We got to the funeral home for the family viewing/set-up time. Grandma looked so nice. She was in a pink sweater and her hair and make-up looked really good. Someone found a note in her yearbook about her and a friend hitch-hiking to Zeeland for a "baseball game", trespassing on private property, and "more that [the friend] couldn't write here." Everyone got a kick out of it. Jamie also put together a very nice slide show and everyone commented on the pictures multiple times.
We stayed for the visitation. Isaac and Joshua mostly disappeared for this, and I don't blame them. A lot of people they didn't know where there and they had probably talked to most of the people they wanted to talk to already. I think they had a few extra cookies.
We went in for the funeral. The family had several members stand up and reflect on memories and it was beautiful. There were some songs - Jamie made it through her song and cracked just the perfect amount at the end. I wish the Chaplin had spoken more about heaven and Grandma's faith. Several other family members mentioned it, but our eternal hope comes from God. Ben shared a few memories, including how she and Grandpa always made him say Caboose and laughed over his pronunciation, how she was cut-throat in Uno (to the chagrin of the kids sometimes), and how if you didn't have what you needed in Yahtzee you just kept rolling. (She did that to several family members in Yahtzee.) But most of all that she was always so happy to see you.
We then went in the funeral procession to the cemetery. I don't think I've actually been in a funeral procession before, but there is a high chance that I have been. (Maybe even for Mom's funeral? Details are so blurry.) I didn't realize they were so slow! It makes a lot of sense - you don't want to lose the last people and it seems like a proper mournful procession - but it is not what I was expecting.
The cemetery was wet and misty. A few last words were said, the flowers placed on the casket (a white rose for me and Ben, snap dragons for Joshua. Isaac ended up standing somewhere else), and it was lowered down.
Then we went to the boat barn for a final toast and party. "To Grandma!" I had Pino grigio, and in hind-sight I think it was a mistake. I know it was only a half-cup, but I was already tired and something wiped me out. I was done. I went the top area and closed my eyes on an uncomfortable chair for a few minutes, but then the pizza came. We weren't planning on staying very long anyway, so I got up to eat. That was fine. Then as we were leaving I was standing around, getting stuff ready and I was done. Completely. I just left to go to the car, possibly cutting off Ben's goodbyes, although that wasn't the intention. I think the combination of a lot of standing, a lot of emotions, being a bit tired, and the wine just sent me over the edge.
At home I took a long nap. It was a poor time for a nap since it was already 6:30pm, but that was my only option. I stayed up a little bit longer than normal before actually going to bed, but I think I was asleep just a little later than normal too.
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