afternoon artists

The weather is colder and we're spending more time indoors. While Ivy and I love being outside and we miss playing in the late afternoon sun, we also treasure being inside where we make family memories in our home. One of the activities that Ivy and I do nearly every day is pull out a large tablet of newsprint and our box of crayons. We love playing with color, making bold marks on our paper and drawing the everyday objects that make up our lives.

The moments that we create with one another is sacred, mother-father-daughter time -- writing, drawing, painting and creating have always been important parts of our lives and Kevin and I hope that Ivy will associate happy, creative times with hours spent with her mom and dad.

Ivy's first Christmas

Ivy made her entire family's Christmas a happier one this year.  We traveled to my parents' house in Cochrane and Ivy spent her first night away from home at her grandparents' house on Christmas eve.  She was an angel and, even though I don't have any photos to document the memorable experience, she wore the red dress that I wore for Christmas when I was 0ne.  My mom made this special dress and my grandma tatted the beautiful lace trim that enhances the collar and cuffs.  I repeatedly broke into tears when I realized that Ivy was embraced by the creativity of her grandma and great-grandma.  We went to a sweet service at the Hope UCC church that Ivy's great-grandparents attended and she was met by all the love and support of my precious hometown.  Ivy spent most of her time over the holidays on her grandparents' laps and I kept slathering her cheeks with Markie's Amazing Beeswax & Olive Oil moisturizer every time she turned her sweet (and very dry!) face towards me.  This explains the wet-duckling look that she has in most of her photos from the past 48 hours.

This has been the happiest Christmas I've ever had.  Special thanks to my parents who ensured that my sister and I have pleasant memories of Christmas when we were children.  They've helped us be the best parents possible and I look forward to creating holiday traditions for our own little girl.

Creative spirit

Here's Kevin standing in front of one of the paintings that he made for Ivy's room.  I love knowing that she is going to wake up surrounded by the artwork that her daddy made for her, artwork that is warm and nurturing and created to help her feel the love that we have for her.  

We've received many beautiful handmade items for our little girl.  We have handmade blankets from Roxane, Linda J. and Heidi O. hanging over her crib railing and I have a feeling that her Grandma & Grandpa Brommer are busy in their workshops in Cochrane.  I've knitted bibs, burp cloths and a blanket for her and I'm trying to finish a lace scarf that I'm knitting as a gift for her foster mother.  (Wish me luck with that project.  I much prefer the weight of bulky wool to that of soft, airy silk.)  I'm waiting until she's home to begin working on her first hand-knit sweaters and I have a few adorable patterns that I can't wait to try. Working on these projects helps pass the time while we're waiting for the call and if my wrists are sore from all the knitting, well, then the ache is just a reminder of how fiercely we yearn to bring our daughter home.