Our first stop when we got to town was to drive by my Grandma's house. It's not hers anymore, it was sold after she passed away, but I wanted to see it again. I told the kids about playing in the forest that's just a block away from Grandma's and building a teepee there with my cousin Jimmer. I told them about the 2 liter bottles that she cut half-circles in and then hung from the tree in the front yard. The whole tree had green and clear bottles hanging from almost every limb. When the wind blew it would catch the cut flap and the bottles turned and turned. It was so pretty to watch. I thought about the three rows of built-in shelves containing pictures of her kids and grandkids that I used to dust. I told my children how she always had a quilt on. I pointed out the wood pile stacked next to the house. That was her primary heat. I told all these stories and then I cried because the house is a mess and it made me a little sick inside to know the place that held so many memories was being run down and trashed.
I took a minute to pull myself together, then we drove around the town and Chant and I showed the kids all the places we had worked and lived, the place where Chant and I met for the first time. Brinnley wanted us to act out our first meeting for them. I told her we couldn't just go into someone's apartment. She said we could stand on the porch and act it out. Sweet girl!
After the walk down memory lane we walked up and down the streets. I showed them the t-shirt shop I worked at the and hotel where I cleaned rooms. Then we stopped at the grocery store to see my cousin. Finally the kids were able to get a souvenir at the Penny to a Dollar store. Brinn chose a bow and arrow, Porter a gun, and Ainsley a puppy.
Next we got some chicken nuggets at McDonald's and drove out to the bridge that crosses the Madison River by Baker's Hole campground. This stretch of river holds so many memories for me. Countless times my family and I have floated that river in the summertime. One of my dear friends and I used to get Chinese food and take it to that bridge. We sat underneath the bridge to eat and talk about life and the gospel. The next summer I continued the tradition, taking Chant there. I love that bridge!
The water was too high to sit under the bridge, so we sat on the bank and ate the we spent the next little while throwing rocks in, making it sound like rain as we all threw in a handful at the same time. It was pretty magical sounding.
We drove the couple miles up the road to visit the cemetery where my mom's parents are buried. It's a beautiful cemetery, really just headstones in the forest. It has a fence around it, but it's just a part of nature. We cleaned off the headstones and I told them a few more stories. My Grandpa's best friend, Sy Armstrong, is buried right next to him. I told the girls a little about that too. I am so glad we went up there. I think I needed it. I miss my Grandma a lot lately.
Our last visit was to our special spot. A lot of important things happened here. It's the place I was when I knew Chant and I would be married. It's the place we were when Chant and I talked about him going on a mission. It's a special spot to me. It's just a little spot off the side of the road on the way out to Madison Art Resort and Marina. And when we got there again, it was the same wonderful place it was before. We got out and took a walk down the bank to the river. We saw two mama ducks with three ducklings each waddle into the river and swim away. It was perfect!
Even though we were only there a few hours, we did everything I wanted to do.
