BEST gift EVER

My sister-in-law, Lacey, is SO talented. I just really admire her. She went above and beyond when she took all of my dad's shirts and cut them into squares to make my mom and each of my brothers and sisters a quilt top. You should see the cute squares with buttons from his shirts and little pockets that she left in. SUPER CUTE......WOW....how do you even begin to thank someone for doing something like that? Thank you isn't even close to being enough. I was in awe when I first saw it. I looked at the quilt top and could remember my dad wearing certain shirts. It brought me to tears. After we shed a few tears we kind of joked about how big dad was. It made it possible to make SEVEN quilt tops for mom and each child. Lacey also had enough material left over after that to allow for 4 squres for each grandchild (22). I am so grateful to have this. It was such an amazing gift and one I hold very dear. This is probably the best gift I have ever received. I am excited to choose a backing and get it done. It really brings back memories of my father.

Today Rachel and I went together to take a load to the Recycling center. It was really fun being together. You really cherish the one on one times you have with your kids when you have a large family. Rachel called it our garbage date. :) We were driving my dad's pick-up. On the way home she started talking about dad. She asked me if grandpa liked things dirty (his truck is DIRTY) I kind of laughed and said that he certainly did. Then she went on to say that it didn't really matter if he was dirty because he was SO FUN. I then started talking to her about how she used to wake up super early. He was the only one awake and she would crawl up on his lap and he would read to her. After he died she cried and asked, "now whose lap will I be able to climb on?" It has been almost 9 months since he died and yet she couldn't even remember crawling up on his lap. Those are the sad things.....the fact that my kids will not remember the little but important details of my father. I need to continue to talk to them about him so they can keep it fresh in their mind.

Below you will find two pictures. One is the finished quilt that Lacey made for my mom. And the other is my quilt top waiting for me to finish.


Lacey......you are amazing. You have given me something to forever help me remember dad. I can't wait to finish it. I'm trying to decide if I want to use it or put it up and save it. But I can hear dad right now....just use it. Isn't that what it is for? Thank you is not enough. But I don't have the words. They just won't come. I am eternally grateful for your hard work and all the time it took to cut each of those squares out. THANKS.