I never summarized days as it was all buzzing by. I didn't bring a tablet (as in paper/pencil) I will try and be orderly as I tell of our grand adventure from memory.
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| 3438.9 miles round trip. Zillah WA to Wamego KS |
This is our grandson Lance. At the airport in Las Vegas with his Mission President & wife, his last companion who was also going home. When he went on his Mission he asked us to please not die while he was gone and I asked him to please serve to the end and not come home early. We each had kept our word...we were still alive and he not only served to the end but a couple of dozen Missionaries were actually quarantined for a bed bug outbreak and he couldn't leave until all units were cleared. So he was there 5 extra days! Terry had his stroke about 6 months into his Mission and his Mission President had him call to talk to his Grandpa. I really felt he needed to see him. Also it was a time of celebration to have our first Grandson to serve a Mission to come home.
On Saturday night at a wonderful family dinner, with the in-house tornado/hurricane alarm sounding a few times to give a heads-up of a storm 15 miles away, Lorrie (our DIL) mentioned something about talks on Sunday. I asked Greg if he was speaking and Lance said he was. I was so happy and asked what his subject was. he said they had waited on his homecoming until we got there and he would be speaking about his mission. I dissolved into tears. still makes me misty-eyed.
It was such a kind gesture and I so appreciated Greg and the Bishop and Lance putting off his talk until we got there. What a surprise! it was also a surprise that the Bishop gave Lance free rein and half of the speaking time. He told him to speak about whatever he felt to speak about. I know he is my grandson, but really I have heard hundreds of missionary return talks since I joined the Church and this was the best in the world!!! (I hear you laughing!) It was doctrinally so deep as he told of his own conversion and testimony. I tried to control myself and not make sobbing sounds but my face looked like I was standing under a waterfall. by the end of sacrament, between the humidity and my waterworks, I looked red and scary but I was so happy.
His talk was mentioned in Gos. Doc. and SS and RS and his sister said also in YW. he was so humble and I thought I'm going to die right now of happiness and that will be okay! Okay. I understand that I'm over the top and this is more than even pictures in a brag book that Grannies sometimes carry in their little purses but it was fantastic and I was so glad we were there.
It was a super busy time as Lance just had a few days before he headed to BYU-I and he had to get a car/computer/phone/ etc. etc. We managed to have lots of together time. It was wonderful to be in their home and share their life.
Modern people and there were tablets/laptops/etc. all over the kitchen table and they would just come and sit down and do whatever they needed to do. We jumped into the fray and indexed with them and that was amazing to experience. It felt good to do Gospel things together. (which reminds me...my attitude towards indexing did a total about face and I really missed doing it everyday. I still don't feel a close connection to those I'm doing it for but I think of their family maybe looking for them and that makes my hard heart soft and I like to help them in their search)
We had great family meals & visits, scripture study nightly, the girls sang duets and solos and played the piano and also clarinet (Brooke), we talked and talked, played a game, laughed, had some serious moments. We loved it! We love them! All 4 of our grandchildren were there for the entire time and that was so incredible!
In today's fast paced world it seems people seldom take time to share the thoughts and feelings of their hearts. When we left Greg's we found a letter that we will keep forever from our granddaughter Britta. It is filled with love and gratitude and testimony and is priceless. made us both teary. so genuine and beautiful! a treasure!
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| Lance and Grandpa at Cat- looking at Greg's designs |
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| Britta singing and playing for Grandpa |
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| Yes, Dorothy the Emerald City is truly green. Everywhere. Off Greg's deck. |
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David's family is amazing in their energy level and busyness. I don't see how they do it. They manage two jobs and two children and a house and they are wonderful. Just thinking of David's genuine love for us just tugs at my heart. Another wonderful gracious daughter-in-law. When you think that I, out of the blue, sent a note to these two families and basically said...hi. Dad and I want to drive and see you right away. is that okay? they all made it happen. pared back on work and rearranged things and even asked us to stay longer than we did.
Dave is my loving affectionate hugging child and I just love it!! We spent family time watching Sam's football game and he did so great! Dave and I went to the Dance Academy where Grace spends hours a week and I got to watch through the glass doors this budding star. She is so talented!! Great family meals again. enjoyable conversation! Movie marathon! Fun!
