I have always lived in Indiana, a state that experiences all four seasons very definitively. We usually have a very hot, humid summer, a wonderful fall with cool crisp evenings and low humidity, a cold, blustery winter and a rejuvenating spring with beautiful flowers and thunderstorms. I love all of our seasons, but as each one ends I’m always ready for the next one, however none quite so much as spring.

Blue making faces as he plays outside.

Now that I’m a mom with a toddler who is tired of being cooped up in the house and loves to be outside, the excitement that I usually feel as winter begins to wrap up and spring starts moving in has turned to longing. Each day I check the extended forecast for hopes of a sunny day over 50°, I search the grass for signs of green (none yet) and eagerly anticipate baseball season (because baseball means spring, right?!?!). Blue often stands at the door or the window just looking out, as if he’s begging me to take him outside to play. On the days that the weather does cooperate, Blue and I are outside. He’s running around, exploring our yard, eating dirt and throwing rocks. He loves it! In fact, whenever we try to bring him in the house, he gets mad.

Daffodils!

Last week Blue and I were outside and I decided to start cleaning out my flowerbeds while Blue ran around the yard. I dug out our rake and a pair of gloves and went to work. It was so nice to be able to work outside! As I raked away the leaves from last fall and pulled the weeds that we had neglected towards the end of last summer, I began to see some green emerging. It was so exciting. There were daffodils coming up that already had buds on them. Our irises were shooting new sprouts, some of the daylilies were poking up and a couple other perennials were starting to turn green! I couldn’t believe it. After what has been an extraordinarily cold, snowy winter it is so exciting to see signs of spring. It really is coming!

Blue discovered the fun that can be found in mud puddles!

And with spring comes more activity around the farm. HandyMan’s dad has kept busy this winter hauling grain, but it is almost time to get the tractors and planter back out in order to get them ready for planting season. HandyMan and his dad have already been talking about planting season – what ground needs worked before being planted, what ground they’re going to no-till plant as well as the price of seed, fertilizer, etc. There seems to be an extra bounce in their steps as they plan for the start of another farming season.

But for Blue and I, we’re just excited about getting out of the house during the day! Blue has dirt to eat, cats to chase and a big yard to explore. He can hardly wait to explore it all!