I love Spring!

The world awakens from a season of sleep and explodes in freshness, new baby animals, colorful flowers, excitement, and beauty. 

The smell of Spring... one of my favorite... is fresh turned over dirt that tantalizes my other senses and I can hardly wait to dig in... planting flowers and vegetables. 

The sight of Spring... apricot blossoms. We have a fruit orchard and every year at this time we are surrounded by a sea of white and pink blossoms. We have rows and rows of trees. It is a spectacular sight to behold! 

Growing up, we had one large apricot tree in our yard. Every year, as I do now, I looked forward to the first apricot blossoms. When they came out, it was tradition to burst into singing one of my favorite childhood songs, "I looked out the window and what did I see... popcorn popping on the apricot tree!" 

The large white fluffy blossoms look like popcorn from a distance. The tradition of singing at the first sight of apricot blossoms continue with my grandchildren. We know Spring is here!

Beautiful yellow daffodils and colorful tulips are the first flowers to make their way out of the earth.

Baby bunnies, chicks, lambs, calves, and colts can be seen in wet, green pastures.

Spring is a time of celebration.

Easter Sunday. Jesus. New dresses, Easter egg hunt, picnic, family.

Tulip Gardens

Family Day Adventures to gardens, state parks, museums. Somewhere fun for Spring break.

Mother's Day Tea

Spring is a time of remembrance.

One of my favorite things to do in the Spring is to visit the graves of loved ones. 

Every Memorial Day my mother would cut stems of lilacs off bushes in the yard and put them in a bucket of water for us to take to my grandparents graves. I now take lilacs to my parents and daughter's graves. Maybe it's the wonderful smell of lilacs, or maybe it's because mom did it, but there is something about this tradition... of remembering... that brings me great comfort and peace. It keeps me connected to my parents, to my ancestors, to my daughter, in a very real way. I love that!

Holland 

I have dreamt of going to Holland to see the tulip fields since I was a little girl. Back then it was just a dream in a far and distant land. Full of dutch girls and wooden shoes, fields of tulips and windmills. Oh... how I wanted to go!

Last year, I did! And, my... was it ever a dream! The Col was working in Germany and we took advantage of visiting other European countries on his days off. Holland was only an afternoon drive's away and we didn't waste any time once we got there. Exploring the beautiful countryside with it's vast tulip fields, windmills, waterways, and lighthouses was an experience of a lifetime. I want to go back! 

The beautiful Keukenof Gardens. The tulips are so big and colorful.

Old wooden dutch shoes

There are more bikes in Amsterdam than there are cars. Everyone rides bikes! 

Zaans Windmills. They are situated up and down the waterway. So beautiful and old world!

And what about this Spring? We're going to Peru. I can't wait!

Spring makes me so happy! It makes me want to burst... break out in joy, in song, in celebration... just like the apricot blossoms and the flowers! There is so much to look forward to in the Spring. 

Writing prompt #5: March 20th is the first day of Spring! What are you looking forward to?

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