Happy Earth Day

We've been immersed in the outdoors here lately, enjoying every moment of the 
warmer temperatures, the later sunsets, the blooming flowers and growing garden.  I 
race home from work everyday, eager to throw on my favorite pair of cut-offs and sandals 
and sit outside with a cup of tea, the sound of the girls' chatter floating through the backyard 
as they play one game after another.  Brees has made it her own personal mission to water 
all of the plants each afternoon, sometimes knocking them over and/or drowning them in 
the process but feeling important nonetheless.  Isabelle feeds the dogs and entertains her 
little sister's every whim, her patience growing just as quickly as her long legs.  They 
keep themselves entertained in this big, open backyard while Shawn and I put in the 
blood, sweat, and tears it takes to keep these 4 acres of land maintained.  We prune, clip, 
mow, plant, burn, drag, and sow.  It's more than just a hobby, our love for this green 
and prosperous land: it is a passion, a blessing.  To see our girls run wild through 
these gardens, to watch them make memories and expand their imaginations, it is a gift.  

When Shawn was in the hospital last year, friends and family offered to help in any way 
they could.  We assigned jobs to whomever was willing to take them: someone to take care 
of our pets, someone to pick up the mail, an aunt who was kind enough to water all of 
my plants each afternoon that I was gone.  A total of 25 afternoons to be exact.  She kept 
them all watered and pruned as best she could while juggling her own responsibilities.  
One afternoon, after a really bad thunderstorm, she found my tiny aloe vera plant, bought on 
a whim while I stood in line at a local nursery, on the ground.  The little terra cotta pot it 
called home was smashed and its dirt was scattered on the patio floor.  She 
quickly transplanted it into one of my large containers nearby, the aloe vera plant now 
sharing a home with a hydrangea.  She didn't know how long it had been on the ground 
or whether or not it would even survive but she knew to put it back in the soil as quickly 
as possible to give it the best chance of survival.  Yesterday, I transplanted that 
aloe vera plant once again, this time into its own container.  Over the last year, it has 
grown and flourished and become stronger.  It has sprouted new roots, strong roots, 
and become something much bigger than I ever expected.  
Sounds like someone else I know.

In honor of Earth Day, Isabelle requested that we eat dinner outside last night, something 
we don't do nearly enough.  I made their favorite tacos and we set the patio table up to 
surprise Daddy when he got home.  It was, of course, not as picturesque as one might 
imagine: food was spilled and dogs were begging and Brees was so distracted that 
she abandoned her dinner after only three bites and set to work making her own meal of 
dirt soup.  But it was a nice change and the weather was beautiful and I didn't have to clean 
the kitchen afterwards.  We watered the garden and all the plants and then carried our 
plates inside, reluctantly leaving the magical backyard behind.  We'll be back tomorrow, 
lilies and vines and azaleas.  We can't wait to see what beauty you will bring us then.