What a SURPRISE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!  I did it!  I made it through another year to FORTY SEVEN!!! OMG!!  I may pass out at even the mention of being that close to FIFTY,LOL!  I am not upset about getting older, other than the obvious of my body parts just ain't what they used to be and every time I get up from sitting on the floor I sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies ( SNAP! CRACKLE! POP!).  I actually like getting older, it means I have accomplished one more year of something other than nothing.  This year was filled with quite a lot and I am just GIDDY about one of the events in particular!

My birthday gift from Sara!  I have known Sara for at least five or more years, we met online when I was buying fabric from her,LOL!  She noticed I am an Oma and we started chatting.  We share a love of fabric and sewing and  well isn't that how most all really great friendships start ;o)  Over the years we have shared quite a bit, excitement over new projects, tears over events, our growing children and of course, our continued LOVE for fabric and sewing.

I am loud and Sara is NOT,  I am forward and Sara is NOT, I can be bold to the point of BRAZEN and Sara, not so much! We mesh in a certain way that really works for us and it is comfortable and lovely and well perfect!

Sara is the kindest, sweetest, most talented person I know. To top it off , she is beautiful and can eat ANYTHING and not gain an ounce and I would kinda hate her if I did not love her so much,LOL!!!!

So Sara, sneaky girl that she is, emailed the in house engineer and my children and gave them homework.  She asked that they outline their hands and send them back to her.  She emailed another friend of ours asking what fabrics I liked...very very sneaky,LOL!!!   In three days (seriously...if I did not love her...) she WHIPPED together this stunning quilt!  I am really beginning to wonder if she has a sweatshop in her basement! I received the package the day before my birthday and Sara COULD NOT WAIT for me to open it and when I did, I understood why...

There were the handprints of my family!

My oldest son and his wonderful wife and my two grandchildren that live far away so I do not get to see them much...my second son, who is in the Air Force and will be deploying to Afghanistan in November, my in house engineer that puts up with the 25,000 words I have to use every day, my daughter that is now as tall as me and growing faster than I can breathe, and the little caboose son that  wears me out and I still wake up wondering what wonderment he will bring.

To top it all off she added one more block...a block with her hand and her son and daughter. Guess who was crying...

I was speechless...and that is HARD to do!

I am so SERIOUSLY blown away by this quilt!  It will be cherished for MANY MANY YEARS!!!!

THANK YOU SARA!!!!  I am not sure what I ever did to deserve you but I LOVE YOU!!!!!