Every Year

On C's first Christmas, our family went to one of our wonderful friend's annual boat parade parties.

This is one of our FAVORITE Christmas traditions.  The food is amazing, the company is superb, there's a trombone group playing carols, and the boats all put on their best Christmas lighting gear for a lovely parade.
That year, the hostess gave me a potted Amaryllis plant.  She gave it to me with the idea that I could "transplant" it into my "garden" and enjoy it from there.

I can't think of any other time that I've ever planted anything.  Seriously.  That's rather embarrassing, but gardening has never been my strong suit of mine.  In fact, I have deemed myself a "dead thumb".  Even so, I figured I'd give it a try.  I enjoy gardens.  I love pretty flowers.

3 years later, here it is:

I love this thing.  I have such a weird amount of pride for it.  I planted it, and it stayed alive.  That deems this probably the most resilient plant ever, but I don't care.

In fact, I have taken a picture of this Amaryllis every year since the first year it bloomed and it is becoming a tradition that I really look forward to.  This year it's even expanded and has two big stems meaning 4 flowers!

Sometimes it really is the little things that bring joy and make my heart sing so loud.