Graves

Every year for Memorial Day Weekend, my mom meets up with her sister Jerilyn and they go decorate the graves in Idaho. I can't really tell you how long this tradition has been going on for, but I always thought it would be boring and undelightful, visiting graves and taking time out of my busy schedule as of course I have better things to do.

This year, my Aunt went with her family back east to see my cousin Dallas Graduate Medical School (Congrats Dallas!), so my mom didn't have anyone to go with to decorate the graves. I decided I would go and use this long weekend to spend some time with my mom. I warned her that we would have to take Jack and Abi due to Jeremy working at nights now.

Saturday we got everybody ready and were on the road by 11:00. The kids were doing awesome, we were cruising along and having a good time. We decided to stop in Pocatello, ID for some stretching and food. After about an hour with Jack playing on the jungle gym and getting his exercise in we decided to head onto Firth, ID were my Grandpa Hone's brother is buried.

Firth Cemetary is a small cemetary and she was able to give me a lesson as to who is buried in that cemetary. After Firth we then headed to the Blackfoot Cemetary. The first place we visited was my dear cousin Rayce's grave. I haven't been up to his gravesite since his funeral and I just love his head stone. It is so unique and beautiful my aunt, uncle and cousins couldn't have done a better job.

Its kind of funny and coincidental, but on our way up to Idaho it was raining off and on for the whole drive up there and as soon as we got to Rayce's Gravesite it started to slow down and finally the sun came out. It was such a peaceful moment, that I hope he was there and knows how much we love him.

Here is Rayce's grave site, mom and Jack were sticking the flowers in the ground.

I know Jack and Abi have met my cousin Rayce, however, it makes me sad that they will have to wait to really get to know him.

In the same cemetary are my grandpa's parents.

Jack was such a big helper!

So I wanted a picture with my kids and the grave and I lost my balance and fell on my bum, it was wet and pretty funny.

On Sunday we then headed to Mackay, ID to visit my grandparents (my mom's parents). It was such a pretty and warm day and nice change from Saturday's rain fall.

Here we are again, Jack helping grandma.

Jack just recently decided to walk on his own, so I had to get a snapshot.

As we were visiting my grandparents grave site, my Aunt Jolene, her husband Brett and my cousing Lincoln came to visit with us. We ended up having a picnic by the gravesite which mom laughed about. We had Subway Sandwiches and they were really good. After spending a couple of hours in Mackay, we needed to get back on the road to do one more gravesite - Grandma and Grandpa Caldwell (my grandma's parents). So on our way home we stopped in Snake River which is somewhat close to Blackfoot but it was the Riverside Cemetary and we then decorated the Caldwell grave.

After we were done we then headed back home. The kids started getting restless and by the time we got to Pocatello it was time to eat and stretch again. So we decided to eat at Golden Coral and Jack decided he wanted to walk. So he walked and walked and walked and kept walking. However his walking wasn't good enough because after about an hour of eating and stretching we got back into the car and started to head home again, but we only made it to Malad when the kids have had enough. We stopped at a gas station and too a break from the car seats. After about 15 minutes we needed to get a move on, so back in the car seats we go and I then climbed in theback to help soothe the kids. After about a few minutes I decided to take Jack out of his car seat and let him sit on my lap. So a little while goes by, I put him back into his car seat and he finally along with his sister falls asleep.

I am really glad that I decided to go with my mom up to Idaho and help her decorate graves. I was able to visit graves that I haven't visited in a very long time. I was able to introduce Jack and Abi to relatives that they have met in a different place, but may not ever remember until that day comes. Most of all I was glad to spend that time with my mom.

Thanks for the fun trip!