PhotoHunt: Row (something in a row)

Bleeding Hearts from my mother's garden - Mother's Day '05

PhotoHunt is something new I joined - once a week we're given a "theme" and we are to post a picture in our blog of how we interpret that theme. It has to be a picture that we have taken, old or new! Saturday is the change day (yes, I'm a little late getting started this week) - so watch for PhotoHunt images on Saturdays! Enjoy!

Canning Season

Whew! We are so glad that THIS is done! We had 200# of peaches waiting to be processed - and now it's finished! Almost 90 quarts of peaches - and the better part of a 20# box waiting to be made up into jam.



We had quite a little assembly line going - it only took us 4 hours (which is good compared to previous years). We've been canning for years, even when the kids were little...when it was more work to have them "help" than actual help! But it's paid off...they were so much help this year! They knew what to do and did such a good job.

Antiques Roadshow!

AMAZING! We had such a blast! We're big, nerdly fans of the show. Yes, we TiVo it. Yes, when I'm up in the night with a baby, I watch it. Yes, I know the appraisers by name! It's my mother's fault - raising me with so many antiques in our house!!

Our day was great. Our tickets were for 10:00 am. We parked at Gonzaga and rode the STA shuttle to the center. The people were so fun. Everyone was so curious about each other's things. There was just a constant buzz of friendly chit-chat.

When we arrived, the line was amazingly long. We were sure it'd be hours. We'd been warned that the whole Roadshow experience was going to be a nightmare, so we were prepared for the worst. However, as soon as we got in line (9:45am) it started moving. It was kind of like Disneyland - you wind around and around in a big old snake line. We stood next to the nicest little couple. They were older, grandparentish age. They showed us their things, we showed them ours. We were each sure the other would be appraised on TV! LOL

Our stand in line was an hour. When we got to the end of the line we entered THE ROADSHOW! I felt like a little kid - big wide eyes and I couldn't get inside fast enough. The first thing we took in was my great grandmother's rug. It had been in the US Embassy in Manilla. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the Embassy was instructed to take everything and shut down in fear of an attack there too. My great grandmother's brother was in the US Air Corp and was able to get the rug and bring it home. The appraiser was very informative and very friendly. The rug is valued around $300-$400. Not to shabby for a little rug in our music room. Probably the most expensive thing in there, truth be told! lol

While we were standing there, the host of the show, Mark Walberg came and sat in our appraiser's seat while he was standing with us and listened in. He was just killing time, not recording or anything. He's way shorter than I imagined. He made a little chit chat with us and moved on. (Since they wouldn't allow cameras in the Roadshow, these are pictures from the web.)



We took great grand uncle's Thai sword over to be appraised next - the appraiser smelled it and said the sheath had bronze in it - apparently bronze smells like sweaty dirty hands - who knew? He said it was beautiful, in wonderful condition and worth a few hundred dollars!

My great grandmother's big old music box was next. Not in the best condition (even I could tell that) but was nice, in wonderful working condition and worth a few hundred dollars.

Finally we took great grandma's dolly rocking chair over - $20.00 LOL

So we're not going to be on TV, but we did stand right behind a lady with some funky looking wales tooth, or maybe a tusk or something w/ etching on it while she was being appraised/recorded - so watch for us behind her! I even threw in a "hair tuck and earring twist" for those who were going to be watching for it! I'm in pink, Brandon is in blue! I hope they got my good side! ;)

We were walking out at 11:45 am - 2 hours and it was all over. We were geared up for several miserable hours but it was just the opposite! We have a friend who was recorded with a ship that his father carved. And we got to watch one of the Keno twins record an appraisal.



It was so much fun! I realize that the Roadshow cast isn't exactly world renown, but we sure loved seeing them in real life! We'll never watch the Antiques Roadshow the same way again!!

Our PBS station (KSPS) was taking pictures as we walked out - man we had fun!



Adding mom and dad's pic - aren't they cute!

SOLD

Well, we hope so anyway! Our agent phoned this morning and told us that an offer had been made on our house over the weekend. He said they'd gone back and forth all weekend (we had no idea) and finally settled on an offer that we're thrilled with!

