Palm Sunday would have been Matthew's half birthday.
We were planning on going to the cemetery to visit him and celebrate but it didn't work out that day. Partly my bad planning, springing the idea on my husband the night before. Unfortunately it's hard to just go visit Matthew without advance planing because the cemetery is about 50 miles away. We wanted to take his headstone out and needed to contact the cemetery to make sure we didn't need special permission or anything.
I ended up feeling guilty about not going that day. Like I let him down somehow. As if he was looking down from heaven and judging me for not visiting his grave on his half birthday.
Instead we went two days later. The 6 month anniversary of his death. I was worried that it would cast a bit of a damper on our celebration. I really wanted it to be his half birthday party.
I shouldn't have worried. It wasn't until the next day when I was left alone with my thoughts that it hit me. I was prepared for 6 months. I wasn't prepared for 6 months + 1 day. Grief is sneaky like that.
The kids had been asking if they could take flowers to Matthew so we stopped at a Kroger on the way and let them pick out their flowers.
The Princess picked purple flowers. No surprise. Purple is her favorite color.
The Peanut picked "Crazy Daisies."
I have a confession to make. I know they are unnatural and flowers are already beautiful just the way they are and I am probably making you all cringe but... I really love crazy daisies. They are just so bright and happy.
I am now going to give you the story as told by the Peanut. He saw me writing and he wanted to tell the story. I loved his version so much I wanted to include it here. He also chose the pictures.
I was playing the Vita on the way to Matthew's birthday.
When we got there we found a dog.
We bought flowers.
We put flowers on Matthew's gravestone.
We miss Matthew.
The dog barked.
Guess what game I was playing on the Vita?
Little Big Planet Vita.
That's it.
The End.
We miss Matthew.
We do miss Matthew.
Not that I can add much to the Peanut's version but I took a ton of pictures and it would be a shame not to share the rest of them.
When we arrived at the cemetery, the kids excitedly ran over to "our tree."
I imagine he was probably enjoying looking down at the grand kids he never had a chance to meet and watching them play.
Instead there was a little orange flag. I guess in case we decided to place his gravestone... somewhere other than on his grave?
We have been looking for a small stone dolphin but haven't found one. When we were in Galveston we found a little glass one. I know it will probably break (not going to allow myself to get too attached to it) but it is a perfect little blue dolphin just like Finn. Plus it was $6. How could we pass that up?
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| Finn |
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| Finn 2 |
Seriously, when I am buried. I want an obelisk.
How about a picture of the church not hiding behind a tree?
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| Stony Point Church |
Speaking of celebrations...
How is that for a segue?
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