Spring Vacation Part 1: Grandma's House

We took our family vacation over spring break at the end of March this year. We usually go during the summer, but this upcoming summer two of my sisters are getting married; and since Josh is taking time off for both of those, we probably wouldn't be able to squeeze in a family vacation then, too. 

Every year, we go and visit one of mine or Josh's living grandparents and we add a family trip somewhere else then, too. This year we visited my Grandma Rose in Pleasant Grove, and we made a plan to go to Arches National Park afterwards. We left Salmon on Saturday, March 22nd and drove as far as my parents' house in Tremonton. We ate dinner, played games, relaxed and spent the 1st night of our vacation there.   

Playing Clue with Grandma and Grandpa. Ammon won!

 On Sunday morning, we left Tremonton and drove to Pleasant Grove. My grandma hasn't been doing very well lately. She spent some time in the hospital last fall, and now my mom and her siblings and my grandma's sister Linda all take turns taking care of her at her home. She is very weak, so she lays on her couch all day and night. She has lost some of her vision, so she is unable to do the handy things that she used to love to do: word searches and card games and crocheting and making dolls.

A large screen TV was purchased and put on the wall adjacent to the couch, and the power is on a lot to make the space not feel so quiet. Also, Aunt Janet bought some birds that live in a cage in the living room. They make noise and bring life to the room.

Uncle David made a larger version of her marbles game to help her be able to see and play, and she does with Aunt Linda every week.

We stayed at my grandma's house for about two hours. It was a nice day, so the boys played outside for a while. My aunt Connie was staying with Grandma that day, so Josh and I talked to her for a while--I haven't talked to her in years! I like that parts of my Grandma's house have remained unchanged over the years. I get a feeling of constancy and comfort when I visit, and I really like that. For as much as I love rearranging my own home, I like that the homes of my Grandparents rarely change!

This is the only bathroom in the house. I know the wallpaper
 is ugly,  but when I see it, it reminds me of all my childhood visits
to Grandma's house, so for that reason, I love this wallpaper. 

The floral wallpaper in my Grandma's bedroom has also
remained unchanged since my childhood!

This is Grandma's utility room. This room used to be the
kitchen when my mom was younger, so this wall has
always had a kitchen-y feel. I've always liked how it
resembles its original purpose. 

My grandpa died 12 years ago, and ever since I was a little kid, his hats have been hanging on hooks lining the wall next to the back screen door. Although lots of his things have been cleared out of the house since his passing, the rows of his hats have not. Grandma's house just wouldn't be the same without Grandpa's hats.