From Great Aunt Debbie and Great Uncle Terry

When Great Uncle Terry and I moved into our house, there is a tree at the end of our driveway where half the trunk had decayed away. Since the leaves were lush and families of birds were living there, we would could not take it down.

We were going to take it down the following spring before it had new birds living there. There is a lot of yard work to do here and by the time we took a look at the tree it was in full foliage and birds.

Uncle Terry and I stood back and decided as long as the tree had leaves we would never take down the tree. That was 8 years ago.

Last fall I took these pictures, figuring there is no way this tree would survive another winter, the snow plows throwing road salt and stones so close to it. I walked out to the tree yesterday and sure enough there are buds waiting to burst through. We're expecting close to 70 degree weather today so we may have leaves by this evening.

Emma Rose, you are like this tree. You have beat all odds of surviving, yet you continue to thrive. There have been many times when I pass this tree, I think "How can this be?"

Always in our prayers,
Uncle Terry and Aunt Debbie