The weekend we escaped the snow

This past weekend was stake conference at church for us, so with the prospect of not having to find substitutes to teach our classes we spontaneously decided on Friday to drive down to Las Vegas after work and visit my grandma. It was a great few days full of rock-throwing, book reading, golfing, duck chasing, turtle watching, outlet shopping, pancake eating . . . all of the good stuff.

My grandma lives in the same house I've been visiting most of my childhood, so it's a bit like going back in time when we make it down there. Lunch is typically sandwiches and potato chips and cottage cheese, just like it was back when I was five, and the toys are the same ones I played with growing up. We read and re-read the books I loved the most in the cupboard, like Bony Legs and Brer Rabbit and The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy and there's this comfortable familiarity with all of that remaining constant. It's the best kind of time machine. If only my grandpa was still sitting in the rocking chair in the garage wearing his cowboy hat the picture would be complete.

Everett and my grandma further bonded over bottled apricots and sidewalk chalk, we finally saw The Greatest Showman, and thanks to the drive John and I got hours of mostly-uninterrupted talking time. It really was a perfect little getaway. Thank you to my grandma for being the best last-minute host. We love you!


Obligatory beginning-of-roadtrip stop at Swig.
Turns out if you aggressively approach a turtle they don't stick around
He stole John's lemonade and you better believe he drank almost the whole thing by himself. (So proud).