Christmas Stockings

The countdown is on! Only 55 more days until Christmas, my most favorite holiday. I usually start decorating the day after Halloween, so we have time to really enjoy it. I am so excited about my personalized Christmas Stockings. They come in two styles: a traditional shape, and a high heeled boot. I can make them in whatever colors you want, but the most common color combinations are shown below. Most have a velvet and suede fabric combination with beautiful beaded trim. And they are so special- because they are presonalized, with your name. No one else will have a stocking quite like yours!

I think the boot turned out amazing! Of course it can also be done in many other color combinations. I am also working on a leopard print boot.

If you are in the Northwest Arkansas area, please stop by Signed, Sealed, and Delivered next Sunday, Nov.7th for their Christmas open house. I will be there, taking orders for personalized Christmas Stockings and a few other great items. See you there!

(If you aren't in the area, and want your own stocking, just contact me directly.)

One of a Kind

When Matthew was born, one of the many tests that he had, was a chromosome test. He was about 2 weeks old when we received the phone call saying that Matthew has an extra chromosome, and we would meet with the geneticist in about 3 months. They didn't give us a lot of details, except that the extra chromosome has a piece of 7 and 8 on it. The most well known extra chromosome is down syndrome, or trisomy 21, meaning that the extra chromosome has attached to pair 21. As a parent, I wanted to know what Matthew might be dealing with so I googled "trisomy 7" and found out that there are no live cases of trisomy 7, all would miscarry. Not always a good idea to search the internet for answers.

We finally met with the geneticist. He asked what questions we had. We wanted to know what Matthew's syndrome was called, what other kids like him dealt with, and what his mental capacity would be. The doctor explained that the extra chromosome had a piece of 7, 8, and 22 that had fromed 1 chromosome, but it was not attached to a pair, just hanging out by itself. Then he explained that there is a data bank holding the information for all chromosome disorders in the entire world. There is not a single match to Matthew. In the entire world! So the doctor could not answer any of our questions, but we actually found that to be good news. We can't compare him to anyone else, so he has no limitations.

Before Matthew was born, I heard someone say that "all children belong to God. We just get to take care of them." Matthew may not be like anyone else, but he is a child of God. Even though we don't really know what lies ahead, I am honored that God gave him to us.

Sometimes it doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't God make all children perfect and healthy. Why would a child ever have to suffer? And why would a baby's life on earth end too soon, while her family and hundreds of people were praying for her? My cousin's sweet 7 week old baby girl went to heaven last Friday, due to complications with heart surgery. At her funeral this morning, the pastor read this verse:

Psalm 139: 13-16. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

God knows what Matthew is going through- He made Matthew. And God knew all about sweet Hadley. We may never comprehend God's plan in times like this, but we must trust that He has a plan. In Hadley's short 7 weeks on this earth she has had an impact on more people than most of us do in our entire lives.

Hadley's life is shared at hdstones.blogspot.com. Please pray for her parents and family to find strength and comfort.