Cabo, Mexico

Chris’ Parents gifted us with a couples trip to Mexico for Christmas – which was such a great present.  As the week approached we weren’t sure if we would be able to go… Del was declining rapidly.  We decided to go ahead with the trip knowing that Del would be in a wheelchair and would need a lot of help.  I’m glad we were able to make it work.  We knew it would be our last trip with Del --   he passed away exactly a month later.    We stayed at a great resort  and had a very special time being together.  It was particularly nice that we didn’t have kids there so we could really focus on Del and Shelley and have lots of important and hard conversations.

We flew in and took a shuttle down to the resort.  We got Miami Vice’s as we waited to get our rooms and then got a golf cart ride to our rooms to drop off luggage and get ready for dinner.  So fun to stay at an all-inclusive.

We wisely reserved a two bedroom room and stayed with Del and Shelley.  Chris stayed in Del’s room to help him to the bathroom in the night, and Shelley and I were roommates on the other side of the living room.  It worked out very well.  Chris was so happy to be a support to both his Dad and his Mom.

The next morning I woke up, grabbed my camera and headed out to walk around the resort and take pictures.  The resort was empty and peaceful and just perfect.  I love a good morning walk with my camera.

When I was done walking around I headed back to the room to find Chris, Del and Shelley eating breakfast.  I ordered some fruit slices and sat on the balcony.  I just love sitting out in the warm weather.  

We headed down to the pool with Del for fifteen minutes or so but decided he needed to be resting back in the room so Shelley, Nikole, Ashlyn and Lindsey and I stayed on the balcony for the next several hours while Chris, John, Kyle and Rob went golfing.  Just great to be all together.

We got ready for dinner and then I took off with my camera again to get some pictures as the sun set.

Our dinners were really great… unique and fancy Mexican.  They made guacamole at our table and it was so good.

We asked the waiter to take a group picture of us and he thought we wanted him in the picture – and was pretty happy about it.  It was SO funny.

Another beautiful day in Mexico…

Chris and I spent some time on the sand with Nikole and John.  Such a beautiful beach!

And then the whole afternoon at the pool with everyone.  We got a cabana with a bed so Del could lay in the shade and it worked well.  We drank Miami Vice’s and took turns swimming and laying out.  It was really great.

On our third morning I decided to get up before the sun did.  I quietly got out of bed and sat on the balcony to watch the sun rise.  I loved that the coloring of the sky could change as each minute passed.   Then I walked around the resort and the beach.  I love the flexibility to walk around by myself.

Back to the room to order breakfast with Chris, Shelley and Del.

We hung out at the pool again with a cabana for Del.  Then some of us ventured along the beach.

Our last morning we slept in, relaxed by the beach, and had breakfast at the outdoor restaurant.

Then we packed up and had one last lunch together before we took off for the airport.

Father and son.  Christopher Shane Johnson and Delmar W Johnson

Dad and the kids…

Love this picture…

One last pina colada…

We took the shuttle to the airport.  Chris and I had a different flight home from the Utah gang and it was hard to say goodbye.  We could tell a drastic change in him just in the days over the trip and were nervous for what was to come.  Lots of plans were made for hospice care and a hospital bed on the main level.  It was hard to say goodbye not knowing how long he would last.  I figured I wouldn’t see him again alive, and that was hard.  I cried giving him a hug and saying goodbye, and although he couldn’t speak, he cried as well and I think he knew it was our goodbye.    I ended up seeing him one more time, a couple days before he passed, but he wasn’t conscious then.