Some memories happen slowly over time. Others happen in a single moment that quietly stays with you forever.
At the end of the summer of 2025, on our way home from a family reunion in Colorado, we decided to make a quick stop at the Grand Canyon. Just one night. A simple pause in the middle of a long drive home. But somehow, that one night turned into one of the most unforgettable moments of our entire summer.
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
— Psalm 19:1
We arrived in the afternoon, checked into our room, and grabbed pizza for dinner. It was one of those simple meals that somehow tastes better when you’re traveling with family and everyone is a little tired from the road.
After dinner we walked over to the South Rim. And that’s when it happened. The first view.
Nothing prepares you for it.
You can see photos and videos online a thousand times, but standing there in person is something completely different. The size of it. The depth. The silence. The way the canyon stretches endlessly in every direction. It almost feels unreal. The sun was beginning to set, and every minute the canyon changed. The colors shifted from warm gold to deep orange, then to soft purple shadows. It was like watching a living painting that kept evolving with every passing moment.
The kids were running around, laughing and taking pictures, and my husband and I kept reminding them to stay back from the edge. Some areas had rails, but a lot of the rim had none at all.
Standing there next to my husband, looking out across the canyon, I felt something I can’t fully explain. Seeing the Grand Canyon had always been on my bucket list. And because of him, it finally happened. I remember feeling so grateful in that moment. Grateful for the view. Grateful for the experience. Grateful for the life we’ve built together. We took pictures, watched the sunset, and simply stood there taking it all in.
After the sun disappeared, we wandered through the little shops nearby. All my kids picked out a small gift, hoping that years from now they’ll look back and remember this stop the same way I will.
That night the kids stayed in one room and we had the other. From the sound of it, they had a full-blown party going on before bed… laughter, chaos, and constant chatter echoing through the hallway. Eventually I had to step in and be the party pooper and tell them they needed to go to sleep. We had a sunrise to catch the next morning.
The next morning we walked back out to the rim while the world was still quiet. Sunrise at the Grand Canyon feels completely different than sunset. The light slowly spills across the canyon walls, revealing new colors and shadows that weren’t there the night before. Once again we stood there, taking pictures and just absorbing the view. Afterward we grabbed breakfast nearby and did a little more exploring.
That’s when we went on a small mission to find a lion cub.
The day before, my husband had bought Jazzi a stuffed lion from one of the gift shops. The lion originally came with a baby cub that you could purchase to go with the lion, and all proceeds went to charity.
So that morning we walked from shop to shop trying to track down the cub. Eventually we found one. But the sweetest part of that moment wasn’t finding it. When Jazzi got the cub, she didn’t keep it for herself. She gave it to her stepdad.
Watching the bond between the two of them is something that always melts my heart. And whenever it’s just the two of them with me around, it somehow turns into them teaming up against me in the most playful way, and I just give them the look or eye-roll.
I wouldn’t trade that dynamic for anything.
While exploring, a woman in one of the shops told us about the shuttle buses that travel to different viewpoints around the canyon. I was instantly excited.
We stopped by the visitor center first and watched a short film about the Grand Canyon in their theater. After that, we hopped on one of the buses and rode along the rim to different stops.
And the most amazing part? Each viewpoint felt like an entirely different canyon. The angle of the sun changed the colors constantly. One moment the rock walls looked bright red, the next moment they shifted into deep bronze and grey shadows. It’s the kind of place you could sit and stare at for hours and still discover something new.
Eventually it was time to head back. We packed up the car and started the long eight-hour drive home. It’s funny how much life you can pack into just one night and two days. Don’t get me wrong, my husband and I were exhausted, but the fact that we were all together was worth it.
During the drive we did something we often like to do as a family, we went around the car sharing our favorite memory from the trip. Everyone had their own moment they loved (my kids love to talk).
But sometimes when you’re traveling together like that, something beautiful happens in the car. The distractions fade, the road stretches quietly ahead of you, and the conversations become deeper than they normally are. It’s one of my favorite parts of family trips, hearing what moments stood out to each person and realizing that the memories you thought were small actually meant something big to someone else.
But the one I’ll never forget came from Bubba.
When it was his turn, he said he loved visiting family, loved the vacation… and especially loved seeing the “big hole.”
My husband and I looked at each other and immediately started laughing. The Grand Canyon. One of the most breathtaking natural wonders in the world.
And to Bubba… It was simply the big hole.
There’s truly never a dull moment with that little guy. But honestly, moments like that are what make family trips unforgettable. Not just the places you visit. But the laughter and memories you carry home with you.