Tuesday, August 14, 2012



Breana turned 13 this week! We brought cupcakes to a campfire cookout, then she and a few friends camped in a 5th wheel for the night.  It was the first campfire this summer due to wildfires, then too much rain!

We are all doing well, and learning a lot! I'll try to write more very soon.
Aletha

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Oops

Trying to get stuff straight!  I am sorry if you've gotten multiple update e-mails.  I'll try to get get better at figuring this all out!

Aletha

Sept/Oct 2011 Update

Time has, once again, flown by.  I think our time here at seminary has become somewhat routine, so I wasn't sure what might be interesting for others to read about!  However, there have been some interesting moments.

September seemed to be the month of bears.  Yes, bears; black bears to be precise!  The drought in this area brought them out in vast numbers all over the county.  Their favorite foods did not grow in enough quantity to appease them, so down the mountains they came to hunt for food.  Unfortunately for them, this is an area where most families hunt for their winter food stockpile.  One day, a little black bear was spotted near the seminary lodge, then the next day we hear a bear broke into one of the seminary family's garage, the Wilkes (while they were away for the weekend), and helped themselves to an abundant supply of food within their freezer.  Another seminary family, Stuart and Jaime Stopoulos, who had agreed to feed the cats while they were gone, had a huge mess to clean up. The very next night the Wilkes' garage was once again entered by a bear, presumably the same one, by fitting through a window.  The freezer contents were finished off at this point.  The third night, the bear tried the garage AGAIN, only the family was home and scared him off, but the bear nearly busted the window this time.  The same night, a bear found its way onto OUR back deck to check out our freezer.  Luckily it was locked, and I hear him.  I woke up, looked out the window and saw him on his hind legs trying to open the freezer door.  He knocked it over, and having just returned from a major shopping trip the day before, opened the window and hollered some strange sounding scream and off he scampered.  Tim never did see the bear that night, it all happened so quickly.  I don't think I've had that big of an adrenaline rush in quite a while!  Our little timid dog went outside with us, after we were sure he was gone, barked profusely while we lifted the freezer into its upright position.  We had a terrible time going back to sleep, but at least the kids slept through the whole thing.  Next day, Tim secured the freezer to the wall.  And yes, another bear came the next night.  It was smaller and I was awake for him, so he didn't get a chance to do any damage before I scared him off.  About two nights later (my memory is getting foggy here about how many nights later), another bear came to our deck.  This one was huge compared to the other two and had tags on both ears.  Our little dog heard him also, and barked from the safety of the other side of the door separating them.  The bear stopped, thought about what he wanted to do, then slowly lumbered away.  Tim finally got to see this bear, but only his backside.  The tag on each ear meant he had been caught and re-located twice.  If the Game Warden had caught him a third time, they have a rule:  three times and your shot.  Because of the many, many bears coming off the mountains, they temporarily reduced that to twice and they are shot.  About a week later, a hunter with a bear license shot one of the bears.  And maybe a week after that, a second bear was shot -- this one looked like the first visitor to our deck.  We've had no more late night visitors since then, so they must have moved on.  That big one never did get caught, as far as I know.  We actually got to try some of the bear meat at a Fellowship Meal (potluck, held every Tuesday evening here at the seminary), and I could not distinguish its taste from beef.  That surprised me.  Anyway, we are glad of fewer nightly interruptions!

My parents came for a visit Labor Day weekend and brought two of my nieces with them.  Breana knew about one of them, but screamed with delight when she spotted the second one in the car.  We had a wonderful, though far too short, visit.  It was fun to show them around the seminary and Westcliffe.  Hopefully, we'll get to do more sightseeing with them next visit.

One of the seminary wives, Jaime Stopoulos, is a certified exercise physiologist and has trained Olympic athletes.  She was herself an Olympian until a bicycle accident that required surgery on her shoulder.  She has been doing "PE" for the home school children up here.  I put it in italics, because usually PE is "fun" but this is only fun if you want to get in shape! Ha!  I have been doing it with the kids and I am always very tired when done.  We do the class every Tuesday and Thursday, and boy are we happy for the weekend breaks!  However, I am please to announce that just this week I ran a whole mile without stopping!!!  Mind you, I have not ran an entire mile, on purpose, all at one time, since 12th grade -- and only because my volleyball coach made me!  I was quite pleased with my progress!  Jayme, our 17 year old son, lapped me three times and finished quite a bit earlier than I did (it took 20 laps on the inside track).  Breana would have done the same, but someone stepped on her toe and broke it (we think).  She is getting better, though she will not be able to do everything the others do for awhile.

