Day 14 of our travels–almost the halfway point–finds us in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is where I grew up. I’m listening to my Oakland A’s on an audio broadcast, because I get blacked out on MLB.com when I’m in the place where the team plays. Happens at home whenever they’re playing the Tampa Bay Rays. But it’s better than nothing. We’re staying with my college roommate and her husband–whom I’ve actually known longer than her–while we visit our ministry partners in the area.
We arrived yesterday from our 3-day stay in Bakersfield. What a great time that was, visiting 
with my aunt and uncle. We enjoyed introducing them to our kids and getting to know them better. My great aunt, whom I mentioned last time lives on the same property, is 94 years old, and we don’t know when we’ll see her again. Having grown up with her often at our house for holidays, I felt a little sad that this is probably the last time we’ll see her. But if my aunt’s predictions are right, she’ll outlive us all!
From the heat and humidity of the south, to the dry, arid desert, we have experienced temperatures in the 100s down to the 50s. We’ve driven hours in the flat, flat lands of Texas and climbed our first mountains as we headed into the Grand Canyon. Rivers, oceans, bays and bayous have escorted us on our way.
Today, perhaps we’ll take a trip over to San Francisco. Morgan really wants to see sea lions. But since it’s going to be in the low 50s and windy, maybe we’ll just stay on this side of the bay. We’ll see what comes.
Tomorrow we hit the road again to start our northward journey to Washington. The big wedding is just 5 days away!
Thankful today for:
459. a chance to see my brother and his family
460. God’s creative animals
461. my sweet friend Sabrina
462. the view of the bay with the fog rolling in
463. time spent in my home city
464. people who know my history
465. our kids doing well so far
466. the friends who support our ministry
467. rest stop restrooms
468. generosity
469. faithfulness
470. longevity
Compelled 