A Love that Saves...celebrating Easter with Corey

     While walking around the cemetery last fall I came across a monument with an engraving that made me stop and think. It reads, "If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever."

I thought it was kind of a cool saying until I stopped to think about it for a minute and a revised version came to my mind; the good news that "because Christ's love saves, Corey will live forever." That's even cooler, don't you think?  :)  I made sure to include a "He is Risen" sign at Corey's grave when I decorated it for Easter. 

Here are some pics:

the silk arrangement I put together for the top of his stone

     That first time back to the cemetery after all the snow had melted was a comforting visit. This didn't occur until sometime during the second week of April since we had a final snow storm on April 1st- not an April Fool's joke either...the girls even had a snow day home from school because of it. It was a long wait for the snow to melt from that storm. I can't quite explain the feeling I had as I turned into the cemetery and was able to see the bare ground and Corey's stone. It made my heart feel so good. With the now obvious changing of the seasons, I felt like I had been given permission to move out of the winter of my grief and into spring. It was really hard over those long winter months to not be able to go regularly to visit. The first few months after Corey died I would go to the cemetery every 1-2 weeks and enjoyed sitting on the grass and soaking up the sun. I love the place I chose to lay him to rest. It is such a beautiful and peaceful country setting. I was there again just last week and basked in the sun while listening to birds chirp and church bells coming from just beyond the river behind the cemetery. I even heard the clip cloppity sound of horse hoofs hitting the pavement as 2 horses pulling a carriage strolled by the cemetery. I thanked God for his guidance in leading me to pick this beautiful place.