a spring story

While Virginia took a nap last weekend, I spent some time trimming back my rose bushes before they budded even further. As I was cutting them back, careful not to scrape up my arms, I was brought right back to last spring. It seems like a lifetime ago and in a sense it was a different life, but a life that was budding into our new life.

The roses always start blooming around Memorial day. While the roses are in bloom I go out almost daily to prune and clean them up. We have over 20 rose bushes, so daily maintenance is much easier than trying to tame them after a few weeks. In the middle of last May we had a few of the first buds and I noticed that there was a bird's nest in our largest rose bush. It was well perched and had 3 beautiful blue eggs in it. For the next few weeks I was careful not to disturb the nest and we checked each day to see if the birds had hatched. Right along with the rose buds, those 3 eggs hatched and tiny fuzzy birds emerged on Memorial Day weekend. I said to Heath that I thought it was a good sign, that maybe that month we would be pregnant. Just a few days later we found out that we were in fact expecting. It seemed like such a neat coincidence, a good sign.

The first bloom in our yard is extraordinary but is also short lived. The same held true for for our first residents of the nest. After only a week the little birds, who seemed much to small to be away from the nest, disappeared. I was a disheartened, as I felt like those little birds were a little symbol of our family. Never did I imagine that their early departure from the nest was in a way forecasting our months ahead.

I didn't really think much about those birds until I was back out in the rose garden last weekend. It brought me right back to the excitement, the hope, and then the worry all in the span of such a short time. I don't really believe in "signs," but I do believe in life lessons. Those little birds were teaching us an important lesson; that life is unpredictable, life is fragile, and that there will always be a new spring.

Spring is here again and our little early bird is home! As I prepped the rose bushes this year I tried not to cut the large one back too much, perhaps another bird will perch her nest in another sturdy spot.

Please consider sponsoring our team GO GINNY GO in the March of Dimes walk in a few weeks. http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?seid=1844632

Speaking of spring, Virginia and I have been enjoying getting out of the house for walks. We cant do much else outside of the house until the end of cold and flu season, so we are very thankful for this beautiful weather. Below is a picture of Ginny's first time in her stroller.