Driving Home

The drive home from AZ to UT lasted forever. ...Or at least it seemed that way. It really did take longer than the drive down to AZ. We had to make more stops, and a couple of stops were long ones. Alfredo has a cousin that lives in Vegas. When they heard we were in AZ, they asked us to please stop in Vegas to visit. So we did. They made us a wonderful lunch, and the girls played for awhile and I visited with Sandra and Noel. It was great to see them. But I missed an exit I needed in Kingman, AZ (and realized pretty quickly but still had to drive a ways to find a place where I could exit and get back on the freeway headed back to Kingman to get the right freeway). And a two hour stop in Vegas. And a stop for dinner. And I knew my uncle was dying. A couple of times during the drive, I just began to cry thinking about my uncle. And a dead cell phone battery in Cedar City and knowing that we were later than Alfredo would expect but not having a phone to call caused us to be later and later, and had me feeling worried. I finally decided to stop in Beaver and find a pay phone (which don't exist anymore!) or something. I asked at a gas station and the girl at the counter said I could plug my phone in there until it charged. Fortunately, a man standing in line offerred to let me borrow his to call Alfredo instead. So I did, and felt much better. So the 11-12 hour drive lasted 15 1/2 hours. It was a long day. But thankfully we made it home safely. We were all so glad to be home.

And loved seeing Sandra, Noel, Becky and Katie. The girls had fun playing Bop It with them for awhile while we visited.


And I guess I can't complain about a 15 hour drive when I have so many ancestors that crossed the plains on foot with wagons or handcarts.

And my children were wonderfully behaved despite it being such a long, long day! (Gabby did start to cry at one point. She asked some tender questions about heaven and death and what would happen if she wasn't as obedient as she wanted to be or should be. It led to a beautiful discussion about repentance and the plan of salvation and our Savior. I wish I didn't have to lose my uncle, but it has helped me again bear testimony to my children of the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness.)

I am richly blessed.