19 July 2015

Brandan's mom began care with hospice recently.  We drove to Utah this week to spend time with her.  We stopped on the salt flats just west of Salt Lake City to run around.

Grandma and Grandpa moved their bedroom downstairs.  Everyone likes joining Grandma Linda in her extra-large and very comfortable adjustable bed.

The cousins had fun playing together.  Xander pushed Gibson in the swing.

Here are Helen, Salem, Sutton and Sasha.

Abe is playing basketball with Niko.

We played Apples to Apples at Wade and Steph's house.  Sasha, Kaylee, Emma, Helen and Dallin were on one team.  Parker is also in the photo.

Abe and Logan built the Salt Lake Temple with Kinex.

We went to the Tracy Aviary with Drue and Maggie's family.  Helen liked the flamingos.

Some parakeets were building a nest.  The kids liked finding sticks for the birds.  The parakeets would climb down the chain link fence until they could grab the sticks in their beaks.  Then they would climb back up and use their beaks to shove the sticks securely into their nest construction.  In the photo, Abe and Salem are giving a parakeet a stick.

 We hiked through the Albion Meadows at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon.  In this photo are Xander, Maggie, Abe, Niko, Sasha, Becky (Brandan's sister), Brandan and Gibson.

Many of Becky's favorite hikes are in Utah, but we limited ourselves to the crown jewel.  There is no place on earth quite like the Albion Basin in July.  The intense blue sky is a backdrop for high granite peaks and lush carpets of wildflowers.  The meadow is at the top of the canyon so the hike is not as steep (and much more child-friendly) as other hikes in the canyons.  Here are Salem, Sofi and Sasha. 

 We saw lupine, mules' ears, Indian paintbrushes, blue bells, columbine, coneflowers and a bunch of other flowers we don't know the names of.  Sofi said she was suffering from optical overload.

 Here are Sutton and Helen.  Both of these girls are great hikers!

 Sofi gave Grandma Linda a manicure.  Grandma spends most of her time in bed.  She sleeps a lot or rests if she isn't sleeping.  She also likes to watch TV and visit with her many visitors.

We are grateful that her pain is controlled and that her soul is at peace.  She has already planned her funeral program, and passed a favorite ring of her mother's on to Sofi.  Brandan recorded her sharing her memories as they looked through the photo album of her wedding, his birth and early childhood.  We all spent time next to her in this holy place, enjoying the quiet conversation of loved ones, with indirect sunlight, a ceiling fan gently moving the air, and the background hum of a swamp cooler helping to keep her comfortable.

We arrived back home Thursday night.  Brandan took Abe golfing on Friday.

Brandan also helped Helen hang some curtains on her bed.  Helen sewed the curtains herself.