Chapter 5:  San Pedro, California (1958-1962)

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."  The Family--A Proclamation to the World

Did you know that Grandpa was in the Space Program?  Grandpa was transferred to the Space Systems Division of the Air Force to do research and development.  The family was transferred to the West Coast after living in Ohio and Alabama.  This job required Grandpa Halvorsen to be gone from the family a lot.  To make up for this the family planned a lot of vacations to camp, ski, and visit grandparents.  

The family discovered some favorite camping spots during this time.  They camped, hiked, and fished in Yosemite, Mammoth, Kings Canyon, CA, and Zion National Park.  They traveled to Carson City to visit Grandparents and even lived there for a few months after leaving San Pedro before moving to Germany. They took time out of their busy lives to build the relationships that mattered most.  How can you become a better friend to your brother or sister?  When was the last time you told your grandparents that you love them?

Grandma Alta had a lot of responsibility with being the Primary President, raising 4 kids (Uncle Mike wasn't born yet), and helping friends and neighbors.  Yet she always found time to be a support for each child.  Uncle Brad called her his "best friend" and commented about how she gave him "tremendous encouragement and support".  She encouraged her kids to try new things, lovingly drove them from activity to activity, and even let her kids choose for themselves whether they would attend church activities.  This helped them commit and gain testimonies for themselves.  

Grandma was a courageous woman as we have been learning.  She had to place herself in new and unfamiliar experiences often as she moved the family around the world.  In California she even learned some plumbing when the pipes needed to be drained and Grandpa was away.  How do you feel when you have to try something new?  It is scary but you can learn and grow from that experience.

Some Discussion Ideas:

What makes our family relationships so important?  What can we do to strengthen our own family?  What are some activities you like to do with your family?  Is there a day this week that you can do one of those activities as a family?  Here are some fun things we like to do:  Caleb learning a new skill:), Attending a dance and award assembly with Grandpa Halvorsen, playing at home with Nana's blocks, going to the beach, here we are with Aunt Lucy in San Clemente.