It has been a little over one year since my Grandpa Lloyd left his Earthly home. To be grown and to have the blessing of grandparents still in your life is a special gift. To watch your own children grow to love and cherish your grandparents is nothing short of magical. My grandfather was a special man. Humble, brave, stubborn, frugal (LOL), Godly, selfless….I could go on and on. My grandfather spoke often of his childhood, of his past, of his days as a sailor on the USS Wake Island in WWII. He told the same stories over and over and this is what drew my Bryce in. He soaked up every word. He poured over the books grandpa gave him. He was an eager visitor even in the last days. Bryce sat and held grandpas hand. He wrapped his arms around grandpas frail body and wept as he knew he was saying his final goodbye.
We have a few Kendal Bears in our home, but our Grandpa Bear is the most treasured. He is made from a shirt that my grandmother had made for him and a pair of his coveralls. He smells like grandpa. He is a wonderful source of comfort and remembrance.
“On behalf of the President of the United States of America, the United States Navy and a grateful nation please accept this flag as symbol of our appreciation for your loved ones honorable and faithful service”….as the officer handed my own father the flag we all knew we had been blessed to know a real life super hero.
Kate and Paige have been begging me to make them Kendal Bears for….well…forever. We ha e struggled to figure out the right fabric. There are just so many choices 🤣. And you see even though I do the deconstruction on hundreds of garments I have not actually been able to cut up anything of theirs. So….well I came across duplicates of their first Matilda Jane pieces I knew it was the perfect match for the project!!
The SD winter has been relentless so far and this last snow storm paired with Christmas break has the 4 kiddos and me crawling the walls. Sounds like the perfect time to sew bears with your newly minted 7 year olds right?!? LOL 🤣
Good news…we all made it out of the sewing room and the girls are thrilled with the outcome. They have even declared that Brooks needs his own Kendal Bear for his birthday in February….we will see.
Tonight when they climbed into bed their new bears were tucked safely in bed too. My heart could not be more full ❤️🐻
This post was supposed to happen last week…but you know…life happens. There never seems to me enough time to get everything done. The Mom Taxi is in full swing over here these days. Oh and when you mandolin off the tip of your finger EVERYTHING becomes infinitely more difficult…it’s amazing how fast skin grows back 🤣.
Oh that note I would love to introduce you to the latest Kendal Bear. She is so special is a lot of ways. She is made from vintage Matilda Jane pieces that my dear friend Cammie sent my way. She honors the late Denise DeMarchis who was the founder of Matilda Jane. She is also being donated to an auction to support The Mighty Acorn Foundation, which was also founded by Denise and her husband. Now if you are not familiar with either of these organizations I invite you to pause right now read a bit more about them. In a world where so many things seem to be wrong these are two places where things are right.
I was so honored when Cammie asked if I would donate a Kendal Bear for this event. Giving back and so much what this is all about. I can’t wait for this sweet bear to make it to her new home. I know she will bring much joy and blessing ❤️.
Many of you know me as a stay at home mom. As a retired Matilda Jane Trunk Keeper. As a familiar face in our small SD community. What you may not know is that prior to our life here in Pierre I worked as a Registered Nurse. I’ve worn many hats thru my career. Right out of graduation I found myself in the NICU and this is where my heart has always stayed.
I was a newly wed (which is so crazy to think about as we just celebrated 15 years). I was struggling with my own infertility in a world where the harsh reality of parenthood was staring me down everyday. These were the trenches. At the time I didn’t understand what that meant. I wasn’t a parent. I was there in a professional role caring for critically ill infants.
So what does this have to do with Bears you may ask. Everything…it has everything to do with bears. Over the past couple of months I have been asked multiple times to create memory bears for families that have lost a child. I knew this would be the case going into this project. Preserving memories and raising awareness, especially for AML, is the whole driving force. What I didn’t consider was a trip down memory lane…
As I said earlier I was young and childless during my NICU time. There were many harsh realities I encountered. Along with the celebration of those who’s time had come to go home there was also loss. I remember both. I want to touch specifically on the losses. I may not remember the names of the parents, but you can bet I remember the names of those tiny souls. There are specific details forever etched on my heart. To hold a 22 week old babe as they take their first and last breath. I was in charge of baby A for that twin delivery. I never knew the mamas name. But you can guarantee I will never forget her or her sweet girls.
Kendal Bears are as much for the recipient as they are for me and as they are for Abby. With each bear Kendal is honored and remembered. With each bear a part of my heart and soul is sewn into the seams. With each bear you are getting so much more than a piece of your loved one.
There have been so many requests about donating a Kendal Bear…. There will be a whole post about this coming soon but in the meantime if this is something you are interested in the answer is absolutely!! If you have a friend or loved one that would benefit from a Kendal Bear and you would like to donate or sponsor one for them just reach out and I can help coordinate that. There is also a place of need if you simply want to donate a bear….we live in a world where there is so much loss and the gift of a bear could be just the spot of hope someone is looking for.
