Hot Chocolate Remembrance Picnic

I loaded up the picnic basket with some vintage Tupperware mugs, a thermos of hot chocolate, grabbed our picnic quilt and out the door we went. We set up our picnic under the big Oak, next to the weathered bench, near my mom's gravesite. The kids brought some pink daisies that grow in our garden and I brought an arrangement I ordered from my girlfriend, I wanted something pretty to decorate the iron bench.

 As the kids sipped and dunked their cookies I read to them from one of our history books, Rascal. We didn't really talk about grandma or say anything special on this two-year anniversary of her passing. We just spent time together, making a memory in a special spot.
 

The crumbs were shaken out of the blanket folds, and the nature books were pulled out of our hiking backpack. We trekked the church parking lot to the pond and discovered milkweed pods, snake grass, a caterpillar, and a leaf turned red with the coming chill.

 Sketching complete, the boys decided to test their strength and they took turns trying to carry me piggy-back across the parking lot. I was completely ungracefully draped across their small but growing backs. A couple of them collapsed under my weight but hurrahed the day they WOULD make it!

 The testosterone had been unleashed and I turned to find Agent E aiming the magnifying glass at a dried leaf, by the end of his pursuit there was less than half a leaf left.

 I still cry, and my heart still aches, yet I rejoice knowing that He loves my mom and us dearly.