It's Always Fun When Grandpa (and Grandma and Bryan and Steve and Moe and Rory) Comes, Hooray!

When my parents told us months ago that they were going to visit in May, we naturally got super-excited. SUPER-excited. "We haven't bought tickets yet", they said, "but we are coming!"

As we waited for them to visit, they waited to buy their tickets. In their defense, they were waiting for their credit card points to add up so they could get a mega-discount on airfare, but as they waited to build up their points, we built up our anticipation.

We would Skype occasionally, and Max was always eager to let them know he was excited for them to come see our Virginia home. He even planned out a small itinerary for their visit. "Heeter Teeter", he would say when asked where he wanted to take them while they were here. Heeter Teeter, or Harris Teeter as it is officially known, is a chain of grocery stores on the southern Eastern Seaboard, and it is Max's favorite place in the world.

In Primary, when the children were asked to fill out a spotlight that included their favorite place to visit, most children replied with, Hershey Park, Great Wolf Lodge, Six Flags, Utah, the beach, a lakehouse, and such. Not Max. His favorite place? Heeter Teeter.

Now don't think that we are depriving our children of fun places to go. We're not. We've taken them to Disneyland, Alaska, all over Utah, camping, fishing, beaches on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, museums in DC, Lake Powell, on helicopter rides, airplane rides, four-wheeler rides, carousel rides, and zip-line rides, to name a few. But as far as Max is concerned, we could just go to Heeter Teeter and it would make his day. Why does he like it so much? Cookies.

Yeah, cookies.

Harris Teeter knows how to get parents into their store. They give out free sugar cookies. They have a happy-smiley-big-green-dragon posterboard display that holds two big boxes of sugary goodness. Max gets two every time we visit. That is why he loves it so much.

So when grandma and grandpa asked Max where he was going to take them when they came to visit, that was his reply, "Heeter Teeter".

I'm not sure if they were as excited to visit our neighborhood grocery store as Max was to take them, but we were all excited for their upcoming trip, nonetheless.

Finally, the big day arrived. We threw our kids into the truck (not literally, they were placed gently and buckled in tightly), sped off to the airport (not literally, I observed all posted traffic signs as I drove), and eagerly waited to welcome them to Virginia.

Due to different flights and last minute rescheduling of flight plans, we met my brother, Bryan, there first (he had been in St. George prior to coming to Virginia). About thirty minutes later, my parents came walking down the concourse toward us. Max was excited, Isla was timid.

Picking up Grandma and Grandpa from the airport

Even though she had previously met these grandparents and her uncle, it had been a year almost to the day since we had seen them last. I'm not sure she really knew who they were.

Later that night (really late) my dad and I drove back to pick up my brother Steve, his wife Moe, and their baby girl Rory.

The next day we got up as early as we could and headed for Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The night before, as we had picked up our visitor's from the airport, I believe each one of them had commented about the humidity as we made our way out to the parking lot. I have to confess, it was humid, but it was actually really pleasant. The sun had set, it was probably somewhere in the low 70's. I think the humidity in the air (as it had been mostly non-humid for most of the entire spring prior to my family's arrival) served as a small warning as to what was in store.

When we got to Harpers Ferry, it was hot. Imagine turning on the shower full-power, as hot as it can go. Now imagine placing a treadmill in your bathroom, and jogging, I mean running, as fast as you can for as long as you can. I'm thinking like, oh, probably a hundred miles. Or two days, whichever comes first. Now imagine that this shower/bathroom/treadmill is inside a giant oven. A really big one that could fit all that stuff inside. Now imagine that the roof of the shower/bathroom/treadmill/oven is made of glass, and the sun is shining right on top of it, plus about a million of those red heat lamps that they use to keep food warm. Now imagine the oven is turned on, not too hot to cook you alive, but just hot enough to make it annoyingly miserable, which is much worse than cooking alive. Now drench yourself in molasses. Imagine that.

That would be like a polar ice cap compared to what West Virginia handed to us. Actually, it wasn't too bad, at least I didn't think so. But I'm sure my parents and brother, coming from Alaska, thought differently. Steve and Moe, all the way from Utah, probably thought similar. I thought, "Wait 'till tomorrow!"

