Flower Girl

I returned home from Hot Springs last night, and while it feels wonderful to be reunited with Buzzard and the kids, my heart remains with my Dad and Suzanne. I had way too much restless energy today, so I decided we would spend the day outside doing something physical. So, we cleaned up the flower beds and side yard and headed to the nursery for a little spring color.

I'd mention that today was a windy day, but it seems like an epic understatement. It was an interesting and unusual choice for a yard work day since everything we raked was blown fifty yards before we could get it scooped into a bag. But we tried. My third trip to Home Depot was really the crowning moment of my day. I'm exiting the store with a tall daisy tree and three flats of flowers in round pots on one of those flat bed carts. A gale force gust sweeps my tree right off the cart, and in the process, knocks all three flats of flowers to the ground, where they begin to roll in every direction possible. And quickly. I squat down to try to right the tree, and another huge gust comes along and knocks me clear on my backside. By this point, I have marigolds and petunias spanning quite the distance, I am holding up a sizable line of traffic, and rather than get up and get going, I sit on my bum in a crowded parking lot and contemplate bursting into tears. Two gentlemen rushed from the store to help me. Neither one spoke a word of English, but they helped gather my posies and get me off my backside. They darted in and out of traffic until every one of my flowers had been rescued, and helped me get everything loaded into my van. Praise God for the kindness of strangers.

Once we finally got the beds cleared and tilled, it was time to get planting. Nap time was over by then and I had a ready helper. It was her first gardening escapade, and she was eager to exercise her green thumbs.

We learned something new today. We LOVE to shovel.

Emmy had a blast riding on the little carts at the nursery. She seemed a little indifferent about the flowers, but what really got her excited was buying her very own BAG OF DIRT. Oh, she was thrilled!

She helped dig holes for each flower (often on top of the flower we previously planted) and gently snuggled the dirt around each plant.

She told me she liked the pink'uns the best.

Things are looking a little more colorful around here now. They give a 50/50 chance of bad storms tomorrow, so I hope I get the chance to put down all my mulch and take some pictures to share.

I greatly appreciate all the prayers for Suzanne. Just as we were surrounded by gorgeous blooming plants today, I received an encouraging call from Hot Springs. Suzanne opened her eyes briefly this afternoon. Praise God for BIG answers! The doctors need to work to wean her from the ventilator so her lungs can get stronger and heal. It is a tricky task, but she is fighting hard to recover. I wish I could send her a fresh picked flower, straight from the parking lot of Home Depot. Or, maybe just a really awesome, super cool bag of dirt. :) Your continued prayer coverage is a great source of comfort and encouragement.