On the road again...

Returning from our Labor Day weekend trip to Utah, has my backside still numb after four days of sitting - mostly in the car. We loaded up the car and took off Friday for a quick weekend trip to visit family in Utah. Specifically, to visit Grandma Della (Wade's Grandma) in her new home! We pulled away from the house at about 10 AM and headed north.  I think we were out of the valley for a little over an hour when someone in the back asked if we were close. We explained that the drive was at least 12 hours and slightly more after our usual stops along the way.

One of our favorite stops is always the Rocking V Cafe in Kanab, Utah. We made it into Kanab by dinner time and we were all ready for a nice break from the car. Anyone passing through this quaint, little town should not pass up the opportunity to stop for a bite at this immaculately clean and amazingly scrumptious little place. We've been stopping there for all 11 years that they've been in business. Everything on the menu is unusual and delicious, while the staff is courteous and the service supreme. 

Back on the road again, we continued north. The kids did fairly well with the DVD entertainment with headphones, which gave Wade and I some quiet time to talk. The final three hours felt the longest, but we stayed positive and were so grateful to pull into our hotel around midnight.  It was a long, long day, but our travels were safe and we were happy to be there.

Saturday morning, we were up early and off to pick up Grandma Della, who recently moved into a place called South Town Ranch, which is a gracious retirement property. It was our first time to see her in her new home and it is amazing. It's large, spotless and filled with so many wonderful people. Della gave us the grand tour and eventually led us to her room. Walking into the spotlessly clean, light, bright space, I immediately felt like I was in the home she had shared with her husband, Frank. Grandpa Frank has been gone for two years now and he is so very missed. They had been married for over 60 years and his small stature could not contain his huge zest for life. 

Walking through her new home, I was unexpectedly overcome with emotion. Her bedroom was almost a replica of the home she shared with Frank. Their photos filled the walls, much like they did in their former home. Here we all were, without him. I hurried out the back door to regain my composure and get a breath of fresh air. Oh, how I miss Grandpa Frank! He was always such a stinker who spoke his mind bluntly and argued about everything. He used to torment and torture the kids, rolling around with them on the floor like a teenager. Buck was extremely close to Frank and I could see on his face, the same thing I felt in my heart. We took a lovely walk around the outside grounds of the beautiful property and I could completely understand why Della likes it here.  She has privacy, yet friends who are close. Mostly, she feels safe.

We spent the rest of the day taking her for a drive up in the mountains for breakfast and then to Kennecott Copper, the world's largest open-pit copper mine. 

Grandma Danna (Wade's mom) came with us and we all enjoyed the informative field trip. (The kids are actually still talking about some of the things they saw and learned there.)  It was a really fun place to visit and we were all glad we went. We met a little later for our favorite, Indian food.  We found a great little place that served really delicious northern Indian cuisine.  

Sunday was our big day...taking Della to see The Lion King at the Capitol Theater in downtown Salt Lake.  

Our family really enjoys going to plays and after our NY Broadway experience last month, we were all eager to take in the show.  The costumes were amazing and the whole story was well done and beyond entertaining. Absolutely no one left disappointed!  The one thing that stood out to me during our time with Grandma Della, was Colton's absolute devotion to her.  Immediately, he was there to open her every door - car door, room door, restaurant door - and he held her hand EVERYWHERE we went. It was so precious to see how he took care of her and made sure she had someone to lean on the whole time.  I watched the two of them all weekend and it just made my heart smile!

After the play, we went to Grandma Danna's for a family barbecue.  

The cousins played in the backyard while the adults spent some time sharing stories and visiting. The kids all picked up with their cousins exactly where they left off and had a great time together. A couple hours later, we were in the car again for the long ride home.  And with the Labor Day traffic in to Phoenix, it was a LONG ride home.  Still, we were grateful for the time spent with family, for the safe travels and for the opportunity to see sweet Grandma Della's new "home".