Banff!

A couple weeks ago, Philip and I were privileged to be able to join my family on a business trip with my dad's company, New York Life, to Banff, Canada.  It is an absolutely gorgeous place; we only wish we'd had more time to explore all the area had to offer.  And as you can probably gather from my pictures, it was cold!  Really cold!  Apparently, the high tourist season is July/August, and I can imagine why.  There's hiking, climbing, backpacking, and water sports to be enjoyed--how much more desirable when it's not 30 degrees :)  Though don't get me wrong--the chilly Fall area was really lovely too.  With the exception of the second night there when I started having regular contractions and ended up in a hospital an hour away, we had a wonderful time.  (It was as scary as it sounds, but don't worry--all is well and baby is staying put!)  We stayed at the amazing Fairmont Banff Springs Resort, and trust me when I say it did not disappoint!

Of course, I also had to take note of the pretty details in the hotel...

How gorgeous was our bathroom?  I thought the pairing of the marble, the dark soapstone (I think?) counters, and the warm wood console (love the open shelving) made for a great combination.

Grasscloth walls brought in yet another texture to the space.

And who can argue with black and white basketweave floors in the elevator?  Not me.

Of course, this wonderful getaway could not have been possible without the generosity of Philip's mom who flew all the way from VA to CA to stay with Wade and Holland, after just having returned from a trip to China (!!) a mere five days earlier.  We are very much indebted to her!!

Our Trek to California

I know it's been a while since I've written, so let me just start with a bit of exciting news, hot off the press as of two nights ago!

We are now under contract for a house in Davis!!!  (This photo is a total teaser, I know--sorry!)  We have a while till we'll be able to move in--more on that later--but we are so excited, and really just so grateful.

The move out of our Illinois house was horrific (I'll spare you the details, or maybe save them for a rainy day?), but thankfully the transition to our life out on the west coast has gone quite smoothly.  Aside from the fact that the cool mornings and evenings out here are really nice, do you know what I am just loving? The palm trees!  Maybe it's because I tend to associate them with being on vacation, but I just think they are so pretty and unique.  I have taught the kids to spot them too, so we are now all regularly on the hunt as we drive around town :)

Backing up a bit, Philip and I arrived in California almost three weeks ago.   My angel-of-a-mother flew ALONE (from Virginia!) with Wade and Holland two days later.  Before I get to more about our life out here, I thought I'd share some of the pictures of Philip's and my semi-cross country trip.

Despite the fact that we were in two different cars (my introverted husband admitted to enjoying this maybe a little bit...his extroverted wife, not so much), we really did have a fun adventure for the most part.

All told, we saw parts of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and finally California.  I had never visited most of these states, so it was really cool to get a taste of what they were like.

I'd say my favorite was probably Utah, where we stayed in an awesome hotel/ski lodge with amazing views!

Of course our trip was not without its hiccups.  You may recall that I started out driving the car I got when I turned 16, my 98' Honda Civic.  Love that car, but maybe not for a trek like the one we were on.

Philip was pulling a U-haul trailer (we chose to move some of our own things, in case you're wondering why we have a trailer at all) behind our Honda Pilot, but we grew concerned about exceeding the Pilot's weight limit, especially at higher altitudes.  So, naturally, we (and by "we," I really mean Philip) stopped and transferred all of the stuff we had in the 8x10 trailer to a U-Haul truck.  Philip then drove the truck, which pulled the Civic, and I drove the Pilot.  All in a day's work, I tell you.

Once we arrived in CA, we quickly got settled in our "Temporary Living Facility" (yes, that's the official name).  One of the great things about moving with the military is you have this option when you land at your new base.  Furnished somewhat like an extended-stay hotel, we can stay here for up to two months while we figure out a more permanent option.

Now let me just tell you this--I am grateful for this place to stay, but folks, this mama is itching to really get settled.  As nice as it is to have this temporary place, I am quickly tiring of the five spoons we have on rotation, the terrible excuse for a couch that is causing my butt to go numb as I sit here and type this (not even kidding!), and the washer and dryer which can only be used one at a time and take FOREVER AND A DAY to do their jobs.  There is real suffering around the world and clearly this aint that, BUT STILL.

I hope to be back soon with more updates, particularly HOUSE updates!!  Woohoo!!!