7 days with Uncle Joel!

Two Monday's ago (8/24) my 2nd to youngest brother, Joel, flew out to visit us for a week! I was really excited to see him and honestly surprised and honored that he wanted to come to the middle of nowhere and hang with his big sis...How many 14yr olds do you think would willingly do that?!?!? I wonder if I didn't have Asher if he still would have been as interested in coming though??? ;)Picking up/Dropping off Uncle Joel at LAX....Somehow Joel and I managed to miss seeing Paris Hilton, Jeremy Piven, Chris Brown and Demi Lovato while at airport....Such a bummer :) Right before Joel caught his flight home, I made sure he got to try In & Out Burger. Ironically, I took him to the same In & Out Burger that I had been to 4 years earlier when Andrew and I had come out to CA just after we started dating.
After picking up Joel, we headed to Venice Beach. Venice Beach cracks me up....it is the truly, crazy side of LA. My friend Laci had come along to help me with Asher and get off base for the day and had never been to Venice. True to form, we saw the steroid, muscle ripped, guys at Muscle Beach, the street performers and hawkers and the newly legal marijuana "Dr." offices/dispensaries! After seeing that side of town, we headed over to Santa Monica and got to see a much more beautiful and refined side of things. Joel was thrilled because we saw a Ferrari, Lamborghini and 2 Bentley's, one being a convertible! After a great lunch and running an errand to Williams-Sonoma we headed home.
On Tuesday, Joel kindly came with me to run errands around Lancaster and Palmdale (the 2 "close" towns) We picked up paint, returned things, got a stroller tire fixed and went out to lunch. It was so nice to have Joel with me, because it meant that I didn't have to take Asher in and out of the car seat for each 5min errand!! I so wish I could have him around for this all the time! Wednesday, we went bowling with some of the other wives and their kids, on base. Asher was very interested in watching for all of about 5 min. Joel bowled 3 great games....I only lasted for 1!
In the mornings, Joel and I would walk with my 2 other friends and their kids. One morning, he and I decided to walk over to Starbucks and I introduced him to my "favorite" drink (my fav non dairy/non soy drink) Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade with passion tea and 1/2 original sweetener and 1/2 raspberry sweetener...So refreshing!

Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of our afternoons in the pool and getting Tiger Blood shaved ices. (Sounds horrifying, I know, but seriously, the best flavored shaved ice ever!!!) Asher LOVED playing "boo" with U. Joel in the pool and watching him zip downs the water slides.
Friday, we headed to the "Cat House" which is this very random Big Cat preserve in Rosamond, CA. (about 20miles from our house) It isn't a rescue, but a legit breeding/zoo. (Though it did not look or feel that legit!) We got to see some cats up close, but a lot of them were inside their dens because it was about 105 out! After that, we toured base, checking out all the AF planes and NASA stuff. Later that night, our friend Laci and the 4 of us went to the Antelope Valley Fair. It was crazy! Lots and Lots of people! (I will kill my future daughter for wearing most of things I saw there, even if it was just a Halloween costume! Seriously, people! Dress better!!!!!!!!) We showed Asher the goats, cows, and llamas in the animal barn and watched an amazing diving show that had us all in awe! 80ft dive into a 9.5 ft. wide pool..Are you nuts!?!?!?

Saturday we chilled at home, unintentionally. We were going to try and go camping, which meant we had to find our camping stuff in the garage boxes. That turned into a 6 hr project of opening, organizing, and purging boxes. We found all the camp stuff, but in the process, also found out that the campsites where we wanted to go, were full. So Sunday we roadtripped to Lake Isabella about 90min away. Once there, I realized I forgot my camera! It was a great time....Joel, Asher and I swam in the lake and Boots endlessly chased his ball into water. Before we knew it, Monday was here and Joel headed home. Asher has missed having his Uncle around to make him laugh and I have missed having someone to hang out with during the day!

Thanks for coming Joel. We love you lots and lots!!! Come back again soon!