Wild Weather Week

Confession - I have always been fascinated by weather, in particular severe weather. It's no exaggeration when I tell you that I used to watch The Weather Channel for hours as a child and would ask every year for their weather calendar as a Christmas present. I know, I'm a dork. Here are some of the photos I took this week.

This low-lying cloud was taken a little before 4PM on Monday from my front door. And yes, it really got that dark mid-afternoon.

Yesterday we got the worst hail storm I have ever experienced. It was awesome! The pictures hardly do it justice, mostly because you can't hear it, too. (Tennyson slept through the whole thing even though it was really loud!)

This was a line of storms that rolled through this afternoon. Isn't that cool?!?!

The view off to the north.

First Father's Day

I always knew Tom would be a great father someday. (Otherwise, I wouldn't have married him!) But what I didn't know was how amazing he would be at this whole daddy thing. From the moment he laid eyes on his son it was love, pure and unconditional. Most new dads aren't in their 40s, but my husband never misses a beat and is always ready to help with Tennyson. Maybe it's old fashioned, but I think every man needs a son. It's like Tom and Tennyson have their own language and seeing a father and son bond is incredible. I look forward to the days of seeing them play catch, watch baseball, and do other "guy" stuff. But for now I will soak in the days of watching my husband and our son bond in ways I'll never comprehend.

Tom, thank you for being the best Daddy Tennyson could have. I love how you kiss him on his forehead and tell him, "Good night, sweet boy. Daddy loves you." every night before bed. And it's so precious how you stand over his crib every evening and pray for him as he sleeps. Becoming a Dad may have taken a lot longer than you thought, but I am thankful to be by your side as you discover the joys of fatherhood.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Brownies

Brownies

To call this just a "browine" doesn't do it justice. These are without a doubt one of the best chocolate confections you will ever eat. I got this recipe from my mother and I think she got it from heaven. D-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups bread flour (not self-rising)
2/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 cup pecans, chopped

How to Make It:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2) Put butter in 9x13 dish, melt in oven.
3) Mix sugar, flour, and cocoa.
4) Add melted butter, vanilla, and eggs.
5) Mix well.
6) Stir in pecans. Batter will be thick.
7) Pour batter into pan. Spread evenly.
8) Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 1" from edge comes out
clean. (Take care not to overbake.)
9) Cool completely and frost.

Frosting:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-4 Tbsp. milk, for desired consistency

(The frosting has been halved from the original recipe, but it makes plenty.)

Remembering Our Wedding Day

Today Tom and I are celebrating four wonderful years of marriage! In a way it seems like it hasn't been that long, but in my heart I feel like I've loved him all my life. I always tell Tom that our wedding was the most beautiful one I've ever been to! We had an evening (7:30) candlelight service with a dessert reception. We spent the night at a quiet B&B and then flew off to Disney World the next morning. (The best honeymoon spot ever, especially since we are not "beach people".)

Our 6-month engagement was a rocky one (as many of you know), but we came through it closer and more in love. I am so blessed to be married to such a strong, caring, funny, insightful, brilliant man. The ONE that God handpicked for me and me alone. My most constant friend and husband, I love you! Happy Anniversary!

As Promised.....

Here are the many, updated photos of Tennyson (taken from 5.26 to 6.10). I usually post obscene amounts of photos all at once because I don't have time to blog that often. There are many more things to occupy my time, but I try to keep things current, especially for the friends and family that live out-of-state.

It's hard to believe that Tennyson is 10 1/2 months already! He's starting to look more like a little boy and less like a baby boy. *two tears* It's exciting and sad all at the same time. He's just so wonderful and never ceases to amaze us as he seems to learn something new every day.

No, I don't advocate boys playing with girl toys. (If you are wondering why I own a dollhouse, it's for the girls I keep during the week.)


He was sitting in Daddy's lap when I took this and was so contentment to just sit there.


The next four were taken on my sister's front lawn. As mentioned in a previous post Tennyson does not like the grass, but on this day he seemed to enjoy it.......and the wind! Love that hair, little man!






Tom says this is his charismatic picture.


This is the look of a being caught getting ready to crawl between the loveseat and the table. We have since shoved a floor cushion in there.


Looking outside at the rain


Sweet baby feet on the wet deck


Little hands catching the rain drops


Okay, so sometimes he stills gets behind the loveseat to look out the window.


Can I chew on the playmat, Mommy?


Just me and my shadow. Tennyson noticing his shadow for the first time.





No words can adequately describe the cuteness that follows......





I call this Tennyson's, "Oh, am I cute?" look.


Such a ham for the camera

Tasty Tuesday ~ Classic Carbonara

Classic Carbonara

This is originally from Allrecipes.com and has been altered quite a bit to taste. Since I don't like the saltiness of pancetta I used turkey bacon instead and you could use milk or half-n-half for some of the cream. The recipe below is how I made it, not as it appears on Allrecipes. You could do so much with this by alternating pastas or adding grilled chicken instead of bacon. Either way it's great to make for company as it's an impressive and rich dish!

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 oz penne pasta (I used 3 Cheese Tortellini)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 sweet onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
8 slices turkey bacon or 1/2 lb. sliced pancetta
dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

How to Make It:
1) Whisk together eggs, cream, and 1 cup of the Parmesan in a bowl. Blend well and set aside.
2) Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the directions. Drain, return to pot (off heat) and cover to keep warm.
3) Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and cook the onions, bacon/pancetta, nutmeg, and garlic until onions are soft.
4) Combine the pasta, onion and bacon mixture, salt, and pepper over low heat. Slowly stir in the egg-cream mixture, tossing gently so the eggs don't scramble. (I didn't use all the egg mixture because it would have been too soupy.) Cook until just heated through. Remove from heat and toss with parsley and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Does Life Ever Slow Down?

We have had such a busy week I can hardly think straight. Last Thursday we headed to Hershey to stay overnight at my sister's on the way to NJ for Tom's brother's wedding. We got to the Garden State Friday afternoon and thankfully were able to rest and freshen up before heading to the church. Saturday morning was spent at the Garden State Plaza mall. Oh how I miss real places to shop! Tom forgot his dress shoes and we desperately needed an compact, umbrella stroller for Tennyson. The wedding was nice (though a bit long, sorry Buddy), but unfortunately I wasn't able to get as many photos as I was hoping to. Tennyson had been passed around to so many people and was overwhelmed by all the new faces that he was in Mommy-mode for most of the trip. So here's your common sense tip of the day: it's hard to take good photos while holding a squirmy baby. Brilliant, huh?

But it was so nice to see Tom's family (and his former church family), especially since most of them hadn't met Tennyson yet. I mean, honestly, how did they survive that long? And if I had $1 for every time someone remarked how much he looks like his Daddy I'd be rich!

Here is a photo of the tables, Maricel at the alter, and Buddy singing to his new bride during the ceremony.

To add to the craziness this was Tom's last week of school, so he's officially finished up his 6th year at BRCS! Where has the time gone? For those of you wondering, yes my handsome man will be in full Civil War period clothing (WOOL) in 90+ degree heat in Harper's Ferry over the summer. So if you need something to do and you don't mind melting...... We took Tennyson when he was 3 months old to see what Daddy's passion is, so I think it might be time for another trip soon.

That's all the time I have for now. Check back soon because this new Mom has LOTS of photos of her little one to post.