This past weekend while we were visiting my parents for our family reunion, I stole some time in the wee hours of the morning when the grass was still wet from the cold dew and captured my mother's yard and garden's to properly document and save forever. I am very proud of my mother. She had a vision when she moved to this house some 26 years ago. There was not a stitch of landscape to be found. Now it's a masterpiece. Over the last couple of years she has earned the title "Master Gardener". She plants new flowers and trees each year to keep up it's beauty.
As I took in the splendor she tried so hard to create for her children and posterity, I became very sentimental. My parents are to the age of retirement. This year has been hard on them health wise. She has not been able to keep up with the yard as she would like. It is very big. Questions kept coming to my head. "Who will take care of the yard in the next years to come? What if they just can't live here anymore? How can we let anyone else live and play and let their doggies run around in "our" yard?" This would be a tragedy. I hope that one day we can all own the house and keep it in the family forever.
~My Mothers Canvas~
She built this waterfall by hand. We went into the hills and gathered huge rocks for months. She studied and learned about the types of plants to go in and around it.
There are huge fish living in there that are hand fed and kept warm in the winter with a heater.
Her vegetable garden has decreased in size to say the least. It was twice as big when we were kids. Now she grows just enough for her and dad.
An entrance to the pumpkin patch.
The apple trees give the sweetest applesauce you ever tasted.
Peaches this year too.
Take a rest and enjoy it all.
An entrance into the "Meadow" where the fire pit is.
Dad's waterfall is also hand made with just as pretty fish living there.
Sitting in the quietness of that morning knowing the whole entire family (-1 brother and his wife and children) were asleep in the house left me with my own thoughts. How sweet life is when you are all together with the family. How that's the way it's suppose to be; together. How it will be so sad when we have to say good by again.
Then more thoughts: Am I spending enough quality time with my own children and husband? Are my priorities where they need to be? Do my thoughts linger too long on how organized the house is, or are things just right here and there? Am I reading the scriptures enough or is my heart in the right place in with my church responsibilities? The answer is devastating.......No.
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The month of August is already here. The kids only have a short time before they go back to school. I need to play with them, laugh with them, really be with them. Not just flitting back and forth cleaning, weeding, organizing, blogging, reading, etc.
I need to start reading my scriptures each morning again, praying for the desire to attend to my church callings, serve others better, and start thinking of Christ more.
These should be my priorities. After I do all these things, then I know the peace will return to my heart.
So I leave you with the month of August.....to return in September a renewed person with her priorities straightened out:)
Take care my dear friends.
-Steph-
