I realized I never blogged about my parents' service. Honestly, some things I still don't like to spend too much time thinking about. Editing these photos today was not easy.
Losing your parents is so difficult - losing them both in just 3 weeks is almost unbearable. Looking back at that time period, I was living in a fog from mid November to mid January (at least).
One thing I am so grateful for is that my parents had their final arrangements all prepared and paid for in advance. All we had to do was show up at the funeral home, listen to the options they chose, and sign paperwork.
Their wishes were to be cremated and placed in a National Cemetery. My dad was eligible because he spent time in the army (Korea) back in the early 1960's. My mom was eligible as his spouse.
They had selected the National Cemetery in Jacksonville because at the time they made their arrangements, that was the only one in Florida. But since then one opened near Cape Canaveral and was much closer for us, so we switched it to that one.
We had the service on Friday January 31 and it was perfect! The weather was a beautiful sunny 80* and we commented more than once that my mom would have definitely been at water aerobics on that day. Everything about the ceremony was so professional and well done. The most difficult part was having to listen to Taps being played.
We were so grateful for the people who came to support us and who loved our parents and family from Wisconsin who were unable to attend but I know kept us in their thoughts and prayers. After the service we drove back to Daytona Beach and took everyone to Manny's.
The only disappointing part of the day is that we were assuming after the service that we would go to the vault for the internment. Instead, the service was over at noon and they were not putting their ashes in the vault until 4:00. So we could not be there for that.
During Spring Break, on what would have been my dad's 90th birthday, we finally drove over to the cape to see their vault.
I chose the saying on their vault