Fall showed up in beautiful colors here in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains!  The mountain had a lot of yellow Aspens showing up.  It didn't last long, however, until we got our first snow!  Luckily, the snow did not last long and many of the Aspens still have their leaves.  We've been having below freezing nights, but 60's during the day.  It is just stunningly beautiful.

Our schedule has been pretty full. Tim has classes 2-4 hours a day, depending on the day, followed by several hours of studying usually going into the night.  He recently gave his first teaching presentation here (done in the classroom, use the whiteboard, handouts), and got very good reviews and comments.  One of the professors even felt he had to affirm Tim's gift of teaching, surprised by how well he did for his first presentation.  I was able to be present (usually it is my laundry day), and overall Tim was very encouraged.  He gives his first Chapel sermon in three weeks; Jayme is going to play hymns for him (first time).  Jayme is taking an AP Music Theory class at the local high school to supplement his home schooling courses, and really enjoys it.  I will not be surprised if he later pursues music in college.  This is his senior year, and we are very proud of him and all he has accomplished and become.  Breana is in 6th grade and doing very well in her home school studies.  She is also seems to have "turned a corner" in her piano playing, as it is becoming much easier for her.  Yeah!  She is also becoming quite proficient in the kitchen, helping me immensely.  David is learning also, though it is not a lot of academic things (though we do some).  He is such an outdoors boy!  Tim and I were trying to teach him how to throw and he's gotten very good!  He has fun riding the neighbor's bike down the hills, but still has to walk them back up (maybe PE classes will help in this area of needed strength).  He is quite good at running through the forest without falling now, which is quite an improvement and means far fewer bandages!  Monday nights we have Women's Study, Tuesday is the Fellowship Meal (potluck), Wednesday is Bright Lights for Breana, Friday nights have turned out to be date nights for Tim and I, and Saturday nights are usually movie night, game night, or hospitality night for us.

Our plans are to return to Nebraska after classes finish up on December 16th.  We will be in Grand Island a week before leaving for California to visit Tim's parents for two weeks.  We still do not know where we will live during our stay through May 2012, but we are not worried nor pursuing anything yet.  Come November, I will be diligently searching for suitable housing and rent cost.  Your prayers concerning this search are certainly welcomed!  Our omniscient God knows where we will stay, so in His timing He will let us know also!  Thank you to those who have been in prayer for us during this adventure we are on. We also want to thank our church, Grace Covenant Church, for their prayers and financial support.  We all look forward to reuniting with our family and friends soon.

Blessings!

The Salcedo Family,
Tim, Aletha, Jayme, Breana and David

Friday, June 29, 2012

We're safe! June 2012

Hello everyone!

We thought we'd let you know we are about 80 miles south west of the Waldo Canyon fire on the edge of Colorado Springs.  It takes an hour and a half to drive there, and there are 3 mountain ranges between us.  So for now, we are safe.  However, the drought has made the whole state fire tinder.  Our area here has a number of fallen trees from the severe wind storm we had in November.  As long as the storms drop rain, we should be mostly all right.  Sometimes we get "dry thunderstorms" with lightning only, and that is pretty dangerous.  Please keep Colorado in your prayers regarding the fires.  There is a lot of displacement and loss. 

We have been here a month now, and it hardly seems possible.  Classes have been going strong for Tim.  He's had a Missions class and a Church History class, covering early church history (up to the Reformation).  I got to attend the first class with Tim, but not the second unfortunately.  I love history.  Next week he starts a Doctrine of Man class.

Jayme has been back a week now from his trip back to Nebraska and the missions trip to the Omaha Tribe north of Omaha, Nebraska.  We are VERY happy to have him back!  He has a job at Hermit Basin Conference Center doing everything possible -- waiting tables, cashier, chop wood, maintenance, housekeeping.  He earns a good wage for a teen!  I gave my card to the local flower shop, but she didn't seem to need any help.  Too bad, that would be fun!

Last weekend, Jayme went up with two friends to a mountain valley lake.  It took 4 hours to hike there!  If you are his Facebook "friend" you can see his pictures.  In two weeks, Jayme and Tim are joining a number of people from the seminary on a hike to the top of Horn Peak, about 14,000 feet in elevation.  Huff, puff, huff.  I know my knees would not like the trip down, so I'm staying home with the younger two.  They will have some incredible pictures to share from that trip!

I will try to post more frequently this time, and perhaps some pictures too!  Thank you for your prayers and support for our adventure here at Sangre de Cristo Seminary.  God has been making his presence and mercy felt and we are humbled and grateful.

