What a sweet day for our family! A dear friend and her 2 little girls came to the house to plant bulbs. To bury hope down deep. She brought daffodils and iris bulbs, she talked about burying the bulbs down deep. As spring comes and the sun warms the ground; hope rises! I sat on my porch with tears in my eyes. Her visit was a gift.

Kind hands, God’s hands, digging. Bringing hope. The promise of spring, new birth. Our little one will be born in the spring. The creator of all life doesn’t make mistakes. As my bulbs are rising in the spring, they will greet the cry of a precious new life. I am amazed at the perfectness of God’s good plan for our lives. I look forward to spring and the first glimpse of our little one’s face. Fearfully and wonderfully made, in the image of the Creator. What a gift!

I went to the doctor today to have my drains checked. Filled with hope but not wanting to get my hopes up. Makes me laugh thinking about it. During my surgery, the surgeon took out 19 lymph nodes and put in two drains. Derek has been on drain duty every day; empty a drain, measure the fluid, milk the drain to prevent clots. Several times a day! So very thankful for my husband and my Mom who filled in several times. Once the drain gets below a certain number, it can be taken out and hopefully the body has adjusted to the lack of lymph nodes. One drain came out today and I will get the other one out on Thursday. We are having a hugging party at the Markey house! The girls can sit on my lap and squeeze me until I am blue! They are so excited. I can start resuming all normal activities, slowly, within reason. I am healing very well from surgery, still sore and tender but everything is progressing well.

Hope. Bulbs buried in the dirt. A drain coming out. Little things. The laughter of the girls as they walked down the street as a Princess and Little Red Riding Hood. Rem holding onto his one piece of candy! Making s’mores by the fire pit. Peace on Derek’s face as the girls sit on his lap. We have been given a future and great hope that one day there will no more tears, all things will be made new. Hold on….the day is coming!