Memorial Day is any day you want to remember

For years I have been saying that I want to do a memorial day trip back to the cemeteries that we went to as children and have Mom and Dad tell us the stories again. We went every year and took Grandma and Aunt Marie. Often we met other cousins at the different cemeteries and did more than our share of running amok among the gravestones. It wasn't feasable to actually go on Memorial Day - so Jessi and I planned the next weekend and did it on June 4th. I highly recommend going after the "Big" holiday. It's still very pretty, but not at all crowded. No traffic.

Aren't they cute? We started out in the Salt Lake City Cemetery and made a big loop there- including a stop at the office. We got to have a personal look at some of the plot books kept in the safe room. And we also took a look at a couple of the grave sites of the Prophets. It was touching to see President Hinkley's memorial stone and the tributes left for him.
Barbara and Mackenzie met us there, Lynnette drove mom and dad down and Jessi took wonderful notes. It was a beautiful day. Angus and Lucy Price are buried here. To get to the temple on their wedding day, they had to catch a ride on a wagon that was taking a load of potatoes to the city. It makes a great story, but Grandma Lucy wasn't thrilled about riding with the potatoes on her wedding day. After spending a few hours in this cemetery, we had lunch and then Lynn and Barbara had other things going - so Jessi and I continued with Mom and Dad.
It took us a bit to find the Draper Cemetery. It hadn't moved, it's just that Draper has grown so much that we had to ask for directions. And there it was right where it was supposed to be. This is where Ezekiel and Rhoda Watkins Price are buried. They met riding horses in Corner canyon between Draper and Alpine. Now you can drive through there on a 3 lane highway. There is a planned community on the top. Easy to travel in a comfortable car.
"She has gone to her home in heaven And all her afflictions are o'er."
This was on the side of Ezekiel's sister Ann Mason's tombstone in the Alpine pioneer cemetery. I remember this cemetery as being hot and dry. Cheat grass and sagebrush. Now they have water and it is lush and green. The statue at the beginning of this post is at this cemetery.
Jessi pointed out to me the blooming iris off the edge of the cemetery on the hill side. Naturalized and beautiful. The side of the hill still has cheat grass and sagebrush. All day I could feel my heart and soul just drinking in the beauty and the peace and the connections to our grands and great grands. I am thankful for their lives, the sacrifices they made and for their testimonies which they have shared with us, their posterity.

Thanks Jessi, Mom, Dad, Barbara, Lynnette and Mackenzie for sharing this day with me. Lets do it again.