I had a wonderful time visiting with Sandy! Her positive, but realistic perspective on living with a chronic illness was both refreshing and inspiring. This was Sandy's first visit to Virginia, so we showed her the beauty of Roanoke by walking in the wildflower garden at Mill Mountain and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Lord gave us a beautiful day to visit together with warm and sunny weather:
Below is Sandy with her mom, Nancy:
Roanoke is known as the Star City: 
Sandy remarked at how odd it was that we call the trees pictured below "Red Buds," because they are more purple and pink in color. I quite agree. Despite their name, though, these trees are a welcome sight to Virginians who know that once a Red Bud is spotted, Spring is just around the corner:
This next picture reminds me of the part in Anne of Green Gables where Anne and her friend Diana explore the woods only to have Anne fall into a hole and twist her ankle:
