Such Love

These photos are too sweet not to share.
I love taking abundant pictures of Tennyson because I know someday we'll look back on these days with sadness at how quickly the time has gone by, but always feeling blessed beyond measure to be this little boy's parents. My, how we cherish him. The love is often so overwhelming. You are loved more than we could ever tell you, Tennyson Harper. So very loved.

Can't you tell how much Tennyson adores his Daddy?

Oh yes, the mighty love we have for him.

What Do You Do With All Those Paper Towels?

You make a towel tower, of course!!! Tom would stack them up and Tennyson could hardly wait to knock them over! They had so much fun!!

When Tennyson was tired of knocking over the paper towels, it was storytime. Tennyson routinely brings us books and loves to snuggle in our laps. I love to see he and his Daddy reading together!

Last Cookout of the Summer

Last Sunday my sister and her husband hosted our family's last official cookout of the summer. We enjoyed really tasty food, each other's company, and a beautiful sunset. It was during this sunset that I was preparing to take a picture of my youngest sister, Courtney, and my younger brother, Cameron, when I heard my Dad say the food on the grill smelled good. So I accidentally told Courtney and Cameron to "smell" instead of "smile"!

Here's the "real" photo! I love my sibs!

The Magic of Being Outside

I always found it interesting how you can take a crying child outside and they usually stop crying instantly. I guess it's all the new stimuli they can see and hear. Tennyson has always loved being outside, but recently it's the only place he wants to be. He points to the door, runs to the door, and tries to open the door. Thankfully, he hasn't figured out how to turn knobs (or deadbolts for that matter). Here are some photos from the past week of our little guy just enjoying nature.

You can't really tell but he was beating up the grass!

LOVE the expression on his face!!!

"No more photos, please."

He soaked himself with the hose

How cute is this? Just holding on to Daddy's finger.

I felt like I was tracking a wild animal

Tennyson's Newest Accomplishments

Aside from being the cutest thing we've ever laid eyes on, Tennyson has added WORDS to his list of accomplishments. His first word (other than "Dada" and "Mama") was "up". He also says "hot", "hat", "bath", and "apple". He can also show us where a hat goes, by putting his hand on top of his head like a rooster! I haven't been able to catch it with my camera yet, but I'm trying. It's just too funny for words!! Tennyson also blows kisses, but he doesn't quite have it down. When we blow kisses and tell him to do it he just straightens out his arm and quickly flings it out to the side. So cute!

As I have mentioned in just about every post about him, HE IS BUSY. I can have my house spotless, the way I like it, and in about 30 seconds flat he's gone to every room and disrupted whatever he can get his hands on. It's how he learns and plays, and I know it's natural. But having to live with an unkempt house was difficult for me. I have learned that there's no point in trying to pick up until he goes to bed for the evening. Otherwise I'd spend my whole day cleaning. And while that's fun for some of us, it's useless.

Deep in concentration as he shreds the tissues

On one of the many mornings Tom let me sleep in, he said Tennyson put Legos in the paper bag and carried it all over the house because he liked the noise it made.

Our new favorite thing he does is make "boy" noises while he plays. Tom and I just can't get enough of airplane noises, truck noises, and car noises! We love to listen to him playing by himself! We keep saying every stage is the best, especially as Tennyson learns to do and say more things. It's always exciting for us as new parents!

More Awesome Finds

Today I really cleaned up at the Barrington yard sales!!! I finished out Tennyson's fall and winter wardrobe, except for more socks and a winter coat. I even bought a Boppy pillow (with an extra cover), some little blue and white striped booties, and a newborn 3-piece outfit for my friend that's expecting twin boys.

Here's what I came home with for our little guy:

2 rompers, 5 onsies, a swimsuit, 2 long-sleeved shirts

a never-worn pair of Carter's shoes (the tissue was still in the toes!)

4 jackets, one of which is LL Bean

3 overalls, 4 pairs of pants (Osh Kosh, Talbots Kids, Carter's)

and 3 sets of pajamas

The grand total - $25!!! I am very pleased with my stash!

Tasty Tuesday ~ Best Banana Bread

BEST BANANA BREAD
Must give credit where credit is due. This is my mother's banana bread recipe, and personally it's my favorite.

Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. banana flavor
1/2 tsp. butter flavor
2 eggs
1 cup bananas, mashed (3 large)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup shortening, melted
1 cup pecans, chopped

How to Make It:
1) Sifted together the first four ingredients in a large bowl
2) Beat the remaining ingredients (except the nuts) together in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients
3) Mix in 1 cup pecans
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until toothpick comes out mostly clean)
5) Cool 5 minutes before serving