I'll never forget Coronado

Ok, so I forgot Coronado in my post yesterday.

I blame it on the fact that I didn't take my camera and lets face it, pictures are key when reminiscing about fun times. Not an absolute MUST but KEY.

So, here's the story...

There is a ferry from the convention center (in San Diego) to Coronado Island and then Coronado isn't that big so I was totally planning on walking to the beach when I called Melanie to make plans to have her meet me there.

Melanie: "NO WAY! I'm coming to get you! And I have a car seat for Isi!" 

Me: "Awesome!" 

I stole this from her facebook page. I think this photo was taken by Melanie's friend.

Total excitement doubled! 

I was excited for the exercise and adventure of getting myself there but, it was going to take me lots of time.

It was so nice of her to pick us up!

Melanie is actually my oldest sister, Liz's age. 

They were great friends.

But, a lot of my sisters' friends were my friends too because of car pooling to seminary, church activities, church dances, driving through Almaden in the Crawford's van, siblings my same age and

just because we-grew-up-cool-like-that. 

Now, you know that someone is a great friend, NOT ONLY because they insist on picking you up and taking you to the beach but because once you get together you just seem to slide right into comfortable conversation. Like you were in the middle of conversation, then YEARS pass, you see each other again and you just pick up with conversation again.

We got caught up on each other's lives.

We laughed about the good ol' days.

We talked about the GREAT blessing it was to grow up in the San Jose 15th Ward, with the...

Algers, Oddous, Williams, Crawfords, Schulkins, Christensens, Bonds, Morgans, Snyders, SO SO SO many GREAT families were in that ward. 

Even the families that didn't have kids our age, greatly affect and encouraged and uplifted us...

Mordwinows, Marthereaus, Smiths, Dyrengs, Ortons, Nielsons, SO SO SO many more!

And what a blessing it was to go to a high school in California with such a prominent LDS presence.  

Mormon Hill!!!

We didn't even nickname it that!

So, Melanie is definitely one of those friends. 

We sat on the beach and watched her CUTE kids play while we talked. 

We decided we definitely needed to walk down the beach to The Hotel Coronado and get ice cream.

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She said that the last time they went there Jennifer Garner and her daughters were in line in front of them.

(I just search engine-ed Jennifer Garner, and found THIS!

They like their cold treats!)

When she told me that, I was like,

"Oooo! We should will a celebrity there...one we want to see in person!"

Then I blurted out:
"RYAN GOSLING!"
Followed by:
"Maybe we should select a female?"

We walked down there and ate our ice cream at umbrella-ed tables.

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We saw no one famous. 

Then walked we back to the car. 

Then we drove around and looked at the cute houses all over the island. 

It was such a fun outing and such a blessing to get caught up with such a great friend!