Landon Emory Howe

The newest addition to our family ....
Born 12/28/08; weighing 8lbs; 12 ounces and 21 inches long.
We love him to pieces ...

A Merry Christmas

From Collages

From our family to yours ...

Wishing you a warm, safe and happy holiday.

Baby Fat

Today, we had our final ultrasound. The last ultrasound we had, prior to this one, was at 20 weeks, so we've been waiting for this [and not so patiently] for what seemed like an eternity. Everything looks good [phew] and they've estimated that the baby already weighs 8lbs, 4oz. Obviously, the baby likes to eat ... I can relate. He even has fat rolls [again, I can relate], which I can't wait to see [his, not mine]. I did learn that the weight estimate they give can be off by a pound [Christina told me this]. And, both she and I agree, that if the weight estimate is off, we hope the baby is closer to 7lbs versus 9lbs! Can you say EPIDURAL!!! Oh yes, I'll be having one of those, please and thank you!!!

While I'm so, so glad all is well, I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get any really good pictures from the ultrasound. Granted, the living quarters are a bit tight, so he's quite cramped and squished in there. Plus, his head is way down and he's facing my back. So, no pics of his cute little face. I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait to see his beautiful face in person. I'm really looking forward to it. And, so, we wait ....

Here are two pictures from the ultrasound:

A chocolaty minty delight

My neighbor made these delicious bars and was kind enough to bring some over for me to try. As soon as I put a piece in my mouth I was transported to a place where there was a deep dark chocolate forest, and silky mint ganache flowed free. A place where it smelled like fudge and the angels sang as I, as light as a feather, floated through the cool crisp air. I was brought back to reality by the sound of Dave asking if he could try one ... ah ... let me think about that for a second ... NO! Seriously, if you like chocolate and mint, you have got to try these. But, I'm not sharing mine. You're going to have to make your own.

Grasshopper Squares

Yield: Makes about 6 dozen cookies
Active Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 5 hr

For brownie layer
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
10 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened and no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

For mint ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
10 oz fine-quality white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons green crème de menthe
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

For chocolate ganache
1 cup heavy cream
10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

Make brownie layer:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.
Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt until just combined.
Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until set and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make mint ganache:
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over white chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in crème de menthe and extract and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1 hour.

Make chocolate ganache:
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes.

Assemble layers:
Spread mint ganache over top of cooled brownie in a thin even layer using offset spatula, then chill until firm but still slightly sticky, about 30 minutes.
Spread chocolate ganache over mint and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang. Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry, then trim edges of dessert (1/4 inch off each side). Cut dessert into squares and peel from foil.

Squares keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, chilled in an airtight container 3 weeks.

Ah .. the comfort of food

There's nothing like comfort food on a cold, snowy night. I made this recipe for dinner tonight ... it was super easy and really yummy. As a matter of fact, Jackson loved it and is excited that we have left overs !

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into big chunks
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 can chicken broth
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup [I used cream of celery]
1 onion, finely diced [I left this out for obvious reasons]
parsley, to taste
poultry seasoning, to taste
1 pkg refrigerated biscuit dough [I used grand style]

Place chicken, butter, broth, soup, onion, parsley and poultry seasoning in a slow cooker.

Cover, and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. About 35 minutes before serving, roll biscuit dough [think mini pancakes] and salt and pepper both sides [I combined the salt and pepper on a small plate and pressed each side of the biscuit in the salt/pepper mixture]. Cut into strips, then place in slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Enjoy !

A Whirlwind of a weekend

Some weekends there just isn't much going on. This wasn't one of those weekends! Thursday night, we had an ice storm [as did most of the Northeast]. I was convinced that I was going to have the baby in the midst of it all. It was nerve wracking to hear all of the popping and cracking and falling of the branches through the night. I was afraid, yet anxious to see the aftermath when the sun came up. One neighbor had a large branch fall on both cars in his driveway. Others just lost a ton of branches. Others have been without power since Thursday night/Friday morning ... and still are without. We were fortunate enough to not lose our power, but I kinda feel like we should turn off our lights so our neighbors don't get mad and throw pine cones and branches at the house. We'll compromise and turn half of them off !

