Grandma's Attic of Goodies

Abby and I took advantage of one of the final weeks the boys were in school AND daddy had a Friday off to go to Michigan for the week. Grandpa and Grandma Campbell agreed to help watch the boys during the day so it didn't cost daddy any vacation and we got to help clean out the attic. Doesn't sound fun to you? Well, you obviously haven't been in my parents' attic! Just take a look at a small sampling of the treasures we uncovered...The hat my grandmother wore to my parent's wedding. If only we had found it days earlier, someone could have worn it to their royal wedding watch party!
We are still greatly confused about this one. The box says, "A Gift for Baby".But this is what is inside... I think we are willing to give money to anyone who can tell us what this is and why a baby would want it.My baby quilt. Awww....With pictures lovingly drawn by my big brothers Scottand Joel. The boys drew their pictures, my mom copied them all in reverse, and then the boys colored them with fabric crayons which in that day had to be ironed on the the fabric.Although, I should mention, this is actually a reproduction of my baby quilt. The original was ruined in a basement flood and my mom very carefully copied and redrew all the pictures and made me a new one. Now, is that a great gift, or what? Twice it was!

And we found this... Look familiar, Cam?
And my show choir dress from my junior year. And to think - we were the envy of all the choirs in the region. Yikes! It was probably the shoes dyed to match the dress...When I was little, my mom's dad gave me a life size doll for Christmas every year. (My mom used to complain because he never took any part in buying her gifts when she was younger...) I thought Abby would be happy to have some dolls to play with - WRONG! She shot away from these things like a bullet. We suspect the fact that they were as big as she was was a little intimidating. We also think she behaved herself so well all week because she was afraid if she didn't we were going to put her in the attic and leave her there until her arms and legs fell off...I even painted their nails. So pretty!There was many a box like this - filled to the brim with school papers.I found some of Scott's paintings.And some family drawings. This is what he thought of me.And Joel.Yet look at his self portrait...Aside from being blue, I'd have to say he thought more of himself than he did the rest of us! This calendar cracked me up because I am pretty sure Noah brought some home that looked just like it. (Notice the name. That must have been a one day phase because I have NEVER liked being called that...)

This picture is for my dear husband. Even 30 years ago the secret to my happiness was getting presents like a kitten. ARE YOU LISTENING, CHRISTOPHER???!?!!?

There were a number of these reports. Someone actually went through and cut the giant-lined paper to fit the shape of the picture.

And it appears I was having another identity crisis here. Although, this time I was so certain this was the name I wanted to stick that I wrote it 8 times.

This one was funny not because of how I did it but because of what it says.

"The pilgrams never thought of you and me." Really? Because I thought that was kind of the whole reason behind their leaving England in the first place. I wonder if the teachers ever looked at what they were having us write...

And here we have a special little something I made for my parents. Although, in hindsight, it probably would have been more beneficial to me.

I'd already picked out my dress and the cake. Even my future husband's ruffled tux!

Because this book was in hiding, I got no cans tied to my car...

And I had to spend weeks shopping for my honeymoon clothes when I could have just used these!

This was our favorite find, however.

"I like people to thank me when I read 100 books a week." You know? I do not think anyone ever did that. And that is probably why I cut back so drastically on my reading.

And last but not least... MY PATCH JACKET!!! My mama started this tradition when my brothers and I were little. Every time we went some place, we got a patch to add to our jackets. Just before Christopher and I were married, I found a little patch with his name on it. On our honeymoon I picked up patches at various places and for our first Christmas I gave him his own patch jacket. I said it went he was officially a member of the Randolph family. Well, it didn't take him long to appreciate the fact that he had more patches than I did. Actually, I didn't have one at all. This coat was in hiding and I hadn't been picking up new patches for myself. The hunt for the original began. My poor mom has looked for 7 years. And would you believe it was in the VERY LAST BOX I brought down?

Now I have the fun task of removing all of these and putting them on my new jacket. It just might take two!

So, that plus the giant boxes of sheets, comforters, bath mats, toilet seat covers, my Grandma's perfect attendance records, and the like was my parents' attic in a nutshell. Their house is probably 2 feet taller now with all that stuff out of there.