Written by Bailee (Ben's older sister):
I was browsing Instagram one day in August when I saw really cheap flights to Ohio listed by someone I follow. My husband Kyle and I really wanted to visit Mom and Ben, and these tickets seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I was thrilled when we booked the tickets for a weekend in September! I miss my mom and brother, and I couldn't wait to see where they live and spend time with them. We also have a one-year-old son named Oliver (who is the only grand baby on this side of the family). I couldn't wait to take Ollie to visit his Grandma and Uncle Ben!
After purchasing our plane tickets, Kyle and I decided to keep the whole thing a secret! We weren't going to tell Mom or Ben about our trip until we knocked on their door... and we almost went crazy with the anticipation for our surprise! We had to pull a few strings to keep things a secret; but on September 7th we packed our bags, loaded our son Oliver into the car... and went on our way!
We left Salt Lake City at six in the morning and had a layover in Chicago before landing in Cleveland. After landing in Cleveland, we hired a Lyft driver to take us from the airport to their apartment about twenty five minutes away.
Coming up the elevator in my mom's apartment complex, I was giddy with the nerves! I had never planned such a big surprise before in my life, and we couldn't wait to see Mom and Ben and their reactions!
When Mom answered the door, she was in complete shock!! I don't think I'll ever forget her reaction to seeing our faces in her doorway. Ben was surprised too! Oliver went right to Grandma's arms, calling for Ben as Ben came down the hallway to greet us. Tears were shed, hugs were given, and our adventures for the weekend in Ohio had begun!
Mom and Ben started mapping out things for us to do during our stay... although we would have been happy just to sit and visit with them all weekend long! Seeing our family was definitely the highlight of the trip!!
After we all exchanged hellos and got our luggage inside, Ben and Mom decided to take us to one of their favorite nearby Metroparks. As we drove through the green rolling hills toward our destination, I was captivated by the lush trees and white farmhouses that surrounded the area. I could already tell I was going to love our stay here.
The Greater Cleveland area has a series of these large nature preserves and reservations for people to enjoy, and the few we visited were just beautiful! The Metropark that Ben and Mom first took us to was called Squires Castle Metropark, and the views of the old 1890's castle on the grounds did not disappoint.
On our way home from Squires Castle we went out to dinner and visited the local grocery store. One of my favorite parts during our trip was familiarizing myself with the places Mom and Ben visit regularly. I enjoyed listening to my mom explain where she goes for milk, the mail, gasoline, or even a late-night treat. Now when she tells me about her errands over the phone, I can picture exactly where she's going!
We went to sleep early on Friday night so we'd be ready for the rest of the weekend! We had a perfect introduction to the Cleveland Ohio area... and we couldn't wait to enjoy the rest of our trip with our family!
On Saturday, Benjamin woke up with a cold and Kyle woke up with a fever! What crummy luck! Everyone remained in good spirits though. Kyle decided to tarry on despite his symptoms (because who wants to spend money and fly somewhere just to stay in bed?), but Ben decided that it would be better for his overall health if he rested at home and cared for his cold.
We were sad to leave Ben behind, but both Mom and Ben wanted us to see a few things while we were in town. We made sure to come back to Mom's house for plenty of breaks to check-up on Ben (and allow Ollie to nap).
As a result of his fever, Kyle had a late start on Friday... so Mom and I laid Oliver down for his nap while Kyle got ready and went shopping at a nearby boutique. I was sad that the boys were sick, but it was nice spending a little one-on-one time with my Mom! We also visited the local Target, filled up the van's tires with air, and picked up lunch at a Steak n' Shake on the way back to Mom's home.
When Kyle felt ready for the day, we made two major tourist stops on Saturday. The first place we visited was The Garfield Mansion in Mentor, Ohio. The Garfield Mansion is a national park where President Garfield's house is located, just twenty minutes away from my Mom's apartment. Oliver had a hard time being held during the tour, but the rest of us enjoyed listening to the history and viewing parts of the historic home!
After our tour of the mansion we drove into Kirtland (neighboring town to Mentor) and visited the Kirtland Historic Site for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Ben and Mom had already visited the Historic Site, but wanted us to see it as well. Aside from seeing my family, being in Kirtland was the best part of our trip. The spirit in Kirtland is so strong and I loved learning about the history of The Church there. Mom has been feeding dinner to some of the missionaries in the area, and we were just lucky enough to have two of these sister missionaries give us our tour of the site. The missionaries bore powerful testimonies. It was a beautiful evening!
After our time at the historic site, we ordered dinner to-go from Panera so we could eat at home with Ben. When dinner was done, it was another early night for everyone! We wanted Ben and Kyle to get as much rest as possible so they could recover quickly!
