My final night in San Diego -- the time flies so quickly! A blink, and they've already changed so much since I last saw them, less than a year ago. Here Isabel is wearing her little dress that her mom decorated for her. Not too sure what she's doing with the bamboo stick; I think she's rowing a gondola. She likes pretending to be Sleeping Beauty, neatly laying on a blanket, hands tidily folded across her chest. A kiss from either her father or me will wake her up -- but not from her little brother, no matter how hard he tries!
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip: it was a welcome change of pace from life up in BC -- no big agendas or hurried schedules, just peaceful, domestic life. The late-night talks with my sister about church issues really helped put things in perspective for me, and at the least reminded me that the frustrations I get at my church are by no means unique: they often simply come with the territory at large churches. I am still really not sure what, if anything, I ought to do at church to help the situation, but at least I have a renewed spirit to persevere and continue seeking out God's open doors.