Jensen Family

After talking about the great memories we had of visiting the cemetery on Memorial Day, we decided to drive to Logan and take some flowers to mum and daddy's and Bruce's grave. I haven't been there since the year after mum died...so it's been about 4 years.

I haven't been by mum and daddy's house for a while either. Last time we drove by, it looked pretty rough. It was later in the summer and all the lawns were burnt up and there were weeds growing all up the driveway. I was with my sisters and we tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he must be putting all his energy into improving the house.

I've heard a few people on facebook mention that the house and yard were not looking very good and it would probably be better if us girls didn't go see it, so I was a little apprehensive driving up there. I had to see though. Boy things have changed so much up there. The roads are all wide and fancy and there are businesses up and down both lanes going into Providence. It's a far cry from the skinny little lane we used to ride our bikes down holding our nose because the mink farm was so stinky. HA!

I started filming as we drove up the road, but it was too long to put on here so this is the shortened version.

As we drove past Deloys' house, it looked just the same...perfectly manicured green lawn and tidy yard. Going a little farther we noticed they had let the garden grow over. Then it got worse the closer we got. The garage was closed and there was a car parked in front of the door but the whole area was full of weeds.

There was a big pile of cement chunks that we figured out after looking around was the fish pond. I felt like crying. The lawns were all full of weeds and the grass was dead on most of yard. The rock garden was just weeds and it looked like he had taken the rock out of it and put it in a big pile right in the middle lawn. It was just unrecognizable.

We drove the rest of the way to the cemetery in silence. There was just nothing to say.

I have a lot of regret about the way the selling of the house happened, and this just brought it all back to the surface. I feel like he deceived us when we were selling the house, telling us he loves doing landscaping and was looking forward to restoring the place to the way it was when mum and daddy were alive. I know we can't do anything about it cause it's not ours anymore, but I can't help but feel betrayed. That place meant so much to us. I would have given anything if I could have worked out a way to buy it.

Anyway, I'm going to try to not dwell on it.

Candice sent me these pictures this morning that made me feel better. Makes me realize how precious the memories I have of that place are.

We were putting the flowers on the graves and noticed a lady taking a picture of Bruce's grave. Katie asked her if she knew Bruce and she said her husband was a good friend of Bruce's. I asked who her husband was and she said Paul Hansen! I told her who I was and we had a good hug. I asked her how Paul was and she (awkward moment) said he was buried in the next section over of the cemetery. She said he had passed away several years ago.

We had a good visit about Paul's folks and mum and daddy and what good people they were. I sure remember Paul. His family lived just a few blocks away and him and Bruce were best friends growing up. Paul was in the Esquire band with Bruce and I remember him coming over and practicing in the old house and out on the lawn. I thought they were so cool! It was pretty random that we would run into her but I was sure glad we did.

We were getting ready to leave and Brad and his family pull up. It was so great to see them! Their kids are all getting so big, I couldn't believe Bronson is 15 years old! And Amy said Lauren is going to girls camp this summer! Wasn't she just 5?

And their baby Ben is four! It's just no good that since grandma is gone, we haven't been getting together like we should! We decided to have a get together this summer while Camille is here.

Ha Ha That's Bronson in the van. Brad and Amy said he is the typical teenager...into his video games and tech stuff, but he hollered a hello to us.