day 18: chips & salsa

chips & salsa

the combination invites friends

invites conversation

invites laughs

the combinations makes memories

last night a group of zumba gals gathered at 

mamaveca's

which happens to be an amazing mexican restaurant

chips and salsa greeted us

and the conversation flowed

laughter filled the air

it was an evening that i wish there was a pause button on life

if you could pause last night

one would see a group of beautiful women 

laughing so hard tears formed

sharing stories of motherhood, pets, work, everyday life.

and enjoying chips & salsa

yes, i am thankful for chips & salsa

we should all be so inviting.  

thank you lauri g for getting everyone together!

day 17: night shift

ken went back to mids last night

(mids=night shift)

most would not be thankful their spouse worked nights

and there are times when i hate it.

but last night 

as i was getting caught up on my dvr's

getting chores done around the house

and beginning to unpack from our vacation

i realized the blessings mid shift could be

sometimes it's just easier to get stuff done without help :)

and the best part of ken working mids....

breakfast in bed every morning

day 16: pillows

pillows have many functions

they can be decorative

they are a place to rest

they are something to hold when you need a good cry

they can display memories

when my papa passed away last february 

my grandmother gave me a box of his shirts to donate to the veteran's center

when it came time to take them into the veteran's center

i couldn't.

i could not part with them 

but i knew i couldn't keep them.

i had an idea to turn them into pillows

but 

i can't sew

i asked my friend, melinda, 

who is a great seamstress,

if she would make the pillows.

she was hesitant

expressed fear she would 'mess up'

i assured her 

messing up wasn't possible

what became of my papa's shirts

were beautiful pillows 

words and pictures do not provide justice to the work she has done

the first pillow was my sister, Jenny's, birthday gift

melinda did not know anything about my papa

or any stories behind his shirts

the heart in the center is made of the shirt he wore every christmas

the last holiday we celebrated together as a family

my papa always carried pipe tobacco in his shirt pocket. 

melinda did not know these details

yet the pillow was 100 percent my papa

in more ways than just being his shirts

below are some of the other pillows she made from his shirts

the front of one of the pillows

the back of the above pillow

his dancing shirt is the pillow the flowers are his pj's

another pillow form his shirts

another pillow she made

so on sunday as we celebrate the first thanksgiving without my papa

i will give my aunts, my mom, and my grandma the opportunity to choose their pillow.

melinda said she is still making pillows 

so my cousins will have one as well

as she finishes them 

i will post pictures

melinda,

you have a gift that goes beyond the stitches you sew

the patches you have crafted into pillows 

will tell stories of my papa

for generations after me

i can not express how grateful i am that you took the time to create these for my family.

thank you. 

today i am thankful for pillows.