The Last of the Season

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Grandpa sent Megan and I out to pick the last peonies of the season late yesterday afternoon. Unaccustomed as we are to caring for garden-grown flowers in China, I took full advantage of this special opportunity. Snipping away joyously, Megan and I carefully chose the prettiest blooms to gather for dinner’s bouquet.

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picking

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Since arriving at my grandparents house in the beautiful, Eastern South Dakota region, I’ve noticed how good it feels to live in a place where nature is rich and vibrant. There is a comfort in growing your own fruits and vegetables, which my grandpa faithfully continues to do each spring. I hope that one day when I have my own family, I might be able to do the same.

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peonies

After peony picking, we gathered in the kitchen for some rhubarb crisp and vanilla ice cream. yum.

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Remembering Winter.

I appreciate the slowness of wintertime, long days cozied up inside provide time to think, rest with family, and pray. Thinking back on the past few months, I fondly remember…

quiet snowfalls. hot showers. pijama tea times.

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drinking lattes. Christmas decorating. cakes, cookies, and pies constantly filling our oven. reuniting with old friends. animal onesies! breakfast time with Mom. encouraging notes. Skype dates with Michael. freezing motor bike rides. late night movies. new kitchen countertops. Malaysian food. Sunday afternoons with friends.

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visiting Michael in HK. Asian desserts. training for a 1/2 marathon (still a long way to go!). Barbie movies with Megan. mittens and ear muffs. black coffee. Dad’s B-day. reading. spending time with Jesus. 

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Its been a long, cold, magical winter and I will surely miss it.

The month of March is now upon us…

While that means fickle weather patters for the present, springtime will soon sprout up spreading freshness wherever it goes.  A new chapter filled with pastel-tinted flowers, warm sunshine, and Easter-morning dresses is now beginning.  How thankful I am for season changes 🙂 I fully expect spring to be as blessed as winter was.

(most of the pictures shown above were used on connecting4’s instagram feed: connectingfour)