Crafty, Crafty

"Knitting is a boon for those of us who are easily bored.  I take my knitting everywhere to take the edge off of moments that would otherwise drive me stark raving mad. " ~Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End:  Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much

Another Molly Bubble Romper for my niece Amelia Lynn.  Pattern can be found here.





 A tunic for Danica - Variation of the Molly Bubble Romper Pattern from above.










Owl Hat - Free Pattern found here.






Fall Wedding Flowers

Bride's Bouquet



Bridesmaid Bouquet





Groom's Boutonniere


Groomsmen Boutonnieres
 

Fathers' Boutonnieres in the top row and Grandfathers' in the bottom.


Miniature Groom and Ring Bearer Boutonnieres


Ushers' Boutonnieres


Mothers' Corsages


Grandmothers' Corsages


Miniature Bride Bouquet                                   

  

Wrist flowers for Flower Girls'

My "One Thousand Gifts"

27 has been a rough year.  At one of our women's prayer groups we talked about looking for things to be thankful for even in the tough, trying times.  We were supposed to read a book called One Thousand Gifts. The week after I got the book dad took his life. I couldn't bring myself to read it. But through all of that and this knee surgery I've had it in the back of my mind.  I hope the ladies are still passing it around because I think I'm ready to read it.  When Jayne (the one leading our prayer group) described the book to us she said the author had fallen away from God somewhat (much like myself for awhile) and then someone dared her to make a list of one thousand gifts from God even in the midst of some horrible things she'd been through.

From Amazon.com - Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. 'How,' Ann wondered, 'do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long--and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?' In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. It's only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we've always wanted...a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others.

So today on my 28th birthday I'm starting my list.  I will add to it periodically.

1- God led me to a church and a pastor who believes and preaches what I have believed in my heart for a long time.  He knew it would renew and restrengthen my faith.  So I would be closer to Him when things got really bad this year.

2- Because of the hard things that have happened this year my love for Ryan has become deeper than I could have ever imagined.  He knows me more perfectly than I ever realized or could have hoped for.  When to be my rock and when to let me do my thing.  When to push me a little further than I'd like to go and when to help even when I'm being stubborn and hard headed if I think I can do it on my own.  I can't imagine how I could love him more.

3- Landon, my big boy, is so helpful.  He is my right hand man.  Helping unquestioningly (most of the time) with chores, household duties, even changing diapers. If he doesn't know how to do something he's willing to try. I've seen him grow so much this year.  From one of my 3 babies to my oldest son, a young man already.

4- Sawyer, my baby boy, knows just when I need someone to crawl into my lap for a snuggle.  He, too, has grown up so much this year and is the big boy, helping, when Landon isn't here.

5- Danica, my little mini me.  I wanted a little girl so bad.  I think she pulls every clip and bow I put in her hair out just to spite me.  She truly is my joy.  She is always happy and never fails to put a smile on my face even when I think there can't possibly be a smile anywhere inside of me.

6- Amber, Heather, and Jake.  My sisters and brother.  I can't even put into words tonight how thankful I am for the way we grew up.  Its a very long, not so great story that tore us apart and brought us together, many times over, until we finally realized the four of us were what we would always need.  Who we could count on to be there unconditionally...if we needed to cry, a hundred dollars to get us to pay day, someone to stand vigil at our hospital bedside, to bail us out of jail at 3am, someone to laugh about turd fishing in the tub with, or to hide a body (just joking...sorta)  That childhood prepared us for this year.  For July 21st.  When all the world crashed around us we stood strong together.  When it was too much for one of us, the rest of us held that one up.  Truly all for one and one for all in every sense of the words.

7- My Mom!  Who would have ever thought that I would be HER mini me?  My mom and I have quite the history.  I'm not going to go into that either.  Today she and I can complete each other's thoughts.  We are so much alike its scary.  When no one else seems to understand I can call Mom and I don't even have to finish a sentence and she knows just what I'm feeling and just what to say.  Funny how when I was younger I thought there was no way we could be more different.

8- My Dad ~ He always said "There is something to be said about being a good person"  I hope when I die people think I'm half the good person he was.  That lesson is why I help people unconditionally, without expectations.  Why I forgive so easily.  Why I trust people more than they sometimes deserve.  Why I work so hard and strive to do the best I can.  And why I'm hard on myself when I know I could be, or do better.  He told me often "This, too, shall pass".  I've repeated those words a lot this year.  I only wish he could have believed them a little more.  I still hear him whispering them in my ear on bad days.

