Midwest Living

For those of you who don't know... I LOVE living in the Midwest! I feel truly blessed that God has placed me in the Midwest to grow up and live because I LOVE experiencing all four seasons. Ask me which season is my favorite... my answer... all of them! I love something about every season. Allow me to elaborate...

Winter - Now, a lot of people in the Midwest are not fans of Winter! I don't blame them, with its subzero temps and snowy days. But I still love it! Personally, I sort of enjoy bundling up and being really prepared for the cold! (As my dad would say, "be so prepared that you can laugh at the cold!") It also makes me feel tough, knowing that I can withstand the cold when others from, say California, would simply die being exposed to the temps of Wisconsin Winters! With regards to snow... I love snow! Snow is such a beautiful and pure thing! Watching it gently fall to the ground brings me true joy as I witness God's creation! I also love snowflakes. Have you ever taken a moment to catch snowflakes on dark colored mittens during a snowfall? If you really study the crystal patterns of each flake you can see just how amazingly beautiful each one is! Its amazing to think that God took the time to create each one and make them all a little different! Try it sometime!

Spring - Just like any normal person, I do have my fill of Winter. I know I said that I love it, but not 365 days a year! I said I love living in the Midwest, not Northern Canada! There comes a time (probably around February or March) that I decide I've had enough cold weather and enough snow! That makes Spring's arrival all the more enjoyable! After a tough Winter, how can you not enjoy the days getting longer, the temperatures rising, the flowers and trees budding, the birds chirping, the grass getting greener... Oh, I could go on and on! Every Spring I feel so refreshed and thank God for a beautiful example of new life... which is quite appropriate since Easter and the celebration of Christ's resurrection is in the Spring. One other selfish reason I love Spring is that my birthday is in May! Just like when I was a kid, I do get excited as my birthday approaches (although this year, maybe we could skip my birthday... or maybe we could just celebrate me turning 29 again!? Haha!)

Summer - I love sunshine! Its so motivating and energizing! There is nothing that says Summer more than sunshine! With longer days and hot weather the Summer brings all sorts of opportunities to enjoy the sunshine! I particularly enjoy being outside while going for walks, hiking at Devil's Lake (one of WI's greatest places), going golfing with Ryan (even though I'm terrible at golf), and simply just sitting on my patio in the morning to have a quiet time. I also love to swim and Summer is the perfect time for that. I don't really get to swim as much as I would like to. We have a pool here at our apartment complex, but its not very big and definitely gets under utilized by Ryan and I. There is also a lake we visit a few times a year which I love to swim in, but we really only go once during the Summer months. I hope that the weather is good for swimming this year! The past few years have been cooler and overcast during our week long visit to the lake!

Autumn - After a hot, sticky Summer, the cooler temperatures of Fall are very welcomed! And the colors of the turning leaves are so beautiful. Going for walks in the Fall is so extremely pleasant! I also really enjoy pumpkin carving, apple cider and the approaching holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas! And this year, I will have one more reason to love the Fall... just before Thanksgiving, we will be celebrating Nathan's first birthday! I can't even believe he's already six months. When his first birthday rolls around, I will be even more shocked at how fast time flies!

Speaking of time flying, I was just speaking with a friend the other day about how strange it feels to witness time passing and to look back over life and see where you've been and how things have changed! We were specifically discussing how the transition of one season into the next makes time passing all that more apparent. Maybe that is another reason I enjoy all four seasons... it keeps things interesting and helps me to be more aware of the changes that go by throughout each year.

What is your favorite season and why? Or do you also love them all so much that you couldn't possibly choose one!? : )