a new nightgown for Christmas

Are you like me?   Crafting, knitting, sewing, baking, cooking, enjoying?  It is not stressful.  It's not supposed to be anyway.  We lose the joy in it if it becomes a chore.  Its more like a very exciting, "what shall I complete today?" wish list, ball of fun, kind of thing for me right now.   And, if baby is born sooner than later or if I catch the flu and only want to watch movies for days, its fine, whatever does not get done.  It really would be fine...I will pick it all up again later.  Its just too fun to worry about a deadline.  Now, reading from our Advent calendar every night?  We do have to catch up on some nights for that but it is enjoyable with a new reader in the family.  He even gets out his Bible to read directly from the text!  Such a blessing.

I knit while my husband drives. Some of my favorite chat time with him along the way is while knitting and trusting him completely with the driving.  I love it. We attended my aunt and uncles 50th Wedding Anniversary toast in Bellaire Sunday night at their son and daughter's-in-law home.  I was able to craft a handwritten toast but did not read it aloud.  The other two three toasts that were said or read aloud were so emotional, it seemed all needed a break from it for awhile.  I surely would have become emotional too if I read mine.  I added it to the pile of cards they received.  They were married on December 23rd. They have a great romance.  A real one.  A sweet one.  They are heading out for a trip to Ireland together soon.  Such a wonderful reunion with them all, the cousins, the aunts and uncles.  Especially since they are all adopted aunts and uncles.  They don't have brothers or sisters, my aunt and uncle, so their high school friends, my father being one at the time, and my mother as mom and dad were dating and then married three years after my aunt and uncle, were, adopted long, long ago and they are still friends today.  The children, including my sister and I, and their children, do not see each other often, maybe once a year, but we still savor memories of years past and enjoy catching up for now.  It was so enjoyable to talk about my impending birth, my newborn to come in just weeks.  I am an "older" mother....all of them are finished with their families and have a couple of children each who are as tall as me (not a challenge) so I kind of enjoy that I am trailing behind with my little crew..the youngest batch of children and the aunts and uncles just love it and love to see them too.  So fun.  Who doesn't love a baby?

My crafting is highly motivated by this little crew of ours.  I want to see them running around in handmade anything.  Brings me such happiness.  Makes the making merrier.  So I am still, yes, six days, well, five days, before Christmas, making Christmas jammies!  This is Tessa's.  From Anna Maria Horner's Folksy Flannels line which is hard to find but you can search online..I picked up some on sale recently and a McCalls pattern here.  It is easy. It is sweet.  It is, uh, a little big!  She will likely be wearing it into next Christmas in fact but thats okay..she does not like anything to be too tight.

The boys are next.  Fabric is also AMH folksy flannel.  Its washed, patterns cut, fabric cut, just waiting for boys to be out of sight.  Maybe tonight?  Went to see a cousin yesterday at my folks house, to exchange gifts, play, talk, knit.  Got my cousin's daughter this book, The Mitten, by Jan Brett.  I would love to own almost all of those Brett books.  So good.  Have you read Christmas Trolls?  Pick it up..fun!

will check in again....got to show you that knitting work for sure!   ~Traci