Remembering our loved ones we have lost at Christmas

1999 was an emotional year in our house . . . in April my husband and were married, that fall we found out we were pregnant, at Thanksgiving we found out that my mother-in-law had cancer and then she died on Christmas Eve . . . all in the same year.

What does this have to do with a crafting blog? Well, the family recieved so many flowers at my mother-in-law's funeral and since I am a crafty person one of the cousin's suggested that I hang the flowers upside-down to dry out and then use the flowers in items for the entire family. I thought that this was a lovely way to preserve the flowers and pay tribue to my mother-in-law. Since she died on Christmas Eve, I decided to make Christmas ornaments for each family member with the roses we dried and saved. Oh . . . it was extra special to use the roses because my mother-in-law's first name was Rose.

I took simple acrylic ornamets that snap together in the middle, and hot glued one of the roses and baby's breath to the inside. Then when I snapped it shut I covered the seam with ribbons and trim that I have left over from making the floral arrangments for our wedding that same year.

Attached to the ornamet is a tag with this poem on it . . .

In the garden of the heart,
Love's spirit ever grows,
As sweet memories unfold
Like the petals of a rose.
And love's beauty offers comfort
To soften thorns of sorrow,
For knowing love endures
Gives hope for each tomorrow.
May this Rememberance Rose
Be a comforting reminder
Of love that lives forever.

Every year when my children put these ornaments on the tree they call them the "Grandma Mosch ornaments". It is hard to believe that this year is the ten year anniversary of the year that she died.

Merry Christmas Rose! We miss you and you are still with us in our hearts.