Hayden's 5th Birthday!

Five times around the sun for my little Hayden! Can't believe it. This was a few nights before she was born...

She was born on the eve of Hurricane Katrina. Of all my five births, I believe that Hayden's was the most peaceful. It was a Wednesday night, and some friends brought my boys (ages 2 and 1, then) to church that night. It was a gorgeous evening. Even though it was August in south Florida, we were beginning to get the outer bands of the hurricane so it was pretty breezy, and the sky was incredible.

After my midwife got to my house, she checked me out and sent me out for a walk. So Blair and I went to for a walk on the golf course behind our house and marveled at the breeze and the purple sky.

I remember walking back into my home and feeling so refreshed and invigorated. My good friends had come over and while we were out walking, they dimmed the lights in the house, lit candles in my room, and filled the home with prayer, music, and peace. I remember feeling completely relaxed and my midwife and friends did everything to protect that space and maintain peace.

After just a few hours, I was able to reach down and deliver Hayden myself and discover that she was a girl- a beautiful girl! Hayden Marie.


And then her first birthday...
Her second birthday...
Her third birthday...
Her fourth birthday...
And now, we celebrate her fifth year around the sun!
With a sun cake...

And flowers from Daddy...
And family... (another blog, altogether!)
And her birthday bike and basket!

Just days after turning five, she lost her first tooth!
Happy birthday, beautiful Hayden...

birthday quilt

My daughter Hayden just turned five years old on August 24th. In the weeks prior to her birthday, I was hoping to get her a little bed set...some cute sheets and a comforter set. But as I began to poke around, I found myself thinking, "I could make her a quilt...I should make her a quilt!" And within a short amount of time, I had a sweet pair of flowered sheets from Goodwill, and an inspiration for a birthday quilt.

I actually grew up watching my mom sew everything from clothes to curtains and back, but I never really took an interest. As an adult, my mother-in-law gave me her amazing sewing machine and I came to love playing around with it.

It was four summers ago that I made my first quilt. I was fortunate enough to be spending that summer with my dear friend, Bonnie. Her mother, Ruth, was also there for awhile and we had such a great time sewing dresses for our girls (Hayden was just taking her first steps, then). The two of them painstakingly taught me how to make a quilt, and walked me through my first one. Those memories and those days and nights of sewing (okay, and the coffee with Bailey's) are so precious to me. Since then, I have made about 7 other quilts, mostly gifts for friends and family, and mostly for babies.

So, first I broke out my dusty sewing machine...it had been almost 2 years since I last used it. (I cannot believe that!!) Then, I dumped out all of my fabrics to choose for the quilt. This is one of my favorite parts. I just collect random fabrics and scraps from here and there and have built up an astonishing collection which I have managed to bring with me on every move.

I also had some special things that I had saved, it just so happens, from that first quilting summer. I had saved one of Hayden's onesies that she wore all the time and for some reason, I just loved it. It was just a pink/polka-dot onesie from Target, but it was my favorite on her and when she outgrew it, I just had to hang on to it. So- it became a quilt square. :) I also had two shirts of my own that I wore all that summer which also became quilt squares. And though it was bittersweet, I used some of those very dresses I sewed for her as a baby, and made them pieces or squares. Otherwise, they would just stay stuffed in a box, right? Why not incorporate them into this living memory!

It just so happens that summer was a pivotal one in my life, and our life as a family. It was when we left Florida, but had not yet settled somewhere again, so we were just sort of floating. Our love as a family, and the love of many friends became our "roots" as we had no ground to root in then.

I actually made a block for each of the states that Hayden has lived in- FOUR states in FIVE years! Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. I even made a small stitch on each state to represent the general area we lived in. By the way, I have fallen in love with embroidery, and though it so time-consuming and tedious, I hope the love shows through. I almost got carried away, and if I didn't make myself stop eventually, I would still be embellishing a square or stitching another flower or something.

Here is the pile of fabrics that I chose...

The next step is to cut each fabric into squares of exactly the same size. These were 8.5".

I did most of the embroidery on each square before I sewed the blocks together. I used little hoops to hold the blocks...

Then, I lay out all of the blocks and decide what order I want them to be in and what goes where...

Then, I sew together each row, block by block. Then, each row to row. This gives me the entire quilt top. Then, I lay it down on the batting and the quilt back (cotton flannel in this case) and cut the batting and backing to the size of the quilt top.

