From Mayhem to Quilts

I'm taking a rare break from my hectic life to have a cup of coffee and consider the new direction my life's journey is taking me. Won't you take a short break as well and let me share my story?

We have a bustling household with my husband, two sons (21 and 22), and legal guardianship of three grandchildren (4, 8, and 12). We have also been foster parents to more than twenty foster children in the last four years of varied ages for some time periods of two weeks to three years. Outside of the home, I have been in the work force for more than 32 years and a State of Kansas employee since 1974 - which makes my life very busy juggling both a large family and career.

It is no wonder that my journey in life needs to change now to accommodate my family's needs. If I retire from government work, my grandchildren and foster children will have someone that can devote herself more to family and school activities. Something my own children had to only get in quick snatches of time between, my job and running a home . . . now we will be able to enjoy and enrich each other's lives more fully. I'll be there for them when they need someone to talk to, help with homework, someone to cheer them on, or simply share the day.

Retirement will also offer a new adventure for me. Since our family grew so quickly and unexpectedly, we had to purchase a six-bedroom home to accommodate everyone. The extra housing expense means that we will need an extra income during retirement to help with our family's finances. However, this has led us in a new direction that is exciting and fulfilling. I've decided to open an online store for quilts!

You might ask how is quilting so fulfilling? I have personally seen the love and emotional impact quilts can have on little ones that have been tossed about by life and hurt emotionally. My six grandchildren have had several design quilts made out of fabrics they have personally chosen and patterns that they liked. All twenty of my foster children has had a design quilt given to them as well-even if their stay was as short as a month. Yes, these quilts are beautiful and colorful . . . they are warm or lightweight depending on their needs and season . . . but this is not what make them so special.

What makes a design quilt so special? It is the love imparted and the emotional impact it can have on not only a small child, but an adult as well. Foster children are pulled from everything and everyone they know . . . their whole little world is totally shattered in a matter of minutes when pulled from their homes. Often they are placed in several foster homes before a permanent placement can be arranged legally. These little ones have nothing and no one, except sometimes a sibling and even then, they are often separated into different foster homes. A design quilt wraps them in love; they feel secure - like being hugged and it goes with them no matter where they are finally placed. A quilt is something that belongs to them and is not jerked away from them, they can curl up in it and remember the giver's love and feel safe from all the craziness of their little lives.

A newborn infant will cry out and scream as if in pain, but when swaddled tight and secure in a blanket will feel safe and loved. An elderly adult can have a design quilt with them to not only keep them warm, but help them remember they have loved ones in the world that care. A quilt wraps you in love and some how seems to help with all the troubles that may be in your life at the moment.

That's why I'm excited about this aspect of my life's journey. Giving to others the wonderful gift of love and security, while being able to share and impart more love and caring on my own extended family. My life might be a quieter life, but some how so much more fulfilling. Thank-you for spending time with me today and maybe you can give a design quilt to a cherished loved one of your own.

About the Author:

I plan to spend more time with my family something that I was not able to do with my sons and step-children. To give a design quilt to a cherished loved one of your own or to someone that you feel could use it visit my site at http://www.myheartwarmingquilts.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - My Heartwarming Quilts

Happy 10th Birthday, Girl's Pink and Green Quilt Card 5 x 7 inch premium quality folded paper greeting card. Find Birthday cards for everyone on your list at Greeting Card Universe. Birthday cards are always more memorable when they are sent the old-fashioned way. Allow Greeting Card Universe to handle all your Birthday card needs this year. This paper card includes the following themes: Happy 10th Birthday, 10th, and tenth. Greeting Card Universe of...

Crayola 10-Pack Fabric Markers (Single Box) $3.39 Design unique creations on cotton or polyester clothing and accessories using these new fabric markers. Set includes 10 bright colors....

Skip Hop Funky Farmyard Activity Mat $58.00 Skip Hop Funky Farmyard Activity Gym...

Oopsy daisy Doll Bed Stretched Canvas Wall Art by Mari Takabayashi, 8 by 10-Inch $38.76 Our stretched canvas wall art reproductions are created in Oopsy daisy's San Diego studios where we print in the best digital method currently available, achieving great clarity and color resolution in each piece. After printing, the canvas is stretched by hand over a wood frame. The sides of the canvas include a decorative edge, so no framing is required. Our canvases may be wiped clean with a so...

12 Hook Over the Door Coat Rack $20.99 Discover hidden storage space on the back of a door with the White and Wood Over the Door Coat Rack. Designed for use on household doors measuring 1.75 thick this over the door organizer offers a total of 12 storage hooks that are perfect for hanging coats purses robes towels clothing accessories and much more. 12 Hook Over the Door Rack Features Durable metal wire construction with a clean w...

Light Box 10 X 12 $37.96 Features a 10" x 12" (25 x 30 cm) conveniently slanted tracing surface and handy recessed tool tray to keep pencils, chalk, embossing stylus, and other tracing tools at your finger tips. Illuminated by a long-life "daylight" 8-watt fluorescent lamp (included). Uniform lighting prevents hot spots. Electrically operated product. Adult supervision is required. Ages 12 and up....

Molehill Children's Quilt-Tec Jacket Molehill Quilt-Tec Jackets feature 100 gram polyester fill that provides the perfect insulation for those really cold and wet environments. Our micro rip-stop nylon exteriors give the needed toughness. A water-repellent treatment helps repel moisture. Interior lycra wrist gaskets promote added warmth. An interior mesh pocket and an interior zippered pocket store I-pods, cell phones and other kid e...

Quilt-Tec Jacket Sythetic filled jacet that provides lightweight warmth and great looks...

Susan Brown Designs General Themes - Wing Quilt - Sweatshirts Wing Quilt Sweatshirt is commercial quality 9.3-ounce high resolution heat transfers garment. 50-50 cotton-poly NuBlend fleece, fully coverseamed, ribbed collar, cuffs and waistband with spandex, set-in sleeves. Our image transfer produces professional matte finish with Premium Quality and Superior image resolution. Colors do not bleed and the image is sharp and crisp....

Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go $7.60 Although this book was around when many of today's parents were youngsters, it has remained a steadfast must-have in every toddler's library. For starters, it's a great vocabulary guide that names the many things that go (and some that haven't a prayer of going, but are great fun to imagine anyway). It's also teeming with detail-rich scenes and characters on every page, teaching children th...