While it might have pained Jutta to rise so early on freezing cold days, there’d be no missing sunrise in the Grand Canyon. There weren’t many photos taken and shared across these posts as on previous visits to the United States; we made every opportunity to capture the moments of my mother-in-law in every new place she visited. This trip was not only her last, but due to the hip she broke earlier in the year, her mobility wasn’t the best, so we just took things easy.

Of the other photos of our day spent along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, this is the only one that really mattered.

Just spending time with Jutta was enough and really, that was all she ever wanted anyway. Well, that and to laugh.

As it grew late in the day, we took in as much of the sunset as we could before heading in for an early dinner and sitting around chatting on Christmas Day.