"Roadin"

 When my mom was still very young, her dad's health was poor and the Dr. advised him to move to a drier climate, and so they packed up all that they owned onto a little trailer and moved south to Phx AZ (the 8 of them and the dog). 

I love the rocking chair in the front.

  I am sure this isn't what started my Grandparent's love of "Roadin" but I am sure their love for it helped this trip be fabulous.  My mother recently told me that when she was a girl, her parents would go "out for a drive" while the kiddos were supposed to be doing their chores and be gone for an hour or two-- those were different times when children were safe at home alone.

Other times my Grandparents would drive up and say, "Jump in we are taking a trip". As a family they would take a spontaneous trip and go a "roadin".

They explored a lot of the country by car. Every summer they would take a family road trip. He delighted in sharing this love with his family. 

I remember taking trips with my Grandparents, just me and them. It was waaay before the seat belt laws were made-- I got to sit on the armrest in the center of the front seat. There was just enough room for my little feet to hang over and rest on the seat in one of whatever gargantuan Crystler they were driving at the time. I thought that seat was made for me. We went on long trips and short trips, and mostly trips to Dairy Queen. (Ice cream is a whole nother post for rills)

(The family on the way to Phx at 4 corners AZ)

When my grandparents retired to St. Johns, they took many off road excursions or trips to Colorado and Oklahoma. Mostly to see family and but also to visit their favorite haunts.

(My grandparents--I would guess about 10 years ago at 4 Corners)

 After my grandpa was pretty much home bound... or at least AZ bound, he would talk of taking my nephew sometime on a trip to see the dinosaur park in Utah. He meant it. He didn't think that dialysis could keep him home.  About two or so months ago, I was working in my yard when my grandparents drove up.  When they stopped to say hello, I asked them what they were up to.  They were taking a road trip to their favorite Mexican restaurant only 90 min away in Florence AZ!  They invited me to come, and I hesitated for just a minute. I was super busy, but I knew this would be a chance I wouldn't get much more often. So we went, it was a 3 hour excursion for a burrito. But it was a priceless moment really.

The afternoon before my grandpa passed, they decided to take that trip again. They went "roadin" unknowingly for the last time together. It was a precious blessing, and a perfect beginning to the end.

Years ago my grandpa told my uncle that when my grandpa died, he wanted my uncle to bring him to Colorado in the back of his "pick up". My uncle had just purchased a new truck and oh how my grandpa loved a new vehicle... or old vehicle... or anything with an engine really. So my uncle promised that when the time came he would be the one to transport my Grandpa to be buried.

And so, after the funeral, we prepared for Grandpa's very last road trip in this life. My cousins and uncles loaded his casket into the back of my Uncle's "pick-up".

It makes my heart happy that his little body got to go "roadin" really till the very last moment we laid him to rest.  It was a tender mercy for us to be able to serve him one last time.  

To be continued....