Memorial Day 2023

This Memorial Day weekend was different than in previous years. My cousin Austun got married on Saturday. Alison and I stayed home so we could attend the wedding. My sister was in town for the wedding so we went to lunch with her and her husband Ben and my brother Jon. It was really good to see them and catch up. We don't see them much so opportunities to spend time with them are valuable. 

The wedding was scheduled for the late afternoon. They planned to hold the wedding in Austun's grandparent's backyard. They have a beautiful backyard. It is a great setting for a wedding. In the afternoon a summer thunderstorm rolled in. We thought they might relocate to their backup location (a nearby church), but they held the course. My aunt Ardis put a lot of effort into making this a beautiful wedding and she wanted to hold it in the backyard. Alison commented a few times that Ardis' prayers must count at least 10x our prayers (if you know my aunt you understand) so it would probably all work out. And it did. We waited out the rain and it eventually stopped long enough for the wedding ceremony and a post-ceremony dinner. Then by the time the reception started, it turned into a beautiful sunny evening. 

I have been close to Austun since he was a little kid. He was my little buddy. It was important to be there to support him. He and Vanessa both looked so happy and they had a lovely wedding. It was also really good to see my family, some of whom we don't see as often as we would like. My uncle Jason flew in from California. We really enjoyed catching up with him. We also visited with some cousins and a couple of my great-aunts and uncles we haven't seen in years. Memorial Day is all about family for us and this wedding gave us a chance to connect with lots of family. 

On Sunday Alison, Aleene, and I drove to Ephraim and Manti for our annual tradition of visiting the gravesites of our family. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, but the weather didn't look so warm when we left in the morning so we were prepared for it to be a bit cooler. I wanted to stop by the Ancestry office because I had a new jacket at my desk. I thought it would be appropriate attire for Memorial Day. Alison and Aleene came in with me. Aleene was pretty excited to see where I work (on the rare days I go into the office). 

We met Blake and Debbie at the Manti cemetery. There are members of both sides of Alison's family buried here. We left flowers on their graves. I think the Manti cemetery is such a beautiful place. It is the shadow of the Manti temple and on Memorial Day there are many American flags dotting the cemetery. I couldn't help but think about the rich heritage we have. Both Alison and I have Ancestors who left their homes and traveled across the plains to settle in Utah. We also both have family members who willingly put their lives on the line to defend America. The temple and the American flag are good reminders of the legacy of our forebearers. 

After Manti, we headed to the Ephraim cemetery. It was a heavy Memorial Day this year. Some Memorial days are like that. This year grief was near the surface and we mourned the family that we have lost. As we placed flowers by the graves of our loved ones the mood was somber. Every year we miss the family members that are no longer with us, and some years our hearts ache a little more than others. 

Our nieces Skylee and Anna were little rays of joy during the time we spent at the cemetery. Skylee is old enough that she is inquisitive and wants to learn about her family. She was excited to hear the stories and begin to understand who these people are and why we leave flowers each year. Blake was amazing in the way he would tell her stories and even went so far as to pull up pictures and a family tree on his phone so Skylee could connect the dots between the graves we visited. 

Skylee also enjoyed snapping some photos with my camera

Skylee wanted to learn how to use the tripod to take pictures. She took this one and proclaimed it "the best picture ever!"

Skylee and Alison are quality control. Skylee noticed one of the flowers wasn't staked down well so they fixed it.  

Anna is a little young to really enjoy the stories. She liked putting flowers down, but then she would quickly find someone to walk around the cemetery with her. Today her favorite person was Alison. They would walk around and Anna liked to find the unique headstones and would ask questions about who the headstone was for and when they died. Alison taught Anna that the Nielsons are her family. Later Anna grabbed my hand and asked me to come with her. We walked a few feet from the group and she told me to stop and that she had something to tell me. She then said, "The Nielsons belong to us". Yes, they do kid - they are your people. She also learned that Anna is a family name and that is named after some of her ancestors. 

We started and ended our day at Kent's grave (Alison's grandfather). He has been gone for 7 years. We miss him dearly. He was so full of love and joy. Our family is not the same without him. Aleene told Alison and me stories about her life with Kent all the way home. She talked about their marriage and early life together in Logan. Their time in Salt Lake and Cedar City and finally Provo. They built a wonderful life together. 

On our way home we stopped at the Little Acorn for lunch. We love this little diner at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. It has become a little bit of a tradition for us to stop here. It raised Aleene's spirits, and how could it not. They have good food and even better ice cream.

We stopped by the Springville Evergreen Cemetery on our way home. I am really grateful that we have developed a tradition of placing flowers on the graves of my grandma Pat, her parents Delbert and Lavern, as well as my great-granduncle Ernest. I have enjoyed learning the stories and history of this side of my family the past few years. 

On our way home we made one final stop by our new house. We showed Aleene the progress (more on that in a future post). It was good to make new memories with Aleene and show her a little glimpse of our future.