Memorial days weekend

We had a long weekend for the holiday. Tracy and Rhys had gone out to Missouri the beginning of last week. Owyn and I followed on Friday. I dropped him off at day care and went to work. At 1030 I left work and picked him up and we drove twelve hours to southern MO. He was really good on the trip. I had his movies set up, his blankets, four Gee's and a sack of snacks. We stopped a couple of times to let him run, and to let me stretch. We got in very late and very tired.

Saturday was mostly relaxing. The little house that they had found for Grandma, which Tracy's Mom and step dad are moving into, is very nice. The boys got to run rough shod over Grandma and Grandpa. There was a big back yard. We had some awesome rain. Tracy and Grandma (her mom, not her grandma) went out and got their hair done and a pedi.

It's strange how the names we are called change over our lives by our relationship to children. Tracy has become Mama now. Her mom became Grandma, but she was Mom and before that she was Karen.

Sunday was the memorial for Granny and Grampy. It was at their church in Mountain Grove, which they had attended for 37 years. The preacher, Jack, was also a good friend of both of them. A fishing buddy of Grandpa. It was very difficult for him.

The church had put together a potluck lunch for the family. It was very nice. Good food, nice people, lots of friends and family.

We had a whole bunch of pictures to play in the background. The church software only worked with power point. I frantically dropped pictures from the memory stick into power point slides while Tracy and the boys ate. We got them pretty much set up, then they only ran the pictures while people were coming in.

I did get some food though, so not a total loss. There was a baby sitter during the service. Thank goodness.

The service was very nice. Lots of pretty flowers. A few stories about Granny and Grampy. It is still hard to believe they are gone, but the service made it more real.

Monday we drove home. Another long day, but we got up early so we got in at a reasonable time. Everyone very glad to be home.

I had plenty of time on the drive to think about all the people we have lost, military and civilian. It is good to think on this, even when it makes me sad.