A picture of my own Special Care Nursery Grads. Our time there was short and uneventful. Still those days were hard beyond what I could have imagined. Those those parents to fight that battle for weeks, months, years….you are true warriors.
The other evening I was working on bears like I typically do. I turn on my favorite Netflix or Amazon show and cut, stuff, or sew away. I could say that I choose to do this in the evening because it’s when everyone is asleep and I’m not distracted. But the truth is if I sit down in front of the TV without my hands being busy I will be asleep within minutes….I used to make fun of my own mother for this same tendency when I was a teenager….I get it now Mom…I get it!!
Back to the story….I was working on bears and my husband says “I’m surprised you enjoy making bears so much”. I paused and took that comment in. He knows we too well. He knows I strongly dislike monotony. I love mixing things up. Always making new patterns. Trying new recipes. There is certainly no Taco Tuesday or Fish Friday happening in our house. I shrugged and simple said “they are all so different and I love seeing the personality of each bear after they are sewn together and stuffed”.
You see even though each bear is the same pattern that is where the sameness stops. I find that each one has a personality all their own. The head tilt. The arm placement. The way the nose and eyes go on. Sometimes I get so excited I have to stop and stuff a bear as soon as I get it together even though I have a line up of others to complete. I just can’t wait!
When you order a Kendal Bear I like to weigh in a bit on the fabrics we will use. I offer some general guidelines and guidance but ultimately I am surprised each time a box arrives. One just box arrived this week. These bears are for a dear friend of Abby’s (Kendals mama) and they are for her three kiddos to celebrate them and preserve some of their favorite things. When I open the box I’m like a kid on Christmas morning…what will be in there?!? I unpack, I lay it all out, I spend time with the fabric thinking about the options. I can’t wait to dive in and explore all the possibility that each box holds. So keep the boxes coming and I can’t wait to share what the beautiful pieces in here transform into 🐻💛
Recently there was a day to celebrate Rainbow babies. Babies born after a loss of some kind. Miscarriage, still birth, infant death….the list can go on. As a young woman in my mid 30s the list of friends who have experienced these kinds of losses is astounding and my heart sings with joy that they have Rainbow babies to celebrate.
With each celebration I can not help but think about the little one that put them in this place to begin with. Violet and Kendal would be the same age as my Brooks. As we celebrate milestones I remember my dear friends and the little girls that are not here to celebrate with us.
Today is bear day for a very special recipient of Kendal Bears. Today she meets her pack that were made to honor and remember her Kellan. He will never know life outside the womb. He joins our other tiniest of angels. The bond between mama and her unborn child is one that I can not express in writing and I can not even begin to understand the void that this loss leaves. Tiffany said that I could share her story, but I know that only she will be able to tell it best. She has her own blog that shares her story of grief and loss. Check it out here…https://strengthingrief.com/
Each time I sit down to sew Bears there is a special feeling that comes with that. Sewing for Tiffany was no different. The bear that is going to her parents had me laughing out loud. Despite my careful calculations and double checks the fabric on the back of this bear was completely opposite of what I had planned. He also has the cutest unconventional ears as I wanted to make them from a special pair of wool socks. And don’t get me started on the head tilt and smirk he ended up with after the hand-sewing. I shared with Tiffany that her parents must have big personalities and that Kellan sure did too.
As we celebrate the rainbow babes in our lives may be never forget the smallest of angels that made them possible.
Let me start by saying Welcome! I’m so glad you are here. I want to introduce you to a very special stuffed bear…
The original Kendal Bear was made to honor and remember Kendal Mae Breyfogle. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) was the monster that took her from this world in September of 2017.
I met Kendal’s mama Abby when she was still pregnant. You see, she was expecting twin baby girls! I have twin daughters as well and us twin mamas have to stick together. Over the next few months we bonded over double strollers, schedules and how many exersaucers does one really need (the answer is 4!). When Kendal and Kenedi arrived a few weeks early there was a flurry of activity. Then when they were diagnosed with AML at just three months old a whole new battle was waged. They were fierce and fought head on. Remission was reached! Kendal relapsed a year later and the troops rallied again. Kendal was a warrior and she fought until the very last moment. In the end AML claimed Kendal’s life. But this girl will never stop fighting. Her life is changing the world and Kendal Bear is part of that story.
The original Kendal Bear is made with her favorite things. Her favorite outfits, her lovey, even a piece of the dress she was laid to rest in. She is traveling thru life along side her twin sister, siblings and parents.
Since then I have been asked to create many more Bears. Bears to remember a loved one. Bears to celebrate. Bears to preserve a moment in time. Bears just to support Kendal and her mission to find a cure for AML.
My hope is to share the courage, strength, and hope that IS Kendal Bear. To share the stories of each bear I create. To introduce you to the families and individuals they are for. To share a little bit of Kendal with the world.
Kendal Bears 