9- Ogema Baptist Church and its members.  Until this year I've disliked living up here.  I didn't know many people and I'm shy until I get to know people.  But the moment I walked into that church I felt like I finally belonged.  People went out of their way to introduce themselves, to make me feel welcome and to include me.  They have walked with me, prayed for me, and helped me through everything I've been through this year.  Some taking me to doctor appointments even though I was virtually a stranger.  Bringing me meals when it was difficult for me to get around.  Taking care of my animals when I stayed with my sister after dad died.  Making sure I came home to a clean house.  Offering to watch the kids so I could have breaks and rest when I needed it.  The list goes on.  They, too, have helped strengthen my faith in God and Jesus through their own faith.  Being around them and seeing and hearing their faith makes me want to be closer to Jesus too.  "There is something to be said about being a good person" and the people there really are. 

(to be continued....)

God Things...

I have a fear of the unknown. Sometimes that fear wrestles with my thoughts and beliefs of Heaven and God and Jesus.  Maybe that makes me a bad Christian.  I'd like to believe that makes me human.  Someone once told me that they'd rather have faith and believe and be wrong than not have faith, be doubtful,
and be wrong. (Thanks Mona)

John 14:6

Jesus answered,

 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Almost immediately after I got the call from my sister I started praying.  Not for peace, comfort, or understanding for me but for a sign.  I wanted to know that Dad was okay.  That he had made it to that better place that has been promised to us by Jesus and that we read about in the Bible.  I wanted to know he was with Grandma because that was something he looked forward to the most when he talked about someday when it was his time.  I prayed hard for that sign.  It was all I could think about.  I needed to know he was okay, somewhere better, somewhere safe, and not fighting for every minute with his own mind like he had been.  And then this happened to Jake...

And I stopped worrying and doubting so much.  

You see - when Jake was 15 he bought a hunk of metal on eBay.  It was what was left of a 1986 Mustang Saleen GT after an engine fire.  I believe just a frame and a few body panels.  Dad was a Senior Master Ford Technician, for those who don't know.  He started his career as a mechanic at Russ Darrow in Waukesha at 16.  Dad and Jake worked on that car together.  Built it from the ground up, quite literally.  Jake has many more stories than I even know.  One of the nights right after Dad died he told us one about Dad MAKING a wiring harness for it because they couldn't find one, or they were too expensive, or something.  I was 18 at the time and moved out so I wasn't around to see the car come together first hand.  Dad took as much pride in that car as Jake does.  Its still around.  Parked in Jake's garage though he rarely drives it.  In fact I don't know if I've ever seen him drive it.  That car is a beautiful sparkly blue.  Its a special blue and I do remember there was much discussion about the "perfect" blue before the car finally went to be painted.  The mustang also has white racing stripes.  

So now back to the picture - On the day of Dad's wake Heather and Jake pulled out on the the highway in Dad's baby - his 1980 Corvette.  And what pulled up behind them?...A "THAT" blue with white racing stripes mustang.  I still get teary every time I look at this picture.  I thank God for our sign and I'm glad that He gave it to Jake.  I think he needed it the most.



Title Credit - When I went to our church's Titus 2 Women's Bible study the week after Dad's funeral and told them about this; one of the ladies told me the previous pastor from the church called these
kinds of "happenings" - God Things.  I think it fits.

Shattered...

So much has happened since my last blog.

None of it matters anymore.

Except what happened on July 21st.

I got a phone call from my sister that shook my world so hard it will never spin the same way again.

I couldn't even cry when she said it. I screamed at the top of my lungs for Ryan and shook uncontrollably. I wanted to cry. I wanted to feel something other than what I was. Something other than mad.

How could I be mad at him when the man who was my world for so long - was gone.

My dad, my hero, my smile, my backbone, my kick in the ass when I needed it, my comfort, my phone call with the just the right words when I felt down, took his own life after a very long fight with depression.

Its 3 o'clock in the afternoon 2 weeks since the funeral.

I can't figure out how this hole inside of me is ever going to feel less empty. How I will get through a day without a single tear for him.

I'm terrified that my boys won't remember the little time and the few memories they had with their Papa.

Nothing mattered the last 2 1/2 weeks. No schedules or alarms or plans. One day blended to the next.

Now I'm alone.

Away from my sisters and brother. Each of us needing the others to hold ourselves together.

Every minute is going so slowly. Its only Monday. It feels like a whole year's worth of time will pass before Friday and, hopefully, Ryan get here.

I hate this.

Just in time....

I finished knitting a Molly Bubble Romper for my new niece the day before she arrived.  I finished the rest of the set before going to the hospital to meet her.








Makenzy Jane
June 4, 2011
7lbs 11oz and 19 inches

Car Seat Safety...

