Michelle's Graduation!

This weekend I had the opportunity to see my little sister graduate from college. It was amazing to see the culmination of the last four years of her life. The weekend was full of family, friends, laughs, and smoke?

We flew in to Burbank and then drove north to Santa Barbara. We knew that there was a wild fire in Santa Barbara (the second one in 6 months) but we had no idea what to expect.

This is what we saw from the freeway coming into SB.

Our fist night we went to Michelle’s track and field banquet, it was a little long but fun.

Little did we know it was going to be dinner and a show.

The next day we woke up covered in a thin layer of ash that had come in through the windows overnight. After breakfast

we went for a walk on the wharf …

Then headed to the beach,

where Michelle and I compared skin color

I’ll let you be the judge about which looks better.

Friday night was Michelle’s baccalaureate, which had to be moved from Westmont to Santa Barbara City College because the campus had to be evacuated. It was a beautiful service in a beautiful setting.

Saturday morning was commencement, it was so incredible to watch Michelle walk across the stage, and she was so beautiful!

After the ceremony we went to a potluck with Michelle’s friends

and then went out to a nice dinner with the family.
Sunday morning Michelle, dad, and I woke up early to watch the sunrise,

it was too foggy to really see anything, however we did not complain about the fog because it helped so much with the firefighting efforts.

We went to church and then out to lunch, after lunch we went to the beach again for a little bit and then it was time to go.

But not before a quick stop in Summerland in which Michelle showed off her amazing avocado picking ability.

It was such a great trip and having gotten the chance to take Michelle to college for her freshman year and then to get to be there for her graduation was something that I will always keep close to my heart. I’m now home missing my sister with lots of memories, some great pictures and a wicked sunburn.

Rock and roll!

While Michelle was home over Christmas she was telling me about a half marathon she wanted to run this summer and asked me if I would run it with her, and I said yes! I have never been a “runner” and to be completely honest since high school I’ve struggled with exercise. So since Christmas time I’ve been trying to get into a good running routine, I’ve defiantly been getting better, but I’m having a hard time with consistency, the story of my life! I signed up to do a boot camp though church that started last week and it was great, really hard, but it’s great to be pushed and to meet new people. I’m really hoping that this is the beginning of a new healthier lifestyle for me. I know that as I get older exercise becomes more and more important and also if I want to get into better shape the longer I wait the hard it will be to drop the extra pounds. Anyway I’m hoping for some prayers for motivation and for help with consistency.

Whoa, sex

At church we are doing a sex series. It’s great, informative, a little uncomfortable at times, but for the most part, it’s great. More than about sex the act it’s been more about relationships and how sex comes in to play in the marriage relationship; like I said informative.

Last week something that came up was arguments, and how there is never a winner when it come to arguments. I argue to win, I think I always have, it’s the way we did it growing up. However I see how it’s not productive in relationships.

In the car on the way home from church last week Joe and I were talking and I mentioned that I like to win, he told me that he’d seen that, then he told me that when I’m trying to make a point my tone can come across as demeaning. I can see how this is how I can come across, and I want to change it.

I’ve been thinking about this all week and have been trying to see it in my daily life. However I’m having a hard time, I need to pray about it more. Today I asked Joe to point it out when I do it. I know that this could be a bit of a slippery slope but I feel like it’s what I need, for now.

Growing and relationships, I’m finding, can be hard, but so worth it.