Pleasant discoveries

We are still unpacking. We still have dozens among dozens of boxes in the garage. We just got our storage cleaned out right before the weekend. It frustrates me because all I want is more time so I can finish unpacking and do my best to organize.

If I concentrated solely on unpacking all these weeks, I would have been done way before now, I can guarantee it. But with my job, it's been impossible. When Maia takes naps, I've been working. Most days when Noah is at school, if I'm not running errands, I am working. I am thankful Maia is good at keeping herself busy during that time. She sees it as a couple super fun hours that she can play with all the toys Noah won't let her play with when he's around! :c)

Anyway, we still have tons and tons and tons to do. Like, it's not even funny. At first I was taking it all with stride, and now I'm just beyond stressed out about it. I'm stressed, Neil is stressed and I think our stress is impacting the kids. How could it not, ya know? Anyway, I know we'll deal. This is more of a vent outlet for me right now than anything.

And what I'm really trying to get at is, I found some really cool things when unpacking a tub last night!

I thought this tub only contained pieces of an unfinished afghan that my grandma had began making before I was born. We found it when going through her things when she passed away (after her long fight with breast cancer -- oh I miss her still) in 2000, so mom gave it to me. I packed it away, but not too far away, thinking I would eventually find someone to finish it for me. No one seemed to want to help me. You know, we're all so busy these days, so I understood.

When I opened it and took out the afghan pieces last night, I also found another afghan (well, pieces) she had started on, and then I also found other crafty things started but never finished. It was like finding a pot of gold for me because I love hand made things and I love vintage things, but even more, it was something I found of my grandmothers that she had her hands on - a lot.

Take a look:
In the bottom of the tub, were probably 10 or 12 unfinished pieces of embroidery or cross-stitch (I think they're called??). This one was a "Merry Christmas" piece. According to the sticker, "A Keepsake". (Makes me giggle.) And to hold the yarn is a butterfly, seen here, made of plastic? (Crafty friends, do you know what I'm describing?)
How to draw trees. Anyone want to know how to draw trees? I can teach you literally by the book now!
Then I found these. Knitting needles? And lots of them.
And then more knitting needles. I guess I should learn how to knit, eh?
And then some handy how-to guides. Now I have no excuse but to re-teach myself! Anyone want to join me?
And then I found this beautiful piece of embroidery. If I were to only finish one thing, I think this is what I would finish. I don't think I could do as good of a job as she did, though.
And then a baby book! I guess I could make something now for my new niece or nephew, which by the way, we find out tomorrow what the sex is!!!
And then another unfinished piece. Those of who who know me well now know where I get this annoying habit of starting things but never finishing them (with good intentions to, though, of course!).
And then one of the afghans. So pretty! I guess she thought I was going to be a boy?
Look, the needle is still in it and everything.
And then the pretty orange one. I would love having this one done also. It's in thin rectangular pieces. I guess this is how you put an afghan together?? There are quite a few pieces. I really don't think there's much more to do than just knitting all of the big pieces together. Here's a piece. Hard to tell, but it's long, as are all of them.
Can you believe how there was so much unfinished? And I seriously had no idea she was so crafty! I never saw her do anything artsy ever. She was a grade school teacher, so I knew there was some creativeness in her, but not like this! It's so special to me finding out new things about her even after she's been gone 7 years.

And then, drumroll . . . I found in a different box some nostalgic things of mine. My "My Little Ponies"! (I gave them to Maia and she's now been carrying them around all day today. They even took a bath with her last night.)
And then I found piles upon piles of letters. I love to write letters, and I always have. It began with my pen pals when I was 8. My friend, Amberley, was one of my pen pals. But she wasn't just a "pen pal" but was like a sister to me. We met when we were infants (we were born on the same day . . .our moms were best friends), she move to Northern Illinois, but we stayed friends forever. This is one of probably the 500 letters I have from her . . . these back in 1989. How fun!!! (Cute Amberley, eh?!) I can't believe were have been friends since birth, and now here we are, 31 years later, the closest we've ever been, with 6 kids among us of our own. (Happy sigh . . . )

And then there were 6 . . .

We had been waiting and waiting on my very good friend, Amberley, to have her baby. And finally he came . . . full force . . . literally the wrong way.

I received an email from her husband, Chad, yesterday. He said this:

Valerie,

I thought you would like to know that our fourth child was brought into this world at 1:51 A.M. Friday. Unfortunately, he came with one heck of a traumatic event. When we arrived at the hospital we discovered that he was frank breach (butt down, head and feet up). With the speed with which Amberley progresses a surgical team was called immediately and a c-section was performed. By the time she was rolled into the OR our son’s rear end was already starting to come into the world. They acted quickly, put Amberley completely out and brought him into the world surgically. Mother and child are doing fine, but unfortunately Amberley has no recollection of anything that happened. We named him Levi Edward after my grandfather and great-grandfather. He weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 20 inches long.

. . . She is doing quite well and is expected to be discharged from the hospital sometime on Sunday. Her spirits are quite high even though she is very disappointed not to have any memory of the birth. Any support or advice you might have for her will be much appreciated, I am sure. When she gets home I am sure she will email pictures for you to see.

Either Am told Chad about me going through the same thing, or else he remembered. Many of you don't know that when I had Noah, I ended up being intabated and put completely out in order for my doctor to preform an emergency c-section just like Am. It was scary and I had a long hard recovery from it . . . bedrest for almost 6 weeks! Like I told Am, I think this is one of the reasons God put us together as such good friends . . . just one more thing we can share. I'm just so thankful Noah was ok and now Levi is ok, too. Thank God. Maybe this is Am's sign to not have anymore cutie dumplins? Levi makes 4! And what a beautiful family they have.



I won't make a huge long story of this, but I have to tell a tiny bit about Am and how we are friends. She actually lives in Iowa right now, but we met in the current place I live in now . . . 31 years ago! We were born on the very same day. I'm the oldest by a few hours (ha!) but I guess it's how you look at it because I turned 30 before her (darn!).

Am's mom and my mom were best friends. Still are very close. We all did so much together growing up. We went on summer trips together (all the time), went to church together (that's where they/we met!), I knew her grandparents and she knew mine. We had a special bond from the very beginning and even though we're hundreds of miles away now, we are still very close. When we see each other it's like time hasn't passed at all. When I see her parents it's like this also. They've just always been such a close very important part of our family, almost like they always have been family but without the blood relation. And I know first hand that blood doesn't necessarily mean a thing :c)

Here we are a long long time ago. Am, me and her older sister, Kim on one of our many family vacations.

With all that said, I want to congratulate Am and Chad (and their other children, CJ, Alex and Emily - same age as Maia) on their new beautiful addition to their family! I cannot wait to meet him. I wish you, Am, very quick healing -- emotionally, mentally and physically, because I know this sort of birth drains of you of all! I also wish you many more beautiful memories as you grow as a family. You are a wonderful family. A family I admire. A family I'm honored to call a part of my family. Love you!