Whence no traveler can return

Our trip to Utah came rather suddenly, but not unexpectedly. Dad and I told each other, "See you later" several months ago while we were visiting for a wedding. Dad could feel himself fading and we didn't expect to see each other in mortality again. I cried quite a bit with him then.

When my mother called with the news that he had passed away, it was sad, but also a relief. His suffering had been wearing on him and my family (my mother in particular) for quite a while and it was a blessing for him to finally be free. We grabbed some plane tickets and headed to Utah. It ended up being a longer trip than we planned.
Our flight out included a 4 hour layover in Phoenix during which time we switched airlines. Switching airlines meant switching terminals which meant going through security all over again. With the two kids and accompanying carry-on baggage, that's not the most fun thing we could think of. To make things better, when our plane arrived, they announced that there seemed to be a problem with the de-icing system; so we were delayed while they investigated. While they were still investigating, they announced that with high-speed winds approaching, the airport was probably going to close soon. Fortunately, the de-icing system checked out and we were able to get on our way after only a little more than an hour's extra wait-time.
What a relief to finally be at Grandma's house.
The funeral was nice. Dad loves music; so we sang several songs. Now his body can rest by that of his youngest daughter while the two of them finally get acquainted since Janelle only stuck around long enough to get a body and be officially part of the family.
I thought it was neat how they cleared away the snow to make a convenient path to the grave. I wasn't looking forward to tromping around with ice in my shoes.
While Grandma had a little time off and her grandkids close by, it was a perfect opportunity to head to Chuck-e-cheese. The pizza's not very good and the games/rides are terribly overpriced, but it was a lot of fun. I was surprised. Kids bring so much magic into our lives.
On the evening of my father's funeral, my mom tried to call her father and couldn't reach him. She finally got a hold of someone and found that my grandpa had gone in for emergency abdominal surgery. Things weren't looking too good; so Mom jumped in a car with my sister and headed up to Rexburg. Mom and her brother were able to say a final goodbye. They called most of the grandkids and we said goodbye too. Grandpa signed his own papers stating that he didn't want to be artificially sustained. He had lived a full life and was ready to move on.
We went up for the funeral. It was chilly. Grandpa served in World War II and the Korean war; so he was honored with a 3-volley salute and other military rites.
Amanda's father generously gave us a minivan that they weren't using much anymore. So we finally headed home. At one point, we made a wrong turn and drove west for an hour. That was annoying because it meant that we arrived home around 1 am instead of 11 pm. Besides that, however, the trip went pretty well. Amanda read to me to keep me awake and we had a good time.