Blessings to you and your families!

The Salcedo Family
Tim, Aletha, Jayme, Breana and David

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

August 2011

(Some of you may have seen this already.  I'm trying to put it in a format that will reach the people who want to see it and also be less cumbersome for me... hope you are patient as I learn how to do this.   Pictures forthcoming!)

Hello from Colorado!                                                                                         August 2011

It doesn't seem possible that we've been gone a month already. In many ways, it has felt like a vacation. I don't remember doing so much laundry on vacation, though!  The location is beautiful and incredibly peaceful. The weather is perfect (low humidity). We live at about 9,000 feet up on a 13,428 foot mountain. The only thing that could make it better would be to have all of you here!

As you probably know, our first day of the move to Colorado ended a little earlier than we'd anticipated with our cargo van in the shop. While we waited for a new fuel pump to be installed, we stayed in a hotel with a pool. It turned out that if that fuel pump had acted up just 20 minutes later, we would have been in the middle of no-man's land. Free advice: if you decide to get off the interstate at Brush, Colorado toward Limon, make sure you have plenty of gas and good cell phone coverage!

When we started over the final mountains, headed for Westcliffe, Jayme and Breana couldn't stop taking pictures of the scenery. It is stunning! Upon arrival, we were met by several people. I was told to stand inside and tell them where to put the boxes. Within 15 minutes, both vans were completely unloaded, dinner was provided, and a fellow seminary wife had picked up some milk and other staples for us.

We got about 50% unpacked that first day, finishing up within 3 days. Tim had two weeks before the next class started, so he was kept busy helping us all get settled, fixing various things, and making it more “homey.” All the boxes are unpacked and I'm happy to report we didn't bring too much. Yeah! (However, we did leave a LOT in Grand Island. I am shocked at how much we've accumulated in the last 10 years! I have my work cut out for me upon our return for Tim's “winter break” from classes.) Within a week we found a used, upright freezer for $35. This was a huge blessing for two reasons. One, major shopping is an hour away and therefore monthly stocking up trips are necessary. Secondly, we couldn't fit our freezer in the vans and had prayed for an inexpensive replacement. We'll probably give it to another seminary family when we are done here.

Our first morning thoughts were... “what is that sound?” (Thought it would be profound, didn't you!) Our cabin is “next” to a barn with chickens, pigs (pork chops now), goats, rabbits, and turkeys! Those gobblers had gotten out of their enclosure and sat under our window for an hour. I finally got up and scared them off, but they returned several mornings in a row.  The chickens have at least one rooster and 2-3 rooster-wanna-bee’s. Their cock-a-doodle-doodling is pretty pathetic, but they practice hard! Now that it has been a month, we almost don't hear the chickens, and the turkey enclosure is secure. The poultry is under control. The goats ball at us quite a bit, but its not annoying. Now we get awoken by fighting hummingbirds. There are several in the area and all want to dominate our feeder. They are surprisingly noisy, but because of their beauty, we leave the feeder up.

Tim has finished his second class and is on to his third. So far he has had Doctrine of the Church, Church Music, and Christian Ethics. After next week, we have a one week's break before the fall semester. He starts the fall with New Testament Greek – pray for him!

The children have all met others at least near their age. Breana had a tea party birthday celebration with six others that were within 2 years her age. She has been enjoying going for walks in the woods, making forts with David and riding the neighbor's go-cart down the hill!  Jayme has met guys mostly younger than him, but he is now working weekends with two young seminary students (one is single) and enjoys his time with them. He works at the Hermit Basin Conference Center as a waiter, gift shop cashier, and whatever else they ask him to do. Business is slowing down out here since this is mostly a summer get-a-way location. He's also finished his remote control plane and has given it a couple of successful flights. David is outside most of the day playing with others. He had a pretty rough first couple of weeks. Seems that running around and over rocks is hard and I've had to made a band-aid run down to Westcliffe at least once. All in all, this environment suits him very well. I wonder how he'll do when it's cold outside?

The last month has been filled with sewing up curtains, swimming/water slides at Horn Creek Camp, and gearing up for home schooling. We started schooling on the 22nd. We've also spent a little time at the auto repair shop since our Grand Caravan desperately needed all new brakes. We were not very excited about that, but since we go up and over mountains often it was a necessity. At least there is an honest auto repair shop here in town, highly recommended by fellow seminarians.

Hopefully, you now have a little taste of how we are doing. We miss you all! We look forward to my parents' visit the first weekend of September. We'd love to see some of the rest of you too!

Blessings from our family to yours!
Aletha, Tim, Jayme, Breana and David