In the past, I have went to the family graveyard, used by the church we grew up in, and placed silk, and fresh flowers on graves.
My mother, and her mother, would recycle Styrofoam shapes from funerals, and fill them with silk flowers. They'd place them on my grandpa's grave, and then other family members.
My grandma would store them in her big garage and wait for the following year to use the same arrangement, until it got too faded (which was many years of use) and then she'd replace the flowers, or my mother would re-do the arrangement.
I placed roses or rhododendrons from our yard, or my grandma's yard, on my cousin's grave, my grandpa's grave, aunts and uncles, and some children of our family, or friends that I felt close to.
There were memories of when those loved ones were alive, we'd visit the graveyard and take pictures. That was about the extent of our "celebration" of that day.
After moving away from OR, and having two more children, when we were in OR on that special weekend, we'd visit the graveyard, and bring flowers from the yard.
Here are my two children born since leaving OR standing in front of my grandparent's grave in 2007 on Memorial Day weekend, on a trip we took to OR from WA
Memorial day wasn't a big patriotic celebration in our family, just a day to remember those we loved that died, a day of decorating graves, and no school.
I'm thankful that is not what my family currently celebrates. Though we can remember loved ones that have passed, it just has a different meaning to us now.
Having three boys participate in Cub Scouts, and later Boy Scouts, Memorial day has had events that take us into our community and to properly observe the meaning of our freedom in the country we live.
This memorial day, as I went to Tahoma National Cemetery with my son and his cub scout pack, we remembered fallen service men, and their wives, fallen service women and their husbands, who were buried in these hallowed grounds.
This service man had someone put flowers on his grave. This is before the flag was straightened.
The cub scouts went through sections of graves and straightened the flags so they weren't leaning or falling to pay some respect and offer a thank you for those that served our country and are no longer with us.
Clay makes one straight before moving on to the next falling flag.
It was so moving to see these young boys from 1st grade through 4th grade bending over, straightening flags, and honoring the ones that made the sacrifice to defend us.
Clay going down the middle of two rows, making sure the flags are straight.
We found many men that served the same as my husband's father, in the Navy.
We saw many that had their wives pass before them.
All the ones we saw had some respect given to them, and were honored on this precious day.
Many graves are decorated, many are not.
We value the service these brave men and women and their families gave to our country, and for that, we straighten the American Flag placed at your graveside.
{which is only allowed in this cemetery on Memorial Day weekend}
On another day of this weekend, when we honored the ultimate sacrifice, of Jesus Christ dying a sinless death, on the cross, for the sins of the world...
My oldest son was baptized into the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Buried in Death, and Risen to walk in the newness of Life...
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