We managed to enjoy Harpers Ferry, in spite of the hot, sticky, heat. We hiked Bolivar Heights, where Federal troops had been surrounded by the Confederates during the Civil War, we walked across the foot bridge spanning the Potomac River, took in the sights of the old town, watched as trains passed by, and left when we had finally had as much heat as we could handle for the day.

Hiking down the trail on Bolivar Heights

Isla, manning the guns on Bolivar Heights

Looking from Bolivar Heights, toward Harpers Ferry and the Potomac River

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Max, Isla, and Steve, checking out the old paper mill on the canal at Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry seems like a town that is very much tied to the railroad.
Here, tracks cross over the Potomac River and through a
tunnel on the Maryland side of the river.

We managed to find a shady spot next to the Shenandoah River, where
we were able to stick our feet in the water and cool down for a bit.

The remains of an old bridge still standing in the Potomac River

The next day found us on the Metro as we made our way to Washington DC. Our first stop was on the Virginia side of the river at Arlington National Cemetery. It was Memorial Day, it was crowded, and again, it was hot. Hotter than the day before.

Arlington National Cemetery

It was still a great experience to be there among the thousands of flag-adorned headstones that mark the graves of the brave souls who have given all for our country. As we arrived we were given two roses each to lay on graves of our choosing. After taking our roses and heading out toward the cemetery, we were stopped from crossing the road by soldiers in military dress. As we waited beneath the sweltering sun, we learned that we had been stopped for a motorcade that would be passing though. Rumor had it that the motorcade was for Vice President Biden as he made his way to the Tomb of the Unknowns for the annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Later, I would find out that the motorcade had not been VP Biden's after all. It was in fact, President Obama that drove past.

When the motorcade had finally passed by, we walked up the hill to the Eternal Flame and the resting place of President John F. Kennedy. Max and I placed a couple roses, and then we all retreated back the the cooler confines of the DC metro system.

Our next stop was the National Mall. It was now about lunchtime so we stopped for a quick bite at the McDonald's inside the Air and Space Museum, and then trudged through the heat up the hill to the National Capitol building. Once at the Capitol, we were again forced to sit out under the hot sun until we were allowed inside the building. The wait in the heat was designed in part, I think, to help us appreciate the miracle of air conditioning. I kept thinking about how the founders of our nation had no such luxury, and if they could endure the boiling Virginia summers, I could endure a few hours of heat as well.

U.S. Capitol Building

Once inside the symbolic building, the cool air quickly greeted us. In a few minutes we began a walking tour through the main halls, rooms, and concourses of the Capitol. It was awesome to stand in such a place and think of how many of the decisions that sculpted the government of America had been made in the rooms I was now in.

Bryan and Brigham Young, being photographed by my mom, inside the U.S. Capitol building.

After the tour, we elected to stay out of the heat and utilized the underground tunnel that led from the Capitol to the Library of Congress. The Library, for those who have not had the chance to visit, is decadently ornate. It's ceilings and walls are all intricately embellished with paintings and decorations. Of course, I was intrigued by the Waldseemüller Map, and we also made sure to stop by the Gutenberg Bible.

Inside the Library of Congress

When we headed back outside, then sun had dropped in the sky and the heat was no longer unbearable. We walked to a grassy spot on the mall, bought some ice cream and popsicles from a street vendor, and enjoyed the late afternoon. After stops at the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial, we headed for home.

Max at the Washington Monument

Max took this picture of the monument. After snapping a few random photos
(of the benches, people we don't know, etc), he looked up, held up the
camera, moved around to just the right spot, and snapped this photo. When
he looked at it on the camera's display, he yelled, "Daddy, look!" When I
went over to look, I saw this photo. He excitedly said, "I got the flag in
it too, isn't that cool?" I have to admit, it is a pretty good photo.
Especially for a 4 year-old.

Max and Isla at the WWII Memorial. Jumping off the little ledge
was much more fun than looking at the memorial. (Notice their
pants are wet. Prior to this, they were wading out into
the pool at the base of the memorial)

The next day found us splitting up as some of us went to visit my office while Shayla, Moe and the kids went to the park. Again, it was hot. At the park, Shayla and Moe got tired of sweating it out and by the time we got there to meet up with them, they had already left and were getting lunch in Rosslyn. Instead of trying to meet them there, we decided to meet in Alexandria.

