Two years, five months, and twenty five days...

That is how long Marie was with us.  Today, that is how long she's been gone.  Tomorrow we will have been without Princess Marie longer than we were with her.  It's just another marker.  Another milestone in the passage of time. 

To be honest, I thought it would hurt more.  I cried my tears Sunday night in Luke's arms.  A Mommy and Daddy hurting for the little girl we don't kiss goodnight anymore.  But Jesus does. He gives the hugs and the kisses, and I know that.  I am grateful for that.

Still, we miss her here.  This Saturday we will celebrate the day she would have turned five.  We are going away as a family to the mountains.  We are going to be quiet and be together.  We are going to celebrate the blessing that she was when she came, and rejoice in every single moment of two years, five months, and twenty five days that we got Marie. 

I have said it before, but.... "We would welcome you again Mama.  And again, and again, and again.  We love you!"

Valentines. A tutorial of sorts...

Every year I try to make the girls something for Valentines Day.  Or I buy them something handmade. At any rate I want it to be special, not from the WalMart toy aisle.  Something unique.

This year, this was my inspiration.

After I bought my pillow cases I realized that their 5 pillow model would be huge if I used it with the size of pillow cases/pillows I had.  So I used four pillow cases, four pillows each.

I purchased four, two pillow case sets on Amazon for $14 each.  Total cost: $56.  I found pillows on sale at the Alco for $5 each.  I bought 8 total.  Pillow cost: $40.  Project cost: $90.  So that's $45 per lounger and when you compare to other pillow type lounger things it comes out pretty cheap.

So far the girls have been using them as beds, chairs, beanbags, forts...  Loving them!

I used a zig zag stitch to sew the cases together as close to the edge as possible.  I also used purple thread... It was pretty much the only thing I had on hand that went with the brown and the contrast is kind of cute.

In the center of the open end of each pillow case I made a buttonhole and sewed a purple button.  This serves as a closure to keep the pillows in, but I can easily get the pillows out and wash the pillow cases if I need to.  I'm sure that will happen.

This is how they turned out.  Josie chose the cheetah print lounger, Sarah went with the giraffe.  Each one is a little shorter than a twin bed. 

Total.  Valentines. Love!