I thought I'd change up my post a little bit this time and fast forward to our beautiful Memorial Day yesterday. I will get back to writing about the events and emotions that have brought me to the point where I am today, but for a quick breather, I wanted to share our fun family experience we had together yesterday. It is nice to sometimes forget about yourself and reflect on the memories of people in our lives that have come and gone, each of them having impacted us in their own unique ways.
The weather could not have been more perfect. Our little girlie slept in until 10 am, so naturally, so did I. After we finally rolled out of bed and ate our breakfast at (cough) lunchtime (cough), we packed up a picnic and headed out to a few cemeteries to visit some of our lost loved ones. Here are some of the pictures we took on our little outing...
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| ^^This girlie refused to take those sunglasses off all day, even in the store as she picked out the little stars and pinwheels for the graves. It was pretty dang cute.^^ |
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| ^^Don't be scared by the guy on the left. That's my hubby.^^ |
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| ^^In remembrance of our little Maddox and Sampson.^^ |
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| ^^The cemetery our boys are buried in is beautiful!!^^ |
We were able to visit the graves of the twins and of a couple of our grandpas who have passed away, both of whom served their country (Matt's grandpa served in the US Navy in the Korean War and and mine served in the British Royal Air Force in WWII). It was so peaceful in each of the cemeteries we visited. I loved it. Part of our car ride discussion consisted of whether or not we would feel comfortable living next to a cemetery...I said I would, but my husband said he definitely could not :) For those of you who know him, I doubt you're surprised (let's just say when we watch scary movies, he is the one with the high-pitched scream, not me)! But we had a great time there remembering our family members who are no longer with us. I never thought I would be visiting the grave of my own children, but I guess no one ever does. However, it was not a sad day for us. It was a great opportunity for us to take time out of our busy schedules to reflect on the short time we did get to spend with Maddox and Sampson and to talk to our little girl more about them. She loves talking to me about them and asking me questions, and it melts my little heart when she does. It also meant the world to me when my sister-in-law texted me the other day asking where the twins' grave was so their family could take flowers to them...just reminded me even more that they really are not forgotten.
I also can't believe how fast this life flies by. Yesterday served as a great reminder to me of how short this life really is and not to take it for granted, even though I often and easily get caught up in the little things that probably aren't really that important in the eternal scheme of things. It seems like just yesterday I was getting bounced around on my Grandpa's knees, or that I was cradling my still little boys in my arms. This life will be over in the blink of an eye, and I need to be WAY better at making every day count and being happy with however my life is turning out, whatever the circumstances.
Lastly, it was amazing to see all the military markers in each of the cemeteries. We really are so blessed to have the freedoms we enjoy, and it was humbling to see how many people have sacrificed their lives to make that possible.
I hope you were all able to remember your lost loved ones, or remember those who have lost loved ones, over the holiday, and that you were able to celebrate their lives or the impact they have had on your life. I was especially mindful of all those who have lost their sweet babies, now that I have joined those ranks. I hope you were reminded about how special those babies still are. Because, like the picture in Brianna's last post said, there is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world.
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