This past week was fall break for Charly, Josh and I, so we decided to spend at least part of our week off visiting family in Utah. I am grateful that we had the time off to made this family trip.
We left Friday after school and drove as far as Flagstaff, where we ate dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, The Dog Haus. We had a bit of a problem finding a place to stay Friday night. We had heard that since the Grand Canyon was closed due to the "government shutdown" that there were lots of vacant rooms in Flagstaff. We thought we would be able to get a room in a motel we have stayed at before and liked. We were wrong. The place we planned on staying was booked solid. The second place we tried only had one foul smelling, smoking room available, but we did find a room at the third motel we tried. Unfortunately, this place had some plumbing problems and backed up drains, so we had to switch from one room to another about 10 p.m.. It was an inconvenience when we were so tired, but we were all grateful for a warm room (it was cold in Flagstaff) and beds to rest in.
The next morning we left for Utah. Our route was longer than we anticipated due to a washed out road that is being repaired. We ended up going through Tuba City, Arizona and then taking some back roads into Page, Arizona. I am grateful that we found all the right roads and didn't get lost, which would have been easy to do. I am also grateful that the detour didn't put us too far behind in our anticipated travel time. We also saw some country we hadn't seen before, including some colorful fall leaves which we don't see many of in Phoenix.
We got to my daughter's home in Mapleton, Utah, just in time for a quick, but delicious dinner (prepared by her husband). After eating, the men of the family were off to the men's session (Priesthood) of our church General Conference. While the guys enjoyed that spiritual uplift, and some yummy deserts afterward, my daughter, the grandkids and I set out for a baby shower she had been invited to. I am grateful that we arrived safely in Utah in plenty of time for all of us to do what we wanted to and have a pleasant evening.
Birthday gifts are always fun, no matter how old you are...
...and books are always one of my favorite gifts!
I am grateful for this sweet granddaughter who reminds Charly and I so much of her mother when she was little. She is so happy and joyful all the time! It was such a treat to spend time with three of my grandchildren!
It was fun to watch our daughter interact with her children. Here, our daughter is reading to her youngest right before nap time. My mother read to me every afternoon before nap time, and I read to this daughter every afternoon before nap time. I am so grateful that both of my daughters are excellent wives and mothers. They go the extra mile to impart their faith in God and teach their children good things. They are also great role models and examples, not only to their children, but also to their mother, and I am grateful for that!
We spent some time with Charly's family in Salt Lake City, while in Utah. Charly's mother is very elderly and not well. She has Parkinson's Disease and other health problems. Josh stayed with her while we were in Utah and provided respite care for her. He is getting pretty good at this since he did it last summer as well. He is a blessing to his grandmother and I am grateful that he is such a kind and responsible young man, willing to help and take care of his grandmother when she needs him.
It was good to see Charly's, brother, sister and mom again. I am grateful for Charly's family. They have always treated me very well. I am blessed to have married into such a good family.
Charly's sister went all out for our birthdays. She had a cake made for us (as well as our son-in-law, Joey, who also has an October birthday).
She is an awesome cook and made sure we had some delicious meals while we were there. In this picture, Josh and Charly wait patiently to cut the birthday cake after a wonderful family Sunday dinner.
...and I am grateful that we had some time for that.
...and crashed right into the right front fender of our car.
While this was certainly the most unpleasant part of our trip, I am grateful the we were not hurt and the damage to the car was not extensive (although repairs will cost our insurance at least $3,000). I am also grateful that some very nice people helped us make the car drive-able after the collision, so we were able to get back to Phoenix safely in our own car.
Life is never perfect, but no matter what, there are always blessings to be grateful for. Here are a few other things I am grateful for this week, but don't have pictures of...
- I was able to get into the dentist quickly for replacement of a crown that fell off one of my teeth.
- Josh, Charly and I are starting to feel better after sharing one of the worst colds we have had at our house in some time. It was nice to have a few days off after getting home from Utah to rest and get feeling better.
- My oldest son, Alex, moved to Pennsylvania at the beginning of October and arrived at his destination safely.
- My dear friends Karen and Lynn took me out to lunch for my birthday and showered me with lovely gifts and good conversation (as they do every year around my birthday).
Have a lovely week filled with love and gratitude!
Joining today with Danielle at Blissful and Domestic for Sunday Blog Hop!
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