Dinner with Laura, Ben's Birthday, and Margaret Nelson's Funeral

For a long time, our good friend from church and Coastal Voice member, Laura Jerrell, had wanted to invite us out to eat and enjoy our company. She took us to Applebee's and we enjoyed a night of conversing with her and cameraderie. She is so fun and I'm glad she's my friend. She even calls me her son and says she's old enough to be my mother.

As soon as they got back from Cambodia, the next Monday, it was Ben's birthday and party. We were able to regift an alarm clock from Grandpa Arno's room. He got a ton of books (as that was a majority of his wants list). It was fun to see him have fun on his birthday. It's crazy that the kids are getting older.

After the birthday we went to the Santa Maria Mall where we took these pictures.

We helped celebrate Sister Margaret Nelson's life at her memorial. We sang in the Coastal Voices choir (one song: Ave Vernum). We heard beautiful recollections of her life. We saw her music students all perform prelude numbers for her funeral. They had tacos in memory of her love for Taco Bell (of which I had no idea). Sarah and I sat by the Egberts and Resendez's.