Last Hurrah of Summer

Each year I make a mental "Bucket List" of things to do before this favorite season slips away.

It's been a full, busy summer and there were two things left on the list:

1. Go to Montrose beach.  

(This is on Lake Michigan in the city of Chicago.)

2.  Picnic.

Even better:  Take Miss E along with us!

We have been having some very hot days here lately.  Fog has also been a part of the forecast.

It was truly beautiful at the beach even though we could barely tell the lake was there at first.

The sky was bluer than blue and the water had fog above it with extremely low visibility.

And, as it was late in the afternoon no sunblock was needed.

  

Miss E was excited about the prospect of a picnic, but most enthused about the sand she could play with.  Coming from the City Nest and not having the beach toys one would need, I turned to our recycle bin.  The yogurt, cottage cheese and whipped topping containers would do, as well as the colorful spoons brought home from Yogurt Square.  The best toy though?  That would be the egg

carton.

There was one in our little group who chose to swim out  to deeper waters, and two who preferred splashing near the shore.

Though there were people at the beach, it still was relatively quiet.  The balloon man and the cotton candy guy didn't make many sales.

(Although they might have if we had our wallets along.)

Never would we have guessed our lives could be so filled with last hurrahs, blessed beyond belief

thirty three years ago when we bid a sad farewell to our first daughter on this August 29 day.

  God is so good.

A Way to Remember

Our family gathered earlier this month to have the final good-bye for Wes's mom, Muriel.  It was a beautiful grave site service on a perfect summer day.  My way of remembering this beloved Mom, Mother-in-law, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother on this day was taking one of her summer shirts

and sewing it into little dresses for Ellie and Maja.

This print was a little out-of-character for Muirel with its tropical print and bold colors!

 

I knew I needed to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the fabric to make dresses for both girls, so I simply added bottom skirts to pre-purchased t shirts.  I had other plans on how to use the remaining scraps.

Here's Miss E's dress with the skirt having shirt "tails" from the bottom of Muriel's shirt.  (I stitched the button placket sides together, but left the buttons sewn on.)

This is a bit of a funny angle on the picture...the dress isn't quite as long as it appears.

Here is Maja in her dress.  Her sunhat is made from shirt pieces as well.

Miss M likes to suck her fingers like this. Perhaps she will be a bowler one day.

I admit these are dresses one would never select from the racks, but I like to think this was a way their beloved "GGMa" could be present in tangible form.

Once the dresses were made, I knew how to use some of the odder-shaped scraps for my little crafter along with the addition of other fabric remnants.

Yes, I made a Craft Tote!

Tote front: The shirt pocket was removed from the shirt and became a pocket for Lilly and her purple plastic purse.

 

 

 

Tote back:  a double pocket for tucking markers inside or whatever.

 

Here's a look inside:

Crayons, markers, glue stick, scissors, tape...all in there!

 

   I had one last trick up my sleeve - a Search 'n Find game to tuck in the biggest pocket.

I collected fun buttons, took a photo of them, tucked the buttons inside a vinyl-windowed bag stuffed loosely with little plastic pellets and sewed the bag shut.

To play:  shuffle the bag contents around and try to find all 16 objects.  Place a coin or button on the photo card until all objects have been located.  (That is a baby picture of Miss E, by the way.)

Miss E seems to like having her very own Craft Tote...yay!

Now, what to do with the rest of the scraps?  Flowers, pins, rings, hair doodads and bookmarks for the rest of the crew to be given as we gather this Christmas. (Acting surprised is optional.)

Peace - and piece - to the memory of Muriel.

Right on Time

Born at 1:39 AM Aug. 11.  7 lb. 14 oz.  21.5 inches

He deserves a round of applause for starting his entry into the world on his actual due date.

(Though he was born in the wee hours of the next day.)

 He gave his out-of-state  grandparents a chance to drive for several hours and be there for the announcement of his healthy delivery.

He gave his local grandparents a chance in the waiting room to make it to Phase 10 of the game with the same name.

He gave his local aunt - a labor and delivery nurse - the chance to encourage his mother in her labor

with observations of her progress made.

He gave his labor and delivery nurse at the hospital the chance to practice her skills and proficiency to make his entry peaceful yet celebrated.

He picked a quiet, early time to be born with his mother's favorite doctor on call.

He gave his first cries of life to his joyful parents.

He gave his father his first tattoo!

Two feet:  Ten toes.  This tattoo is temporary (we think).

We are overjoyed to announce to the world the news of the birth of

Kaden John Lindahl

He is not only right on time, but fits perfectly right in the center of our hearts 

where love pumps and oozes for this newest family member!

  Welcome to the world, Kaden!

Congratulations to Kari and John!

All seems suddenly right with the world, too.