Sunday, April 15, 2012

JUST MOVED IN. NOW LEAVING FOR CALIFORNIA

I know. It doesn't sound like it makes a lot of sense.  Here we were...barely settled
in our new home, and ready to take off. You know. Pack and head for the hills.
Actually the mountains. We knew exactly where we were going. To see Sally.
Odell's daughter. And mine now, too. There was also another little reason to go...


It was time to meet our newest grandson, Isaac.
And since this precious little one resided with his parents, Sally and Steve,
in Bakersfield, California, well...where else would we be going?
That's right. To the other side of the world!

It was exciting getting ready for our trip. Doing anything with my guy was exciting!
I just knew he would love showing his girl all the sights along the way. (smile).

Soon we were on our way, singing 'California, here we come...'  Well, actually,
I may have been flying solo on that one, but I didn't mind.
I felt like Lucy sitting beside Ricky in their new Cadillac,
with Fred and Ethel taking up resident in the back seat. Love that episode!

Anyway, it was exciting!  The plans were to drive all night and arrive
the next morning in Albeuerque.  Or maybe for Odell to drive all night and awaken me when we arrived. Because that's what happened.   A gentle nudge on my shoulder and that soft drawl I
loved to hear, 'honey, we're here..' and I was back to the land of the living. And what land it was! Beautiful majestic mountains off in the distance were demanding my attention.

I remember asking Odell how anyone could see all the beauty around us and not believe in it's Creator. That's always been beyond my comprehension.  And his.

We checked into our hotel.
And we didn't check out...not for a few hours. (smile). Hey. It was
nice...so welcoming. And my guy definitely needed some sleep.

 Later we would do a little sight seeing and
dine in a nice restaurant for dinner.  Which we did...eventually.
And ended our pleasant day with a refreshing dip in the hotel pool.
Actually, we ended it relaxing in the hot tub. Together of course.
Isn't that the only way to enjoy it? We thought so!
                       (Okay. So it isn't my guy and me! You get the picture)!

Back 'on the road again'. And yes, I probably sang that song, too.(smile).

It wasn't hard to stay awake this time. I was enjoying the amazing
scenery along the way. And loving sharing it with my own very handsome
and very personal tour guide. Could I be any more loved and blessed?
I honestly couldn't imagine it...and I told him so...something I did frequently.
The drive was nice. Looking. Talking. Laughing. Touching. And those
sweet, quiet moments were nice, too.

Then we were there! Not California. The Grand Canyon. There are no
words to describe the magnificence of God's amazing handiwork here.

Hearing about it didn't begin to compare
to the thrill of actually standing and looking
over these gorgeous mountains. It was literally breath taking! As I stood there with those
strong arms around me,
I knew there was no one else in the world I
wanted to share this beautiful moment with.

We took our time. No reason to hurry.
Finally, we pulled ourselves away from all
that wonderfulness. We wanted to get to our destination before dark.
Once we were on our way, I thought it might be nice to just close my eyes for a little snooze.
Not for long. Odell assured me he wasn't too sleepy and didn't need me to help drive.
Scooting closer to his side, and sighing happily, I gave in. Just for a few minutes.

I'm not sure when the few minutes turned into hours. I just know I became semi-conscious
when I felt a big, strong hand gently caressing my leg. It had to be my handsome tour guide!
Taking liberties, was he?  I smiled at him sleepily. 'Almost there, baby?'
He squeezed my leg. 'Pretty close, honey.' 


 He was right.  It wasn't too long before we were standing at their front door.
Soon I would have the pleasure of watching Pa Pa hold our grandson for the first time.
And then it would be Nanny's turn.

And not much longer before you, my readers, hear the rest of the story.
of this chapter...




Love is a beautiful journey
with the one you love and
completely adore.