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| Proud Daddy |
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| Lots of trophies! One individual first place in Nationals! |
I went to a fight to watch Dave ref. (yes. I did.) he took me in the afternoon to see the arena and I told him I would go for awhile to see him ref. He melted. Sometimes a Mom just has to step up to the plate and show the unconditional love she feels. I did. I'm glad. he treated me like a queen. Jen took me and we didn't stay the whole thing, just a few matches for me to see him work. he arranged VIP parking, bracelets for the best seating and had told people in advance...if you see an older woman that looks like she doesn't belong here, that is my Mom. A lot of people came over and introduced themselves and told me how honest and fair David was in his reffing and how nice he is etc. etc. I was really proud of his reputation.
I had 4 boys State Wrestler types so I'm used to wrangling and what I saw was similar to my boys roughhousing and then carrying it a bit far and hitting each other. it wasn't a death match like fighting roosters although they were pounding each other to pieces. they would go for it and I didn't like it anymore than I liked my boys wrestling when they were home. I'm a peace maker not a fighter but I did have outstanding wrestlers around my dinner table that I was proud of.
I had to chuckle when David looked out the cage and saw me and grinned and waved. He loves to ref but jujitsu is where his heart is and that is what he does.
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| Jen and Dave! |
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| a fighter that likes Dave reffing |
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| a fan of Dave's and vice versa. she was so sweet! |
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| an older picture of Dave reffing. resting while mat gets mopped up! |
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Maybe you heard about this house. It's up the hill and to the right from David. not a neighbor. you can look up details on house flattened by landslide in North SLC on Internet. Probably $1 million home. 2 stories high.
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| what a nightmare!!! pancaked! |
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Had a great coming and going brief visit with my sister. Saw my 2 nieces and their children and had a nice family dinner and it was wonderful. Shelly's boys love us and we love them and it was fun to catch up on their life in grade school and high school.
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| Dixie. my sweet sister. |
You know we live in a little tiny place but it's so great for us and one of the great things is we have showers you can step into. It's safe and we appreciate it. we stayed at 4 different hotels and I ended up taking pictures of 3 bathrooms! so much for appealing travel pictures!! Speaking of hotels, I always laugh when I see the bill board for the Geyser Grand at Baker and remember traveling with someone who thought it was a hotel for gays! Actually Jeanee and girls and I stayed there one year and it's a gorgeous old building. a step into the past. I never thought about hotels all being grouped together. We stayed at Limon (lie-mun) and it has 8 highway hub or maybe 7, out in the middle of seemingly nowhere, and it is just filled with hotels and eateries in one central area. all vying for travelers to come and sleep and eat.
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| to tight on the door? just carve it out! |
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| challenging grip bar wedged in by toidy! |
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| awe! sigh! our favorite step in shower!!! |
Acknowledging my lack of knowledge...I had no idea the Rocky Mountains are named that because they are rocky!! (come on. no making fun of me. surely you have something that is obvious to others and you are clueless about!) we traveled WA to OR to ID to UT to WY to NEB to KS and then from KS to COL to UT to ID to OR and WA. The scenery was beautiful both ways and varied and breathtaking. I thought of my late Homer artist friend Lou. She was a former atheist and the turning point for her in accepting the Gospel, was the beauty of the earth. The Creation. She felt a God must have created it as no man could and it was to beautiful to be an accident. Some of the Colorado landscape just made you want to sit and stare. it was like looking at a mosaic. how on earth can there be such massive loveliness?? The navigator gave his best effort to take pictures but....no comment. He did good on a couple of them. I don't do so hot myself so no complaints. (I wanted us to take family pictures at each place and that thought really got lost in the shuffle and was never even voiced. Greg had mentioned a friend could come over but it was a fleeting thought. Next time.)
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| uh-huh. sure it's pretty. |
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| side rail/car interior |
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| tunnel. okay. okay. I'll spare you. you get the picture! |
I loved the names of some towns/roads and asked Terry to write them on his gas receipts. here are some favorites..... well, surprise, surprise...the King says they are on the gas receipts...checking them over...not so! what a shame. they were so fun. I remember two...Starvation Road and a town called No Name.
This is way to long but maybe you can just read bits and pieces.
Terry did fantastic and we survived the trip because of this little jewel...
Before another long trip though...2 more legs to this one....Carson City and then Kirkland. will do that quickly before snow flies and then I will get take time to have cataract surgery on both eyes. I only had trouble once and that is a story for another time. it was dark and I should have been off the road. no accident. just nighttime. my bewitching hour!!
Thanks for your interest in our trip and I like to believe you prayed for us as things went so great on my driving (well, that one time)
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