Be Glad...while Sober!

We skyped with Emma in California after the kids opened up their Max quilts, wrote letters to him (what we would say to him today) and took pictures in front of the yarn bomb trees.  There are 4 (!) in front yard now.  The tree with lights is the black & white yarn bombed one.

They are all very different-Roxie's has a bunch of "Roxy" brand t-shirts I have saved over the years for her, Sam's includes some of his school shirts, Stewart a GEMS program shirt they were both in, Suzu's foot and hand print hot pink shirt, so they know which one is theirs.

I yarn bombed the red bud tree this morning, after doing a neighbor's tree after she said her little boys had been talking about our yarn and wouldn't mind being yarn-bombed for sobriety....her tree was so big and wide around the trunk that I couldn't reach around it, had to run around wrapping the t-shirts and got dizzy!

We opened birthday presents today, too, (Mom, thanks for the shiny sparkly purple hat!) and my mom's good advice to "Be Glad" is a theme for me, a reminder.  I am glad for these amazing children, their laughter, and support and hugs and tears.  They are stronger, more sensitive to suffering and distress of others having gone through this hard summer of losing a sibling. 

Emma is waiting for their Santas to wake up before she opens her quilt, and I hope she posts a photo, because I forgot to take one of completed quilt before I sent it off to her.

QUILT construction detail:

(these-above and just below-are from Emma's quilt in the making, auditioning position of squares) Smooth out t-shirt on cutting mat, use 12 1/2 clear cutting acrylic cutting square to cut front AND back of t-shirt.  Sandwich a same size flannel square inside; sew X from corner to corner; determine order of blocks and sew generous 1/2 inch seams to FRONT of quilt; clip with scissors to create fringe.  Remember to sew around perimeter to secure/stabilize outside edge of quilt.  They were heavy with just the flannel "batting."

Back of Roxie's quilt, smooth edges on this side, fringe on front which looks better after each washing.

I didn't wash these yet, they still smell like Max a  little.  It was very emotional to make them, surrounded by the memories of him wearing the shirts, thinking of him, missing him, but glad for the project to give the other children a memory to hug.

Grandma Lucy Necklace & Kathy's Wedding Reception banners turned QUILT!

My Grandma Lucy loved jewelry.  Fun costume pretties.  Before she passes away she had labeled a lot of it with granddaughter's names, and then when Grandpa Jack died we went through everything dividing up the rest, taking turns.  I came home with several broken necklaces, pretty beads, but missing clasps, and one choker was too small for my neck, so I combined the beads...

...and made my daughters Grandma Lucy necklaces, using 26 gauge wire crocheted to hold the beads.

Fuzzy picture proof of delivery.

Emma & Dean's gift is a picnic blanket--with handle sewn into binding and a button closure.

Emma's mother-by-marriage made beautiful banners for their CA reception, perfect triangles zig-zag cut.

I auditioned a couple of different layouts...

And ended up deciding on an IKEA upholstery green fabric for the backing and a little on the front.

Ready for a picnic with a romantic wedding reminder!

 

Christmas Celebrating

Thanks to Uncle David Babcock's Guinness World Record Breaking event!  LOVE the shirts!

Sam started shaving this week...

Hairy fun (thanks to LJ!)

Ruffle scarves (more thanks to LJ)

Stairs with all of us...

Grandma Sandy found fun Tardis towels!

We struggled with lighting, too bright, shadows, and the tinsel wreaths were silly.  Everyone was a good sport, duty photo session, the one big thing I wanted this year.  THANK YOU for obliging.

Without sombreros.

Emma making sour cream fudge with spontaneous Grinch coloring.

Dean & Max making cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Great Grandma Billie and Suzanna.

Stewart by the tree.

Christmas Eve couple photo.  Not a hat on my head, candy candle behind me...

UNTOUCHED crazy vibrant colors of the day.

Max in his Defiant sweatshirt.

 Stewart.

We tried the circle head shots, too bright, even in backyard on trampoline and shooting from the roof (John climbed up on a ladder to get above everyone).  No broken bones.

 

We watched family history old VHS video from Emma's first birthday, Max's first Christmas, Suzanna 4th (?) birthday with Babcock cousins over.  Uncle Michael interviewing Great Uncle Blen Stoker.  John & I as young parents.  Our various apartments and blessing homes.

I hope the kids got a sense of who we are as a family.  With 6 children the youngest don't know a lot of the stories of the older siblings.  And we wanted Dean to see how beautiful-cute his wife was as a youngster.  We laughed hard at Stewart & Emma jumping on the mini-trampoline, singing, eating ice cream, John throwing Emma up in air...All my babies had beautiful eyes and sweet chubby fingers and square feet.  Their sounds, coos, expressions are dear memories to me.  I love being their mom, then and now.

 

MUST TRANSFER VHS TO DVD/archive this year.  Goal #1 to back-up what we do have, and be better about group shots, taking pictures of the adults-not just the kids in the room...

I love my family.

Family Holiday Traditions

Just finished YA novel:  Sean Griswold's Head, by Lindsey Leavitt and was inspired by a family Valentine's Day tradition described (pg 141).  Names chosen (doesn't discuss, rotation, picked from a hat?) to make a Valentine card from...trash!  All the cards are gathered at dinnertime and voted which is the worse/trashiest, honoring the Mom & Dad's first Valentine exchange.  To continue the trash theme, Mom makes gummy worm & dirt (crushed Oreos) sundaes, the family eats fish & chips from rolled up newspapers, sitting on the floor, and an out-of-town brother mails his card so it arrives in time for the festivities with Skype appointment to see family reaction when his card is opened.

Funny, fun, wishing our family had something like that each year.  But it isn't too late to start one...

Let the brainstorming begin!  This Christmas will be HUGE with family gathering, all our children home.  We need some good (new) traditions, memory-making silliness.

We've discussed name-drawing in the past.  It never worked in my growing-up-family (too big?  Age spread?  Maybe someday we will try it?) but mother-in-law's sisters draw niece/nephew names and give great Christmas gifts.  Brother Michael's married-into-family does elaborate, thoughtful gifts with emphasis on labors of love and time rather than $, and they are super creative...John's sisters talk about it every once in awhile.  Pros include cutting down on costs if you are focusing only on one family.

I think we may try it, if we can be united on it.  Date-night discussion topic #1.  Come up with a plan.

We are planning on visiting some caverns in VA over the holiday.  That's all we have so far. 

Stockings
Christmas play
Caroling
FUDGE
guacamole/Mexican food
piñata for our birthday celebration?

Last year for New Year's we included extended family in Reindeer Game Competition, silly fun.  Maybe more of that?

Christmas Decor

The red circle was a thrifted table, covered with stickers (removed) and painted with LOVE.

Front door wreath.

Outside.

Folded origami stars.

My Grandma Laura Carlson crocheted around red ornaments. I have one for each of our children.

The old picture ornaments are some of my favorites!

Count the Happy Things

During hard times, I need to keep listing the good things about my life. I love playing with little children. I love reading them stories, playing the piano, singing "All Creatures of Our God & King" loudly, opera-style on the "Alleluia" chorus...

My friend loved the candy castle today:

Little brother friend loved the left-over balloons!