Did you all have a wonderful and relaxing Memorial Day? A huge thank you to all who served our country, we honored you and remembered you this weekend.
I am also thankful, that we can use Memorial Day to go visit the sites of our loved ones. We haven’t been to the gravesite of our beloved Papa Don since his funeral.
We hadn’t got to see his headstone yet, so we headed out with nervous anticipation, ready to pay our respects, but all dreading the visit to the church gravesite.
Our first stop was Hobby Lobby, where we found a garden hook and this neat wooden string of fish for him. We knew he wouldn’t want flowers! 🙂
There were lots of tears, as waves of grief and loss washed over us. Reality sinking in, as we stood where we laid him to rest just two short months ago.
We all had to giggle when Paxton piped up,
“GUYS he is NOT in der! He is up in Heaben wiff Jesus!!!!”
Dale said he thought they were having a fish fry with the big trout Papa caught. Pax looked so lovingly up in the sky, I could just see him imagining his Papa up there, having fun with Jesus….. 
The kids ran off to play, so Dale took a moment to pay his respects alone. I had to really cry, when I overheard him softly talking to his father, telling him how much he missed having him around, how we were planning on going to go camping and fishing this summer in his honor….. 
He found a stick, and lovingly smoothed down the fresh turned up dirt, before we left to find the kids.
Love you, Papa Don! We sure do miss you. Every time we camp and fish, our hearts ache with longing for you to be along with us. Every time we look at the empty land next door, we wish you were there enjoying the Country Life you were so excited for.
But we hold you in our hearts and memories with every fishing line we throw, and every step we take in settling your estate, we find ourselves with tears, closure and then peace.
Life is too short not to savor every moment…and so we do.
~T
4 little Fergusons 
An absolutely beautiful tribute to Papa Don. Thank you for sharing your tears, your sorrow and your joyful memories!!
Oh what precious moments! The stringer of fish is SO perfect to leave for him. Thank God for HIS amazing grace in these times when we have to say goodbye. ❤ you all. XO
I LOVE the pic of all those hands on his headstone! I’ve been to my Mom’s gravesite only a handful of times in five years. I’m with Paxton…I know where she is and I talk to her every day (sometimes multiple times!). But the times I did go to her gravesite were emotionally wrenching for me.