Grandma Hinton Visits

A couple of months ago my Grandma called me to let me know that she was going to be coming to California to listen my Uncle Jeff and his band Joshua Creek sing the National Anthem at a Dodgers game.  She said that she wanted to spend some quality time together and I was so so thrilled.  I have not seen my Grandma Hinton since August of 2008 at my wedding.  It was time for a long over due visit.  (I had planned to go out to Utah to see her in February but I got sick and my doctor told me not travel.)

As last weekend came closer I got even more excited and finally it was Thursday.  I left work early to drive over to the city of LaVerne to pick up Grandma before Uncle Jeff went to LA.  We went into Denny's to eat dinner.  We all decided on what we wanted to eat and Grandma asked me what I wanted and I told her the Club sandwich.  Well she says, "Rachel you can't eat that for dinner, eat a dinner food.  Sandwiches are for lunch."  Hahaha.  So I ended up order chicken fried steak.  I had never realized how funny my Grandma was, she was so excited for the food to get to our booth and she teased the waitress when her food portions weren't as big as Brant's steak, eggs, and hash browns.  We drove down to Orange and went over to my cousin Annette's.  (Now I know that most of you that know me really well are going, "Rachel doesn't have a cousin named Annette in California."  Well remember my Grandma Hinton got remarried in October of 2008, and the man she married had a granddaughter down here.  We are in the same ward and I really like Annette a lot.)  Well, Grandma stayed at Annette's house because we are renting out a room from some of the people in our ward.  

The next morning we went over and visited with my friend Dalena.  Dalena and Grandma just chatted up a storm and loved each other's company.  After our little visit we went over to a German deli to pick up lunch.  Grandma was so excited and kept telling me what was in the different cuts of meat and even got to speak a little German to the woman behind the counter.  Around 2:30 we headed over to Annette's house to drive up to L.A. for the Dodger's game and to meet up with her sister Selena.  When we had made it through the crazy traffic, crowd, and up flights of stairs we were at the game.  The National Anthem sounded wonderful and so did God Bless America which they sang for the 7th inning stretch.  

At our first major league baseball game.

Joshua Creek on the field

Selena, Annette, Grandma, and Aunt Deana waiting for the game to begin.

Baseball field

Part of Joshua Creek singing at The Book Castle

Grandma and I

Saturday morning Uncle Jeff and part of Joshua Creek sang at an LDS bookstore.  It was really fun and we had a blast.  When it came time for us to go back down to Orange County and for Grandma to go to Utah I almost cried.  It was so nice to see her and to learn more about her.  We never really saw her a lot growing up and by the time I was old enough to appreciate it we weren't going to see her yearly.  

So her are somethings that I learned about my Grandma:

• She is grateful for everything and looks for the best in everything.  She is always saying things like "this is wonderful, beautiful, exciting,....etc."
• She loves food and thinks that everything she eats is the best thing ever.
• She makes the exact same faces that my mom makes when she cries, laughs, or is thinking about something. 
• She has some amazing stories of living through World War II in Germany. 
• She has a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, her Savior, and loves to share it with others.

I know that I have been really long winded but I do not want to forget a single moment.  Thank you for the wonderful weekend Grandma.  I love you!