So what have we been up to since I last left off (almost a full month ago!)?
Well, in mid-October, Nick and I packed up as much of our clothes, toys, and general necessities that would fit in one suitcase (and, like, 12 other small bags as my Dad so kindly pointed out), threw it all in the back of my parent's Tahoe, and drove more-hours-than-I-can-count down south to Arkansas to visit my grandparents.
I had not seen my PawPaw since Todd and I got married three years ago, and hadn't seen my Granny (she was not able to make it to our wedding) for several years even prior to that. And neither of them had met Nick, so this trip was a huge treat for everyone. Even more so exciting was the fact that it was a complete surprise that Nick and I would be joining my parents.
There was a family reunion planned for the Sunday of our arrival at a local park outside of Little Rock. Dad drove into the parking lot and we could see all of the family gathered under the pavilion getting ready to eat. I threw a blanket over Nick (which clearly didn't work as he instantly ripped it off) and ducked down in the back seat (thank goodness for tinted windows) to hide from unsuspecting family members. Mom and Dad hopped out of the car and bee-lined for the picnic, while the plan was for Nick and I to wait a few minutes and then hop out and casually stroll up to the party.
Well, when Mom & Dad got out of the car, out of habit Dad locked the doors. So naturally when I tried to quietly open the door to get Nick and I out, the car alarm started blaring. Fortunately my Dad pretended as though he had hit the button, turned it off quickly, and rejoined the group. So Nick and I slipped out of the Tahoe, and walked right up behind my PawPaw as he was just about to say a blessing. Poor guy - I think we just about gave him a heart attack. His eyes brimmed with tears and he hugged and kissed me and Nick like there was no tomorrow. It was by far, one of the absolute best moments of my life.
We then spent a wonderful week catching up with Henson family members and soaking up every second of time that we could with my sweet grandparents. It was relaxing, entertaining, fun, and incredibly emotional.
My absolute favorite memory from the week, aside from the big "hey, guess what, we're here!" surprise when we arrived, was the night that my PawPaw and I sat around the kitchen table, flipping through old photo albums -- photos dating all the way back to when he was a little boy -- and listening to him tell who each person was, and the background story that accompanied each photo. 
It's a memory that will forever be etched into my heart. Seeing photos of my Granny and PawPaw as mere teenagers on a date at a local carnival...pictures of my Great GranGran as a beautiful young mother, carrying around her baby boy (my PawPaw)...and photos of my dad and aunt as toddlers that bore an uncanny resemblance to Nick and I (there's no mistaking the Henson in us). I can't remember the last time my attention was so fully immersed in something as it was at that exact moment.
We soaked up every bit of local Star City culture that we could and PawPaw even took me on a driving tour of the town. He drove me out to see Cane Creek, where he spent the majority of his days fishing after he retired and they moved back to Arkansas. As we drove through the park and past the lake, I asked my grandfather "PawPaw, when was the last time you went fishing". His reply left me thankful that I was wearing sunglasses, while silent tears streamed down my cheeks as he said "oh, honey, I haven't been fishin' in over two years now. And ya know, if I never fish another day in my life, I've done all the fishin' I need to do because there's much more important things to take care of now."
My Granny was sitting in the back seat as he said this. My Granny has Alzheimer's. My PawPaw, who's second greatest love after his wife and family - fishing - has given up the hobby he loves most and devoted his life to now taking care of my Granny, whether she is aware of it or not. The pure, unconditional, raw, emotional love that my PawPaw displays for my Granny is beyond compare. I am so blessed to have all four of my grandparents in my life still at 30 years old. And the devotion that my grandfathers display for their "girlfriends" of over 60 years is truly beautiful. (I could type pages upon pages on this, but that's all for another post.)
We spent the week eating, laughing, hugging, and yes, crying (mostly me). We had dinner at the local Mexican restaurant, which was delicious, and had a fantastic dinner at the local Steak house one night, but none of the meals compared to the night my PawPaw made his famous hamburgers. I'm not the least bit ashamed to say I ate two. As in, I finished my two before anyone else had even finished their one. Yes, they were that good. No - nobody else's hamburgers will ever compare.
I set my PawPaw's computer up for Skype (which we still have yet to have a Skype date, though I have tried twice!), we drove through the Cane Creek halloween lights display (which was awesome!), and we even got to show Nick the "zoo" across the street...which was not an actual zoo, but these people have a LOT of pets (a donkey, cows, pygmy goats, raccoons, guinea fowls, dogs, etc.) and Nick was enthralled. He desperately wanted to pet the donkey, but I was panicked it would freak out and bite off his hand, so I refused to let him get too close. We let my Aunt Sis pet it instead. And if you were curious, she couldn't wait to get back inside and wash her hands afterwards. ;)
All in all, it was an incredibly memorable trip and I am beyond grateful that I got the chance to tag along with my parents, see so much family, and most of all introduce Nick to my grandparents and aunt and uncle who had never met him. When it came time to leave at the end of the week, I could barely keep it together. I sobbed as I hugged my PawPaw goodbye, and as I kissed my Granny on the cheek - the sweet woman who gave no indication all week that she knew who I was, but was happy to spend time with me every day - looked me in the eyes, smiled and said "I'm proud of you and glad you are here".
In all honesty, at that moment, and for that whole week, I was the proud one. Proud of my beautiful and loving family. Proud of the people we have all become. And proud of the love we all share. It was one of the most blessed weeks of my life. And I can't wait until next year's trip, because you better believe that Nick and I are tagging along again!
2 comments:
Beautiful story, Melissa! Makes me get teary thinking of the one grandparent I have left. I try to soak up his stories whenever I'm around him, just because I know he won't be here to tell them forever. Glad you got to have that week with your family!
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