I signed papers this morning, Brandon is stopping on his way home to sign this afternoon - man I hope this is the real deal. It looks like a couple from Everett WA is buying. I sure hope they enjoy that little house as much as we did. Naturally, you know me, I had to go and get all sentimental after our agent called. That little house was the "first home" for all six of our Washington babies. That's where we took all of our little miracles when the hospital let us have them. It was our safe place, our happy place, our fun place, it was our home. I sure hope it brings as much happiness to the next family as it did for us!



Where's Waldo? Upon close examination of the flyer, we noticed Jason and Jared plastered to the bedroom window. Turkeys!

Remember Calvin & Hobbes?

One of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes books is "The Lazy Sunday Book" - well, really they're all my favorite - maybe it's just that I like "Lazy Sundays". We had one yesterday and it was great! But just for kicks, here is one of my all-time favorites!



After church we came home and had dinner - nothing out of the ordinary there! Then on a whim, we decided to call Uncle Brian (who is here living w/ Uncle Carson & Aunt Kandi for a few weeks) and invite them all over. We had nothing official planned - just wanted to visit, and it was great! I threw some Oatmeal Peanutbutter chip (colossal mistake, thought they were butterscotch cips) cookies in the oven and we were good to go. Before we knew it, everyone was here and Brandon was pouring Italian Sodas! Ahhhhhhhhh!!! (And for those following the House Updates - next on our list is a kitchen table that will replace the one you see in the picture - and add about four more feet to our dining surface!) LOL



The kids played with "Little Maddie" (Carson's daugther's name is Madison and when we're all together, it's confusing to have their Maddie and our Maddie - so we call them Little Maddie and Big Maddie). We all got to visit and laugh and laugh and laugh - we tend to do that a lot in this family! lol

We played some music and apparently Madilyn was being sneaky with the camera. Here is Uncle Brian on the piano and me playing the flute. Man, if I'd known she was recording, I'd have sucked in more! lol



Anyhoo - it was great fun. Exactly the reason Brandon and I decided 11 years ago that we needed to move back "home". Having familiy around for Sunday afternoons and weekend bbq's and "hey, what are you doing, come on over's" is PRICELESS to us!

Any excuse for a party!

Uncle Justin and Aunt Rachel and little 'Liza leave this week for Virginia! This weekend we got the fam together for a big bbq/going away party! It was nice having the family together - we all agreed that we should "do this more often" but with everyone's busy schedule, the odds are slim! I took a ton of misc pics - mostly for grandma Lee to see (I even left them a little bigger than usual so she could click on them and see everyone up close).

Five of the seven brothers - James, Brandon, carson, Brian & Justin...

Happy Birthday Dear Jason, Happy Birthday to You!

Those of you who know me well know that I've spent the last 24 hours or so saying things like, "13 years ago, right now, I was packing my bag for the hospital" and "13 years ago, right now, my water broke" etc, etc.

Well, 13 years ago, right now, I was holding my first baby. I was a mommy for the very first time. It was such an amazing feeling - and it hasn't changed a single bit over the past thirteen years. Jason was a gift of a first baby - he made parenting easy - made us look like we had half a clue as to what we were doing! He's still a pretty darn good kid - his brothers and sisters adore him...and his parents think he's pretty special too!

Here he is, all 9 lb 9 oz and 20.5 inches of him! Jason Kendall Lee!








And now here he is - all 101 pounds and 64 inches of him!





I joke with Jason and call him "Princess" all of the time - every once in a while, he will have a sissy moment and we all enjoy his reaction when I call him princess! That family joke made this gift bag too good to pass up!

Swimming at the lake!

Jacob had a Cub Scout Pack Meeting last night at Deer Lake. We spent the first hour swimming and the hotdogs and awards followed. It was so much fun. The water was warm and it was a small group of kids so the swimming area wasn't crowded. Jason wasn't with us - he was with his Scout Troop passing off merit badges!


Madilyn






Joseph






Jaynie






Maggie






Jared






Jacob






Malorie

Morning Visitors

I was up early this morning and saw our little deer family in the back yard and took some pictures. Brandon keeps reminding me that when we have a garden next year, these "cute little deer" are going to be the same "cute little deer" who eat all of our vegetables and flowers! "Giant rats with antlers" is what I think he called them. So I'm going to enjoy them as much as I can this summer, just in case he's right and I really hate them next year! I took the pictures through our living room windows - they are in our backyard, about 30 feet out our back door.