Home sweet home...

The past few days, we have been arranging our new home. Here we are, coming up on our 5-year anniversary at the end of this month, and we've just moved into our 6th home together. We're rackin' 'em up. Someday we'll settle down. Maybe.

The rest of the trip went smoothly, as far as the car was concerned. As we'd hoped and prayed, we got the troublesome stuff out of the way first. It ended up being 9 days in Nashville altogether. Thanks to our gracious hosts, Tom and Sallie, who at least pretended like they never got sick of us, the time was actually very enjoyable. It was only the talking to the mechanic part on the phone that would get us all fired up. Other than that, we just relaxed and enjoyed our time together with the two girls. Kate is just 3 months older than Cora, but what a difference that period makes! I can't imagine that Cora might be walking and talking like that so soon.

Finally, over a week late, we made it to St. Louis, where we spent an amazing two days with our friends from Edinburgh, Mike, Shayna, and daughter Bella, who is one month younger than Cora (there was a baby girl explosion amongst all of our friends last summer--Cora has 5 baby girl cousins or friends all within just a few months of her!) We explored the St. Louis zoo and watched "Rick Steve's Edinburgh" so we could relive the sights and memories of our beloved city.

From there, it was a grueling 5 days straight to Vancouver (with a fun one-night stop at my college roommate's house in Denver). Long days with Cora in the car, punctuated by stops at Walmart, Family Christian Bookstore, Barnes and Noble, and Timbuk Toys where we, the desperate, frenzied parents, plunked down any amount of money for more toys, books, videos, whatever, just something new to keep the baby happy and occupied! Things I never thought I'd do, like let her eat on my TCBY strawberry milkshake, suddenly became a self-defense mechanism for a moment of peace (at least she learned a new skill...suddenly she had no problem figuring out how to use a straw.)

In truth, she was actually pretty amazing, all things considered. It's just she couldn't sleep very well in the car. Poor thing, you can imagine why...my neck gets a crick when I'm trying to sleep like that too. Short naps and long periods constrained in practically a straight jacket just somehow don't work for a feisty 10-month old. But we got through it, and Wednesday night, two weeks after we left Atlanta, we arrived in Vancouver, quite a sight for sore eyes.

We have quickly made this house into a home. Between the items from back home we brought in our trailer and some great buys on Craigslist that have sent us all over the city, it is becoming incredibly cozy. I'll post pictures soon, just a little more fixin' up first. We have also gone for a walk every day to explore the neighborhood; within a few blocks is a Starbucks, grocery store, Choices (think Whole Foods, only on the smaller Canadian scale--this country doesn't seem to require everything supersized), and a field where Cacao can run his (very little) energy out.

We have also been catching up with friends. Sushi on Friday night with our cute British friends, a coffee visit this afternoon from a girlfriend, and tea tomorrow morning with another.

Finally, a note on the weather, as any worthwhile conversation includes. We came from a heatwave in the southeast to a coldwave up here. Rainy and chilly (everyone wearing jackets and sweatshirts, of which we are really lacking until we can get some boxes from a friend), our first couple days were spent reliving the June of Edinburgh days. But today, the 1st of July, a new Vancouver appeared and we may finally be in the clear. Literally. We kept hearing summer would be really nice. It just dawned on me however that people do have different standards of what nice means.