Hands, Flowers, Planes, and Rough housing

If you don't want to see any of the funeral photos you can turn back now.

My little family had a rough couple of weeks. Three funerals in 5 days is a lot. Granted tragedy does happen but these were all people who weren't related to each other. They all knew each other and were friends but not related. I don't know how people pull through those tragedies where more than one family member dies at a time.

I stayed a couple of days after everyone else went home to help grandpa. He seems to be a lot more open with me than his own family. We both cried while going through grandma's jewelry, the closets, teaching grandpa how to run the washer, writing a grocery list. It was rough but I don't think he wanted to let his son and his family see him break down like that.

We both cried really hard when it came time for me to head home. I just pray he doesn't do anything stupid if you know what I mean. That would be horrible.

I think I have him talked into coming up and visiting us after harvest. I wish I could talk him into actually retiring from farming but I doubt I'll get that accomplished this year anyways.
It breaks my heart to think of him alone in that little house. They were married 58 years and she did everything for him and he did everything for her in return. I know how lost I would be without Austin and we've only been together 13 years.

I know I'm rambling. I should be looking forward to my weekend and I am don't get me wrong. We have the Vanatta family reunion this weekend and during that I'll be taking family photos of the individual little families that come this year. Sometime this weekend, depending on the rain, I am taking photos of the cutest little girl. And after that I am taking photos of my pregnant sister-in-law. Yep. She's having a girl. I don't think that is fair but it should be fun. I'm almost afraid to have another one because I know it will be a boy because that is the way things work in my family. My brothers have the girls and us girls have boys. Naughty little boys.

Well I'd better get going if I want to make it down there by midnight. So here are the photos. I was too tired to edit my raw files so these are just the basic jpg. Yep, I've resorted to that. O'well.

Grandma always loved it when Mark would fly over the house so after the cake and coffee he flew over several times for old times sake.

My wonderful husband took this photo. I know he's got some mad skills... hehe hehe hehehe Amazing what my camera will do on Auto.

Austin and Mason playing in the yard after the funeral.

After all their horsing around Austin taught Mason how to roll down the hill. Naturally it had to be in the ditch in the front yard by the road.

Does anyone else see something wrong with that?

Mason and Austin's roses from on top of the casket.
The flowers were beautiful. The next day I went by the cemetery and as I was walking up there were hundreds of butterflies all over her flowers. As nature would be, there were birds after those butterflies and I couldn't help but laugh because grandma would have loved it. She always liked birds better than butterflies.


We wanted to be able to remember what Grandma's hands looked like.
Mason has the option of giving his future wife grandma's ring. I think it would be sweet but what if he marries a bitch not very nice girl and something happens to it. What then? I think it would make a good anniversary present. You know like a 50th anniversary or even 60th. You know after we know if she will stick or not...