Road Trip and Relatives

My Grandma Fullmer lives way down in Boulder, Utah. A few weeks ago after talking to her on the phone I started feeling really good about taking a trip to see her. I had a visit with Trent and the week that Ethan had spring break I loaded up the kids and we were off. My GPS told me it'd take about 9 hours. Given that I was traveling with a 4, 2, and 5 month old I figured it'd take me about 10-11 hrs. Turned out to be 12 1/2. I'm not gonna lie, a couple hours in when we made a stop to grab some lunch I was seriously having second thoughts about going. Then I remembered how good I had felt about going and we were off again. Ethan was a gem. Kiari was great aside from the more than occasional moments of, "I want ouuuuuut!" Enoch was perfect.... when he was asleep.
We made it to my Aunt Laura's about 10:30 and my Grandma was with her. The last time Grandma had seen the kids was back in July at a family reunion and this was the first time she was meeting Enoch. Evidently she made the comment to Laura, "I wonder if she's coming because she thinks I'm gonna die." She'll be 93 this year and suffice it to say (once again) that I simply felt very good about going to see her.



Sunset shortly after I left I-70.Meeting Enoch for the first time.
Happy to be out of the car.



I meant to ask Grandma why in the world she had a mini trampoline in her sun room.
Kiari found a little brush and Grandma was showing her that she used it to clean her hearing aid.
It was pretty cute to watch Kiari as she watched Grandma clean it and then put it back in her ear.











Grandma with Grandpa Fullmer who passed away while my dad was serving a mission for the LDS Church in England.


Great Grandma and Grandpa Clements.

It was a wonderful couple of days. Just being able to sit and visit with Grandma and some of my aunts and uncles. I love hearing her stories, watching her with my kids, and just getting to be with her.

Over the course of the many hours I spent driving I learned a few things:

I get nervous driving through tunnels. The longer the tunnel the longer the butterflies last in my stomach. Especially if I happen to be right next to a semi-truck.

I don't like the road signs that say, "falling rocks."

I think every rest stop should have a playground (thank you Parachute, CO!).

I LOVE "Scripture Scouts" and so do my kiddos. (These cd's were a fantastic way to break things up in between movies and books in the car.)

Gas in what are evidently popular Rocky Mountain ski resort towns is up to $.50 more than the little town about 30 miles further up the road.

If ever I'm at a restaurant in any gas station watching a mother with her three children desperately trying to fill the sauce cup one handedly I will immediately stand up and offer to help her instead of just sitting at the table with my three girlfriends staring at said mother.

I love the quiet.

If you have a potty training 2 year who decides she needs a potty stop in the middle of boon docks Utah, it's completely possible to hold her at the side of the road in such a way that avoids getting any pee on herself or you. (I'm very glad that I remembered to bring along a roll of toilet paper for just such a moment.)

Jello cups are not the best travel snacks for a 2 year old.

Ethan is the BEST big brother EVER.


I'm sure there are more but those are the few that come to mind right now.
I'm so grateful to have been able to make the trip to see my Grandma. There were definitely stressful moments in the car with a less than content 5 month old, but the time I got to spend with Grandma and my aunts and uncles made it totally worth it.


Favorite quotes from the trip:

Ethan, referring to the sink in Grandma's bathroom:
Mommy, that's kid size, huh?
me: yeah, it kind of is I guess.
And great-Grandma is kid size too, huh?

Grandma:
(Enoch was in her lap and she was leaning forward to listen to Kiari and Enoch gradually slid off of her lap to the point that his feet were touching the floor while she still had her hands under his arms.)
Well look! now I'm dropping the baby.

He spit up on me!
That's not the first time that has happened but it's the first time somebody cleaned me up!

(She'll take her hearing aid out when she uses the phone. Once she forgot to put it back in.)
No wonder I can't hear. (picks up hearing aid) I thought something had happened.