Monday December 13, 2010

 

 

Counted Cross Stitch Photos

Of Our Grandchildren

 

~~~

 Several years ago (2000) I learned about a place where I could send photos and they would transfer them into a counted cross stitch pattern. I was so pleased with the first photo of our oldest granddaughter, that I began stitching a picture of each grandchild  when they were between the ages of three and five.

Each of these is glass covered, so it was a challenge to photograph them.

~~~

 

 

Elizabeth

 

 

Hannah

 

 

Josiah

 

 

Jordan

 

 

Abigail

 

 

Nathan

 

 

Elijah lived only five months so I treasure this photo.

~~~

Because some of you asked about Elijah:

He is the son of Mark and Diane (from Maine) and was born with a heart deformity. I do not remember many of the details, and to tell everything about his short life would be quite lengthly.

Shortly after they brought him home from the hospital, Diane noticed that his feet and legs were cold and Mark thought he wasn’t breathing right,  so they took him to the hospital where he was quickly transferred to Maine Medical in Portland. He was in a coma for many days, and not expected to live.

It was discovered that his heart had not developed properly and his aorta was not connected to the heart, thus he was not getting blood to his lower extremities. Experimental surgery was performed where a tiny tube was inserted to make the connection, and it worked fairly well.

Elijah came out of his coma and eventually went home, but he spent almost as much time in the hospital as out during the five months he lived. (He was at home five more days than he was in the hospital.) He died during surgery to repair his tiny life-giving tube.

The experience helped me to understand the great pain that grandparents go through when there is tragedy or heartbreak involving grandchildren. It is excruciating to watch your children go through something so painful. You hurt for them and you hurt for yourself.

There is another thing one learns from great pain and loss: God is faithful to comfort and guide our steps – if we keep walking.

~~~

 

 

Josh

 

 

Hezekiah

 

 

Jenna

 

 

Lydia

 

 

Diana

 

 

Jana

 

 

Gloria

 

 

I still have these three to do. Then I will have all seventeen finished.

These are not the photos I am stitching, but that would be a cute picture of Jesse. I have the patterns for Ian and Jared, but began stitching a photo of our house after finishing Gloria’s photo – because Ian was only two at the time. When photography became more of a hobby in 2005, I began doing less stitching. Because of our busy life, it takes me about a year to stitch a photo.