3 months, huh?

I had a feeling that I wouldn't do that great at upkeeping my blog, it was kind of just a place online where I'd journal for myself, but if I knew that people read my blog, I'd probably blog more. I guess I don't really know how to "blog" without it being more of a journal kind of thing.

It's hard to believe that summer is half-way over. Fall brings intense mixed emotions: fear, excitement, dread and joy, to name a few. I am finally a Senior. Sure, it took four years of many twists and turns, trials and tribulations, but I made it here/God brought me through thus-far, and it's kind of hard to believe. I look back to my high school graduation, thinking I was going to Humboldt State to be a Marine Biologist, and now here I am in the middle of Southern California going to a private Christian school to get a Christian Education degree to work with kids. A couple of majors and a few schools later, the time has just about come, and this chapter of my life is near over. Unfortunately, I am scared out of my mind that I won't pass the Senior Competency exam that Master's requires us to pass in order to graduate. Basically, it is a mini-ordination exam, and it's times like this that I start to wonder if I picked the right major. I know some about the Bible, the basics, maybe a bit more, but people can study it for their whole lives and still not know so much! Not to mention the compter literacy exam and math class that I have to pass. My dad constantly reminds me of how proud he is of me and that I will be the first college graduate on his side of the family. Will he be as proud if I don't graduate? The statement doesn't end with just how proud he is of me- it's the degree that seals the deal for him. Now, I'm sure that's not true, it's just one of the added pressures the semester holds and an added relief I will feel once I graduate. I, mostly, will be proud of myself for trusting in God's provision and faithfulness through something that many thought wasn't right for me. Sure, I thought that many, many times also, when from lack of sleep the night before reading and cramming I would fall asleep reading or cramming for the next due date. Or when I wanted to drop out because I would study so hard and only pull off a C or C-. To be able to look back and see how much I persevered through so many tough classes and exams will be the biggest sense of accomplishment of my life. I just pray that God does have that in store for me because I long for it so much.

I cannot wait to go back here- Pinecrest Lake. Amanda's family has a huge cabin on the lake and it was a blast last year- hiking, canoeing, tanning, swimming, playing board games with everyone each night and overall just chill-axing. It's just about the only thing I've been looking forward to this summer and it's what's pulled me through working at the Y.

The extended Witbeck/Brown/Kampsnider/Anderson family on my great-grandma's 90th birthday.

Four generations.

My new dwarf hamster, Pudge.