This past weekend my farmer and I traveled to Santa Barbara, California for our first getaway from our Elli-girl.

On my Instagram Stories I received a ton of questions about where Elli is, who has the older girls, was it hard to leave Elli, why were you in California, where in California, what hotel, etc.

1. Do we miss our baby? It was so hard to leave Elli..for several reasons. First and foremost - she's our little baby and leaving any of our babies is always difficult...but it gets easier. The second reason is because I'm still nursing. So...I had to pack the pump and there really is nothing I dislike more than pumping when it comes to this phase of life. I'd rather change 100 disgusting diapers. But...Elli wasn't ready to be done like I had originally hoped, so...the pump came with. Whatever.

2. Where did the girls go? The girls are in good hands! The big girls headed to McCall with their Auntie Kelli and Uncle Rob (my sister and her husband). It was unfortunate that during their visit from California we left TO California. Elli stayed on the farm because we figured it would suit her best to have her schedule, sleep in her own bed, etc. Farmer's brother stayed at our house with her for the first two days and then she went to Amy and Ryan's farm for day three. It happened to be Amy's birthday, so we thought it would be nice to gift her a baby girl so she can really know what that's all about.

3. Travel details! Our flight left at the ungodly hour of 5:45 am. I know that doesn't sound too terrible, but when you factor in the fact that you have to be there one hour early and then add on the business of being an hour away from the airport I had to wake up at 3 am. I fed Elli at 3 am, put her back to bed, got ready, woke a comatose Farmer (he'd been up super late combining wheat), and we were out the door by 3:45 am. We had a quick flight to San Francisco and then another flight to Santa Barbara. We were there by 9am! Our hotel, Kimpton Canary Hotel, let us drop off our bags while they prepared our room for an early check-in.

Hang with me here - I'm going to photo-dump the room tour and share an obligatory robe photo! (Which was a fail on my part because I only captured images after Russell and I had completely taken over.)





As much as I just wanted to lay down on one of the couches in the foyer, my Farmer and I started exploring. There are SO MANY restaurants and shops. There's an outdoor mall within steps of the hotel. Also, the ocean is just over a mile away. We opted for hunting down some new swimming shorts for my Farmer and snagged a smoothie as a pick-me-up. That was just enough time to get a text from The Canary letting us know our room was ready. We practically ran back knowing we were moments away from a large, glorious bed...to nap.

Upon check-in they offered us wine (which my farmer accepted at 10:30 am) and we headed to our room. Friends - the room is stunning. Clean, white bedding that was beyond soft. A pillow for your head to sink into. The furnishings have a Spanish-style...and really the whole thing makes me want to redo our guest bedroom...again.

After a nap that I'm not really sure how long it lasted (two hours?), we popped up and met my cousin for lunch at the Public Market. It's this super fun building that houses a bunch of "pop-up shop" style restaurants and then has a common space (The Garden) for ordering beverage and eating. It was delicious and I can see why this space is so popular. Get the tacos...My only regret is I only ordered one where I should have ordered three.

After lunch we made it up to the rooftop pool at The Canary where I watched old friends chatting, newlyweds sipping on cocktails, people reading their books or napping...and moms and dads playing with their kids. Of course this immediately made me want to fly home, grab my girls, fly them BACK to Santa Barbara to show everyone that I also have beautiful children who enjoy pool time. But I collected my sanity and listened to my audiobook with my eyes closed.

Friday was wedding day, but not until the evening, so my Farmer and I had all day. Russell ended up going for a road bike ride (40+ miles!) with my cousin and I went for a run. After the run I popped into Finch & Fork to indulge. Their breakfast was beyond delicious. They had options for dairy / gluten free and their homestyle potatoes...yum.

Breakfast was followed by a little more pool time followed by a bike ride with my farmer. Yes, my Farmer got back on a bike. The Canary offers bikes for their guests to take out! We headed to Santa Barbara's Funk Zone which I highly recommend! Again, so many places to eat, drink wine, taste beer...and it's all so beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful - We headed back to the hotel to get showered and ready for the wedding! The wedding was at The Biltmore - Four Seasons. And truly, there is something to be said for their notoriety. Their reputation as a premier destination...I can't agree more. The property was stunning. It sits right on the ocean and the the lush greenery surrounding the acres of guest rooms, outdoor space, and restaurants makes it feel private and special.


So yes, the wedding took place at an outdoor courtyard and then moved to the patio for cocktails. Dinner (dinner!!!) and dancing took place inside a banquet room that donned candles, flowers, and a fireplace for ambiance. The service from the staff was wonderful. Never did we have an empty beverage. The mahi mahi was delicious (and gluten-free). And while I wish I could say I tasted the cake...I don't doubt that was perfection as well. Needless to say, it looked gorgeous.

Please note, all of this took place after massive mudslides that closed the hotel down for months. Literal months. The wedding was actually supposed to take place in May, but had to be moved to July because of the devastation. And it truly was devastating. Not only were businesses affected, but many many lost their homes or were trapped inside their homes or had to flee their homes after being trapped. It truly is amazing how the community has rebounded.

On Saturday my Farmer and I slept in...until 7:30 am! Apparently all that dancing can really take it out of you. Either that or that 40+ mile bike ride. We ended up spending the morning doing some more exploring, enjoying the most delicious baked goods from a gluten free shop and then meeting up with family for some breakfast on the beach at Sambo's. If you're looking for a local, casual, no-fuss place...Sambo's. You can't go wrong.

Next was a touch of beach time...where I fell asleep (who am I?)...and then to the airport. Where I fell asleep on the plane. We made it to LAX, had a 45 minute delay while sitting on the tarmac, I fell asleep again, and then FINALLY made it home at 12:30 am and still had the hour drive home...where I fell asleep again. Come to find out, I had caught some crazy 12 hour bug or maybe it was some sort of food poisoning? I don't know. But I blasted a fever. Caught some insane chills. Fought through the most ridiculous aches. Slept most of Sunday...and then our girls got home from McCall with their Auntie Kelli and Uncle Robert. The family was together again.


It's clear that the girls miss their Auntie and Uncle already...as I'm clearly the mean mom and Kelli is far more nurturing and less bossy. "Bossy" - Kaye's words, not mine.

Whatever the case may be, everyone had the VERY best vacation (minus sickness). Splitting the girls up was a tough choice, but in the end, it was the best choice. Elli got ample amounts of attention and got to stick with her schedule. The big sisters got to vacation with their cousins in McCall. The Farmer and I escaped for a vacation of our own and acted like we were 33...instead of 34.

Would I recommend a vacation to Santa Barbara? 100% yes. It's great for a girls getaway. It's great for couples. Kids would definitely enjoy exploring and beach time. We loved the Kimpton Canary and hope to stay again soon...but hopefully in a new location next time, seeing as how they have them all over! Seriously...here is a list of their locations and they are all stunning!