We took the trolley down King Street, stopped at a few of the small shops, walked along the waterfront of the small marina on the side of the Potomac River, and stopped for ice cream before leaving town. On our way out, my mom and Shayla took the kids home, while Me, my dad, Steve, Moe, and Bryan headed for DC.

At the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, Steve, Moe, and Bryan jumped out while my dad and I drove around as we waited for them to check out Lincoln and the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials.

A short while later, we picked the three tourists back up on the south side of Constitution Avenue. Our next stop? 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The White House

Had I known Obama was going to drive past us the day before, I probably would have tried to flag him down and ask if we could go inside his house. But since I thought it was Biden in the motorcade, the thought hadn't occurred to me. We instead settled for checking out the White House from the outside. Having lived in the DC area for four months shy of two years, this was the first time I had actually stopped to see the President's residence. I have seen it previously from afar, but this was the first time I had made any effort to check it out.

It was cool.

That last stop pretty much wrapped up our DC tour. The next day we hit the freeway and headed for Virginia Beach. The coastal breeze definitely made a difference as the heat and humidity next to the ocean was no where near as stifling.

Chillin' on the way to Virginia Beach

We checked in to our amazing beachside hotel, snuck outside to play in the sand and splash in the waves, and spent the remainder of the day building sand castles, attempting to skimboard and boogie board, and collecting small, fractured seashells.

The kids, as well as the adults, were in heaven.

Isla wasn't too sure about the ocean. This was about as far as she dared to venture out into the waves.

Steve skimmin' it up in front of his fans. That's our hotel in the background.

Max loved running around in the water.

A day later we woke to the sun lifting its bright face over the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Today was Shayla's birthday. My family was packing up and getting ready to head south to North Carolina to visit my sister. Shayla and I and the kids were going to stay another day at the beach.

Before my family skipped out on us, we hit the boardwalk on rented bikes and cruised along the coast, checking out the sights around us. Around noon, we finally said, "See ya later" to my parents, brothers, sister-in-law, and niece. Max and I ditched the girls at the hotel and found the closest grocery store. As chance would have it, that just happened to be a Harris Teeter! We quickly picked out a cake for Shayla and took it back to have a proper b-day celebration. The rest of the day was spent swimming in the pools at the hotel.

Cruising along the boardwalk with grandma and grandpa

Shayla and I rented a tandem bike. Max wanted to take it for a spin.
He thought it was a pretty sweet ride.

Max found this crab claw on the beach. He ran around for the next hour trying to pinch us all with it.

Happy Birthday, Shayla! Max was worried that all the candles would set off the fire alarm.

The next morning, Shayla and I woke early enough to sit out on the balcony and watch the sun rise. When the kids woke, they went with Shayla out to the beach while I packed up and checked out of the hotel.

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

At about 4 pm that same day, we pulled into a much less exciting, but still clean and welcoming hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina. We were heading south to catch up with the rest of my family at Amy's house, but we kind-of wanted to take our time getting there, and also didn't want to impose on Amy as her kids got reacquainted with their grandparents. This hotel, an hour and a half north of Charlotte, was a perfect stopping place. We hit the pool, ate dinner, and went to bed so we could get up early in the morning.

We arrived in Huntersville (just north of Charlotte) late that morning. We spent the rest of the day at Amy's house. Max and Isla went swimming with their cousin Blake, uncle Chad, and my Dad and Bryan. Shayla and I had had enough of swimming, so we stayed at the house.

That night for dinner, we went to Sonny's. That should be all I need to say about it. The name speaks for itself. Unfortunately, the sweet nectar that is smoked pit barbecue and their secret recipe for amazing (AMAZING) barbecue sauce is only available in the southeastern corner of America. I first discovered Sonny's while serving a mission in Georgia and Florida. When Steve was called to serve in Tampa a few years later, I recommended he seek it out as well. Any failure to do so would have resulted in my disowning him as a brother. Needless to say, he has since become addicted to the tantalizing tastes of pure golden barbecue as well.

Rory, Steve, and Moe, getting their picture taken courtesy of Bryan outside Sonny's.

