The Funeral Part One

I think I will post about the funeral in two posts. This one will be mostly pictures and the next post will include pictures of the program and more my take on the day. So. This post=pictures Next post=words. Pick your poison.

Can I first just say how much I love these three little monkeys? They definitely keep me moving forward and keep laughter and love in our home. 

Bennett at the hospital wearing the angry birds pig hat his Auntie Michelle made.

Sweet brother James

Harrison stealing a peek at Gracie

Above is a picture of me and my Gracie the morning that she passed after I had fallen into an exhausted sleep, and below is a picture of the sunrise that morning. Wasn't it beautiful? I think it was meant just for Gracie. 

The day of the funeral Kendall and I went to the funeral home to prepare her casket and put her in.

We filled the casket my dad made with roses so she would have a soft sweet smelling place to lay.

This is me giving my baby girl one last squeeze before we laid her in. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done and probably will ever do, in my life.

The beautiful casket my dad made, at the church.

One of the table displays

The cemetery

James looking down into the hole Kendall and his brothers dug. Thank heaven for children because they truly keep the spirit close and bring light to dark times.

After examining her grave he turned around and said, "hey, where's my grave?" You never know what children are thinking.

Kendall and his brother Spencer carrying the casket

Putting the casket in

Kendall's brother Jason and me trying to coax Bennett into throwing his rose into the grave. He wasn't having any.

This was a picture that caught James patting his dad on the back.

The boys helping to fill the dirt back in. I love that they did this and could be a part of helping put their little sister to rest.

All of the men present helped shovel a little. I even did one (with Kendall's help since I was still so fresh from surgery.)

We tried to take a picture of the casket but you can't read it as well as you could in real life.

It says, "Gracie Belle Ray" and under that it reads, "Sleep in Heavenly Peace" It was amazing.

This was obviously pre-roses but we put a little picture of our family in the lid. And of course she would need some toys to occupy her. The Whinnie the Pooh was actually this little bell rattle and when ever we would shake it at the hospital she would quiet down. I truly believe she loved music and that it brought her great peace.

Funeral Part 2 coming soon...