One of the most precious times I had in Arizona during my trip was an afternoon at the Botanical Gardens with Grandma and Gordon. It was also a prayerful one - we had to get out of the house because we didn't want to sit around worrying about Rob being in the hospital. So, spur of the moment, we grabbed hats, water and found ourselves at the Gardens. We had no idea there was a Chihuli exhibit, and were so pleasantly surprised by these whimsical, fantastical creations of his. It was wonderful to walk around, enjoy each other's company in silence (I think we were each silently praying for our beloved Robbie!), and drinking in the sights. I think the sheer fun-ness and unexpectedness of these sights lifted our hearts.
And so today - a very rough day, I must say - I thought about our trip to the Botanical Garden as Daniel and I went to the Botanical Gardens here to cheer ourselves up and make the best of the day. If only I had a decent camera, because the grounds are just amazing. I took these pictures with my phone. But I can't help thinking of Grandma and Gordon when I'm there, because that pavilion you see pictured below - it's lined with thousands of pansies, and growing on the pavilion itself are ancient wisteria. They're not in bloom yet, but that's just something to look forward to, isn't it?
I think one of the best things about Cheekwood (the gardens) is going with Daniel and knowing that we're both enjoying it, and connecting over it. I love that my husband will get up on a Saturday morning and spend hours looking at flowers with me - and loving it just as much as I do! It's been a special place for me since we moved here, and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite place in all of Nashville.
But, sadly, I had to say good-bye to some of my favorite trees this week. Daniel and I have a route we take when walkig in our neighborhood, and it takes us by this house on the corner. And we had a small tornado rip through a few days ago. I remember hearing the tornado sirens, but not knowing what they are - Daniel and I were napping at the time, actually. When we woke up and went to get dinner, four or five beautiful trees had been ripped out of the ground in our apartment complex. No buildings were damaged close to us, but a few streets over, the wall of a Firestone collapsed onto all the cars in the parking lot! this tree in particular made me sad. I get attached to the trees on my walking route, and I'm going to miss this one!
