As you may remember from past posts, my daddy, Mr. Ed, is a landscape architect and has been for quite some time. After graduating from Purdue he started his own landscape business. Then, once my sister and I came around he changed the name to Rhine & Daughters Landscaping. Pretty, cool if I do say so myself. Of course, having daughters in the company name meant that we were certainly going to earn our keep. My first "job" was working for my daddy for $5 a day watering plants and cleaning the shop...and riding along in the truck drinking coffee and eating doughnuts...yeah tough job at 5 years old...haha!
Having a business for 40 years allows you the pleasure of getting to know some pretty great people. There are a handful of people that have been my dad's clients for so long that their names are always met with a big smile when brought up in conversation. Kind people with huge hearts and, of course, a wonderful appreciation for beautiful landscapes.
A few days ago I received an incredibly sweet package from one such person. Mrs. Maus is a wonderful lady who has known my parents for quite a long time. My daddy has done her landscaping for a long time and having children of similar ages has certainly added to the camaraderie.
When Mrs. Maus found out that Mr. Schalk and I were having a baby, she immediately told my mama about a book that meant so much to her when she was pregnant with her son, Trent. What a lovely surprise when I received a copy of my very own!
A Precious Bit of Forever is a beautifully written and illustrated book for mothers and mother-to-be. The author Diane Noble speaks from the heart as she was expecting her firstborn, a daughter, when she wrote it. Motherhood is a universal wonder and one that transcends time and location. Her heart is poured on these pages in beautiful words. I have just begun reading it and cannot wait to dive in even more. It's truly a magical time!
Thank you Mrs. Maus for such a thoughtful gift. What a blessing to know that there are people out there praying for and wishing Mr. Schalk and me and our little girl the very best. We are so excited to welcome this little one into our family, and you can bet "Grandpa Ed" and "Nana" are pretty excited, too!
xoxo, Rachel
That is just too sweet! I hope Mrs. Maus reads your blog.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet of her. Your belly is so cute!!! I loved being pregnant. I always felt so pretty...even when I wasn't:-) Enjoy this time.
ReplyDeleteHow precious, and what a beautiful gift. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteDear Rachael,
ReplyDeleteYou are so very welcome. From getting to know you a little bit from reading your blog, I really felt that this book was meant for you. It's out of print now. I found this gently used one for you online - I wish it could have been brand new, but, oh well. Someone else was able to enjoy it for awhile too. My dear husband, Ron, and I were married for nine years when Trent, our one and only, finally came along. That waiting added to the specialness of this book for me. So, I will continue to read your blog and watch you and the baby grow! Blessings to all three of you!
What a beautiful post! Congratulations on your little one! And just a simply beautiful reminder to value those relationships whose thread started with your parents, and wove into your life, too!
ReplyDelete