Graduation Day for Heather!!

(left) Heather receives congratulatory kisses after the ceremony

(Left) Glen, Heather, Dennis & Erin before the ceremony

Despite the early hour we drove to get to Lake Street Church in Pasadena- we had plugged the location in the GPS-bless those machines-we had to drive right through downtown LA on the 110 freeway-Phew-remind me why I love Alaska. Traffic was relatively light until we got to Pasadena-where crowds of people were arriving for the baccalaureate cermony.

We picked up the soon to be graduate at her friend's place near campus-then Erin and Glen joined us-we all carpooled over to the enormous church where graduation ceremonies were being held. The graduates filed in at 10 am-and we were done a little aftenoon. It was a long ceremony with over 800 graduates-that is a lot of names and life stories. Now Heather has her Master of Arts in Theology, and we are all thrilled!

Afterwards, being truely hungry, we all went to Roscoes for chicken and waffles and then on to the Autry Museum nestled in the park for an afternoon of exhibits on cowboys, Colts, and basketmaking. Faith walked in at the end of a silent auction for Navajo Rugs -and picked up a storm pattern rug, waiting the 15 minutes to win it-it was a fortuitous arrival! By five pm we were off to Pasadena Old Town to eat at a restuarant Dennis and Glenn had discovered before the wedding last year: Green Street Tavern is really yummy and we all ate way too much.

It was bittersweet to have to leave the family after dinner-Heather flies back to Denver Monday- she's job hunting and dog training her new dog Charlie. Erin and Glen are moving to Denver from LA in three weeks. Erin finishes her teaching job at Watts Charter School in two weeks and then she will become a reading teacher in Lakewood, CO.

It was so great to be together-while we dislike the hustle bustle of LA and the air quality, we are very glad the family is going to be relocated shortly and that we could all be together for this important moment. Love to all, Dennis, Faith, Erin, Glen and of course, graduate Heather.