Double Birthday Celebration

If you've been reading my blog for very long, you already know that my DH (center) and I have 8 wonderful children. It's hard to believe that 15 years ago today DS2 (left) and 10 years ago today DD4 (right) came into the world. And hasn't it been a better place because of them? I sure think so! I thank God for each of my children (and DH) daily, but today is special because it's the birthday for these two special and undeserved blessings.

When DS2 realized (when he was 4) that our baby would be born near his birthday (she was due 2-9), he asked me if she could come ON his birthday. I seized the opportunity to teach him that it was out of my control, but he could ask God to send her that day. He started praying THAT NIGHT. Fast forward a couple months...on the evening of 2-6, I went into labor. I distinctly remember telling my husband that baby girl would be born on DS2's birthday because I wasn't going to do the labor thing for >24 hours. For years DS2 thought DD4 WAS his birthday present.

I always enjoy hearing how families celebrate birthdays. We let the birthday person pick all the meals for their day. In the case of these two, they used to agree on meals for the day, but now they opt for celebrating both their birthdays, two days in a row! Getting greedy about the special meals. DS2 asked for Apple Pan Dowdy (in pic above) for dessert. The days of cakes are long gone around here. It's been a long time since someone asked for an actual CAKE. I'll post the recipe if I get a request. Apple Pan Dowdy came from one of my e-friends in Canada years ago. It's so delicious, especially warm with vanilla ice cream (which is how we ate it). We also give the girls a "big girl" necklace when they turn ten.

On another cheery note, I can hardly believe it's true, but my Scrappy Trips quilt is quilted, bound, and LABELED!! I probably need to have label day around here. I rarely make labels for my quilts. But since I've been working on the antique string quilt of Emma's, I have been thinking about posterity more and more. I hope someone will be looking at my quilts in 80 years and wondering who made them and when.

I meander quilted the center and outermost border. I did a repetetive swoopy thing in the outer checkerboard and leaves in the inner black border. I did a bias binding. I could not remember how to cut and resew it, but I found the directions here. It looks neat because it's the same black strips as this border, but on the diagonal.

I got the idea for quilting the leaves from my new fan, er, I mean friend, Marcie. Look at Marcie's quilt border. Lovely leaves, eh?

Gotta go finish celebrating birthdays...

~Joan