The Taylor Tales: Welsh Family Death March

Alright, you are asking yourself, what in the heck is a death march?

Well, it's what my mom's family affectionately nick named our memorial day weekend tradition. I haven't been able to be home for one since 2008 (!!!!) and I got the chance to be there this year and pounced on it! Basically, I have a lot of ancestors all buried in cemeteries relatively close to one another; Peoa, Coalville, and Hoytsville, Utah. They are tiny little towns up past Heber and Kamas. My grandpa grew up in Peoa and they have a family cabin there. I could write a whole post on my memories at that cabin alone, but that will have to wait for another time :). Anyway, so every year, the Saturday before Memorial day, as many family members who can make it drive to Peoa, and we go from one cemetery to the next, tending to our family plots, planting flowers, and spending time together. This year my brother and sister-in-law designed t-shirts and we all wore them, making us feel even more unified. It was such a gorgeous day and we had the best time together!!! I feel so lucky to have all these amazing family members, and I like to think that our ancestors love seeing us all "marching" along to their grave sites and making them beautiful. I am so grateful to them, for the lives and memories they left behind, for their names that have named so many of us, and for the simple fact that none of us would be here if they hadn't been.

(These photo's were taken by Alaina Chatterley, my incredibly talented sister-in-law. Visit her photography blog at adigitaldarkroom.blogspot.com )