Memorial Day

Memorial Day has become one of my favorite days out of the year. Not just because it is the "unofficial" start to summer, but it is a day where I can go to the cemetery and be near the ones that have gone before me. I started this tradition when Alexis was 2 months old because it was my way of introducing Alexis to Grandpa Ed. Since then, we've gone to the cemetery every year to tell him about what we've been up to (yes, Alexis thought I was weird the first year we did this). 

Each year seems to get harder and harder for me and this year was no different. This year it hit me a bit more that he is missing out on not only my life, but now his granddaughter's lives.
I started a new tradition this year. I had the girls draw and write about important events from the year or things that were important to them. We brought those to the cemetery where Alexis read and talked to Grandpa about her year. Brynn read her list to a neighbor grave! We then rolled them up and gave them to him along with our usual flowers.

My Grandparents are also buried at the same cemetery so we always stop to say "hello" and give them flowers as well. We had extra flowers, so I told Alexis to find graves that didn't have flowers and give them one.

All of these traditions made for a PERFECT day...other than a sneaky snake that got our hearts pumping!!

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of our Memorial Day!

      A flag flown in honor of my dad's years of military service

           Letters to Grandpa

                                   Alexis summing up her year to Grandpa

Brynn summing up her year to a stranger...I find this funny!

Letters and flowers for Grandpa

 

                                                       A view from the front

                                            Leaving flowers for the greats!

                     Leaving flowers for those who had none

Below are a few pictures that I captured of some poems/phrases that drew me in to read....I simply LOVED them!

Waving and saying goodbye to Grandpa...I LOVE how the house my Grandma lived in (where I spent much of my younger years at) is in the background!

Until next Memorial Day...We Love You Grandpa!!