Wow

So much has been happening, our life has been so crazy busy I still have not been able to quilt and now we are looking at putting our house on the market so not sure when I will be able to get back to my favorite thing to do.  I have so many projects to get done but I have to get the house in order first.  So pray for things to fall in place according to God's will for us.

Changes

My plan for today was to clean house and quilt, not necessarily in that order! ;)
However, plans change so I am getting ready to go pick up my granddaughter, she is more like a daughter than grandchild and spend the day with her.  Precious times and memories.  I love being a Mom and Grandmom.  Family is the most important thing after God in my life.  Everything I do I do for them.  This has been the year of change starting with last Christmas.  Not sure exactly what God is trying to teach us yet but every time we have made plans this year somehow they have gotten changed.  It brings to mind on this day of all days another day in our history where not just our plans where changed but our way of life changed.

I'm thinking about 9/11/01.  I can still remember turning on my tv that day to see what was going on in the world before I started my day.  I remember the complete shock and disbelief as I sat there staring at the tv trying to comprehend what I was seeing before me.  It was overwhelming and terrifying.  I screamed for Jeff to come and see what I was seeing still having trouble believing what I was seeing was real.  Then it happened, the second plane hit and pure panic took over my heart, then they showed the pentagon.  What was happening to our world, why was this happening where was it going to happen next, where are all my children?  All these thoughts flashed through my mind in a split second.  Our world changed forever in those few seconds of senseless horror.

I remember the numbness and the eerie quiet as no planes were flying for the next several days and the panic that would arise when you did see a military plane in the air.  (We live near DFW airport so planes are just a constant in our world)  You just want your family with you to see and touch at all times, to know they are safe for at least the time being.

Our lives changed forever that day, we were both self employed at the time, we didn't make a penny for six months, we ended up having to file bankruptcy which was a foreign concept to us.  It was embarrassing and I hated it but we survived, stronger for it.  Hopefully we will never be there again.  My trust in good was rattled and not totally restored.  However, my trust in God never wavered, my trust that He loves me and His plans are for my good.  We live in a crazy mixed up world but He is constant and unchanging.  He is my rock and I will look to Him when all other things fall apart.  He alone is my salvation.  So nine years later we are not any safer than we were that fateful day, in fact this enemy seems to be getting stronger but I know in the end we win.

Learning & Letting Go

I'm learning to do free motion quilting, I can sew straight lines all day long and have gotten pretty good at it if I do say so myself, however when you start doing curves and circles not so much.  Now for a person that is sort of a control freak and perfectionist this is a huge effort in frustration.  As I'm working on this today after both Sarah and Abby just left to go back to their worlds God really started talking to me about letting go.  Letting go is hard for me you see.  I want everything all neat and tidy and in control.  I want to know how it all comes out and I want it to come out like I planned!  lol  With quilting and with God that doesn't always happen.  I want my circles perfect and I want my kids lives to go how I think they should, but alas the circles are somewhat wonky and my children just don't always listen to my advice.  However, when it comes to the kids they are all doing pretty good and above all they all love so that is really all that matters and the quilts I'm working on will still warm people even if every stitch isn't perfect.  In the case of this little practice piece, it will make great pot holders! Life is good, even if the quilting isn't perfect.

Back to basics

This has been a rough summer in so many ways, I keep trying to get back to basics, but sometimes that is just hard to do.  I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.  This much I KNOW.  God loves me and His love is never failing.  He has a purpose for me and my children and my children's children and He is faithful and just to get us all to the finish line.  If you are impressed please pray for my family.  Jeff needs wisdom in his knife business and favor at his "real" job, Corey needs a financial miracle, my Dad is still recovering from a recent surgery.  Several family members need to know God and we all need heart adjustments I'm sure.

Empty nest

Well Sarah is back at college, she finished her quilt all by herself and she did a great job.  Rachel is getting ready to start her senior year of high school, she doesn't come over as much as her sisters always did, so the house is really empty feeling.  Hopefully I will get to feeling good enough soon to get back to quilting and things I really love.  Looking forward to what this year will bring.  Trusting in God and dreaming big.

Time Flies

I can't believe this summer is almost over, seems like it just started.  I had so many things I wanted to get done this summer.  Oh well.  This has definitely been the year of my plans not working out but it's all good and I know God is in control. 

Sarah is leaving for college again next week!  It has been wonderful having her home, she is growing into a fine young woman and she loves God with her whole heart.  Rachel is going to be a senior and all that entails.  I just love that kid, she called me yesterday so excited about her senior pictures, can't wait to see them.  Abby thinks she may have found a grad school so praying it works out.  Stephanie is a senior at Texas Wesleyan, she has gone to school almost full time and held a full time plus job and is graduating with honors, so very proud of her.  Corey has started a new career and Whit is going into 8th grade.  I'm so proud of all of them.  God has been good to me.

I've not had much time this summer for quilting but I'm hoping to get back to it this fall.

Training a new generation

This summer, Sarah my step daughter has been learning to quilt.  She designed it, bought the fabric and has been working on it most of the summer.  She finished the quilt top yesterday.  It looks awesome!  So very proud of her.

As a Mother, it's always rewarding when one of your children likes some of the same things you like and then takes it that extra step and wants to learn from you.  I firmly believe in the biblical principle that older women should teach the younger.  It's all about handing down traditions.  My grandma quilted but for whatever reason I never learned how to quilt from her.  I want to be sure that any of my children or my childrens children that want to learn something from me have the opportunity to do so.  What a blessing.