Thanks, Terri and Pam.
I went to the cemetary this weekend - it's a long drive to another part of the state, where my mother-in-law lives. It was good to see her. We always go together to the graves (her husband, my husband-her son, and my son-her grandson). Having lost her son and grandson, she understands like no one else really does.
I brought the girls (my foster daughters) with me, and my sister, and it was very good to have so many loved ones around. The girls seem to think of Vince as a long-lost brother, and ask me many questions about him.
Vincent was a great guy, very bright and artistic. He was very funny also - was known for his sense of humor amongst his friends, who told me how much he had influenced them.
Once, when he was a teen, we got one of those "singing" Christmas cards that played Rudolph, and he took out the little disk that played the music and hid it in the house before he left for school. I kept "hearing something," and it took me quite a while to find it - and then I hid it under his mattress. He didn't hear it until he was in bed, with his head on the pillow. He said nothing, and hid it in my car. I didn't hear it until I was partway to Kroger's, etc. We kept this up for awhile, cracking ourselves up as we tried to surprise and frustrate each other.
He was a sweetie. I miss him so much.