On Sunday we went to church with my Mom. Ben was too sick to attend church, so he spent another day at the apartment. Kyle, Ollie and I enjoyed going to sacrament meeting in the Kirtland Ward with my mom. We saw the sister missionaries who gave us our tour from the night before, and we met a handful of other wonderful members during the meeting. I'm so glad to see there are good people in the ward to befriend and watch over my family.
After church Oliver had a nap and we visited with Ben for a while. Then we went back to Kirtland to see the temple. The temple was lovely, and the history of the building was fascinating. It rained pretty hard during the tour, but we still managed to take a few pictures. When our temple tour was finished, we went back home for the remainder of the day.
Monday was our busiest day, and Ben was finally feeling well-enough to join us in our adventures! On Monday morning we visited a few places without Ben, because Ben had to stay at home for his weekly visit with the home-health nurse. While Ben was having his checkup, the rest of us drove downtown for a while.
Before our first stop in the downtown Cleveland area, Mom decided to drive us past The Cleveland Clinic where Ben will eventually receive his transplant. The hospital grounds were huge, and I almost felt like The Cleveland Clinic was it's own mini city. We didn't go inside any of the hospital buildings that day, but I remember Mom pointing out the building where Ben will have his surgery.
It was oddly comforting to finally see the place that my family has talked so much about for the last several months. Just driving past the building - with it's curved architecture and hundreds of tiny reflective windows - made me remember how real the entire situation is. Ben's medical condition feels real every day, but the actual transplant has been an idea for so long that it's hard to believe it as a reality sometimes.
I thought about the hundreds of patients that were currently staying inside that building, and wondered when Ben will get the phone call to join them for his transplant. It's a confusing and crazy time right now, but when I saw the building... it all felt right.
After our drive-by tour of The Clinic, it was time for more touristy stops! We first stopped at The Cleveland Theatre District to see The Biggest Outdoor Chandelier in the world. The chandelier was impressive, hanging in the middle of an intersection surrounded by a street full of theatres.
The rest of the day included a few other little stops downtown. We saw The Arcade (the first indoor shopping center in America), and a drive past The Largest Stamp in the World (a statue located at one of the parks).
When Benjamin was finished meeting with the nurse we drove back to the apartment to get him. After a short rest at the apartment (including lunch and another nap for Ollie) we all departed once more to sight-see in Ohio. We finally had the entire group traveling together this time, and we saw some stunning sites on our last day out! We saw Lake Eerie, The Cleveland sign at the harbor, the West Side Market, and finished up with ice cream at a place called Mitchell's (homemade and DELICIOUS).
Our flight was scheduled for seven thirty that evening. When ice cream was done, we realized that we had a little extra time before Kyle, Ollie and I had to check in. We all decided to visit one more Metropark before driving to the airport.
Edgewater Park is another host to one of the tourist Cleveland Signs, and the sandy coast and green hills that make up the park were simply gorgeous. It felt nice to have a few moments away from the bustling city before saying our goodbyes. We walked along the trail that overlooked the lake, took pictures of the city skyline in the distance, and enjoyed each other's company as the waves clashed into the rocks below.
Being dropped off at the airport was bitter sweet. I started missing my family even before we reached our gate! I'm grateful for phone calls and video calls that make it possible for us to communicate with Mom and Ben, but we miss seeing them regularly. It was a blessing to spend the weekend with them. Once Benjamin receives his transplant, Ollie won't be allowed to see Ben for a while (because Ben will be in poor health and kids carry too many germs), so I'm glad we were able to visit Ohio before Ben has the surgery.
People in Utah always ask me how Ben and Mom are doing. Now that I've actually seen them in Ohio, I feel more informed and can honestly say they're handling it well over there. It may not be the same as home in Utah... but I truly feel like both Ben and Mom are making the best out of this crazy situation. Their home is warm and welcoming, their neighborhood is fun, their ward is amazing, and their motivation to help Ben get better is strong.
Our trip to Ohio was wonderful, and being there - even at the cause of such a trying situation - has reminded me that there is so much I am grateful for.
I am grateful for fast planes, quick travels, taxi services and free carry-ons. I am grateful for lush green foliage, rolling hills, misty rain and chalky skies. I am grateful for new friends, sweet missionaries, ministering angels, and The Church of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for smart doctors, medical mini-cities, willing donors and weekly home appointments. I am grateful for late-night laughter, constant chatter, baby giggles and grandma snuggles. I am grateful for cheap flights, drawn-out plans, safe-kept secrets and a spectacular surprise.
Thanks for the awesome vacation, Mom and Ben! We can't wait to visit again.
