We held services for our Peyton Grace on Friday November 23rd 2012 from 6p.m. to 8p.m at Fortuna Funeral Home. Fortuna held our services and did the cremation with no charge... we are forever grateful! The Fortuna Family was so wonderful to us, and treated our family & Peyton with such kindness.
When we arrived at the funeral home that Friday at 5:30p.m. I envisioned my night full of tears. I had no idea of the love that I was about to experience.
We chose to do a closed casket; we had a private viewing with our Grandparents and parents on Wednesday that week. Even though the casket was closed we dressed Peyton in a beautiful dress - the top was brown velvet, and the bottom a cream with gold swirls. She wore a brown crocheted hat that I clipped a brown flower to. She wore cream colored tights, and cream maryjanes that had a bit of sparkle in them. Pinned to her dress was her gold angel that she wore while in the hospital. She looked so beautiful in her dress!
Though we chose a closed casket for the services, we did decide to display pictures from the hospital during the services - we also played a slide show of pictures on a TV. We played special music for Peyton. Dozens of flowers surrounded her tiny white casket. Her Monkey (we built it a few weeks before her birth for her) wore a special angel costume, and sat next to her casket. Her Monkey quilt, made by her Great-Grandma Donna, laid under her casket. Everything was so beautiful. Just as Peyton deserved.
At 5:45p.m. family and friends started to arrive. In my mind I envisioned just our close relatives and friends to come and support our daughter. To my disbelief, over 150 people paid their respects that night. It was absolutely amazing how many people cared for Peyton, and for our loss. It was so touching how many people wanted to comfort us, to hug us, to let us know they care.
Many people could not bare to come into the room... to come up to Matt and I to pay their respects. Many people who did come up to us and pay their respects were sobbing because they had children or babies of their own.
As the line began to dwindle, people took their seats and the service began. Pastor John Hite did Peyton's service. He concentrated on the fact that Peyton was a person - that she was a daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, great-great -granddaughter, niece, and cousin. It was perfect. Matthew read a letter he wrote to Peyton, from the both of us. I was so proud of him. My Aunt Cheryl read a poem.
As the services concluded, I felt so much love in my heart. I had began my grieving process, and I was okay with that.
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