful, terrifying weekend of wildfires so close to our home we are so grateful for our Heavenly Father's blessings in our lives. Dan and I quietly put together our important papers, seventy-two hour living kits, pet needs and loaded the car with what we thought would be important for us. Dan put our computers in the car along with sleeping bags, water and food. We then checked with friends in and out of the ward who were actually experiencing having to leave their homes. Dan went over to his home teaching family and I checked in with my visiting teaching. My family had already evacuated their home.

As we watched the fires on tv and saw the smoke and ash out our window and from the porch we were very aware how very close the fires were to our home. Saturday night was a very uneasy night as I slept in my clothes ready to leave and listened to the television all night.

Sunday morning after prayers and scripture time, Dan and I joined our ward family for sacrament meeting in our Brea First Ward. A few members were there in their clothes after quickly leaving their homes. We did have sparce attendance but the spiritual gratude we all felt brought us all closer to our Lord. President Love, from the stake presidency told us that today we would only have sacrament meeting so that families could return to their homes and help each other and do the things needing to be done.

It was a very spiritual meeting with the topic of tithing. This topic had been scheduled months before and we all knew that this sacrament meeting was a very important reminder to all of us how very important it is to pay our tithing and then receive the blessings from the lord. Brother Reed gave us both humorous and sacred things to think about and Sister Cathy Nelson reminded us how very important is it to trust the Lord and pay our tithing. This topic could not have been more pointed than this meeting as the fires were so close to us and the spirit of the Lord was felt so strongly in our meeting.

Many good friends and family continuously checked in with us as we watched the fires slowly become more controlled and less threatening to homes. It truly is a miracle that no lives were lost. We are so very thankful that we were spared, that our home, ward, stake and good friends were all protected. This Thanksgiving has a very special meaning for us as we truly reflect on our blessings.

This recent event brought into focus clearly how very important it is for us to be prepared both spiritually and earthly. We need to identify the things that are really important and worthy of saving. We need to follow our prophet in providing provisions to sustain our family for at least seventy-two hours. For Dan and I this was a wake up call that we will not forget but learn from.

We are so very grateful to our family and friends who were concerned and anxious for us. We are also so very thankful that no lives were lost, that our home was protected as well as ward and stake family homes were also protected. Our Heavenly Father truly was with us and protected us as the fires raged.

We hope and pray that each of you will enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving this year has a very important memory for us as we celebrate together.

We love fall...October 31, 2008

Dan and I have busily working to put our house back in order as we continue working on our redecorating. Dan completed all the molding in the living room, sun room, family room and dining room with the help of good friends Crystal O'Barr and Curtis Crosby. His work looks amazing. We love the new ivy border in the four rooms and the tropical parrot border in the family room. Dan recently put up the new chandlelier over the dining room table.

I have been substituting this fall at Mariposa and Arovista here in Brea. The classes I have really enjoyed the most are first and second grades. Yesterday I was in a first grade class and we had a ball. Substituting is neat because I have been able to pick and choose where I want to teach. I have averaged two to three days each week, but I don't expect the volume of requests to continue over the next two months as conferences and staff development days are over. Now the calls will be for illnesses (adult or their children). I am very appreciative of having no work to do in the evenings. meeting other people's expectations and then not getting everything completed. The pressures were greater than I realized as I was teaching. I do not miss the pressures but I really do miss the children. The excitement of watching children learning is unbelievable and very rewarding.

I am really enjoying working in my yard and seeing the fruit/veggies/flowers growing so beautifully. My porch is a very relaxing place we love to enjoy. I have found gardening is my way to find myself again. Working in my home, cleaning and redoing... , cleaning out closets is a lot of hard work but also very fulfilling.

Tonight Dan will greet the trick or treaters as a scary pirate. We hope our family and friends enjoy a safe and fun Halloween.

Summer In Boston...2008

Entry #1 October 15, 2008

This year was so much fun as I arrived in Boston to be with Natalie and family after completing my teaching career of many, many years….

Mariposa Elementary …25 years in the Brea Olinda School District,
Rolling Hills Elementary…10 years in the Fullerton School District
Trappe Elementary…2 years in the Texas San Antonio School District.

It was a huge, difficult, scary decision to retire but now that I am on the other side I am quite happy, just uncertain as to God will have me do to more fully serve him and my family.

I found this special quote when I was visiting the Deseret Bookstore, the author is unknown.

Do not dwell on the mistakes of yesterday,
For they cannot be changed, only forgiven.
Rather, cross the bridge into tomorrow with the
Wisdom that has come from those mistakes
And travel with confidence the higher road.

My daughter Natalie is the light of our lives as well as her younger brother Danny.
Natalie is married to a wonderful young man Jed; she is a compassionate loving friend to all, the mother of three, a beautiful singer, and a talented artist using the computer as her medium. Check out her website for beautiful artwork @http:dragonwriter's deviant art.com.

Natalie is a wonderful mother who truly loves spending time with her family and I love spending time with them. I was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and then with my husband we moved to California after Dan completed his military obligations. We love the variety of opportunities the children and family have had growing up here, in spite of the all the traffic everywhere we go.

My grandchildren are now 5, 6, and 7.

Abby is in second grade, enjoying some independence as she loves to read, make friends and create artwork. She loves to draw, paint and color and of course we think she is very talented. I can see so much of my daughter Natalie in Abby as they are both very creative and talented in their own way. Through a family friend Abby started playing the violin and last summer as I listened to her practice I was amazed at the quality of sound she was able to produce. I hope someday she will pick it up again up and continue learning the violin. She has a smile that lights up the room when she enters, a personality that is filled with love for her family, including her brothers and friends. She has a willingness to help, serve and learn. Abby has a magnetic field around her which draws people to her and yet she is so comfortable in her own skin that she is very content with time alone. Over all she is a terrific little girl and her family love her dearly.

