memories of memorial day

memorial day weekend was so delightful this year. usually we head down south for memorial day weekend to celebrate this one's birthday but this year did not fall on her birthday so we stayed home. the best part about this weekend is that it was 100% our little family time. we visited both of our families both dead and alive. it was so relaxing. we may have to spend all of our holiday weekends like this.... together.

i didn't bring our camera to the farmington cemetery but i did manage to bring it to see my family. my grandpa and uncle jeff are both buried at the east lawn cemetery in provo. i am pretty sure it is the prettiest cemetery in these here parts and if wasn't so far away i probably buy a few plots today.

this is my grandpa glenn's final resting place. he died when i was 9 from prostate cancer. i don't remember much about him but what i do remember is that he was the NICEST person i had ever met. its funny the things you do remember about someone.... i remember the way he smelled, how he always wore dickie coveralls, the way he was always tinkering around in his shed, the way he looked without his hair piece on, how he always bent down, slapped his knees and put out his arms to hug you whenever he saw you, but most of all i remember how he adored my grandma. i miss him and am sad that i pretty much grew up without a grandpa. i am lucky however to have his history/life story by my bedside that i can read whenever i want and i am lucky to hear stories of him from his adoring children and wife. arthur glenn williams was a great man.

this is my uncle jeff, my dad's little brother. even though i was not much older when he died i sure do remember a lot about him. jeff was a homosexual and died of aids. i remember clearly understanding aids and homosexuality at a very young age. we grew up with a tolerance and love for homosexuals, we had to, we had 2 gay uncles that we adored (and still do... love love love my uncle lee). i am not your typical mormon when it comes to my views on homosexuality. i won't get into it but all you need to know is that its very personal to me and don't think everything is black and white.

 jeff was the most peculiar funny man i have ever met. he LOVED us, his nieces and nephews. he had names for all of us girls.... robyn was baby moses, i was ol' moline and even had my own song, brooke was daphne, and paige was gleeglock. he used to eat bugs from our hair and tell us dazzling stories of his travels (he was a flight attendant or as he called them a "studatrix"). i remember him being so very sick and going to visit him up in the avenues as he was struggling to live. even as he was dying he still had stories for us and loved to make us giggle. luckily we have video and cassette recording of most of his stories and i love to bust them out still to this day, his "old melreba taylor" and "pigs are brown" still gets me rolling. i am forever sad that this wonderful man did not get to live any longer. i really do miss him and am sad that my children didn't get to be loved by him. its good to know that you are not forgotten after we leave this life. i won't forget any of my loved ones.

after wards we decided to "liven" up the cemetery a bit with some high fashion modeling and a little bouncing. sometimes we are too much fun for our own good. 

don't be hatin'...

G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S.

oh girl...

even the kiddies couldn't help themselves from a little fierceness.

trevan however was not interested in our shananigins. 

sour puss.

go lone peak knights!

go go G.O. bears lets go!

(i still cannot believe i didn't make 9th grade cheer. look at the form!)

minie is bound to be a cheerleader, its in her blood.

miss louise and dad

not to be out done, here is miss prets enjoying a little daddie toss.

and of course my dad had to get in a picture. i love when he has picture request of himself. he's so amazing.

hope your memorial day was as fantabulous as ours!