If you're happy and you know it...

...shout, "Spring Break!"

(Me:) "Spring Break!"

It is finally here. I had marked this week on my calendar months ago, thinking to myself, that week will never come. Never. I might as well plan my life around not ever getting to that spring break. But here it is. When I return to school, we will be in our last marking period out of 6. It's just the home stretch now. Soon I will say, "I made it through my first year teaching junior high students at a public school, and I survived!" I just might make a t-shirt and wear it, in fact. And to top it all off, I had some cute little flowers bloom in our front yard this week once again reminding that spring is here, new beginnings are here, and God is so so good.

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Thanks to my mother-in-law, I am learning so much about flowers, plants, and gardening.

This plant is a type of rock-rose. It blooms these lovely white flowers with yellow centers. We have two of these, but only one has bloomed so far. The other one is almost ready.This is called a kerria. It's the biggest of our little plants we have, and it makes bright yellow flowers. It has only produced about two flowers, though. When I read about it, I learned that it should bloom on and off all summer. Nothing says "bright and happy" like darling yellow and white flowers. But nothing says "grace and beauty" like a calla lilly, a sweet gift from Debbie to celebrate Easter. These are my absolute favorite flowers, and were my main flower at our wedding. These deep purple ones (I think they're actually called red) are just gorgeous. I'm told I can try to plant them, but they may not make it, so I'm going to enjoy them inside as long as I can.