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Gardening and Family

Overweight and sedentary, my family had become lazy couch potatoes. As a Christian, I did what Jesus said to do when we are troubled about anything. I took my concerns to God in prayer.

Dan, my husband, got a promotion at work and we moved from a two-bedroom trailer to a nice three-bedroom home. David, our son, was ten years old and Patty was going on seven.

Within the first few weeks of moving into the house, I realized that even though the backyard was pretty and green, it was bare and needed plants. Dan was sedentary all week at his job, sitting behind a desk, and the kids only got about thirty minutes of playtime at school.

David and Patty came from the school bus every day and parked themselves in front of the television. Dan would join them when he got home from work. On weekends, the kids would watch cartoons in the morning as Dan and I talked over our morning coffee. Around mid-morning, Dan would take over the television to watch his sports while the kids played in their rooms. One Saturday morning as Dan and I were having our coffee, I decided to bring it to his attention.

"It's nice having a backyard," I said, spreading butter on my toast. "That trailer we lived in just had a patch of grass in the front."

"Yeah," Dan said, reaching for the preserves, "I've been thinking about building a deck and barbecue back there. Maybe we could have some friends over. I was too embarrassed to invite anybody to that trailer."

"That would be nice, Dan, but we need some greenery around the yard."

"What do you mean?"

"Plants, shrubs, flowers."

"Are you sure you want to tackle something like that?"

"Me? I'm not the only one living here!"

Dan laughed softly, getting up for a refill. "I'm sorry, honey. I don't want to spend my weekends digging holes and planting flowers."

"It would do you and the kids good to get out of the house. Get some fresh air and sunshine. Between your job and television, you're not getting any exercise at all and neither are the kids. They're starting to get a little pudgy, Dan. And we've put on a few pounds too."

"What, Mom?" David asked when he came into the kitchen, getting a glass of juice.

"We need plants and flowers around the house and all of you, including your dad, need to get some fresh air and exercise."

"You mean work in the yard?"

"It wouldn't hurt you to do a little yard work."

David turned to his father with a pleading look. "Dad?"

Dan hesitated, staring at David, looking back at me. "Why don't you make it a project for you and

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