The reason behind our big trip to California was Chris's graduation. This happened on our second day there and he decided to do the large university-wide graduation at the stadium instead of the smaller departmental one. This was at 10AM and our hotel was by the San Francisco airport, so taking the train would take an hour, then our walk to the campus. This meant we left pretty early, which wasn't too hard due to jet lag.
We stopped on the street that was leading us to the campus to grab bagels and Starbucks for breakfast since we knew it would be a while before we ate again.
Officially on campus.
It's amazing that once you cross the street onto campus, you go from a city to a very secluded wooded campus.
Nana and Dubby with the Campanile.
The Campanile up close.
This is the point where Nana and Dubby got onto a golf cart to take them up to the stadium. They had talked about the last time they visited for a football game and how Nana took the cart up and Dubby walked. They talked about how far a walk it was and how steep. Not far past the Campanile, there was a small hill and then there was the stadium. We laughed because it wasn't very far or steep and we made it up with the double stroller (which weighs over 100lbs with both kids riding) no problem. We told Nana that if she thought that was far she probably shouldn't go to Europe.
The Golden Bear is their mascot.
The stadium all decorated for the commencement ceremony. We shocked at the line of graduates waiting in cap and gown. It went further than the eye could see.
The graduates filing in. We certainly couldn't see their faces from where we were sitting, but the big screen showed them as they entered and I saw Chris towards the beginning. He was seated in the second row.
It took them a full hour to file everyone in. There was a huge round of applause when they'd finally all gotten to their seats. Nancy Pelosi was the key note speaker and she was so-so. There was an awesome original song by graduate Kaila Love and we were still singing it later that day.
Brady sat with us and colored during most of the ceremony and Andy kept Izzie inside the concessions area the whole time. She passed out the minute we left.
Chris meeting up with us afterwards.
Family pic (minus Andy, Alex, and Lauren) with the graduate.
Nana and Dubby with their final college graduate.
A nice shot with the Campanile in the background. It doesn't have anything on the Cathedral of Learning in my Oakland ;)
Brady asked every time we got off a plane if we were at Uncle Chris's house yet. Then he asked the day we spent in San Francisco if we were going to see Chris. He was more than thrilled by the time he got to see him and wanted to hold his hand :)
Chris went to drop off his cap and gown before we headed to lunch and he suggested we take Brady to a building on campus that has a few dinosaur fossil skeletons.
The kids both in the Cal gear with Uncle Chris at lunch at a brewery.
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