baby quilt

I have just finished the quilt for baby Lihle, the little boy that my daughter is caring for in South Africa. She continues to take him to visit his birth mother but at the moment she is not in a position to make decisions for her own life or his.

I made this quilt from fabric I have left over from other baby quilts I have made. I used part of a vintage quilt I had been given, for the backing. It is soft and snugly and I can't wait to see him all wrapped up in it. 

                                

                                

                                 

Care for the helpless

As you will know if you read my blog regularly, that my eldest daughter and her husband are missionaries in South Africa.they have their own two little boys whom they adopted as babies and my daughter, as well as working part time as children's pastor and alongside her husband homeschool their boys, also visits the homeless shelter and helps out wherever she can. 

This shelter is not like those we find in the UK, they are grim places with hundreds of people living in them including families with young children. Many if the tenants are addicts and th women often work the streets to support their habits and/or their families. 

Some tenants are young street children who the older tenants will prey on and sell drugs to. 

My daughter gets to know the women and children who live there and is often the port of call to get people to hospital when need be as ambulances will refuse to go there.

Recently one of the young ladies went into labour, my daughter managed to get her to the hospital where her son was born addicted to the same drugs as his mother uses. She struggled to take care of him as both she and her baby went through withdrawals. My daughter inferred to take him for a couple of nights to give her a break and to give him the love and are he needed. 

She took him back to the shelter last week but was unable to leave him, his mother was in no state to take care of him. She has taken him back for further visits but his mother is now saying that she wishes for him to be adopted. Only she can make that move and talk to social services which at the moment she is in no fit state to do. So my daughter and her husband continue to care for this sweet little baby.

 If you would like to visit her blog www.littlefingersandfrosting.blogspot.co.uk you will get a better story from her. Those of you who pray, please pray for this baby and his mother, for healing for them both. Also please pray for my daughter and her family, the longer they have this baby in their care the more attached they will become and the harder it will be to hand him on to either his mother or an adoptive family. But we know that at his time the place for him to be is with a loving family who know how to care for him and to help him through the withdrawals for his addiction. Thank you.

                       

With my daughter

                        

With his mother

                       

I have started a quilt for him that will hopefully stay with him wherever he goes.

It's been a busy couple of weeks

It seems like I have been away for ages. Tonight I will sit down and catch up on all your posts.

 The beginning of last week we went to a conference which was a great time of Spiritual teaching and blessing. From there we drove to look at a cottage in Wales which we are hoping to buy and then back home for one night before driving down to a sweet little town on the South Coast called Millford on Sea. We lived down on the SC for three years while hubby was at Bible College and really love that area. 

As you know it was hubby's 60th on Sunday so I had booked a weekend at a pottery where we stayed in a lovely little loft above the pottery he spent Saturday joining with five others on a pottery course. During his time I went exploring the beach and a couple of local towns. The weather was glorious and we had a great time.

 We then drove to our friends retreat in East Sussex for a couple of nights, spending yesterday picnicking with them down on the beach. The sea was wild with enormous waves and the sunshine warm and wonderful. 

Last night as we arrived back to house we felt blessed and refreshed, if not a little tired :)

This coming Saturday we will be continuing the birthday celebrations with lunch in London with some of the family. 

                         

The hayloft with its spiral stairs, our evening supper venue The Smugglers Inn, a selection of the pots made at Vinegar Hill Pottery 

                         

Millford on Sea and Lymington

                         

Rottingdean. Hubby pretending to surf on a rock till the waves came crashing in and he had to run for it!

Happy Birthday Gilby Skipp

I can hardly believe that Gilby Skipp just celebrated his 3rd birthday, I have taken most of these photos from my daughters IG account. We were able to share his birthday tea with him and his family and a few friends which was lovely. He was so sweet opening his gifts, so appreciative of all he received. It was also great to see him enjoying being the centre of attention. 

We all had to sing ' Happy Birthday' right through to the end before he would blow his candles out, the problem was that his sisters couldn't wait that long and kept pipping him to the post and so we had to sing all through again for him to have another go....about four times in total before the girls could control themselves and not blow too soon, after a stern telling off from Gilby!

I never seem to get a photo of Gilby with Mummy because she's the one who takes most of the photos. So here's a selection to celebrate his birthday. And one at the bottom of the twins ;)

Birthday boy

With his best friend making cup cakes for their sisters

Out on Mummy's birthday, getting all the attention while his sisters were at school

Valentines treat with Mummy

                       

At the library

Taken on the one recent dry day

                   

Big sisters

2 quay street

While we were in Cornwall recently we visited a little town called Lostwithiel, we often stop as we are passing through but since our last visit this lovely fabric and knitting shop has opened up.

It is called '2 quay street' as this is where it's found, down near the river.

As well as selling a lovely range of fabrics, sewing notions and wool they also hold workshops....if only I lived closer :)

I bought the pre cut squares by Riley & Blake Designs and also a piece of beautiful organic plain fabric for the backing of the quilt I will make with the squares.

The two ladies who run the shop each have their own websites:

www.vintagesewandsew.com and www.lancasterandcornish.co.uk

Both are worth a visit and of course if you find yourself down in Cornwall just pop into their delightful shop!

                   

Cornwall

Today is our 38th wedding anniversary. We have come down to Cornwall for a few days to stay in a cottage belonging to friends who are away.

The weather here in the south West has been pretty wild but today the sun came out and we managed to drive around the countryside stopping off here and there for breakfast and walks around fishing villages and beaches.

This evening we are going for supper at the Polgooth Inn which is in the village where I moved with my parents when I was 16 and where we spent our wedding day evening. We also lived in the village for a couple of years when we had young children.

We will travel home on Sunday, stopping off in Devon to visit family and grandchildren in route.

I have added to bottom three photos to show how huge the waves were that have been battering the coastal villages in the South West. (I didn't take them)

                 

Home again

We returned from our two week break in Cyprus early Saturday morning. We had a great time, the weather was good, the house which we were loaned by friends was wonderful and the loan of their car also, gave us the opportunity to explore the island a little each day.

Below are some sea photos and I will post some other photos over the next few days.

Tomorrow our daughter will arrive from South Africa to renew her visa, we will pick her up from the airport and drive her to Devon so spend a few days with our other daughter and her family.

 Hubby and I will travel on down to Cornwall to celebrate our 38th !!!! Wedding anniversary on Friday. 

It's been lovely catching up with all your wonderful blog posts since I got back :)

                  Mm