Friday, October 23, 2020

NomiAnn and Papa Kay's Visit: Short but Oh-So-Sweet

Over the first weekend in October, NomiAnn and Papa Kay drove out from Omaha for a visit.  Even though it wasn't a long stay, it was wonderful to spend time with them!  We definitely made the most of our time together.  Originally NomiAnn was going to fly out, but in the end driving worked better which was great since we got to see both grandparents.

Shortly after they arrived on Friday, we took a trip over to Red Butte Gardens to see their BOOtanical display.

Papa Kay enters the realm of the pumpkin queen.


Hunting for the Spider Queen next.




Found her in all her mulit-eyed glory.

Papa Kay enjoyed feeding the werewolves...


...and skeletons.  Tic Tac Time!


Since it was a garden after all, we even enjoyed the flowers.

Back at home, the kids were delighted to unearth some of the treasures NomiAnn brought.  Annika got a lovely new backpack filled with supplies to celebrate being back-to-school.  And of course, we all were excited for new handsewn masks.

Looking hot there, Peanut Butter!

The next day's adventure: the Hogle zoo!  We headed over in between sessions of General Conference.  Lots of pumpkin excitement happening here too.


The lions were the funniest, and not just because of their masks.


The flies just wouldn't leave this poor gal alone.  If you look closely, you can see one hanging out on her teeth!


Snackin' on Dippin' Dots--tastier than flies any day.

After Sunday morning's session of General Conference, we took a drive on the alpine loop for a picnic lunch up Tibble Fork.  Annika and Eli really enjoyed throwing rocks in the river.  If you look closely, you can see Eli's splash.


Tallest to smallest.  How time flies, right NomiAnn?  We picnicked at the same spot two years ago when NomiAnn was still tallest.


Spying on the aspens during our Loop drive.  Papa Kay wasn't all that impressed with the extremely narrow road with lots of traffic going both directions.  But hey, we didn't fall off a cliff.

Plus, we got to see this.  Stunning.

Pausing for a short hike to Cascade Springs.




God did a pretty outstanding job creating this earth.  I feel darn fortunate to share the beauty.


Our very last hurrah was a bonfire up Millcreek on Sunday night, complete with hot dogs and marshmallows.


NomiAnn and Papa Kay, it's nearly 2000 miles to drive from Omaha to Salt Lake and back.  Many would think you are crazy to make that long of a drive for just two and a half days together.  We hope you know how special those days were to us.  Thank you for making such an effort to keep our families close.  We love you!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear Wheeler clan,
Our weekend visit was definitely worth our 2000 mile road trip. The weather was nice and the company was terrific. We so enjoyed the mountains and the hospitality. It also gave us a chance to give "Andy", our "new" minivan, a fast, intense road trip test. The car itself performed well; one leaky, noisy run-flat tire was the only stress point. It has now been replaced and all is well again. Keep Smiling!