Happy Place

On our windy, sleeting, hailing, and/or snowing should-be-spring-but-not kind of days, you are likely to find me and the kids in one of our favorite places--the plant nursery.  We are on the slow warm-up track this month; the weather keeps reverting, and we keep retreating to our pseudo tropical paradise.  I think we have visited six different nurseries this month.  Each nursery offers a great variety of plant material, creative inspiration, and late winter/early spring solace.  When my garden is still buried under snow, I crave the warm sun and humid air of the greenhouse; it really rejuvenates me. 

A visit to a plant nursery is such a wonderfully satisfying sensory experience--for all of us.  We can run our fingers along the rows of ornamental grasses, smell the honeysuckle blossoms and lavender flower spikes, marvel at the brilliant red geraniums and rainbow colors of delicate pansies, and even taste the spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint leaves.  

Most of the nurseries have plants, as well as other wonderful add-on features: resident baby ducks, indoor koi pond, working (viewable) bee hive, kid play area with sand box, lounge chairs, and 8' x 8' play house complete with dormer windows and front porch, a cacti collection as large as my family room with several 12' specimen, rows and rows of fairy garden paraphernalia, statuary, and wind chimes from around the world--to name a few.  All in all, our visits are refreshing, entertaining, engaging--and free.

Ezra and his new toad friend.

Koi pond, bee hive, and fascinated children!

Grateful

I'm grateful that I get to be a mom.  And, even more, I am grateful that I get to be a stay-at-home mom.  I had several sweet conversations with my children this week; conversations that made me feel especially grateful for this season in my life.

Ezra, my thinker, said, "Mom, why do we have so many weeds?"

I quickly scanned possible technical science answers, but felt inspired to simply say, "Because we live in a fallen world."  And that led to a lovely talk about the plan of salvation, the creation, Adam and Eve's choice in the Garden of Eden, and the fall of man--and all other living things.

On another day Ezra asked, "Mom, why don't I have just one eye or three eyes?  Why do I have two eyes?"

Again, the answer came instantly to my mind, "Because you are a child of God, you are created in the image of God.  He created your body to look like His.  Heavenly Father has two eyes, and so do you."

Ezra replied, "Thanks Mom, I'm glad I was created like Heavenly Father."

Yesterday after an ugly round of Ezra-Maren fighting, and my own silent prayer, I felt inspired to try a new approach.  We talked about the role of the Holy Ghost, our need for his influence, and how to invite him into our lives.  I quietly explained that fighting and contention pushes him away, and when we are left without his comforting help, we struggle more.   And then we all sat very still for a moment as a sweet, peaceful feeling filled the room.

Ezra said very quietly, "I don't want to be alone.  I like the peaceful feeling better."
Maren followed up, "I love one another.  I love the Holy Ghost."