If you know me you may have known I have taken up the hobby of cross stitching. You have probably seen my cross stitch I made for the musical group "Hanson." But I have been cross stitching many years before I even knew who Hanson were. And it was because of my friendship with Cathy is why I got started doing something that I've grown to love.

It was 1992 when I decided to try my hand at cross stitching. Actually my very FIRST cross stitch was when I was in 4th grade and our teacher taught us a bit of how to cross stitch. But back then I could not cross stitch at all! My sister however was a cross stitcher and I would often look at the pictures she had made and I would wish for anything to learn how to make the kinds of pictures she would make. But as hard as I tried I just could not do it so I gave up.

Then in 1992 when Cathy first left for India, she was due back to the states near the end of that year. My sister had been here for a visit and I told her how excited I was that Cathy was coming back to America for a few months furlough! I told her also I wish there was a gift or something I could do to surprise Cathy when she came back. Then my sister said something that from then on became a wonderful pastime I have really learned to enjoy. She asked me, "Why don't you try cross stitching her a picture?"

I was a bit surprised and reluctant at first, remembering how back in 4th grade how horribly my cross stitch pictures came out then. But then I decided.."Sure...why not."

So my sister and I went to the store, several stores actually and after much looking I finally picked out a graph and a design of a cat and dog. I liked cats, and Cathy liked dogs so I thought it would be perfect!! I took it home and followed along with the directions and came up with something that didn't turn out as bad as I had thought it might turn out.

And from then on, with more practice and more pictures, I kept on making more cross stitch pictures, running to the store to see what other designs I could make, loading up on thread and material...everything I could get to have such a relaxing fun hobby!

I first started making pictures only for Cathy. Then after I started to get to know the children in the second Children's Home I started making little cross stitch pictures for them and for the workers, with a few bigger projects for the whole family of the Children's Home. I then started trying to make my own designes. And the more I kept at it, the more I enjoyed making my own pictures from my own drawings.

This section you will get to see the cross stitches I made Cathy and the children and workers of the Children's Home for the years she and I were best friends. I hope you enjoy looking at them because they were a great joy to make! So click the arrow and see the page of pictures of the cross stitches I made through the years.