While I like to keep it real around here, I rarely air out our dirty laundry when it comes to my marriage.  Today however, it feels appropriate.  Yes, I realize it is Mother’s Day.  It’s relevant.  Promise.

A tree.  A simple little tree.  See, last Mother’s Day my husband came to me and asked me what I wanted.  While I don’t necessarily believe that I’m *entitled* to a gift for being a mother, I knew he would go out and buy something regardless, it may as well be something I’d enjoy and well, if I’m being honest, he doesn’t have the greatest record of gift giving (like the year I got a new bike just weeks after breaking my tailbone).  Anyway, last year I couldn’t decide between a bench for the front porch and a tree for the back yard.  I reaaaaaally wanted a tree, but I knew it would cause a stir because we’d been talking about getting a tree for the back for awhile and could not agree on where to put it.  I want several trees in the back yard, Jase doesn’t like to have to mow around anything (insert eye roll here) and wanted to plant the trees on the other side of the fence in the green space.  My beef with that:  it’s not our property and we loose the rights to maintain it.  Plus I think it’s just plain lazy to not want to have to mow around anything especially when Ty cuts the grass!  He’s just being stubborn.  But, in the end I asked for the tree and asked for the ultimate gift of being able to be the one to decide where to plant it, that was the real gift.  He put up quite the fight about me choosing placement, but in the end he agreed to at least buy the tree as my gift.  Mother’s Day came and went and I was promised a tree.  Nada.  Nothing.  Zip.  Zilch.  A few months later I brought it up again and then a few weeks later he came home with a tree.  It was crooked and ugly to be 100% honest.  It looked like an ugly, crooked twig.  I don’t think he even knew why he bought it.  We decided it needed to be returned and he took it back.  We got distracted by kids and life, I was working a lot and there was no mention of the tree for awhile.  Every now and then when we would be outside or talking about planting tree he’d feel guilty and grouchy about it.  I know he felt bad he’d botched my Mother’s Day gift.  But then…..

Out of nowhere one day I notice a tree poking over the back fence.  Just a few weeks after the last tree was returned.  IN THE EXACT SPOT HE WANTED TO PLANT IT.  hmmmmm, a coincidence, he swears, but I highly doubt it.  What are the odds of ONE new tree in ALL the acres of greenspace behind us landing EXACTLY where he wanted to plant it.  AND it’s fast growing, just like we were looking to purchase.  My theory is that it was purchased and planted while I was off working one Saturday morning.  We’ve had many, many *discussions* about this tree over the course of the last few months.  I swear he planted it there, he swears he didn’t.  Someday, hopefully many years from now, one of us will be on our deathbed and he’ll look over at me and say….”I have to tell you the TRUTH, remember that tree in the greenspace…..” and I’ll say “oh the one you planted on the wrong side of the fence?” and he’ll say “yes”.  I just know it.  Unless of course he wants to confess early and save us years upon years of marital discord (ok ok, it’s really more like banter).  Other couples fight about money and in-laws and much bigger, more serious things.  No, not us, we fight about trees (and his driving but that is a post for another day!).

All in all, I had a great Mother’s Day this year, I got to sleep a little extra, they made me breakfast, I got some amazing cards and beautiful homemade gifts from the kids….

And I have a husband who truly puts in an effort to make me feel loved and appreciated, not just today, but many days throughout the year.  I love him.  Even if he does plant trees on the wrong side of the fence.  😉