From Strength to Strength: What's been going on...

Oh my I haven't posted since December...well the last half of December we were all sick. I can't remember who it started with but I think it ended with me. In fact on Christmas the boys waited until the afternoon to open their presents because right after breakfast I feel asleep and they graciously let me sleep. I couldn't believe that...don't know if I would have been so gracious as a kid...

So here are a few pics from December:

The boys homemade Christmas Tree

Real men do sew! Actually he did a much better job than I did. I had some extra material from the lap quilt I made my mom. I decided that I would make her some place mats. Here is what mine looked like:

If you click on the pic you can see it larger. I just sewed straight lines down the place mats to hold the batting in. Not too bad....but then Jon came up and said, "You know you should sew around the penguins. It would look much better." I said, "I can't do that. I'd have to change the foot and then do free motion quilting and I don't know how. It's hard." He said, "No you don't. I'll show you. I took home ec." So then he sat down at the machine, asked me how to use it and then proceeded to do this:

If you click on his you can see that it does look much better...

Then here is the quilt that I made for my mom. Due to being sick it was the only Christmas gift I actually got done in time for Christmas. Cody wrote a poem for me to go with it:

Comfort Quilt

Tis a comfort quilt, which
Will help you, if worn,
When you are lonely in the morn.

In the cold, dark silence
You remember us,
And you start to feel lonely
Take this quilt and trust,

That this gift we give to you
It will stop you being blue,
And make the distance short
between us and you.

And when the autumn breezes
Come and you get the sneezes
Get a warm cup of coffee
And the quilt so lovely.

Or when the winter cold,
Comes and freezes, as it's foretold,
Go on a chair and sit down
And wrap this on you around and around.

It will warm you, yes it's true.
Through it you'll feel our hugs
You'll feel our hearts booming towards you
The way a train chugs and chugs.

See the dancing happy penguins,
They are meant to make you smile.
And soon the distance will only seem
As if it were a mile.

So take this quilt of love,
That we give to you.
It will make you peaceful as a dove
As you wrap it around you.

This quilt of love will warm you,
When it is cold out on the lawn.
This quilt of love will comfort you,
In the clear light of the dawn.