Late Summer Morning

Early mornings are my favorite time of day.  Here's why:

Vacuuming

I love my Dyson vacuum!  After 25 years of putting numerous vacuums to the test (and we are  hard on them), over the past 9 years, the Dyson has won my heart, hands down.

 

What I never imagined, 25 years ago when I married; was that one fine summer day I'd be vacuuming in new heels- channeling the Ozzie and Harriet-style 1950's housewife- (actually, trying to break them in before my sister's wedding next week) and maneuvering around Winnie the hamster, who seems to be following me.   Life is funny.

Wisdom

 


Wisdom is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight.
My hope and prayer for my children is that they grow up with wisdom and with the desire to embrace truth, integrity, goodness, knowledge, hard work, charity for others, faith and prayer. 
 That they stand up against the tide of meaningless materialism and media and seek out knowledge of worth.  
Becoming great readers and critical thinkers, finding balance between working with their minds, bodies and spirits.  
 Lifting others up, encouraging them, giving service.  Humble instead of proud, teachable instead of stubborn.  
Going to their knees when they need to find answers and then getting up and going to work.  
Fulfilling their duties to the best of their abilities; striving for excellence- making choices and knowing how to choose best over better or good- but knowing it's okay when at times they fall short.  Fixing things quickly when they know they've made mistakes- changing their ways and asking forgiveness of those they've hurt.

Knowing who they are.
Remembering what they've been taught.
Believing in something greater than they can possibly imagine.

Feeling gratitude every single day for this amazing world and the blessing they've been given to have a life here with a loving family. 
Taking what they've been taught and teaching it to their own children as well as others who have never known what they have. 

 This, I know will bring them fulfillment and happiness.

JOY= Jesus (and his teachings) first, Others second, Yourself last.

I love what Gordon B. Hinckley says in this video.  He's speaking to followers of Christ. This is what I want to say to my own precious children.  A speech given not long before he passed away.  The music someone added is a little loud and perhaps a bit corny, but his words are powerful.  Listen.

Beautiful Brunettes

Content copyright © 2014 by Jessa at Graceful Landing

Content copyright © 2014 by Jessa at Graceful Landing



Beautiful chestnut hair
Graceful style
Virtuous and Intelligent....
The embodiment of loveliness

Content copyright © 2014 by Jessa at Graceful Landing

Content copyright © 2014 by Jessa at Graceful Landing

The Barn

 Our barn is taking shape!   
A few more finishing touches (interior insulation and electrical) and then we'll be in business.
Technically, it probably more shop than barn- but if I go by the dictionary definition:

barn

¹ [bahrn]

noun

1.

a building for storing hay, grain, etc., and often for housing livestock.

2.

a very large garage for buses, trucks, etc.

verb (used with object)

3.

to store (hay, grain, etc.) in a barn. 

Then I can comfortably say it's a barn.  (Which is what I'm calling it anyway.) 

I knew of a local place that made weathervanes for cuppolas, so I stopped in to see what they had.
Short on time to have it installed, I had to find something in stock- that day. 
After looking around, I thought we were gonna have to go with a traditional rooster as there wasn't much else that interested us.
However, at the last minute, I noticed one lying against a fence.  I asked about it and they said it was special-made for a gentleman who wanted the bull weathervane from the John Wayne movie, McLintock!   They'd watched the movie, carefully copied it, and he never came to pick it up.
 I showed the Man of the House and we both knew it was THE ONE. 
 'Mac' is now the sentinel over our farm.

Within an hour of going up, he got right to work showing us the direction of an incoming storm.  Pretty neat to watch. 

 We're fully enjoying these beautiful summer days and almost every evening our dessert is a new sunset. 
Sitting on our porch swing, sprinklers going, frogs croaking and Idaho sunsets.....it can't get much better than that.