Julia the Gardener !

My youngest daughter, Julia, (youngest of our three daughters) lives in Washington DC, and works for the National Park Service. While she's not a Park Ranger, and works in the administrative arm of the Park Service, she DOES have a Park Ranger uniform for special occasions - and it's really sharp! That hat though! Fabulous!

Julia is 9 years younger than our oldest daughter, Jenny, and 6 years younger than our middle daughter, Jackie. It's hard to believe now, but at the time we were considered to be "old" to be third time parents at 38. And many people asked us (as if it was their business) if Julia was "planned." The answer is a definitive "yes."

We dreamed and wished and prayed for Julia, and we consider her our miracle. And though all children are miracles, and we are similarly in love with our first two daughters, Julia was a dream that we thought could not happen. After Jackie was born, Robert and I suffered two late, heart wrenching miscarriages, and we thought perhaps that we would not be able to have another child. But we never gave up hope.

And then Julia came along. And stayed. And when she was born, we felt our family was complete. She was a little firecracker from day one, always wanting to do and be exactly like her much older sisters. And when both of her sisters were out of the house in college, she was still quite young, and became our "only child" in the home for almost six years.

Julia went to college in DC, so living there today does not feel completely foreign to her, and she is there with her partner, Dan. Together they are making their way, beginning their careers...and gardening!

I remember when Julia made her First Holy Communion, an important rite of passage in the Catholic Church. Each student was asked to make a felt banner to hang in the Church for the ceremony. Julia's banner said "God's Gift." And that's exactly what she is.

Thank you Julia for the wonderful tour! We will check in to see the progress on your garden!