visiting back home

Gabe and I took Bobbi home before heading to visit with my grandchildren. On the way i wanted to stop and visit the cemetery. As you all know my step-mother passed away in Nov and my mom just last month. I never got to attend either of their services, so i wanted a bit of time.

First we stopped by grandparents and my little brother that i never knew.

Here is my sister Bobbi Jo's, she was only 36. It's hard to believe she has been gone almost 3 years now. This plaque sits by her tombstone and it says what is true. Our hearts still ache for her.



Across the road on the corner is where my cousin is buried. For some reason on the Jackson side of the family. Any boy named Steven never made it beyond being a baby. I had thought of naming my first son Steven after my brother but my mother insisted that no child in our family could be named Steven.

Just 3 rolls down from my sister Bobbi Jo, 3 other cousins are buried there. My aunt Betty has lost 3 children.

Down the lane, just about 100 yards under a tree my uncle Dean is buried. I went to visit my uncle Dean's grave. Dean raised me as his daughter until i was 6 years of age. He was a wonderful father to me and loved me so much. I was hurt and very upset when i arrived at his grave site. My brother Greg(cousin, but raised as brother and sister) didn't do what he said he would do. When i arrived at his grave site, i could still tell where it was but there were no markers, no tombstone! Greg had assured me he had a tombstone order for Dean's grave. Unfortunately as always, Greg never follows through. I was really upset that he didn't love his father enough to show some respect.

This is the first time i have been able to visit my uncle's grave since leaving the day of his funeral. I didn't realize how much his death was going to affect me, until it happened and i arrived at the funeral home. It was like a ton of bricks hitting my chest and knocking my wind out. All my childhood memories came flooding back to me. Memories of him and i. He thought the sun shined and set on me. Needless to say, i will be purchasing a tombstone in the future for his grave. He will always be daddy to me.

After visiting this cemetery we headed to where both my mother's are buried.

Here is where Mama Viv is buried at. I didn't attend her funeral as i was out of town and sick. We decided to stay away. (read my blog in Nov) I visited her grave and took theses pictures. Here marker is up, but her tombstone still isn't. Even though she was my step-mom, she was a wonderful mother and grandmother to all of us. She is sadly missed and our hearts will always feel her void in our lives.

My birth mother whom died last month is buried across the road from Mama Viv, since there wasn't a marker or anything on her grave yet, i decided not to take a picture. My sister says they should be getting the marker on her grave soon.

It was an emotional day, visiting loved ones that are no longer here on this earth and then my grandchildren.

We left Tyson and the grand kids around 2 pm. Gabe and I are on our way home. We decided to take the scenic drive of the Great River Road! I hadn't been on that road for a couple of years. Wow, they sure are doing lots of work to it!

I think this old rock home is so cute, they have it fixed up as a museum now.

They sure are building lots of homes along the river and these look to be some type of condos.

I love light houses, look at this cute one they have fixed up. It's surrounded by water right now.

The temps were only in the 50's here. Gabe and I were freezing! We left high 70's in Florida. Gabe and i are
both ready to return to Florida to the warm temps. It's so spoiling.

Here is a picture of raging rivers, it's a water park, that draws some attraction here in the Grafton area. It looks as though Grafton is trying to build up as an attraction for tourist and vacationers.

The green is starting to pop out and it seems as though spring is close by for Illinois. The dogwood and red bud trees were all in bloom! I love them both and enjoyed the ones in my front yard when we owned a stick home. Although, i have to say, i sure don't miss that stick home. I love my home being on wheels now.