Red Couches and New Hobbies

First of all, I want to show you a few pictures of my red couch. It's a bright, sunny day here in Kansas, so if you're somewhere where it isn't sunny today, please enjoy my sunshine.

(This is how we've been keeping the couch and ottoman since we brought them home Monday.)

(This is a great position for the ottoman if you want to lounge. Just before I snapped this picture, Simon was laying on the couch with Lilly. They both seem to like it!)

(The new arrangement of furniture gives our critters the best of all possible worlds: sunshine and comfy seats!)

A few weeks before Christmas I decided I wanted to learn how to embroider. I started my first project on Christmas Day, and I have to say it's become an addictive hobby. I've already finished it. It's a tea towel.

The week my mom was here we enjoyed embroidering together. It was so much fun to sit together working on our projects. I was so excited about learning to embroider that M gave me a sewing machine for Christmas! Well, I don't have it yet, but it's coming. I'm looking forward to decorating my home with these projects.

After we lost Faith, M suggested that I needed a few new hobbies. I was at a loss as to what I might start or learn, but I did agree that I needed to try something new. Finding a project that would help me be hopeful, where I could see progress, where I could be in control, these were important pieces for me in the healing process. I had no idea just how much I would enjoy the feeling of planning and creativity and how much of my creative energy was focused so completely on welcoming our daughter into the world. I'm happy to be able to say that the hole left in my life that once was filled with plans for my daughter is slowly closing. It will never be completely healed and will always be like a tender scar that can reopen at any moment, but it's not as raw as it once was. Yay for time and new hobbies!