Every year for as long as I can remember we go on a little road trip to Park City and Heber City and all over the valley to "visit the graves." It is has been so fun for us to go with grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and anyone else that decides to come. Over the years there have been many memories of good times singing and dancing in the backseat, playing at the old Snow King (which is no longer there), eating fish'n'chips or a big hamburger, chasing squirrels or "pot guts" and putting flowers on the graves.
One of my favorite things about Memorial Day has been riding in the car with Grandma Yates and listening to stories about the people whose graves we go to visit. Grandma passed away a year and a half ago. Her absence at Memorial Day has been a hard adjustment but I feel her smiling down upon us as we placed flowers on her grave this year. I love the knowledge I have of eternal families. I am grateful that death is not the end. I love picturing the family in Heaven watching us as we visit the place where their physical bodies rest. It is a day to remember and honor our ancestors. I enjoy a good BBQ as well, but I hope to pass on to my children the real reason we celebrate Memorial Day as my mom and Grandma have done for me.
It is nice that Grandpa finally has Grandma resting beside her after waiting almost 50 years.
The next generation.
Our new lunch spot has been the Dairy Keen in Heber since the old stop no longer exists. The kids really get into the trains all over the place and they even got these fun (and very loud) train whistles in their kids meals. This year we even got to use the amazing new Coke machines with about 100 drinks to choose from.
The little kids always enjoy these graves because they were all children when they died. We love to do smaller flower arrangements for them. It is so sad, but makes me grateful for modern technology, you don't hear of children dying from nose bleeds these days.