Then, I pin the three together, all wacky and backwards and sew three and a half sides together.

Then I flip it all right side out, sew that last bit together and add little quilting stitches at each corner of each block with embroidery thread.





And voila...a month later, and two weeks after her actual birthday- I'm done!

So, I will resist my usual self-deprecating humor and just go ahead and give myself a giant pat on the back. :) While I am definitely a novice quilter, I did pour my love, sweat and tears (and a little blood, as well!) into this beautiful piece. I am proud of it. And I am proud of my little girl who will rest beneath it. The images and the fabrics do tell a story of these first five years, and I hope she will treasure it forever. Perhaps 90 more years and 40 more states. :)

Also want to mention that Ruth, my quilting mentor, has a sweet little business. She sews up the cutest little dresses. Check her out here. Happy sewing!

elderberry syrup

More good things! It's time to harvest elderberries. We are so blessed- and I mean ridiculously blessed to have free access to this treasure. We have many elder trees all around our home and even more on the lonely country roads around Floyd. We watched these blossom in June and had to exhibit restraint from harvesting the elder blossoms then. They make a wonderful tea, and have several benefits. But for those who wait- there comes the berry. (I have copied some information about the benefits of the elderberry at the very bottom.)

So, the other day we harvested as many berries as we could. For those of you who aren't ready to abandon your respective city-fied lives- fear not. Get thee to your nearest Whole Foods or local overpriced tiny health food store and buy the dried elderberries. (or look online). This is an excellent, and quite necessary addition to your medicine chest. And it's honestly super-easy.

So here's how it went down...

Pick the branches, drooping heavily with delicious dark, ripe berries. (But do not eat raw).
Admire the loveliness.
Admire the loveliness even more.
Set the family to work. (And admire the lovely tomato bounty in the background!) :)
Get your lovely niece to sit and pick and talk.
My children, though often "wild" were so fastidious with this chore.

De-stemming the berries is a bit tedious, but fortunately, I have many hands and helpers and the job was done quite fast.
We picked only the darkest black and purple berries, trying to separate the green and red unripe berries as well as the overripe and stony berries.
Many hands make light work. :) Especially if you really love all the many hands.
That's Blair's hand, not mine- for those of you who were momentarily confused, and perhaps concerned.


While we have several cups, I am freezing most of it only making small batches at a time. Without a preservative (alcohol), the syrup won't be at it's most benefical for more than a few weeks in the fridge. So my plan is to make a batch with alcohol (which will last about a year) and also to make smaller batches every month or so.

So for the following recipe, I am using one cup of fresh elderberries.... (if using dried berries, use a half a cup)
Cover with two cups of fresh mountain water.
Bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour...
Pause to look down next to you and smile at your breathtakingly adorable baby who is hard at work in his own little kitchen....
Remove berries from stove and pour through strainer.
Press/mash thoroughly to squeeze out every last drop of heavenly goodness. A potato masher would have been much better, but who has that when you need it? Forks can come in handy for an astonishing number of things in life- not the least of which, mashing elderberries.
Pour one cup of honey into a jar. In our case, we are so fortunate to have a local supply of honey. So local, in fact, that it often comes from the bees in our "own" fields. Please be sure to wipe off any excess drips down the side of the jar and thoroughly lick your fingers. (very important step)


Pour the strained elderberry juice over the honey into the jar.
Cover. Shake. Pause and give thanks for health, goodness, and provision from God for both.

Here's to health! And a fruitful August.

Latin Name:
Sambucus nigra

Common Names:
Elderberry, Black Elderberry, North American Elderberry

Properties:
antioxidant, diaphoretic, diuretic, laxative, immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory

Uses:
Immune system boost, coughs, colds, flu, bacterial infections, viral infections, tonsilitis, lower cholesterol, improved vision and heart health.

Indicated for:
Cancer, HIV, asthma and bronchitis, reduce inflammation of the urinary tract and bladder.

Infusions of the fruit are said to be beneficial for nerve disorders, back pain, and have been used to reduce inflammation of the urinary tract and bladder.

smart view, august

We love to go to this place and hike at least a few times each month. It's right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it is so refreshing.

stitching and sewing...

My daughter, Hayden's 5th birthday is coming up in just a few weeks. I intend to blog the whole process later, as I am trying to be good about taking pictures of the steps. I am really into embroidery right now, so I am combining the two. Here is a little sneak peek of what I have been working on...