trees for our girls

I love planting trees.

Okay. My tree planting experience is pretty minimal. I've only actually planted two trees in my lifetime to date. But I love putting something in the ground that I know is going to offer beauty, shade, even fruit, in the years to come.

In 2005 we planted a Courtland apple tree for Maia in the corner of our yard. And today we purchased a Ginger Gold apple tree (from Dutch immigrants for some added heritage for our half-Dutch daughter!) and planted it for Eliana.

And no, I didn't place the placenta under the roots of the tree, though I did think about it! I hear it makes for exceptional tree growth. Couldn't really bring myself to package that up from the hospital and store it somewhere for a few weeks...

Note for the observant: If you're wondering why Eliana's tree looks so much bigger than Maia's tree in the photo, it's not just because it's in the foreground. For two winters in a row, Phil the dog went out for a winter romp in the backyard and could only find one stick above the snow. So the tree has started growing over again... twice. Phil's left it alone now for a year and a half, so I think we're in the clear!

I look so forward to watching the girls snack on apples from "their tree", read a book against the trunk or play with a friend underneath its shade. And I wonder if we'll live in this home long enough that the girls will be able to swing from its branches the way I swung from the apple tree in my parents' backyard. Fun to dream...