"Little Men"

I just snuck downstairs and placed this quilt that I have been working on for Andrew, my 4 year old nephew, on his bed while he is fast asleep. I can't wait for him to wake up to this much anticipated blanket!

This is the top with the cars and ABC's. The blue color is the exact same color as his room. 

This is the bottom. It's reversible. My sis and I love this side the best actually! It is all the old-time pictures for the ABC's- it cracks me up. For instance, "V" is for Velocipede (yeah, that's a tricycle) and "Q" is for Quoits (AKA horseshoe; It's a wonder that generation ever learned their letters).  My favorite is "L" is for Leap Frog, which is a game I play with the boys all the time! 

I live with my sister and her husband and my three nephews, Andrew (4), Peter (2  1/2) and Caleb (9 months). They were gone for 6 months and have now returned. I needed that time away from them to grow and I needed a break from them honestly. The kids were driving me nuts and so were their parents!...But God has shown me that they are my ministry during this season of life and I prayed a lot that God would change my heart during that time. For some   reason, I continue to be surprised that He did. I was telling my friend tonight that I have healed so much from fears and distrust of men in this adult life, because of my relationship with these little boys over the last several years. I never understood real love until Andrew was born and I immediately loved him with all my heart. Now, everyday I must extend grace, kindness, compassion, patience, and humility to these "little men"; And in return, gift of receiving unconditional love everyday in such large doses is extremely healing and just what my heart has needed, although I would never have predicted that God would use little children to help make me whole again. 

My favorite thing right now is that the two and a half year old greets me in the morning and when I come home from work with delighted squeals of "Aunt Boo, boo boo boo boo boo" as he runs towards me with his arms wide open for a long hug and squeeze and then he just rests his head on my shoulder, and a little sigh, like that's the only place he wants to be.  It is such a wonderful season I get to have to invest and make special memories with these little boys. My next project is Peter's quilt.