Our Special Day

Today was one of those days I will cherish forever. We got the phone call that the cement around Tesslee's headstone was ready to pour if we were able to come up and place our hands in the concrete today. To say we were excited would be an understatement! We checked the kids out of school, canceled soccer practice, and headed up to Salt Lake. I was pretty nervous. I wanted Tesslee's headstone to turn out just right, and didn't know exactly what to expect.

When we arrived, the kind, older man took us around back into an old shed, where a few rows of wet, concrete headstones were drying. Talk about nerve-wracking bringing four young children to tip-toe between the wet headstones! As I walked through them, I couldn't help but think about each of them individually, and the families who so carefully designed them in honor of their loved one. Like us, I'm sure they think about it everyday, and are waiting patiently, so excited to have the final project! I felt blessed that my little family was able to see a part of this process that, I think, is rarely experienced.

 Jefferson went first, and his turned out perfectly! (I love having a bold son who is not afraid to be the first.) I feel just awful that I didn't get a picture of him placing his hand into the concrete. But, here is his print...

...Kilee was next...

 

 

...followed by Caden...

 

 

 

 

...then Ellee...

 

 

 

 

 ...Mike was after...

  

 

 

 

..then it was my turn...

 

 

 

 

We love how it turned out, and can hardly wait to see it dry and in place!

 

 

 

 

 

When we finished, we took a few minutes and walked through the rows and rows of headstones that were on display in the front yard area. It was fun seeing the kids so excited over the different monument styles. We all pointed out the headstones we wanted. All at once, this overwhelming feeling settled around us. My heartache vanished, and the space around me felt thick with a peaceful strength. I felt Tesslee next to me. She let me know she is aware of what our family does, and that she enjoyed the afternoon with us. We walked across the street together, and got into the car. My heart was overflowing with happiness as I could feel that our family was all together. I will treasure this day, always.