A very happy birthday, and hopefully many more

My Mother in law turns 75 this Tuesday. So the Pastor called her up and we sang our traditional church "Happy Birthday" song for her and thanked her. For years our church family has called her "the kitchen lady". Why? Because if it's going on in the kitchen she's running the show. With a willing heart and hands, with a smile, and seemingly, tiredlessly. Questions about how much turkey to buy for a Sunday dinner? Ask the kitchen lady. Where do I find? She'll know. She considers it her service to the Lord. Today, we as a church family celebrated her birthday with a turkey dinner and all the trimmings. I tried to fill her very capable shoes for just one meal. And it wasn't just me, I had help. She does much on her own. We managed, the food was hot and plentiful and she enjoyed her day "off". I, on the other hand, am exhausted and glad to have pain pills for my back!

She considers her biggest blessing her family. And all of our children and grandchildren made the effort to be there for her today despite work schedules and little one's schedules. And they made a point to head for her table and show her they have time for her and respect. I was so proud of them.

Our little bouncy one with vibrant blue eyes and a cute grin sitting with her PaPa.

Unlike this little one, who had just about all of the nursery he could stand, and decided the best thing to do until Mom and Dad came to get him for lunch was sleep!

An FO! Another One!

Actual crocheting content! I've been working on this skirt for R, thinking it would be fast and I'd have another skein of yarn used up and out of the stash. It took about a week, it did use up a skein but, as usual I misjudged the time allowance. I finished it at 11:30 last night and had to run it by my daughter's house this morning so R could wear it to church (per my daughter's request..on the wearing to church that is!). It is crocheted out of TLC baby, which is actually sport weight. The pattern, from Annie's Attic Adorable Baby Clothes, said the skirt would take 7oz and they weren't kidding. So the varigated additions, also TLC, on the straps and bottom edge, are out of need rather than design. But sometimes mistakes lead to something you like better anyway. That was the case here. I actually thought the varigated made the skirt cuter. My sewing experience also came into play and I'm not sure it was an improvement. When sewing, pleats are crisp and I learned to sew a tiny edge on the inside of the pleat to hold them in place. I didn't like the way this skirt just poofed out without the pleats so I tried it. The jury is still out on whether it was an improvement. More details in ravelry.

The weird sagginess, I think is just that, sagginess from R sitting in it.