Four years ago

It was four years ago today that we were nervously getting ready for the short drive to Methodist Hospital where we got to meet our daughter Juliette for the first time, just a few hours old. I remember looking into those clear, bright, alert eyes of hers – and my heart melting all over the floor. And then her birth mother asked me if I wanted to feed her. It has been the most amazing, demanding and rewarding four years of my life and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. I feel so privileged to be given the opportunity to be her Papa. Happy birthday, Juliette. Papa loves you!

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Say hello to Dr. Faber!

Yesterday began with pouring rain, but the skies parted and the sun came out in just enough time for Hamline University to conduct its graduate program ceremonies outdoors.  Here are some pictures from the blessed event.  It was a very happy day for every graduate, family member, friend and faculty who were present to show their support.

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Riding her bike Douglas Avenue

She’s been practicing in grandma’s garage for days, but we wouldn’t let her out in the street until we could get a helmet for her, which we picked up yesterday – a pink one, natch, that she loves. This was her first “real” ride and we all enjoyed it. I think it was second, so far, only to watching her take her first step.


I finally did it! My first embroidery …

Two years ago I bought myself a new combination sewing/embroidery machine, a fancy-dancy Brother Innovis 4500D Duetta.  Although there are many things about the machine I like, it has also always intimidated me a bit.  With my go-to machine (Bernice, my lovely Bernina 1630) on the fritz and in the shop now for 7 weeks waiting for a replacement part, I’ve been getting to know this machine a lot better – and I love it more every time I sew on it.  He finally has a name – Brewster.  I took Brewster with me to my last quilt retreat and I have to tell you, he was a complete joy to sew on.  But although I’ve bought the threads, stabilizers, designs and notions needed for machine embroidery, I’ve been too chicken to try – until tonight.  I got an e-mail from Brother that they were having a 50% off sale for Disney designs, and knowing how much Juliette is into all Princesses Disney these days, I browsed out to the site and showed her some of the design on my iPad.  She REALLY likes Snow White, and immediately picked a Snow White design she wanted me to get for her.  At $3.50, who could argue?  So I screwed up my courage, got out my machine to learn how to attach the embroidery unit and foot, bought the design, downloaded it to my machine, and stitched it out. I decided to sew it on one of her undershirts in case it turned out bad.   I did have one mishap, since I didn’t take the shirt apart first, but I was able to stop the machine, snip the few threads that caught up the bottom, back up 10 stitches and start over again.  Thank goodness for a really easy to use and intuitive machine.  I didn’t have to look up any of the directions for all of that.  And the knit shirt wasn’t the best idea, parts of the design shifted badly enough that the outline stitches are not aligned properly, but Juliette won’t care one bit, I don’t think.  So I have a little surprise for her when she wakes up tomorrow.  Yay for me, and for her!  A two-fer.  Lord, took me long enough for the first one though, right?!

 

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Getting ready for Easter 2013

She has been full of excitement all day as in “You mean TOMORROW is Easter day, Papa!?”  So we had to dye some eggs, make some treats for dinner tomorrow – deviled eggs for uncle Johnny, Liptauer cheese for an appetizer, lemon cookies for dessert, and a gallon of sweet tea for me and anyone else who wants it.  And we had a ton of fun in the process too!

Her Easter dress and shoes are all ready to go, and now just to get our clothes ready so we aren’t in such a rush tomorrow morning.

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