Another heart warming story

Subject: Recent death of my Grandsons' grandfather

I have been meaning to send this to you for some weeks but the time seems
to get away from me everyday. I wanted to pass on a little something my
7 year old grandson said after receiving a quilt that Dee Watson made.

She had given me 4 to let my two grandsons, Jimmy, age 11 and Matt, age
7, to each pick one following the recent death of their grandfather (my
daughter-in-law's father). I set them down in our living room floor and
explained to them that Project Linus often presented children with a
blanket to help them through their sadness and as a way to remember their
grandfather. They were both well aware of the work I do making blankets
for Linus so they understood about the organization. I told them that
every time they used the blanket they would remember their grandfather
and know he had loved them very much. Matt had a hard time picking from
the four as he liked them all but Jimmy quickly picked one with different
fish scenes all over it. They were all so beautiful I can well
understand Matt's problem with choosing the one he finally settled on.

My daughter-in-law told me the next day at the funeral, that Matt had
come down that morning to the kitchen all wrapped up in his quilt. His
mother said "Matt, do you really like your new blanket"? He told her
that he knew his Grandpa was up in Heaven but he was all wrapped up in
his love.

And fellow blanketeers, that is why we do the work we do!

Matt could not have put it better.

Another heart warming story

I'm back! I'm back - after having my computer in the shop off and on for
about 5 days. I felt like I was completely cut off from the world!

In the many emails in my inbox, I received the following from one of the
Directors for Royal Family Kids Camp:

"Just got back from Royal Family Kids' Camp. WOW! What a week! It's so
fun to watch the kids as they anticipate getting a blanket. The returning
kids tell them that they will get a special blanket that night. So-o-o it
was 95 degrees and we were handing out blankets!! But they wrapped up in
them and enjoyed them anyway! We had one girl who had prayed for a pink
blanket. Guess what she got. Yep, pink. We didn't know.

Another girl was scared of bugs-she got a lady bug quilt and we worried that
she wouldn't like it because of the bug fear. (We didn't know when her
blanket was selected.) By the end of the week, she was CATCHING bugs for a
bug box and enjoying her blanket. The kids were delighted with their
blankets-lots of smiles. At breakfast, a number of them had their blankets.

AND there were blankets that showed up from previous years as their campers
returned for another year of camp. The kids talked about how much they love
their blankets and take them when they have to move. One little boy I'll
call Freddy had just left an adoptive placement (it wasn't finalized) in
what we term a "failed adoption." He was afraid of everything and so very
sad. My heart ached for him. The second night he went to bed more easily,
all wrapped in the comfort of his new blanket. So sweet. Thanks to you and
all those who make these treasured blankets for kids."

Royal Family Kids Camp is for kids who are in foster care that have been
neglected, abused, abandoned, etc. They pretty much have one counselor per
child at the camp.

Donna Aten

Boise/SW Idaho Chapter

www.LinusIdaho.org

Thought you would enjoy this story

I loaded the truck last night and planned to go to Childrens Mercy Hospital
in Downtown Kansas City this morning. Woke and it was raining....geezzz
we've been waiting for rain forever....but on blanket delivery day? Well I got in
the truck and drove 40 minutes in the rain to discover that the hospital as
consturction all around it and where I normally drive right to the front
door. Not today, I must park at the end of the side walk and take a little walk
to the door. I run in get several wagons that they have for children to ride
in and bring them back out where my wonderful husband is standing the rain
unloading. I loaded up 2 wagon loads and as I'm walking back to the entrance
there's a protected area where a little boy with and IV is sitting in a wagon
leaning on a pillow. His grandma smiled at me and said he just begged to go
out and see the rain...he's been inside for a month so they let me bring him
out here....he still looked so sad though.... I took the wagons on in out
the rain and grabbed a blanket out of one of the bags and as I passed to go get
another load I handed this little guy a blanket. He just grinned so big and
said to his grandma, we go back in now. Made my day and if it hadn't been
raining I would have missed giving this little guy his blanket.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to share with you.

Patty Gregory
KansasCity Project Linus