What a Card!

I love this picture of my sister, Jo.  She cracks me up!  She was working hard when she looked up at me over her glasses!

Every year for as long as I can remember I have received a card in the mail from JoEllen on my Birthday.  When I got married, Wally started getting one too.  When we had kids, they all began to get cards also.  Multiply this by the six siblings in my family…and all their spouses…and all their kids!  Whew, that’s a lot of cards.  But guess what?  Jo’s nieces and nephews grew up, got married and started having babies!  So the cards multiplied to another generation!  Do you know who accomplishes this feat each year?  My Mom. And she has done it for years!  She collects the cards and has Jo sign them when she is at home, addresses the envelopes and sends them back to Shepherd’s with Jo.  If Mom doesn't get it done by the time Jo leaves from her Christmas visit, Jo kind of nags her until she sends them in the mail.  It’s true, Jo can be a little naggy!  And I’m pretty sure she hounds her poor housemother at the beginning of each month to get the cards in the mail on time.  She looks at the calendar, and she can recognize the names and she really knows when the Birthdays are coming!

This year I thought I would help my Mom out. So for Christmas I was going to make a card box for JoEllen and put a few cards into it for her.  Then I thought I would have her over one day and we could make up a few more.   But, on one of my trips to Sam’s Club I saw a pretty cute card box for only $8.00…and it had a lot of cards inside.  So I bought that instead.  I am so glad I did too!!  On the day Jo came over to make cards, I was a bit flabbergasted to look at the list…43 Birthday Cards!  Who are all these people?  A good chunk of the Birthdays I did not even have written down anywhere.  Not to mention Anniversaries…I asked Mom if she sends out Anniversary cards too?  “No,” she replied, “we dropped those a few years ago!” I guess I do not think of all my family as much as I thought I did!  And I’m pretty sure there are a lot of family members that probably do not send Jo a card on her Birthday!

So here is Jo working on some of her cards…

She liked using the Sizzix to cut and emboss.

Here’s a few favorite cards.  I tried to be sure Jo’s brothers and sisters had a handmade card.  Many other family members did as well, but I did use my Cricut to mass produce a few! 

In addition to making the cards, Jo signed them.  That was a lot of work for her!  I hope this doesn’t spoil it for you Robin, but I thought it was so precious, I took a picture! 

The card box all loaded and organized!  And one tired but satisfied card maker!

 I know there have been lots of times I have taken Jo’s card for granted when it arrives.  I have often thought, “It’s just a card.”  Now I know the work that is behind getting that card in the mail.  If ever a card is sent with thoughtfulness, it is from Jo…she truly is thinking of me!