24th of July

Well we had a wonderful 24th of July! For those of our friends who don't live in Utah, that is a state holiday to celebrate when the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. It is typically spent as a day celebrating pioneer heritage. This is the first time, as I can recall, that we have really done anything to celebrate the "pioneers" of our lives. We spent the day with family in Ogden, first going to lunch with my Grandpa Darrell and his wife, Micki at Olive Garden. This is my grandpa's favorite restaurant. I have such wonderful memories of him and it makes me sad when I think of how quickly time passes. Dad and Mom presented him with a flag in a case for the time he spent in WW2. Found out today he was stationed at CasaBlanca...pretty cool. After lunch, we went to the gravesites of my mother's parents, my Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Bob. Also at that cemetary are the graves of my great grandparents Gealta. On the way to the cemetary where my Grandma Bea (my dad's mom) is buried, we took a scenic route past the home where she was raised and then to the home of my great grandparents Gealta from my mom's side. We ended at my Grandma's gravesite. It was a wonderful opportunity to pause and think about what wonderful people they all were and wonder about which of their traits and legacy I am passing along to my children.
While Bevan and I were in Prague this year, we visited a jewish burial ground from WW2 and learned of the Jewish custom to put a pebble on the headstone when one visits a grave to mark that you have been there and that you respect the one who has passed on. I told my kids about this and we decided to start that tradition in our family. I also like to think of it as a symbol that our relationships live on and are eternal, unlike the traditional flowers that our culture leaves at a gravesite.
I hope my children will always remember today, and be interested in knowing more about our pioneer heritage.