Many Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving to All! Although today might be the national holiday for being thankful, I make it a daily practice. The list is long...children, husband, family, good health...you get the idea. We live in a busy world and are busy people, but I try so hard to remember that it's the little things that matter. We can so easily get caught up in that fast pace and be swallowed up by things that don't matter. It's the little things we do for others that count. It's the little gestures of kindness. It's the little gestures of friendliness. It's the little gestures of love that we show our children or our spouse.
This past week we've reached a new plateau with the girls. I was able to sew with them in the sewing room. Yeah!! Now that's something to be thankful for. No more sewing only during nap time.
As I sat at the machine and enjoyed the girls climbing on and off my lap as they played with their babies, I was so wishing that someone was taking a picture of us. This moment needed to be captured forever. Can you imagine all the years ahead of us in this room? Would there be many nights like this night where the boys (husband and son) were out farming and the girls (me, Goldie, and Virginia) were being creative? Will the girls become quilters? How will they express their creativity? It dawned on me that my camera was sitting on the table in front of me. Because this was evening and it gets dark so early, there was lots of reflection on my sewing room window. So as quickly as I could...cause you know these moments don't last forever. I took a picture of us in the window reflection. Virginia was on my lap wiggling, Goldie standing beside me. What good helpers they were. They handed me fabric pieces and pushed the pins into the pincushion for me. I LOVED it.
Goldie, left, Heidi and Virginia on her lap
When Henry was this age I started putting fabrics in a bag for him to consider his and he could do whatever he wanted to with them. The girls have taken the bag over. Virginia chose to carefully cover her lap with the pieces. So precise. Each piece was carefully picked up of the floor, opened up, and spread out across her lap. She did this for probably 5 minutes. then moved to spreading them out on the floor just outside the sewing room door. Equally precise.
Meanwhile Goldie took care of her baby. Fabric scraps became blankets and clothes. My sewing bench the babies bed. The caressing, the careful holding. A gentle and caring soul she is.
Add to that list of things to be thankful for a job that has provided me with a balance in my life. I still get to have a great professional life and earn money to pay bills, but it's a job that allows me to take the afternoon off to volunteer for Henry's kindergarten Thanksgiving feast without worrying about the office. Because missing a chance to see this pilgrim sing ...Five fat turkeys are we. Slept all night in the tree. When the cook came around, we couldn't be found. That's why we're here you see ...well you know the answer to that. Priceless.
Be thankful today for your blessings. Be thankful everyday for the chance to enjoy them.
This past week we've reached a new plateau with the girls. I was able to sew with them in the sewing room. Yeah!! Now that's something to be thankful for. No more sewing only during nap time.
As I sat at the machine and enjoyed the girls climbing on and off my lap as they played with their babies, I was so wishing that someone was taking a picture of us. This moment needed to be captured forever. Can you imagine all the years ahead of us in this room? Would there be many nights like this night where the boys (husband and son) were out farming and the girls (me, Goldie, and Virginia) were being creative? Will the girls become quilters? How will they express their creativity? It dawned on me that my camera was sitting on the table in front of me. Because this was evening and it gets dark so early, there was lots of reflection on my sewing room window. So as quickly as I could...cause you know these moments don't last forever. I took a picture of us in the window reflection. Virginia was on my lap wiggling, Goldie standing beside me. What good helpers they were. They handed me fabric pieces and pushed the pins into the pincushion for me. I LOVED it.
Goldie, left, Heidi and Virginia on her lap
When Henry was this age I started putting fabrics in a bag for him to consider his and he could do whatever he wanted to with them. The girls have taken the bag over. Virginia chose to carefully cover her lap with the pieces. So precise. Each piece was carefully picked up of the floor, opened up, and spread out across her lap. She did this for probably 5 minutes. then moved to spreading them out on the floor just outside the sewing room door. Equally precise.
Meanwhile Goldie took care of her baby. Fabric scraps became blankets and clothes. My sewing bench the babies bed. The caressing, the careful holding. A gentle and caring soul she is.
Add to that list of things to be thankful for a job that has provided me with a balance in my life. I still get to have a great professional life and earn money to pay bills, but it's a job that allows me to take the afternoon off to volunteer for Henry's kindergarten Thanksgiving feast without worrying about the office. Because missing a chance to see this pilgrim sing ...Five fat turkeys are we. Slept all night in the tree. When the cook came around, we couldn't be found. That's why we're here you see ...well you know the answer to that. Priceless.
Be thankful today for your blessings. Be thankful everyday for the chance to enjoy them.
As darling as those girls are, Henry's photo is the one I love best!! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
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Love the pictures of the girls playing with your fabric scraps. They will grow up to be creative just like you! I loved playing with fabric scraps as a kid and loved, loved,loved playing with buttons. Henry's pilgrim picture is soooo cute! You are blessed!
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Dear Heidi--
When I saw the jittery photo, I wondered what was wrong w/you!! After reading about it, what a great idea!!
When the kids were little, much like yours, I did a lot of sewing, and so did they. One on one side, one on the other. The minute I got up from the machine, one would jump in there and do their thing. It's such a good experience for them, and their emulations, I'm sure, helped them grow and maybe even appreciate a little! They thought it was wonderful, and I enjoyed it just as much, except when I had to continue to wait for them!
Same w/cooking. One on one side, one on the other. They did learn to cook at a very young age, too. I might not remember that so much, but one night we had a lady come to babysit. I told her that Paige would fix supper for her and Heath, and she nearly had a heart attack!! Paige was perhaps four. The babysitter thought surely she would burn herself, but I told her it hadn't happened yet, and if it did, it probably wouldn't happen again. It never did!
Paige fixed them scrambled eggs, toast, and cottage cheese, and the babysitter was amazed. They CAN do so much!!
Hope your Thanksgiving is a wonderful one!!
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What a clever lady you are to take that picture through the glass refraction!!!
Love it. I look forward to the same thing with my grandchildren!!!
Love Henry's photo too!!!!
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I can't remember when I've enjoyed reading a blog post more! What a wonderful time in your life and you're so lucky to recognize it as such.
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Love the pictures, it helps when our children are so dang cute. The girls with the fabric scraps reminds me of my grandkids. They love it when Grandma comes home with a bag of fabric and it's amazing how long they play with the goodies in the bag. I wonder why we bother with toys when a bag of fat quarters keep them so entertained!
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