Welcome to Hotel Heerwald...
A Spring & Summer of Lovely Visitors

Our dear Norwegian friends Ellen and Håvard spent 2 1/2 weeks with us- we spent a spring break driving up the Pacific Coast Hwy to San Francisco and over to Yosemite National Park. The second week we hung around Pasadena. It was such a blessing to spend quality time with some of our closest friends- we miss them so much! Ellen was a trooper being 6 months pregnant- such a hardy Norwegian. They now have a son, Birk! We can't wait to meet him someday. We love you guys!

Along the Pacific Coast Hwy- we had no idea California looked like this! So beautiful!

An hour drive from Pasadena: Zuma Beach in Malibu- gorgeous

Love it! 

__________________________________________________________________________

Our next visitor was our good friend Kelly, who is still living in Norway working with the Quest student ministry that we started together. Such a blessing to see her and hear of all the amazing things God is doing through her and the dedicated students in Norway. Overlapping with Kelly's visit was my sister Danielle and her husband (and our good friend) Grant. They had been leading mission trips in Mexico for the summer and were able to swing by for a week. So great to see them and show them around our new "home". We had such a great time with everyone- what a blessing! We miss them all.

Hiking in the San Bernadino Mountains not far from our place

At Huntington Beach with Kelly

Waiting for the Metro in L.A.

Sisters- why do we have to live so far away from each other? Miss you!

Visiting the Getty Museum overlooking the city

Miss you Kelly! You're amazing :)

Can't forget the tourist trip to Hollywood and the walk of fame

I (Cortney) am not usually a big fan of zoos (most are depressing!) but I have to admit this is the best I've ever seen, pretty impressive. For a zoo.

Seriously is there any baby animal cuter than pandas? I don't think so...

I was most awed by seeing these hippos so close. They are amazing.

Dorks. What else can I say?

What a bunch of weirdos...We're so glad you come out and see us!

________________________________________________________________________

Last but not least, a couple of our friends, Erlend and Aida (we met our first year in Norway before they were married, (Erlend is Norwegian and Aida is from Columbia) were taking an "American road trip" and stayed with us a couple of days on their way through CA. It was so great to see them!

Gotta love the Pasadena "fro-yo" experience!

_______________________________________________________________________

Oh, and we were also blessed to meet up in Arizona for a few days with some of our wonderful "Duluth family" (those we did student ministry with at UMD). Though some of us are living in different places now, we still feel like family whenever we have the chance to get together. Made us miss them all the more...