Spring Appreciation

I've really been appreciating spring lately. I've always said in the past that fall was my favorite season. I love the relief from the hot summer, I love the colors of the changing leaves, and I love the new beginnings brought by a new school year (with new clothes, books, friends, teachers, students, activities, etc.). But this year, I'm liking spring a whole lot. I don't know if it's because our winter was one of the coldest and snowiest I've ever experienced, or if it's because I'm not bound by the school year right now. As a teacher, spring was stressful... trying to cram everything in before standardized testing, having to complete lots of paperwork, and just longing for summer vacation. Spring was almost a means to an end (to the end of the school year, that is). This year, I feel like I can appreciate spring for spring itself, and not as the time of year between winter and summer. I've enjoyed being outside - watching the boys swing, feeling the breeze, enjoying the purple clover (of which Braden picks bouquets to give to me), listening to the birds... just appreciating God's creation. I'm really thankful that I get to enjoy spring this year.

Photo of the Cleveland Pear tree in our backyard. I edited it in Photoshop Elements with the "Boost" and "Fresh & Colorful" actions from Pioneer Woman.