Sometimes gratitude for examples set and lessons learned takes a while to set in. This Memorial Day, just like every other Memorial Day that I can remember, we drove to Richfield to decorate graves. Growing up, while friends spent their Memorial Day weekend boating, camping or just kicking of their summer with a bang, we ALWAYS spent the weekend cleaning graves, putting up and taking down the flag and setting out flowers. Of course there was always a fun picnic or outing, but the focus was on honoring those who had passed on. I remember how appalled my grandma was with the people who set their flowers out early so they could take off for the weekend. I have no doubt that there was a time when I rolled my eyes at the number of graves we had to visit on Monday morning, or perhaps my annoyance was more with the rate at which we traveled from cemetery to cemetery (grandma wasn't the fastest driver). However ornery I used to be I would just like to say now that I am grateful to my Grandma June for teaching me the importance of remembering. You can't grow strong without deep roots and thanks to Grandma I know where mine are. Hers was one of the graves we decorated this year and I just hope she knows that her lessons are finally sinking in, I plan to deprive my children of Memorial Day get-aways as well!
Once all the graves were properly visited and decorated, we spent some time at Uncle Craig's farm where Oliver got to drive a tractor. Tractors are his latest obsession so he was absolutely in heaven. After that we visited some family whilst Sam, my brother Donald and his wife Caci attempted to ride their road bikes from Siguard to Fish Lake. It turned out to be an extremely steep four-hour ride into the wind. None of the riders were happy when we met them at the lake for a picnic (except for Caci on whom goo seemed to have a very optimistic affect.) The ride was all Sam's idea and I think he was permanently banned from planning any future family activities.
We were all tired and ready to start the drive home at this point, but Sam had promised Oliver that they would catch a fish at the "big pond" (we don't watch Dinosaur Train anymore, but some of the themes have yet to wear off.) So we sat on the bank and watched everyone reel in fish and wished that someone would just give us one. Fortunately Sam pulled through and caught one just in time for us to pack up and drive home.
1 comment:
Love to BBQ name the place and time. We're here for two more weeks and then off. We too would have loved a South Jordan neighborhood with you, maybe someday.
Post a Comment