Last week I got pulled over for speeding. (yes I know this post is ironic) I wasn't paying attention to my speed...the kids were arguing in the backseat, Amber had just had a baby, and I was in a hurry to get Landon to his dad and I was already running late.  Regardless..I'm human and it was my fault.  The officer was very nice.  He had me roll down the back window so he could check the kids car seats and belts.  He reached in and made a comment about how well they were buckled and that the seats had solid installations.  He went back to his car after telling me he was just going to print out a warning and I could be on my way.  When he came back he told me the main reason he was letting me off with a warning was because he rarely sees kids buckled into there car seats, let alone the seats buckled and installed correctly.  A very sad statement for me to hear even though I know its true.  I see it with my own eyes ALL the time.  Many times when a friend posts a picture of their child in the car on Facebook or even just walking through the parking lot at the local Walmart; I'm reminded how few people actually know how and do use their seats properly.  80% of child safety seats are used incorrectly, 4 out of 5.  That's a very high percentage.  Car accidents are the #1 killer of children ages 1-14.  About 50% of these deaths to children under 5 involved children that were unrestrained.  Here is a basic list to keep in mind.

~ First and foremost - Read your car seat's owner's manual and your vehicle's owner's manual before installation!


~ Car seats expire 6 years from the manufacture date and should be replaced after expiration.  Plastic parts become brittle after a few years of exposure to extreme temperatures in a car.



~ Car seats are subject to recalls.  Check frequently to make sure yours isn't one of them.  Search here for recalls.

~ Car seats should be replaced after an accident.  It puts stress on the seat and can cause weakness in future accidents.

~ When a car seat is installed the seat should not be able to move more than an inch in any direction.  This is the number one car seat mistake according to car seat inspectors. The best way to get a solid installation is to kneel on the seat with all your weight while pulling the belt tight.  If you're worried about your vehicle seat place a bath towel under it. Using aftermarket seat protectors is not recommended because they have not been tested with the seats and can alter how it performs in a crash. 

~ When installing a car seat using the vehicle belt make sure the belt is routed through the correct spaces.  Pull the belt all the way out so it locks when it retracts and cannot be pulled back out.  If it doesn't lock make sure you use a locking belt clip.  Most new seats come with an extra one attached to the back or bottom of the seat.

~ The latch system and the vehicle's seat belt should not be used at the same time.

~ Use the tether and make sure its tight. Using the tether decreases how far the child head moves forward by four to eight inches with a properly installed car seat.  Also seat belts can fail.  A tether can keep the seat from being ejected.






~ Never place a rear facing seat in a front seat with an active airbag. 

~ Rear facing seats should be installed with a 45 degree recline.  A newborn's head should not flop forward or it is too upright.  Levels on the seats are often unreliable.  I use a protractor app on my smart phone to get the correct angle.  Older babies with good head control and toddlers can have a 35 degree recline.  You can use a rolled towel or a small piece of a pool noodle under the front of the seat to get the correct recline.





~ Chest clips should be at armpit level.



~ Straps should be tight enough that you cannot pinch any slack in them.  

(I loosened Danica's to show what I mean....this is bad)


~ When rear facing the straps should be AT or BELOW shoulder height.  



~ When forward facing the straps should be AT or ABOVE shoulder height.

~ The crotch strap should be in the closest slot to the body but not under it.

~ Seat belts should not be twisted.  Twists reduce the strength of the belts. - Study here
      - 1 twist: 6%
      - 2 twists: 11%
      - 3 twists: 20% 
      - 6 twists: 40%

~ Harness Straps should not be twisted.  Harness straps are made to spread the force of a crash over a certain amount body surface area. If the straps are twisted, the area that bares the load becomes narrower, which can increase the chance injury.   

~ Toddlers are 5 times safer rear-facing.  The new standard is rear facing until 2 or until they reach the rear facing weight limit of a convertible(not infant) car seat.  20lbs AND(not or) 1 year are the MINIMUM for turning a baby forward facing.  (But who wants to have their child minimally protected?)

~ Children are too big for a car seat when they exceed the weight limit, their shoulders are above the top strap slot, OR the tops of their ears are higher than the seat's back.

~ Children should not go into a booster until they are AT LEAST 3-4 years old (know your state's laws, this varies)  AND is AT LEAST 40lbs.

~ A booster needs to be used with a lap and shoulder belt combo.  NOT just a lap belt.

~ When using a booster seat with the car's seat belt the belt should rest on the shoulder and collarbone.  Not against the neck.

~ Children are not ready to be in a regular lap/shoulder seat belt until: They are at least 8 years old or 4' 9" tall.  They should be tall enough so that their legs bend at the knees at the edge of the seat.  They are mature enough to remain seated with their backs flat against the back of the seat and not slouch.  The lap belt sits high on the thighs or low on the hips (NOT on their stomach).  The shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest (NOT on their arms or neck!)  * Even if a child is technically big enough, make sure he also has the maturity to stay seated in the belt in a safe way—not slouching, or putting the shoulder portion behind his back.*

Finally when in doubt or even just to be sure you did it correctly go to a local car seat inspection location and have your seats checked. Better safe than sorry...as they say.