CALIFORNIA!

I had the opportunity to drive down to Ventura, CA with my parents to pick Stephen up from his mission. We had such a blast! One the way down we enjoyed the most beautiful drive through several Southern California cities. We were getting so excited for the family to be reunited the next morning. While Dad was driving, Mom read us parts of this amazing book called Outliers. If you are looking for a good read I highly recommend it. It will make you a better parent, and help you understand what it is that makes people extremely successful. It was fun for all of us to be reading and discussing the book as we drove together. We were driving into Ventura as the sun was setting.

The next day we woke up early so that all of us could get ready. Everyone was anxious and excited!

This is me after blow drying my hair, haha.

After all of us were ready, we jumped in the car and drove down to the mission office. Mom was starting to get really antsy, she couldn't sit still. She took a picture of me, then opened the door and stood outside the car stepping back and forth.

As she was standing outside of the car all of the sudden a truck drove into the parking lot and we hear, "Lee Ann Nelson! Mom!! Mom!!!" Stephen was hanging out the window as the truck continued driving through the parking lot. Then he made the Elder next to him hurry and jump out of the car. He ran across the parking lot yelling "Mom!" the whole way. They finally met and embraced. It was such a perfect moment. After Mom and Dad got hugs it was my turn.

It was fun to pick Stephen up because to tour his whole mission. The first stop was the Mission Office, we had to sign him out and meet President.

The family and President Murri.

Packing up the car!

After leaving the Mission Office and officially having responsibility of Stephen again, we went to Mimi's Cafe for brunch. It was so fun to sit around and eat. Everything was EXACTLY the same. We seriously picked off right where we had left off. It was so fun to have the four of us together laughing, and just enjoying each other. After brunch, we took a nap at the hotel. Then we were off to Simi Valley! Simi Valley has the Reagan Presidential Library. It was so fun to go tour it.

They have President Reagan's Air Force One there! Cool! I walked through it! haha.

President Reagan's grave.

After touring the library we got to go see Stephen's first mission apartment.

DAY 2 BAKERSFIELD, CA

Start the day off with breakfast buffet and a brother sister picture!

Stephen's first Bakersfield apartment.

He's showing us what he use to do for morning work out, haha. He's so strong!

This is the apartment complex where police officers used Stephen and the companion he trained as part of their stake-out. They were tracting when the officer approached them and told them that they needed a visual before they could arrest a drug dealer. They used the missionaries to knock on the door so they could get a visual!
When Stephen talked to him at his door he said, "Now is NOT a good time guys." Of course Stephen was thinking, "you have no idea."

After touring, we took Stephen's last companion, Elder Bobo, out to lunch with his new companion. At lunch it was SO fun to sit at the table with those three Elders and here them talking about the area. Stephen had only been gone for 2 days but they were talking as if he had already been gone a month! Stephen said, "a lot happens in 2 days when you are on a mission!" It was so fun to hear them.

After a few hours we left Bakersfield and went back to Simi Valley to visit some families. We took the coolest road that was so beautiful through a mountain pass. California is pretty in so many different ways. It was fun to talk to families and hear amazing conversion stories. It was cool to get a glimpse of the joy that a missionary feels being involved with that work every day!

DAY 3 SOLVANG, LOMPOC, AND SANTA BARBARA

Lompoc is a tiny town that Stephen served in for a while. Friday as we were driving out there Solvang, a very touristy Dutch community, was on our way. We stopped at the tourist attraction for about an hour. The first stop was one of their famous Danish pastry shops!

Then we went to little Lompoc. The coolest thing about that little town is that it has really cool murals all over the buildings there. We have a pictures at his apartment there. Then another one of us in front of Baskin Robins because I ordered a cake for him on his 20th birthday.

Then we went to Santa Barbara! Stephen served on the UCSB campus...the #2 party school in the nation. It is funny to hear his story about the morning after Halloween and how it looked like zombies were roaming the streets. People travel from all over to go to the Halloween party there. They had to quit working early because of the holiday, then the next morning everyone said they had the best costume ever! haha. Someone said, "I was that two years ago! Where's the helmet?!" Another said, "hey are you really missionaries!?" Stephen said, "Yes!" the guy said, "...oh...cool." The funniest is when someone offered them a beer and Stephen offered them a Book of Mormon instead. Needless to say, it was fun to tour the campus. They have a beach...but BYU is so much nicer! It is actually clean with beautiful landscaping.

The Institute Building.

Bike lane to campus.

One of the biggest college party streets in the nation. Stephen says it is impossible to be LDS and live on that street.

ROAD TRIP HOME!

We had such a blast spending a few days touring Stephen's entire mission. What an awesome experience to see everything that we had been reading about! I loved it. The road trip home was fun too. I loved being able to talk to Stephen about how he was feeling and everything. It was just cool to have my brother back, we're best friends!

Stephen got to meet Kory at around midnight. It was so funny because Kory was saying hello to my parents. Then Stephen said, "it's so weird to hear someone else calling my Mom, Mom!" I think that's when it kind of his him that he has a new brother, haha.

I had such a great trip, but I was very happy to be home with my husband again! I missed him lots!

Mom and Stephen came to Utah for conference the next weekend so that is when Stephen and Kory started to really get to know each other. For the record, he thinks Kory awesome. (I know I have good taste, hehe)