Let the healing begin!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments and prayers!  It has been so inspiring to know others are keeping us in their thoughts as we go through this journey.

The surgery was difficult but it went well and they removed the whole tumour.  For now the doctor just wants him to heal from this and then we will see what further treatment he needs.  The first few nights were difficult in the hospital but with a little medical help last night he slept for the first time!  What a blessing!

I am so thankful that this is the March break and I am off from work.  We had planned to go to Ottawa to see our new granddaughter but those plans had to change.  She is planning to come up and visit us later this spring.  So while I waited through the surgery, I sewed this little Amish Puzzle Ball for her.  There were others in the waiting room with us and we had a great discussion on what other populations would benefit from these little balls...so many ideas!

In the days before the surgery the kids wanted to make something for him so when he woke he would know we were there.  Of course what wraps you in love and hugs better than a blanket?  So they went to work, they found the perfect pirate fabric and started to tie.

The blanket is soft and beautiful and when he came out of the anaesthetic he was wrapped in our love. The first thing he said after I love you, is where are the kids.  Then I knew...all was well.
Thank You.
Penny

Thank You

Truly, thank you for the sweet comments and emails.  Today was probably one of the hardest days I have ever had, but we are joyous!!  The test results are in and although my husband does indeed have a very large cancerous tumour, it has NOT spread like the Doctors had feared initially.  They are all quite surprised about this result but we are so relieved. The survival rates decrease exponentially with colon cancer if the cancer has spread to other organs.  Thank you for all the prayers that went up for my husband and our family, you have been heard!  We await a surgery date and are hopeful that this can be dealt with quickly and with good end results. We are not out of the woods yet because we need lymph node pathology results to give a final "stage" to the cancer and determine follow up treatment, so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Beyond Comprehension

It has been a long time since my last post and there are a lot of reasons for that. It seems like we have been on a roller-coaster for a month.  I had cleared up all of my projects because I was leaving town to take two courses in BC.  Advanced Paediatric Massage Therapy for Autism one weekend and then the corresponding course for Cerebral Palsy.  This was a big stretch for us financially because I was bringing the kids as well so they could see their Dad while we were there.  We had figured a way to make it work and were getting set to go.  Then my Step-daughter had some complications with her pregnancy and was induced early.  Things did not go as planned with that intervention and she had a C-Section to successfully deliver our grand daughter.  So very quickly from a very scary low to a very excited high!  Thank God everyone is healthy and safe.  That was Thursday.

Tuesday my husband went in for a colonoscopy and I was called up to the doctors office, I thought to pick him up because he was ready to go.  When I arrived however, we were told that the doctor had found a very large mass and had done some biopsies.  He felt this was a mass to be concerned about and was 95% positive it was cancerous.  We were in shock. We were sent for blood work immediately.  I was supposed to leave for my courses on Friday morning.  Of course I didn't want to go and leave my husband with this news and no one to lean on.  After much discussion we decided that I should still go and bring the kids. This was probably the quietest week we would have for a long time.  It was very hard to go, but I did and it was a good idea.  I have family and good friends in BC.  I could cry sob and vent and not have my husband see me in a mess.  My family and friends "glue gunned" me back together and sent me back home in one piece ready to be the support my husband is going to need.  He has since had an X-ray and a Cat scan.  We meet the surgeon tomorrow and the cardiologist Thursday  (he has had a heart attack before so we need extra surgical support).

This is going to be a difficult journey that neither one of us wants to take.  I know that God has a plan for us and that we are in His hands.  This gives me peace.  I also believe that God never gives you more than you can handle, I just wish I had the same confidence in me that He has.

Thanks for letting me share, I just needed to get that out incase my blogging is sporadic for a while.  For a long time now I have just had NO words to write this down with.  Trying to keep life semi-normal for the kids has been our focus but meeting with the surgeons tomorrow is starting to shake my resolve.  If you pray, please say a word or two for my husband.  I am not proud, I will take all the help I can get.

Penny

My First Tutorial!!

Last week I promised to make a tutorial for the Apron I created for the Valentine's Day Swap.

Well, that has been an interesting journey!  Let's just say Blogger and Word via Mac don't see eye to eye!  Anyway I managed to get it into a Google document and it is here.  Please be aware that the pictures take some time to load.
I had originally copied and pasted the whole thing into a post and downloaded all the images one by one to the proper spot, but alas, Blogger wouldn't save and Post it.  So, I am sorry for the inconvenience of the extra step but I hope that you enjoy the tutorial anyway!  If you make one I would love to see it.
Have an excellent Tuesday!

