Round 1 and 2

Round 1 went very smoothly. Braden's dad (Joe) was at the Shepherd's Conference most of the time, which was the whole reason he came out. Braden and I even were able to attend one of the evening sessions that was open to the public. CJ Mahaney spoke in place of Piper (who father had just recently passed away). It was really neat to see a large number of men coming together from all over the world practically to worship, listen to good preaching, and fellowship together.

We really enjoyed having Joe stay with us. It was great to catch up and hear news from back home. He even treated us to some delicious meals, one of which was House of Blues! Braden and I, Joe, Bob, Dave, and Braden's brother Thomas all went. Afterward I talked the guys into walking the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I'm sure they appreciated it in the end! haha!

Round 2 was a little more intense. Emily and Kara came in from visiting their friend Nathan in San Diego by the train. We picked them up late Monday night in downtown LA. It was halarious when we discovered that we barely had enough room in our car for all the suitcases they brought. It was a squeeze, but we managed. They said that last time they came to California they underpack, and this time they overpacked, so maybe next time they'll get it down! haha!

The next day Braden and I played the part of tour guide/taxi and took them to see all the sites in LA...Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Santa Monica. We ate at the famous In and Out Burger:
Hollywood Walk of Fame:
3rd Street and Promenade shopping in Santa Monica:

Santa Monica Pier: By the time we got home we were pooped!

Wednesday I took a half day and us girls went to Ventura beach in Ventura, CA. It was a little chilly, but we made the most of it and did some exploring along the beach.
Here are some pictures: On the way home from Ventura, we stopped at a fruit stand along the 126 to get some fresh avacados, plums, and oranges. Yum!

Thursday I went back to work and Braden took Em and Kara to Newport Beach where they hooked up with some more friends for their next stop in their tour of CA.