There and Back Again: A Fall Break Tale (Part 1)

Road trips with babies can be a little crazy. I know that, so does Joseph, but with a brother-bonding hunting trip on the line I only had a few options. Stay in Omaha with Hyrum, which is mostly boring and also husbandless, or venture onto the unknown 15 hr trip where the odds of a screaming baby are pretty high. After much deliberation, we decided the risk was worth the reward and we all loaded in the car for an adventure.

This is pretty much the path we traveled

On our cross country voyage, Robert Jordan was the narrator. We started listening to the first book of The Wheel of Time series. Ironically, much of the novel centers around travel as the main characters run, gallop, and walk hither and thither trying desperately to get to their destination safely. I had a tendency to drive faster when we…I mean the characters…were being chased by trollocs or dark things (which happened frequently), and it's also hard to drive slowly when Hyrum is acting fussy... so we pretty much sped all the way to Idaho:)

We made several stops along the way to visit people we love and to keep Hyrum (and ourselves) from going crazy.

On Tuesday, we left after school in our usual haphazard way, throwing this and that into the nooks and crannies of our car, vowing to be more organized on our next trip, you know the drill. We drove to Denver, CO and stayed with my Aunt Cathy, Uncle Nathan, Cousin Michelle, and much to Hyrum's delight, their dog, Jenna. He was enamored with her. As kindred four-legged movers I think Hyrum felt a special bond with Jenna. He enjoyed crawling after her while she tried to run away. The two-legged movers also had a good visit with each other and then in the morning we left for Manti, UT.

Joseph and I were married in Manti, which makes it one of the most romantic places in the world. It was so fun to bring Hyrum there. Our little family together in the place where it all began.

My grandparents live quite happily in a little house in Manti. I was excited to introduce them to Hyrum. Both were impressed with his solid chunky build. Grandma said, “Oh those chubby cheeks and bright blue eyes!”

 My grandpa has been struggling with some health problems, but he eagerly entertained us, and walked everywhere. When it was clear that his breathing was becoming more labored, I urged him to take it easy, a suggestion he ignored because “life is worth living to its fullest.” I admire the life my grandparents have lived. They are such good examples, and put the most important things first.

It is well known that my grandma and grandpa are madly in love. My grandpa is a hopeless romantic and adores my grandma more than anything. Love notes litter their scrapbooks and in his art studio he has painted, sketch, and sculpted her likeness over and over again. My grandmother is the most important thing in the world. 

My grandpa was a dentist, but he loved art. In his retirement, he took art classes at the college near their home. Recently he stopped going to classes and instead works in his studio at home so my grandma wouldn't be lonely while he was gone.

During our visit, my grandma was anxious about some of Grandpa's lab results, and she was encouraging him to go to the hospital. My grandpa wasn't too keen on the idea. Speaking about a doctor my grandpa said, “I don’t like him. He always puts me in the hospital!” They did go to the hospital later, and Grandpa is now on kidney dialysis 3 days a week, but feeling better. It is a comfort to know that despite their failing health my grandparents still have each other.

We left Manti and headed to Provo to have dinner with my brothers, Jacob and Andrew, and my sweet sister-in-law, Alexa. She is expecting a baby girl soon and I am so excited to meet the little lady. We did not have nearly enough time with these sweet siblings of mine, but we talked and laughed and ate and then I blinked and it was time to go, even though so many things were still unsaid. Being with them is so easy and fun. It's like we've known each other our whole lives;) I've truly been blessed with amazing family members.

We spent the night at the Bradshaws family house; we adore them. Then we headed to Pocatello and had lunch with my friend Jennie and her darling baby, Clara.

Making friends

On the way to Idaho Falls we stopped at a rest area. It was such a beautiful day. There were dandelions on the ground and Hyrum and I both made a wish and blew. Okay, I blew, and Hyrum squished and then ate them. It doesn't get any better than that.

To be continued...