HAPPY COWS COME FROM CALIFORNIA

Pretty much everyone with a tv has seen the "Happy cows come from California" commercials. Personally I think the only reason California cows are "happy" is because they are all jacked up on Botox and teat implants (the protuberance on the utter...pull your minds back in).

The C-man and I took a spur of the moment trip to San Clemente last Tuesday (and that Tracie is why you haven't heard from me). I will sum up our trip in three words: run, food, beach. Simply put we are not amusement park people when we go to California. I know that this will change once we have kids (yes mom I said "once"). For now I prefer to keep the puking to a minimum. I also would like to save money by not buying cases and cases of hand sanitizer to rid myself of the diseases I pick up on the germ infested rides. But that's just me.

Once again we stayed with Clayton's cousin Cory (thanks Cory!!!). You might remember this post from last year that talked about the haunting in the room next to us. Well we stayed in the "haunted" room this year and glad to say all was well. In fact I wasn't even scared, except when Clayton told me not to be surprised when I looked in the mirror if I saw a ghost staring back at me. I'm usually scared enough when I look in the mirror and see my own reflection, I don't need a ghost in the mirror to do the job for me.

Here are some of my/our favorites. . .

MORNING RUNS
Each morning we ran along the beach. San Clemente has this awesome coastal trail that is usually jam-packed with runners and walkers. Wednesday through Saturday we got up and ran. We are not much for sleeping in. Favorite running memories...

1. Our first morning run I listened to Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" the entire time. I think I replayed the song close to 48 times.

2. OK this is not a fond memory and I must preface it by saying that I have nothing against handicap people. Every morning there would be this lady walking her dogs while rolling around on her jazzy. She would take up the WHOLE path causing people to run through bushes and boulders to get around her. Once she stopped to let her dogs pee (on the path) causing me to do some acrobatic moves to not get tripped up by the lease and not get peed on. Thankfully all ended well except for a few choice words that came to my mind.

3. This one is awesome. One lady had short black running shorts with sequins down the side. It look like she had gotten a hold of her six year-old's bedazzler . nice.

THE FOOD
By food I mean sugar. I think we went out to eat for normal food twice. Once with Cory on the pier and once to Subway (which I don't consider eating out). However, we stopped for cupcakes, gelato, frozen yogurt, ice cream and it's-it's ice cream sandwiches about 8 times. This is why we ran each morning (we probably should have ran each night too). If only Utah would get with the times and get a Sprinkles, Yogurtland and It's It's then we wouldn't have gorged ourselves. That's my justification.

1. Sprinkles cupcakes---Clayton is addicted. We went everyday (except Wednesday) and got a box of 4 each time.

Clayton deciding which flavors to get (they change daily). This is a long process.
Pumpkin, Red Velvet, Chocolate Peanut butter, Strawberry, Coconut, Black 'n White, Banana, Chi Latte, Carrot, Cinnamon Sugar, and Vanilla were all the different flavors we tried. Pigs we are!

2. Gelato---Life is good!

3. Yogurtland--- If this picture looks like there are beams of light coming down from heaven it's because there are. Pretty sure I heard the Heavenly Chorus of angels sing when we pulled into view. Jodie introduced us to Yogurt Land (aka Land of the Y) in Hawaii. Something I will be forever in her debt for (both financially and emotionally).
Friday on our way to Huntington Beach we stopped by for a "small" cup. Here is our "small" cups

Ok you can't tell in the picture, but they weren't that small, they were HUGE.

On our way back from Huntington Beach we stopped by again for another"small" cup.

4. It's-It---Only sold west of the Rocky Mountains. freaking delicious!












THE BEACH
1. The very tan old guy who would run along the San Clemente beach at 1 o'clock sharp each day. 2. Conversations with Clayton (to be posted later)
3. playing volleyball and paddleball
4. Proving that I can get fully submersed in the water faster than Clayton. boo-yah.
5. remembering that the sun is warm (sadly not the case in Utah).
6. hearing the ocean.
7. listening to iPod
8. reading a books.
9. getting excited because I thought I saw Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgen's. Sadly it wasn't them. I know you are all disappointed too.

REDLANDS TEMPLE
We did shake up our 3 activity-a-day schedule by attending a session at the Redlands LDS Temple. In California we have done Temple sessions at the San Diego, Newport, and Oakland Temples. This trip we wanted to expand our list of "California Temples we have done sessions in" and attend a session at the Los Angeles Temple. Sadly it was closed for maintenance for a few weeks. So we decided to head out to the Redlands Temple. I'm glad we did. The Temple is beautiful and session was awesome.

Good times. More to come.