I'm Thankful For - Day 19

Changing seasons. I LOVE living in Michigan. I say that to Derek a lot.  We get the best of all four seasons here. I love each new season, and when I'm just getting sick of the one I'm in, the next one if around the corner. (I've also loved each "season of life" I've lived through so far... but that another post someday)

Spring! I love Tulip Time, daffodils, Easter, flowering trees, Robins... The grass is the greenest and the sun has returned and makes 60 degrees feel like a heat wave. Even the cows on my dad's farm are excited to be outside again; they run and "jump" when they first get out on those glorious sunny days.

Summer! Oh, yes, being a student and teacher I love summer break! Sunsets, bonfires, bike rides, swimming, camping, flipflops, sweet corn, BBQs, tubing down the river, hiking... Oh, yes, I love summer.

Fall! What's not to love about fall? School starts again (yes I love the beginning of school).  Pumpkin carving, apple cider, corn mazes, Thanksgiving, fall trips to the cabin to canoe and see the gorgeous colors of Michigan trees, and even harvest. My mom would say different about this one but my memories are so happy from this time of year: "helping" kick down the corn in the wagon, riding in the tractors and trucks, watching the silage pile grow, getting to stay up late on school nights to "help".

Winter! There are two parts to winter in my mind: Christmas and then the snowy season. I love Christmas: the decorations, the music, the parties, the anticipation, the lights, the food... It takes the first chill out of the air a bit. Without Christmas it would be an awful month of snowy, wind-whipping, finger-numbing, dark-by-supper-time, working-every-day month. But Christmas sweetens it all up so much! Then you pack it all up and give a sigh of relief that that craziness if done and you can just sit and enjoy some peace and quiet. You can just cozy-up on the couch and watch the snow cover up all that dead stuff and make it clean and beautiful. I even like the occasional sledding, skiing, or snowmobiling event. At school we would be in a good routine and making some headway on our content and there was always "Wacky Wednesdays" to dress up for. Oh and those wonderful surprises called "snow days"!!!