Looking forward to Fall...

Janelle started back to work at Valencia Valley School this week... She has been there since the school opened in 1986 or so and now we run into adults around the community who look at her kind of funny and say something like "didn't you work at Valencia Valley school way back when?? Yea, still there, and still taking the cash for lunch from all those funny faced kids! July was a busy month for the two of us. We had a fun visit to Utah around the 4th of July and stayed with Elmo Jr. and Malinda Gruwell in Pleasant Grove and as luck would have it four of our five kids were either in or passing through Utah on their summer vacations. We enjoyed a couple of family occasions with them and I will attach a photo or two. Our big summer trip this year was a fly and drive to Cleveland, OH and points east and south over the next week. We visited Niagara Falls for a day and had a fun Jet Boat ride that we thought would put us at the bottom of the falls but we couldn't get nearly that close. The pilot however succeeded in gettin us and everyone totally drenched in some class 5 rapids. We drove over to upstate new york near Rochester, NY and Palmyra to witness the closing night of the Hill Camorah Pageant that features a cast of hundreds enacting the history of the early Americans and their culture, history, wars and spiritual events told in the Book of Mormon. Next day we drove through a good part of northern Pa. and down to the Pa. Dutch communities of the Amish. My niece and her husband (Brenda and Adam McBride) live close by and they gave us a wonderful excursion out to some of the Amish towns and villages. We met a wonderful Amish family that invited us to their farm and provided us a carriage ride and tour around their farm and introduced us to their children. What Fun and enjoyment we found with new friends! (see photo) Most of one day we spent at Gettysburg, Pa battle field and really enjoyed the wonderful rich history of one of the great and saddest battles of the Civil War. Every American should visit there and remember the sad events that turned brother against brother and caused our country's greatest trial. We crossed over into Maryland and West Virgina and saw the great Smokey Mountains and some of the prettiest country and forests in our land. Our final few days were spent at Kirtland, Oh where a historic Mormon Temple sits and part of the historic Mormon settlement that included at least two of Terry's forebears (Gifford family and Angel family) around 1835 and made a big connection in helping to appreciate actual ancestors that came through tumultuous times and events. Upon arriving home and recuperating a few days we hosted Ray and Janet Young from Page, Az for 4 to 5 days and had wonderful times visiting sites around No. Los Angeles County. We made sure to get both of Terry's brothers Ray and Chuck together for a visit to a wonderful part of the Coast near Morro Bay and a little friendly golf match that Ray agreed to referee. Life is good for us here in Valencia, we are healthy (not without the expected aches and pains that come with being in the early 60's) but the Lord has blessed us with a rich posterity and blessing we didn't always expect. Hope all is well for all those (few or many) that visit our wimpy blog :) Love and Best wishes, Terry and Janelle