Scrapbooks and Projects of Love and Posterity

Yesterday, I worked all day off and on on Maia's and Ava's good wishes scrapbook. As I worked on them and flipped through the pages, I was so grateful for all of the time and effort spent sending warm wishes and prayers on behalf of Ava and Maia. So many have stayed the course with us and anticipated their arrival and waited to catch a glimpse of these baby girls!

Preparations for Maia are well underway and will grow in intensity in the coming months! For Maia's scrapbook, I pasted pictures of quilt squares from various friends and family into her book yesterday for the letters that didn't have fabric to go with them. Also, I still need to add a few more letters or notes to go with a few squares, and then it will be complete! This was a project I started for her in 2006, and I'm excited to complete it! It has taken a lot of time, but it has been such a joy for me to watch it come together for her. If you'd still like to send a note and fabric for the book, I'd be delighted to include it! For those of you that weren't following this journey until recently, the 100 Good Wishes Quilt is based on an ancient Chinese tradition. Their quilts are called Bai Jai Bei Quilts, and family and friends contribute a piece of material for Chinese children to be sewn into a welcome quilt. This tradition has taken off among adoptive parents, and me, being the non-seamtress that I am, decided to make this my goal before Maia arrives! Well, I'm getting there slowly but surely! The quilt now needs a border, and I laid it out yesterday to plan for that. I've bought material to sew a thin red border around it and then chenille around that. I've sewn all of the squares together, but I'll need help for the border! I wish my great grannies would pop in to help me! Cindy, do you think your Mom could help me out?

Here's a picture of the quilt to be and Maia's Good Wishes book before binding.







Next, I've been adding details and pictures to a scrapbook that Ben's Aunt Barb put together for Ava at Thanksgiving last year. The Nibali family created ceramic ornaments with good wishes and prayers to hang on a mobile for her, and Barb took a picture of each ornament and put it in the book. I've been gathering pictures to go with each ornament and finally made time to sit down and complete it! Here's a picture of Miss Ava looking at her new scrapbook. :) Thanks, again, Barb! She'll treasure this. We're preparing to hang the mobile up high in a careful location in the nursery this weekend, and I'll post a picture of it as soon as we do.

Also, Granddad made a special AVA'S ROOM sign to hang on the door, and Ben is going to attach it to the door this weekend! We've had it hanging on the wall in the nursery, but both of us are eager to get it on the door! Pics of that to come soon! Thank you, Grandaddy! We appreciate the time it took for you to make the sign! We're sorry for the delay in getting in on the door! It's so pretty. :)