Thank Goodness It Is Friday!

Quilting on an Overcast Day

Today was a great day to practice my quilting. It was overcast and gray, so after exercising, paying bills, folding some clothes, and putting dinner in the crock pot, I set out to improve my sewing skills.  Since I have mastered(sort of) the sewing machine, I decided today I would work on sewing everything on the same grain and getting a good 1/4 inch seam. I lined most of the seams up. I think you will see I am on my way to making a mini-quilt...eventually. Hopefully, next week at the quilting bee, I will learn to bat and bind this bad boy. You will notice that it turned out pretty good except for a few minor complications.

Birthday Week

Well, another week, and I am another year older. It's funny how birthdays make you look back reflect on your accomplishments, reflect on what's missing, and hope for next year.  I had a nice lunch with my friend M, and my friend J and K baked me a pie. J, who was in Key Largo for work, sent me a picture of a key lime pie!(husbands, gotta love em). Nature gave me a few more gray hairs on the side(seriously, overnight), and I now have an appointment with my hair dresser next week! My favorite gift was a hug and smile from my 4 year old friend K.L.   The love and joy of a child is priceless. I did work on my birthday, and I have decided I will never do that again!

My birthday week was very eventful. We started at the tapestry conference in Irving. It is this giant free adoption conference. It was incredible. We reconnected with friends from our adoption orientation. Some who are now parents, and some who are still waiting. I learned so much great information about raising an adopted child. I'm so excited, it is so hard to wait and be hopeful. I will say that every birthday you celebrate while waiting definitely brings up feelings of infertility loss, adoption loss, and time spent waiting. I guess its just one of those things you have to power through and focus on the positives. We did find out some friends matched with a birthmom and we are so happy for them. They are going to be incredible parents and please remember them in your prayers as the time from match to birth to bringing the baby home is exciting, stressful, and exhausting. (sounds like all the description of parenthood I have heard!)

Monday of my birthday week was Halloween. This year I helped my friend with a Trunk or Treat at her church. We did a cat and the hat theme and kids had to do games based on the book to get a prize. The little ones loved it! J and I also had fun planning and putting on our trunk. I have attached the picture but I am warning you, I look very scary. I tried to tease my hair and paint it blue, I'm surprised the kids were not to afraid to approach our trunk! I made both the cat and thing costume. J was a great Cat in the Hat, the kids loved her! This was one of the highlights of my week!

I will wrap up my birthday week by telling you about a gift my parents got me for my birthday. It was a cross necklace that my mom ordered from Washington National Cathedral. I love it. It's funny how I get stressed or sad during the day and I find myself subconsciously touching the cross on my neck. I have thought about it often. I think this is God trying to remind me to have faith, remember what Jesus sacrificed for me. God has a plan for me and it is his timing not mine. Its subtle, but it is a real reminder.