Michael Hunter Kelsey is a picture of both his dad and mom.
He is an avid reader and reads well beyond his years. He is now in first grade but his teacher has him reading third grade books independently. He has been reading for several years now especially during family home evening when they meet together to read the Book of Mormon. Michael loves to read magazines, anything to do with the computer, Star Wars, adventure books and nonfiction books. Michael is a thoughtful little boy, very patient with his younger brother Aidan and loves to help his sister Abby. He is also helpful to his mommy and daddy, and loves to learn. Michael is truly exceptional in his ability to learn. I do hope that the Boston schools will meet his needs as he continues to advance. In order for Michael to spend time on the computer he must earn tickets from doing chores and so he is anxious to get chores so he can do his favorite past time. For the second year Mom as Michael playing soccer and he seems happy. His coach loves his attitude. Michael always brings a smile to my heart as I love him so.

My youngest grandchild is Aidan. and what a real joy he brings to our family. He tries so hard to keep up with his big brother and this summer that meant doing his own chores to earn tickets. One of his chores was to make his bed and I was so proud of how he really worked hard to make it look like Mike’s. He's quickly became one of the better helpers in completing his chores each day and was always so willing to help by doing something elses. I love working with him as he tries his best. He is now playing soccer and his mom says he really catches on quickly and is doing very well. Aidan loves kindergarten and I have a wonderful first day picture of him getting on the bus. Aidan has a terrific personality, is very independent and does love to help his mom. He is often found in the kitchen helping mom with a meal. Aidan loves to be read to, played with and yet he can play happily by himself with his Legos, which he has a terrific time with. I am always amazed as he reads directions so well (pictures and words step by step) and then turns around and creates wonderful toys. He could play by the hour with his Legos. One day as he and his mommy were shopping and the other children were in school, Natalie turned after looking at clothes and Aidan was gone. Now I believe, at the time he was four. She looked, alerting security and they looked down Sears but he was gone. I forget the details now but eventually he was found in the Lego store happily building away without any idea of the concern and mounting tears he had caused. Mommy was busy and so he went to build. Aidan is a blessing to our family and keeps all of us on our toes.

This summer while spending about six weeks with the Boston family I had a blast with my grandchildren. We went several places together but thoroughly loved just spending time together playing. I’m not saying that we didn’t enjoy the Boston area because we did, but we also love spending time together, all day in our pajamas reading stories, making pictures, or watching special movies. The week Natalie is camp counselor for the girls in her stake is my week to have the children to myself and I really look forward to this week. We plan special art projects, get the materials with Natalie and then help and watch Natalie get ready for her camp. During our special week alone we had a painting time with preparations of sanding, gluing and resanding which usually takes three days to complete but this week it took five days.


Abby loved painted very colorful birhouse! Aidian thoughtfully painted his tank.Michael carefully painted his tank red.

These projects were much harder than last year. We had a blast working together and they were so proud when they finished their projects. It rained almost everyday so we had to work inside but the children were terrific and helped me clean up each day as we had to work at the kitchen table.

Some of the activities we enjoyed outside the house were feeding the ducks and swans at the lake near their home. We walked to the lake twice while Natalie was gone and then visited it a couple of times with Natalie. This is a favorite past time of the entire group. One morning we met Julie (Natalie’s best friend) and her family at the lake. It is so pretty and calm there. Another afternoon/early evening we played a rousing game of catch the frisbee. I really enjoyed watching the family play and laugh together.

Another day Natalie took us to the ButterFly House, about twenty minutes from their house in the next little city and we had a wonderful time. All of us are fascinated by the beauty of the butterflies. ...We had an unexpected surprise as they had Chinese baby quails also.

One of the last days we had together was a wonderful visit to Walden’s Pond for a friend of the family’s birthday. It was a beautiful hike into the lake from the parking lot and Natalie stopped to take our picture. The lake was breath-taking and much more than I expected.

The poet Thoreau wrote about this lake many, many, years ago as he spend two years living here after he built his own wooden cabin from the fallen trees he found, planted a vegetable garden and then continued his writing. The lake takes about two and half hours to hike around and I am looking forward to this hike someday. The children played happily in the lake and I just thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and our afternoon all together. We had a wonderful time playing together in the blue clear water. It was hard to leave such a beautiful, peaceful place. I know now why Thoreau loved it so and why he spent those two years unforgettable years at Walden Pond.

Another afternoon we visited the Louise May Alcott home again as just Natalie and I stopped here before but did not have time to go inside. This year we brought the children and had a wonderful time as we stepped back in time to explore Louise’s early home. We purchased several books written by her and then on the way out the children stopped to play on the Maypole. The children are always up for whatever adventure is presented. I thought they did a really good job tying the Maypole, considering we had just spend about two hours touring the home and looking at books.

...Our summer came to quickly to a close but my dear husband said he needed me home. I had had terrific time and now we are all looking forward to Christmas as the Boston family will come to sunny Brea, California.

After arriving home and getting started with Dan and many workers redoing the interior of our livingroom, diningroom, sunroom and familyroom, I was out shopping when I found the newest member to add to our family. His name is Sylvester and we call him Sly for short. He is a three and one half months old kitten, a tuxedo, with a very loveable personality. Slyvester has quickly become the center of Sandy, Jake and even Chucky seemed to have taken him into our home completely. He really is a little doll who loves to be loved.