Saturday, April 11, 2009

favorite thing friday

Charlie's brother, Steve, and his wife, Kathy, and their 16-year old daughter, Angela, are visiting with us. They are on a road trip to southern California, from northern California, to look at colleges for Angela who will be graduating from high school in 2010.

The last time I saw Angela she was 13-years-old and four inches shorter than me. Now, she's four inches taller at 5'11". Charlie has some very tall genes in his family considering he is the shortest of his three brothers (by several inches) at 6'1". One of our nieces, Alice, was 6'2" at the age of 17.

You know, up until the time I became a part of this family, I had never felt short before. But around my husband's people, I feel like a dwarf.

Because our dining room table only seats six chairs - and we had nine people gathered tonight - I opted to sit with our four children at their small table, so that they weren't eating alone. Seeing as I'm so small in stature, I fit perfectly well at the kiddie table and all of us little people had a grand time.

We bought the children their kiddie table two years ago from Pottery Barn Kids and it has been a wonderful addition to our furniture collection. Although we had bought a bar height table a few years ago for our kitchen, the chairs were way too high and our tile floor was way too hard for a house with so many small children that enjoy climbing way too much.

So we moved our big table out to the garage and put the kiddie table in it's place. And now, every night, our entire family gathers around the kiddie table to eat dinner. Except for when we have company, or we feel like being fancy. And only then, will we move in to the formal dining room.

What I love about our kiddie table - other than the fact that it is the perfect size for children and they use it all the time - is that it is made of such high quality materials, that I consider it "heirloom" caliber. I've seen other kiddie tables before and none of them are as durable or as aesthetically pleasing as the one we own. Not to mention, it is so sturdy that I fully expect it will be passed down to our grandchildren.

Because I have vowed to myself that I will not bring anything else in to our small house that we do not absolutely positively need. And because I have a Pottery Barn Rewards Certificate that is burning a hole in my pocket which expires soon, I will be raffling off one Pottery Barn Kids table and chair set.

For a $5.00 donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society via either Me or Charlie and a comment left on THIS post, you will be entered in to a raffle to win a table and two chair set that has an estimated value of $200.00. (That includes tax and shipping.) (Additional chairs can be purchased separately if you have more than two small people in residence.)

Note: If you make an online donation, please be sure to add PBK next to your name so that I can clearly make it out when it comes time to select a winner. (If you don't add this detail, it won't exclude you from the contest, it just makes it more difficult for me to identify you when I'm trying to sort through the names.)

If you would prefer to send a check, please make it payable to: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You can mail it to: The Amazing Trip to Cure Cancer, 2220 Otay Lakes Road, Suite 502, PMB #99, Chula Vista, CA 91915. However, to be entered in to this contest, all donations must be received by Monday April 19.

In case you didn't notice: I'm not including Margaret in this particular contest because now that we've all reached our minimum fundraising goals, the contest is to try and CATCH UP TO HER. Enough with the, "Oh, poor Maggie has twice as much money to raise as us!" pity party. While I thought we had all agreed to give up running for Lent, it seems she is now able to run 12 miles at a pop and she has raised almost three times as much as Charlie.

What's up with that?!

So the table and chair set comes in either espresso ...


Or, white and green.

I love both of these sets and I know that any small people that you have in your household would love them, too. As would their little friends.

And you might even love it, if you found yourself sequestered to the small table when your giant-sized family was visiting. For fun, you could yell over to them, "Hey where do you guys keep the goose that lays the golden egg?" Then when everyone gives you a perplexed look you could awkwardly say, "You know, from Jack and the Beanstalk? Ha. ha. Um. Do you have the sweet potatoes over there? Please don't crush me!!"

For a $5.00 donation, you will be entered in to the contest to win this beautiful set.

Your donation is 100% tax deductible.

Your donation will hopefully, get us closer to catching Maggie. Because it would be wrong on so many levels if she smoked us on the course and in fundraising.

But most importantly: your donation is fueling research for a cure which will help people - including Deana - have the opportunity to watch her beautiful little boys grow up.

The winner will be selected by Random Generator and announced on April 19, 2009.

Ready? Set? Let's GO!!

30 comments:

  1. I think you and your family are just awesome. The kids are adorable. Thanks for your fundraising efforts. You are great.
    I have made my donation with my credit card on your site, but could not add any comments for some reason. Please add me to your contest.
    Thanks, Natalie

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  2. I have that table and LOVE it!!! Speaking of Deanna, how is she?! Last I read she was doing miraculously good.

