On Thursday, the family headed to St. George for the funeral of Steve's grandpa. It was a long drive getting there, considering we didn't leave Bakersfield until 7 p.m. We rolled into Utah at 2 a.m. Mountain time! We got up on Friday, and headed to the funeral. I told Steve that I really did not want to go to the viewing, (I don't do dead bodies),but once we got there, Steve went in and then came and asked me if I would please join him! So, out of much love for my husband, I did. The viewing mas emotional, because the coffin was draped in an American Flag. Grandpa was a veteran of WWII. During the funeral, they played a recording of a song by Steve's mom, which was also emotional experience, mainly because it is my favorite song that she recorded before her death.
After the funeral, we all drove up to Beaver for the burial. Steve's family helped settle the town way back when....and many of his relatives are buried there. Grandpa had a full military burial with a gun salute and taps. The boys of course just loved that part!
Up in Beaver, there was snow on the ground, and leave it to me to not even bring jackets for the kids (stupid Californians!) But all our relatives helped us out by pulling out the extra seventeen that they carry in their cars so we could all be warm!
My kids just loved the snow since it is a novelty to them. I spent a lot of time trying to get them to understand that it is not proper to have a snowball fight at the cemetery!
Steve's mom is also buried there, so we got to visit her grave sight, which was nice for the kids, since they never met their grandma.
After all the ceremonies, the family went to lunch in Beaver. Here are pictures of the family.
Annie, Josh and Debbie.
Melia and Paul.
Steve and his brother Mike, who is getting married in April!
Dad and Steve's brother Todd.
Steve and I got into a really good conversation on the way back to St. George. We were talking about our Grandparents, and how upsetting it is that this "Greatest Generation" is dying. I know this is the history lover in me.....but we talked about some of the things that our grandparents experienced in their life time that our children will never know. Starting with being born into a depression. My grandma had only one dress to wear for the whole week during this time! Can you imagine, even through these hard economic times, your child having only one outfit? Or how during the depression, in my grandpa's family, all the kids went to work, doing such things as paper routes, not to buy cd's or go to the movies, but to help pay rent and feed the family! At the funeral, they talked about Steve's grandpa, and how if he wanted something, like a camper, he made it! It was a generation where things weren't just purchased on credit and payed for monthly! How about WWII? Women sent their husbands off to war for years at a time! Imagine that! If Steve isn't home by six at night, I am on the phone calling him to see where he is! I can't imagine going years without him, knowing he is fighting in a war, or if he is dead or alive! And on the note of WWII, what would it be like for our children to experience a nation all on the same page, that worked together to support and win a war, instead of a nation divided on why we are even there? One of the highlights of this "Greatest Generation' is marriage. Our grandparents got married with the thoughts that divorce wasn't an option. How wonderful is it to see these couples married for 65, 70+ years?
Does this sound like a slam on our generation? I don't mean it to! It is just the difference that 60 or 70 years of life in America is! I just feel as this generation dyes, our young children are missing the opportunity to learn very valuable and important life lessons from this "Greatest Generation!"
On to a more positive note. On Saturday morning, all of the Smith family went to breakfast and then to a park so the cousins could play before we all started home.
Cousin Raeney
Ethan
Gavin
Averi, and her typical ornery look when she is tired! Notice her 'pink gun?' This is a perfect example on how she is such a girl, but such a tomboy!
Notice these two pictures of Cousin Paul and Wyatt. Don't they look alike? No mistaking with those sexy lips that they are "Smith Boys."
We headed home on Saturday afternoon. By this time I was exhausted. It isn't too far of a ride home, but I didn't think I could make it. Steve wanted to drive the whole was through, but at about the state line, i told him to pull over and get a hotel room, or his pregnant wife was going to start puking on him! He got the message! We stayed at Buffalo Bills, and the kids had a blast. I took Averi on the tram over to the outlet malls, and Steve and the boys got to go on the log jammer ride.
It was a quick but fun vacation, and I love being around the Smith Family! I miss them, and can't wait to see them at Mike's wedding in April!
( It is supposed to turn orange for a girl and green for a boy.) Steve is still in denial and thinks it is a girl. We'll find out for sure soon!
