Channeling our inner lumberjacks: 10 facts about Flagstaff

I am excited to announce that I've accepted a job in Flagstaff, AZ (home of the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks) and David and I will be moving there at the end of the summer! I have been sitting on this news for the past 3 weeks, but wanted to wait until everything was finalized before sharing with family and friends. I was torn between accepting this offer and waiting for one more job opportunity to pan out, but after a lot of discussion and prayer, we decided that this was the best option for us. In 3 months of traveling to different places across the country, Flagstaff was my absolute favorite. In honor of our upcoming move across the country, I thought I'd share some fun facts about Flagstaff:

1. Not just the desert! When people think of AZ, they usually think of the desert, but Flagstaff is actually situated in the pines at an elevation of ~7,000 feet! 
2. 4 seasons. Flagstaff enjoys a 4-season climate at a high altitude and low humidity. (What a change from NC!)
3. Sun and snow. Flagstaff averages 288 days of sunshine and 108 inches of snowfall per year.
4. What time is it? Most of AZ does not observe Daylight Savings Time. 
5. Pluto was discovered at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.
6. Route 66 runs directly through the city.
7. Flagstaff is 30 minutes from Sedona, 80 miles south of the Grand Canyon, 150 miles north of Phoenix, ~3.5 hours from the Four Corners, 4 hours from Las Vegas, ~5.5 hours to the Mexican border, and 7.5 hours from LA.
8. The city is close to several Native American reservations, including the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, and Yavapai.
9. Increase VO2 max. Many athletes (including Olympic and professional) train in Flagstaff due to its climate, altitude and facilities.
10. On New Year's Eve, a giant pinecone is dropped from the Weatherford Hotel at midnight. (In Raleigh, we drop a giant acorn!)

Hope you enjoyed learning about our new home! David and I are so excited about our new adventure.

Luv,

the Bride

PS: Happy 5th Birthday to Emery, and Happy (early) 11th Birthday to Noah! :)