The Superior Rogers: Making Baby Blankets for Other Babies

One of my biggest regrets is not making my Eleanor a quilt, like her brothers and sister have, and being able to bury it with her. So, for me to make a baby blanket for anyone, anymore, is really difficult. It really shouldn't be. It's something that I can do, semi-well, and it's a way to show kindness to others and do service for them.

One day, a few months before camp, my mom approached me, and asked if I would be willing to make 2 baby blankets, for their stake to take up to girl's camp, and have the girl's tie. They would learn how to stretch them and tie them properly, and then they'd be donated to an organization (I can't remember anymore where they were going to be donated to). Since I am a service junkie, I immediately said yes, without any reservation. It would be EASY! I didn't need to buy anything and it surely wouldn't take much time!

As time went on, it became harder to make these blankets. I had 3 or so months to make them, which in normal circumstances, would be PLENTY of time for 2 baby blankets. But in my circumstances, I kept putting it off. I kept envisioning them going to Ellie. I would think, "What would I want to make for her? What would I want it to look like?" It was taking me an eternity to figure out what pattern I wanted, and what fabrics I wanted to use.

One day, I realized, I only have a week left to make these darn blankets! This should be done by now! I was really frustrated with myself. Thinking back, on why it was so hard, I came to the conclusion that, it's so hard to do, because it'll never be perfect enough to give to her, so why bother? I really had to talk myself out of that mentality, and realize, this is something for a different baby, not for my own. I don't even know these babies! But even though I didn't know the babies, and I didn't know their mothers and their fathers, I wanted it to be perfect for them, for their little bundles of joy. I wanted them, in whatever bleak circumstances they were in financially, or otherwise, to know that someone out there.......someone they didn't know and would probably never meet, loved and cared about them, and their child.

So, after changing my way of thinking a little bit. I began to sew and sew and sew. I even upped the goal of 2 blankets to 4 blankets. I'm kind of an over doer when it comes to doing service for people.

The time came to give the blankets to my mom. During this whole process, she lovingly, kept checking on me to make sure this wasn't doing harm to me, instead of doing good. So when I gave her the blankets, I felt like I gave her a little piece of me to her, to give to these families. I kept apologizing I only made 3, but she kept telling me, "I only needed 2! These are beautiful!" She was so surprised. She was expecting just easy blankets, a flip out kind of blanket. She wasn't expecting quilts. A few weeks later, she came to me, and said that her Young Women's Presidency was so thankful for the quilts I had made, and how much they loved them. They were so grateful for the time that I spent on these blankets for them. It filled my heart, so much that it overflowed, knowing that they appreciated them. They will never know how hard it was for me to make them, and what kind of changes I had to make in myself, in order to complete them, but I know that my Father in Heaven and my daughter are so proud of me, for giving of myself, even when it was difficult and draining on me. I know they are proud of me, for doing the Lords work, and giving of myself. Most of all, I know that the families that receive those blankets will love them, and will be able to feel my love for them, through those blankets.

Blanket #1: (This one is my favorite, of the 3)