KK's flower and KK's grandma

I know I owe a huge update... there are so many amazing stories that have come with this move to Baltimore. This is just one of them.

KK and her Grandma

Most of you know that my mom has leukemia and had a stem cell transplant in April. She came out to see us in March, just before she was hospitalized. We were in the process of getting the garden started, so she bought the kids each an egg pot with flower seeds inside.

JJ's marigold grew one plant quickly. KK's was a few days behind, but soon we saw five little pansies pushing their way up through the soil. The kids were so excited to see the changes in their little plants each day!

At the same time, my mom was preparing for her transplant and her health was constantly on my mind, and in the kids' prayers. I was surprised to find myself ultra-sensitive about anything having to do with my mom.

Just before my mom was to have her transplant, Peanut-lover found me bawling at the kitchen sink. While closing my window, I had knocked KK's flower pot into the sink, where it had shattered.  Since this was a gift from my mom, I completely fell apart when I broke it.

I managed to find one little seedling in the sink that looked like it had a chance, and replanted it. But I didn't tell my little girl for a few days. I just hoped.

When I finally told KK what had happened, she was a little upset, but it looked like the little plant had a chance at survival, so she wasn't too concerned.

Though the stem of that little plant was broken, it somehow managed to survive.

KK's surving pansy

It didn't take KK long to see that her brother's flower was way ahead of her little broken flower. She tried to be happy for him when we found the first marigold bud, but I could see the disappointment when she looked at her little flower. It was still just a bent stem with a couple of leaves.

JJ's first marigold bud

So I told her that her little flower was like Grandma. Just as Grandma was broken and needed doctors to help her get better, her flower had been broken, but we rescued it and took care of it. Though its recovery would be slow, one day, her little flower would bloom. Just like Grandma.

Soon, instead of being jealous of her brother's marigold and its many blooms, she excitedly watched to see what would happen with her little flower.

Excited to see that her flower is growing!

This is as close as JJ would get to posing with his marigold

Earlier this week, I called her out to the deck:

Examining her pansy

 To see this:

First pansy bud!

 KK's Grandma flower was ready to bloom!

And now:



 But because this little flower was broken, it wants to grow like this:

 So, just like Grandma, we give it a little support. And in its own time, it has bloomed.

Soon, Grandma will too.