** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Pictures will be added tomorrow ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
No, I haven't actually been sewing on it for nine years, but, it chronicles the past 9 years for Ben and I.
Today we celebrate 8 years of being married. Almost 9 years of knowing each other.
And for the past two years, I have been working on this quilt. Off and on. It was going to be a birthday present, two Novembers ago. I didn't really know how big it was going to end up being . . . one of those projects. No pattern. No drawing. Just a pile of fabric (in this case, Ben's worn shirts and pants), and some ideas. So, I started in on some embroidery bits. I put a couple squares together. And I soon realized that there was no way I was going to have it done for his birthday. So I kept at the embroidery. We moved. The whole thing got put away. Then last winter I got it out. I was going to have it done for Valentine's Day. I bought the backing - a lovely cozy dark brown fleece. Then I realized how big it was going to be . . . it didn't get done. I cried. Then I put it away. About 3 weeks ago I got it out again. I took it over to my mom's house and spread it out on her guest bed. I worked on it for 4 or more hours for 3 days in a row. I spent about 4 more hours on it on Saturday. It is almost done!
And it tells the story of our life - up to now ::
December 8, 2000 - the day we met each other.
November 10, 2001 - the day we married.
best friends
dreams
late night talks
business plans
house plans
funny birthday cards - every year
homemade Valentines - all but one year
strawberry oreo pie - for my birthdays
blueberry cheesecake - for Ben's birthdays
TGIFridays - where we eat out for almost every anniversary
September 9, 2003 - Madelaine's birthday
January 18, 2005 - B. Isaac's birthday
4 Pattens, 1 bed - good thing it's King sized! (though these nights are fading)
coffee
ribeyes by the lake
Canal Park - people watching and ice cream cones
couples' Bible study
Morgan Park
new furniture
moving
Lakeside
Golden Eagle
the cabin
Cheryl's house
the Gunflint Motel
202 N. Vine
the Beacon
the farm
the trampoline
the duck blind - we built together - like a tikki hut
Legacy Builders
purchasing a house
HOME
with so much love
So, in a nutshell - or should I say, on a quilt top - there are our past 9 years. Each little note brings lots of memories. Some good, some hard, but all full of love.
I wrote a lot of our story last year. Maybe you can match up quilt squares to where they go in the story . . .
We'll go out tonight. I'm so looking forward to a date with my husband. Last year's date was as close to perfect as it gets :: We stopped at Target and grabbed some of our favorite chocolate for the drive home (we didn't have room for dessert at the restaurant). Then we settled in for the drive home. It was dark and cold outside, and so warm and cozy inside the car. The lights becoming less and less as we drove away from the city, out into the countryside. The moon was brilliant. And I was so relaxed - just leaning on Ben and just knowing - knowing he was there, he is mine, he knows me and I know him - better than anyone else in the whole world and that is so comforting and wonderful. In a way, I wished we could just drive all night. Just the two of us, so aware of each other, and so at peace. Perfect.
So, we celebrate 8 years and look forward to at least 55 more.