Bringing the ashes home?

My husbands Mother just ped away a few weeks ago. He hadn't seen her in many years but we talked to her daily on the phone. My husband was very saddened about her death, but expected it soon because he is reaching that age (he is 41) His father just informed us today that "some of her ashes" are in the mail and on the way to us. He didn't ask us, but just umed we wanted them. We have a 6 and 3 year old and one on the way. We are pretty sure the ashes will not be safe sitting out in our home, but at the same time we are both feeling awkward about them being in our home. It is the whole way we percieve death and in reality...part of a burned down body in our home. It seems sort of morbid...although we do agree with spreading them out after cremation. Problem is we live in Texas and she has never been to this part of the us...she wouldn't want to be spread here either. How do we take this????