Penny

Heidi Bag Pattern Review

Hi Everyone!  In case you missed my last post and don't know, I am participating in hand made version of "Pay it Forward".  I still have one more spot available, if you are interested go here for details!

I volunteered to do a pattern testing for Julie of Vibrant Designs new Heidi Bag Pattern.  It is a very cute bag and easy to construct even for the beginners.  She is hoping to get it in her shop for purchase in late February.  I wanted to show you some pictures of my final product using her pattern.  There is very little that I did differently than she instructed and that is just because I am a little "OCD" when it comes to purses!  I neeeeed a pen spot, and I neeeeeed a loop to clip spare keys to!  (I have a real habit of locking myself out if the car, house office....you get the idea!)  You can click on the pictures for a closer view...most were taken in my basement sewing room somewhere after midnight!

This is the lining side with one pocket (which fits my black berry in its case) where I added the loops for keys.

This is the lining side that has multiple pockets where I added a pen slot.
The mid section is big enough to fit 4 passports in it.

This is not a great photo but it shows the handle which you can make to suit your size.

This is a close up of the body of the bag, empty, so you can see the pleats...which I adore!

All in all I am very happy with this pattern and my daughter is already begging for this bag to be hers!

The other project that I completed recently and am very happy with is the apron I made for the Valentine's Day swap at Country Pleasures.  I designed it myself and am working on a tutorial that I hope will be done in time to post so you all have time to make on for Valentines Day if you want to!

This is my first half apron and there were a few "issues!" that I had to work my way around.  Mostly because my brain works faster than my hands and I did one step before I had done the pre-requisite step.... just once..... or twice!  Nothing insurmountable, just taxed my creativity a little lot!

Any way, I really like the final product and I plan to make one for myself and my daughter soon.  There is a pocket under that lace ruffle and a towel loop from the waist (I just tucked a piece of flannel in to it for the picture).  I like that loop feature because I don't like to wipe my hands on my apron (I know...that is the point..but...)  I usually have a towel slung over my shoulder and I thought that having a place to hang a little hand towel would be a great idea, so I put it in the pattern.  I hope that Sue likes her new apron assuming Canada Post gets it to her in time!

Well, it is time to tuck in the little ones so I hope that you all have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Time to Play....Pay It Forwards!!

I was visiting over at Lucky Duck Dreams and found out that she was playing a round of Pay It Forwards!
I am so excited to join her and Pay It Forward with some of you.

As is the tradition with Pay It Forwards, it is now my turn, so here is how it works.

1. I will make a little something of the first 3 people who comment on this post. It will be a surprise and it will arrive when you least expect it.

2. I will have 365 days to do it in. What's the catch? To get a handmade present from me, you have to play too! This means YOU pledge to send a little handmade something for 3 readers of your blog. It doesn't have to be quilty - just handmade!

3. You must have a blog.

4. Once you comment here, you must post about your Pay It Forward on your blog to keep the fun going - with the Pay It Forward badge.

I love making things and I think that sometimes a little pick me up in the mail is just what we need. It is a "mail hug" from a blog friend! Won't you play along with me?

Time spent sewing

This week has been a good one for getting things sewn, finally!

I finished the apron for the swap I joined at Country Pleasures.  Sue is my partner this time so I wanted to try a half apron for her.  I won't post the pictures yet because I am making the tutorial for it and she has not seen it yet.  I struggle with putting my sewing actions into words but I think this apron tutorial should make sense!

I also whipped up this blanket for our grand daughter who is due at the end of February.  I have many things in the works for her but alas....time is always such an issue.

These snack bags and sandwich wraps made me very happy this morning while packing lunches (which is a task I do NOT love!) Now that they are made and in use, mornings are just that much happier.  Which makes life good, because my fridge magnet says, "If Mamma ain't Happy, ain't NOBODY happy". Then at lunch the kids have a little bit of tangible Mamma love to help get them through the rest of their day.

I am also setting out today to start on a pattern testing project for the Heidi Bag over at Vibrant Designs. She has some great bags and accessories you should go have a little look see!  

Have a super great Monday!