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  3. I absolutely LOVE this table!!!
    And don't worry about us tall people, we always watch where we're stepping ;)

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  4. Wow what a beautiful table. I will definately enter with you a.n.d Charlie! Maybe even Maggie will enter also;) Even if I don't win I know it is for a great cause.
    Kathy

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  5. hi
    I am from Taiwan.
    sorry,I have poor English.
    one time, when I search 'COSTCO' in the internet, the website link to your blogger.
    I want to say is, your children are all very cute. ^_^
    I am very happy to leave msg here.
    nice to meet you.

    Yumei

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  6. I am so proud of you Jen---Good going!
    MOM

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  7. Jen,
    I just made a donation on your Team In Training page. Thanks for doing yet another contest and for all your hard work.

    Steph

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  8. I just made a donation on your page. The table is awesome. And as always, your babies are adorable!!
    ~Luckygirl

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  9. Hi Jen, I just donated on your site. This is a great cause and I hope you will raise many more thousand dollars. By the way, i love the table and would love to have it.

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  10. What a generous way to raise money for a wonderful cause!

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  11. Just donated to both of you - thanks again for all you do to support this cause! LOVE that table :)

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  12. Love what you're doing and love Charlie's expression in the pic of Henry climbing. I think I've seen that look a time or two here before. Thanks for another great giveaway!

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  13. I finally made it back to make my donations to yours and Charlies sites, hope you get lots of donations. Jen you and your family are such an inspiration.
    Kathy

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  14. What a beautiful set! And being barley over 5 foot I often sit at the kids table too! But sitting at my daughter desk at school sure is easier, and more comfortable that it is for all those GIANTS! HAHA

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  15. OH.....OHHH... AND THE CLAWS COME OUT!!!!

    The BIG Green (eyed) Monster lives not only in BOSTON where the RED SOX play.......

    Love, Marg ;-)

    PS Great table... hmmm

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  16. I donated a couple months ago but I WANT this table so I'll be donating again today:) Put me on the list!

    One of my dear friends just had surgery again this past Friday to remove another tumor. She is doing well and in recovery. This is a wonderful cause!

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  17. Love your blog...and am glad to donate 50.00 towards the cure for leukemia cause. Kudos to you for attempting the marathon...you're a brave girl! Please enter me in the PBK raffle for the chair/table set. I didn't add the PBK letters on the donation site - oops! - Jill

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  18. long time lurker, first time poster. even though it isn't much, i felt i needed to do something nice today, so i did donate a little to your TNT site. i hate the disease, myself, and have known some people succumb to such a nasty disease. I failed to add PBK on my name, so please add me to the contest. you are an awesome writer and i love getting new ideas from your blog. you're a great inspiration to me as a mom. keep up the great work!

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  19. P.S. For the record it was 12.3! ;-) Marg

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  20. Hi Jen,
    I made another donation - this time to Charlie. I just realized that on the one I made to you, I forgot to indicate PBK. Sorry!

    Steph A

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  21. Jen - you continue to amaze me and make me smile with your stories and photos. You guys are grrreat! May God continue to bless you all. I made a small donation to you and Charlie, for a chance to win this cute table!
    Linda Olivo

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  22. OH! How awesome! I want one of these tables for my twins SO badly and of course, anything at all I can ever do to help with cancer research, I am IN!

    Just beautiful of you!

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  23. I am checking in from MoM blog...I also donated $10.00 on Charlies blog. I will read around more in your blog to find out more. I like meeting new people. I live in San Diego (East County) I saw that the payment address was Chula Vista that is only like an hour away from me. What a small world! Good Luck. Beautiful Table

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  24. I just made a donation on your Team in Training site so please enter me in the drawing for the table.
    I stumbled across your blog from Carolyn's Boards. I love reading about your family. You have inspired me to try jogging. OK, so I only did it once in the past month. And OK, I only ran 2 blocks. But that is more than I have ever run before.
    Good luck in the marathon! It is so wonderful that your family has raised so much money for a great cause.
    Susan M

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  25. Best of luck with your fundraising and training! Count me in for the table raffle.

    Darlene

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  26. I just donated to Charlie, I love reading your blog. Thank you for all of your entertaining thoughts and stories.

    susieg

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  27. I am donating right now, again. I want that table but more importantly want to whip cancer's behind!

    Carrie

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  28. Thanks so much for the reminder about the contest and donation. I am donating. The table and chair set is beautiful. Take care, Beth

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  29. Just made another donation to Charlie (sorry - he was trailing you from what we could see). I did indicate PBK. Thanks!

    Steph A

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  30. I just donated $10 but I forgot to leave the PBK thing beside my name to make it easier for you! I'm sorry! However, I did donate so that should take away the little bit of frustration you have towards me right now! :)

    I donated on Charlie's site since it was the first one I clicked on. Good work with all the money you're raising!!

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