Taking the Bitter With the Sweet

I'm home, now.  I was in the great state of Colorado for the last three days.  Colorado is a beautiful place where many fond memories are hidden in the hills.  I'm not sure I would truly feel at home there, but I do love to visit.  Wednesday we buried my grandfather.  I will be honest.  I did not like seeing his departed remains.  They didn't look like him, and I was having a very hard time keeping myself from shaking with grief.  I had to sit down.  I sat by my cousin and his sweet little five-year-old, Milo.  He was such a sweetheart that day.  When they finally closed the casket, he cried out, "They are closing it!"  And tried to run and stop them.  "But, Dad.  They are closing it!"  As his father grabbed him to keep him with him.  I know how he felt.
The service was beautiful.  The graveside service was also beautiful.  My dad gave the prayer dedicating the grave.  He's his only living son, after all.  His resting place has a beautiful view.  But according to my mother, he is looking the other way.  On resurrection morning, he will sit up, see a beautiful hillside turn around, and see this:

I know.  I am jealous, too.  I think he will like it.  He loved the mountains, and camping, and the outdoors.  He gave that to my dad, and my dad tried to give it to me.  It worked.  I just like taking a shower as well.  I haven't been camping a really, really long time.  I'm glad Kurtis and I are starting to take the boys hiking.  It's about freaking time.
But life goes on even when we feel like it should stop for a minute or two.  Sometimes even a week or a month.  You have to take the bitter with the sweet.  This week was one of those times.  I got to see my cousins that I never see.  One cousin told my dad he had to plan a reunion.  "Because funerals shouldn't count as family reunions."  I couldn't agree more, Will.  Wendy, you and your family were missed.  We also missed my brother Jeremy who could not get out of some finals.  :P  My sister, Michele and her youngest son Henry flew to Utah, and drove with me, Kaleb, my dad, Rodney, and Ryan.  My mom, Michael, and Emily came in another car later that evening.
Sweetness also came today, in the form of a college graduation.  My little sister graduated cum laude with a Bachelors of Science degree in Digital Media.  This is pretty epic in our family.  She is the first Sharp* daughter to graduate from college.  My mother graduated, but she was a Day at the time.  Michele and I married, and when our parents would no longer pay for our schooling, we dropped out, so yeah.  As Ben would say, "It's pretty much a big deal."  And to graduate with honors on top of it!  Well, that is just all the more fabulous.  We we all went out to lunch afterwards.  It was nice that Michele stayed long enough to come see her walk across the red carpeted platform.  As an actress, I love that the carpet was red. ;)

 Even though, someday, I may graduate from college, I doubt I will graduate "Cum Laude".

 My mom saw these flowers from her friend, Vincent, and said, "Oh, good.  Somebody remembered to get her flowers!"  It's been a crazy week.

 Sisters.

Yep.  She's amazing.

*Apparently, I need to print a retraction.  My cousin Amy did in fact graduate from BYU in 2005.  But Emily is the first of her sisters to graduate, so that's still a pretty big deal. :)  Sorry, Amy!  I was mis-informed.