That could have been it for me as far as our trip to the northernmost of the two Carolinas was concerned (just kidding Amy and Chad, I liked visiting you too). Sonny's is a destination unto its own. However, we elected to stay a while longer. Max and Isla loved being able to play with cousins close to their age. Blake even invited Max to have a "sleepover" and watch a movie in their playroom. We rolled out their sleeping bags and left the boys to their sleepover while the big kids (parents) played games downstairs.

All the cousins together for a group photo (from left to right: Max, Blake, Drew, Derek, Rory, and Isla)

Late that night, after their movie had ended, Max asked if he could sleep in the same room as Shayla and I. Blake was heartbroken, but perhaps Max isn't quite ready for a sleepover just yet. Either that, or he was really, really, really tired, and I think Blake just wanted to play, while Max wanted to sleep.

The next day was Sunday. Amy and Chad were blessing their baby at church that afternoon, so although we packed up our things and got ready to go home, we hung around and went to church with them so we could be a part of it. Their church starts at 1 pm, so we already knew we were going to have a long seven hour drive back home. What we didn't know, was that this Sunday was "Everybody in the whole congregation get up and share your testi/story/thanktimony" day.

I think Sacrament meeting was a full 30 minutes over time. If not more. Shayla would roll her eyes at me every time someone got up late to tell us about their life (but not you, Chad, she didn't roll her eyes at you), and I just grinned. Even though we live in Virginia, I don't consider us as living in the south, this was the south. I had attended many a sacrament meeting in the south, and this one reeked of my mission. Not reeked as in a bad stinky thing, but reeked as in, this is the south, people like to talk, and this happened at least once a month for two years of my life.

When the last "Amen" was finally uttered, we went outside, said goodbye to my family (they would all be staying in North Carolina for another two days before heading back to Alaska and Utah), and hit the road. Luckily, we hadn't gassed up the cars (yes, it's plural. Cars. My parents borrowed Shelli and Lige's Land Cruiser to drive down to NC, and I was driving our car home, while Shayla followed me in the 'Cruiser) and as we stopped to fill them up, I realized I had left my wallet back at Amy's house, 30 minutes away in the wrong direction. So not only had church added 30 minutes to our arrival at home time, we now had to add another thirty minutes each way to retrieve my wallet. This would add an hour and a half to the total time of our journey home. Not to mention that we would probably stay at Amy's for a while (which we did) to grab a bite to eat before heading out (thanks Amy, the sandwiches were great). At least we hadn't filled the vehicles up with gas the night before, otherwise we would have probably been hours up the road before I realized my wallet was missing.

I think we finally left Huntersville at about 4:00 pm. We had about seven or eight hours ahead of us, depending on how many times we stopped for bathroom breaks along the way. And with a pregnant wife and two little kids, that promised to be a lot.

We made good time. Passing through Greensboro and getting onto Highway 29 which we would follow almost the entire way home. This was a departure (courtesy of our GPS) from the usual freeway that we have taken in the past, and I was a bit skeptical that we would find this to be a faster or even as timely a way home as the freeway would provide. I scanned the GPS for a point to reconnect to the freeway, and it seemed that any effort to do so would add considerable time to our trip. I called Shayla, who was following behind me, and we elected to trust the GPS.

I'm glad we did. This route was incredibly scenic, passing through the rolling hills and forests of the Appalachian mountains. We stopped only once for a bathroom and treat break, before arriving in Charlottesville for dinner. Max and I had really enjoyed ourselves, looking out the windows as we passed the landscape by. Max watched a movie on the iPod intermittently, going back and forth between that, talking to me, and looking outside.

I don't think Shayla's trip was quite the same. She had Isla with her, who, even though she is a great traveler for a two-year-old, is not as good at being content in the car as Max is. She did pretty well at watching movies, but got a bit fussy right before we stopped for dinner. After leaving Charlotte, she did ok, but I think, if I remember right, she cried for the last hour home.

All in all, we had a great time with my family. I'm so glad they could all come out to visit us. I hope it will not be the last time either! Isla absolutely adored Bryan. She loved playing with him and will still mention him on occasion. Max loved going around to all the different places, even though we had many long, hot days. Most of the nights, as I was putting him to bed, he would look up at me and say, "I had a lot of fun today".

I had a lot of fun too.