Pure Delight.

Last week I made Thea Belle's babydoll a wardrobe -- without any patterns and with all material I had collected waiting for the right project. It was just absolute pure fun. So satisfying and deeply sweetly personal. This is one of Thea Belle's two big Christmas presents this year. I will take pictures of my other major project when we set it up Christmas Eve. Yay! for surprises. The boys have one coming too but they sometimes read this so I will wait to tell! (-:

The tshirts are all fold-over shoulders like on baby shirts to make it easier to get on. And I used old tshirts of mine that had holes or stains. I made the bindings from strips of the tshirts, just folded over and un-serged (because I don't have a serger and actually don't know how to sew knits properly). I don't know if it would work on real-people clothes -- I have a couple yards of material waiting to be experimented on but it will have to wait a little longer.

I made this dress out of a pair of badly-fitting pajama pants. I like the colors. The leggings are from the doll's original outfit. (She is a American Girl Bitty Baby I bought on craigslist for Thea Belle's last birthday.)

 

I actually think this skirt is pretty tacky but I thought Thea would enjoy it. And I had this crazy sequin elastic band to add to the bling -- silly!

Now here is a wonderful and sad thing: This sweater is cut up and sewn back together from a J.Crew!!!!! sweater-of-awesomeness that my poor friend Sarah Deems recently had accidentally shrunk in the wash. It was her favorite sweater. And she had had it forever. And it was a sad, sad day the day it "died". She gave it to me to resurrect. And behold, the ibis. Har. Anyway, I did the best I could not being a knitter.

 

I gave it giant snaps to make it easier for Thea Belle's little fingers.

That is all. And Hooray! (p.s. This post is mostly for my mom who asked to see pictures. Mom, I love you for many, many reasons but I am so very thankful that you taught me to sew. Thank you. *hug*)

A day of sledding with friends from church -- Brad braved it all and let me be warm at home. And he said it was all his pleasure -- and he meant it! This wonderful picture is from Eric Berget -- thank you!

Then he came home and shoveled snow for two hours. And in the morning he got up early and cleaned off my van before he left for work. *mmmm...love*

Today I looked at pictures of all the people killed in Connecticut. And I read about them. And I watched a video of one of the dad's whose daughter was killed. And I was so sad. And I was thankful for another day with my children. And I hugged my tender-hearted husband who cried for both of our hearts. And then he went in the other room and spanked one of our boys and separated two of the other children who were fighting and we sent a kid downstairs to get cleaned up from a poop accident. And I was grateful for spankings and conflict and poop. And for knowing that God measures the days of each soul perfectly. Every. single. day. intended. for. them. Acts 17:26 And I felt grief for all of those families. And I felt a deep peace that it is all intentional, all orchestrated rightly by a God with a heart and a good purpose and a sovereign hand even though we cannot contain or understand it.

The Night We Tried to Watch Owen Berget

Before it all went terribly wrong...

Owen was cautiously happy...

Later...he cried for an hour...

And we felt bad for him...

And we were glad his parents were having a grown-up dinner together...

And my baby-fever cooled into realism...

And I was thankful to remember a crying baby...

And grateful for toddlers, preschoolers and first graders...

And visiting sweet-cheeked baby boys...

And so was Thea Belle.

Fractured Fairy Tales (or Humerus Holiday Anecdotes)

A very merry broken arm...

from the jolliest elf around.

Thanks Giving!

This is what most of our long Thanksgiving visit looked like -- lots of talking, being together, kids (9 cousins!!) running about...It was good and not very photogenic...

My mom reading...

Dads doing games with kids...(my brother Aaron and Brad)

Lilly and Dietrich

Grant and Thea Belle

Lilly and Thea Belle

The Dynamic Duo

Aunt Bekah and Thea Belle

Cousins!

Pajamas!