Time off!!!

Thanks to our wonderful family, Mike and I played tourist and went to Banff for a holiday. I was slightly nervous about us two hayseeds being on the gold floor of the Banff Springs Hotel, I just didn't think that we would fit in! When we unwrapped the gift certificate at Christmas, I could not believe that the kids would have done something like that! Book us into a place where you have to phone in your pillow preference??? Us??? Really???
I had visions of us rolling up to the main doors, duct taped luggage and all, Mike on crutches...to a place where some of the restaurant's have a dress code of "no denim". Really??? I actually was thinking that I would have enjoyed a few nights at the Ramada in Lethbridge more than this trip. I am a denim girl!!! I have one funeral dress that reluctantly gets pulled out every time that I need an outfit a little dressier than my jeans and hoodie. I don't like dressing up, I don't like unfamiliar places and I certainly don't like swanky places. But Megan wasn't letting us get out of this one!!!
What a surprise, it wasn't anything like I imagined. The whole gold floor was inhabited by English families that were staying at the Banff Springs, because one of their couples were getting married there on the weekend. There were little kids in pajamas running everywhere, even some of the adults were dressed in pj's at breakfast, and the rest were dressed to go snowmobiling and dog sledding as soon as they were finished eating. There were squabbles over finishing their breakfasts and kids with bed head and we fit right in!!!!! They totally put us at ease. Yes, we were still instructed to put our shoes outside the door at night to be polished (we had a good laugh over that one, as Mike has only one shoe and I was in runners) and we had amazing room service and champagne, but all in all, it was not the dreaded experience that I expected!
I may have actually had the best meal that I will ever have in my life! And quite possibly the largest, because I just about ate everything on the menu. My appetite has been off since before I left the Inn, I think stress has played a big part in killing my desire to eat. I just don't look at food the way I used to. Well, for what ever reason, my appetite reappeared that evening - in the most expensive place you could imagine. I think that Mike must have been slightly alarmed at me ordering so much food, but the atmosphere was perfect, the candlelight was beautiful, the window seat in the restaurant was awe inspiring and the food was to die for!!! So I ate my body weight! Even had two desserts!!
The ultimate best part of the trip was the fact that the holiday included a professional photo of the two of us - something that we have not had done since Megan was just learning to walk. The entire experience was so relaxing (I slept for three days straight, before I woke up and decided that I wanted to look around) and so enjoyable that I can only say "thank you, thank you, thank you" to everyone who made it possible!!