Saturday night we drove around to see Christmas lights. We have a favorite house to check on. It reminds us of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation [Check it out below] ! While driving around you could the widespread damage from the storm ... and those still without power. It was 18 degrees last night. I wished I could do something to help. I noticed that National Grid trucks were still out last night too ... they were doing their part to help ... I don't think they got much rest this weekend.

Today, we went to Bellini's [my favorite restaurant in the whole wide world] for lunch. Gordon & Sue; Laura, Brian & Benjamin; Claude & Rebekah; and Sandy met us there too [Sawyer was under the weather, so he stayed home with his daddy]. Our waitress told us after our meal that they may lose power [anywhere from 10 min to 3 hours ... ah hello !] while National Grid tried to repair some lines. So, I asked her to bring a cappuccino STAT ... after all, that's half the reason I go there. I mean, if the power goes out and we can't pay our bill, fine. But, to not have their cappuccino, that is a major problem for me. Seriously, they make the BEST cappuccino ever !! Although, I heard today that Brian's dad makes a pretty mean cappuccino, so we'll see ... maybe Bellini's has met their match !

Here are some pics from the weekend.
Ice Storm






Christmas lights




Lunch at Bellini's

A weekend of Thanksgiving

This year, the whole family came for Thanksgiving **smile**. Sue was under the weather [to put it mildly], so Tuesday morning we decided that we would host the meal. Friday some of us went ice skating before we invaded Laura and Brian's for dinner [which was Mexican night, yum]. Today, Jim joined us for breakfast. Then, it was time for the 'out of towners' to begin their journey home. It went by so fast, we were sad to say goodbye. Here are some pics from the weekend. 'Til next time ... we'll miss you all.

ps. Sue, hope you're on the mend. We all missed you very much.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow is an important day ... May the best man win ...

Misc photos from the weekend

Friday night Jackson went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood w/ a group of friends.


A ghoulish welcome.


Jackson [a spy] and his friend Emma [the witch]


One VERY happy tick-or-treater ... mission accomplished !


Then, on Saturday we went to New Hampshire for a fall get-together. I made a comment on Sunday about the fact that I was being a slacker in the photo department ... and my pictures [or lack thereof] are the pathetic proof that I wasn't lying. Wow ... But, as Claude mentioned, its because I was enjoying myself. He's right.

The weather was perfect all weekend long. We ate and ate and ate some more. I think I gained 10 pounds [5 for me and 5 for the baby]. The baby was happy !! We also did one of my favorite things, which is hide-and-seek on the buggies, 4-wheelers and dirt bikes. The guys found time for a little football [there were a few minor injuries to report, nothing major]. The ladies chased the toddlers around and enjoyed our time catching up. They also surprised me with some baby gifts, which was totally unexpected [thank you again]. The kids played hard for two days straight and Jackson crashed as soon as we got in the car to head home. Thanks for another great weekend. I know it was a lot of work, but it was sooo much fun.

Here are some pics from the game of hide-and-seek:

Happy Halloween to all those witches, ghosts and goblins out there !!!

Leaf Peepers

On Sunday, we took a ride North to check out the foliage. On the way we stopped at Toadflax , Rich Morris' nursery. They had free kittens ... we were wishing Dave wasn't allergic cuz they are really, really cute ... but ... he is ... so

Alpine Slide 2008

On Saturday we went to Jiminy Peak to hit the Alpine Slides. It was another fun time, but it was brrr ... cold. The hot chocolate was popular ! We ended the day by having dinner at Cracker Barrel ... yum. Can't wait until next year ;)

There are a couple things to note:
1) First run, Dave wiped out and scuffed up his forehead, knee and shoulder.
2) So did Vahan.
3) Being tall and lanky doesn't help while on the Alpine Slide !
4) Dave Z almost got kicked out of the resort for riding too close to Jason AND failing to use the brakes at the bottom of the run [shall we call him crash?]
5) Bring more clothes next time.
6) I hope they fix the holes in the lawn ... ouch, my ankle.
7) Next year the ladies ride the slide [wink, wink].

Our current project

Yep, we're at it again. I'm convinced that once you're a homeowner, there's always, always, always something to do. Dave's current project, a retaining wall. I'll keep updating this post as things progress. Here are some pics of the guys hard at work.

Happy Birthday Sawyer

Last Saturday we helped celebrate Sawyer's first birthday. It was a lot of fun and I'm pretty certain that Sawyer had a really good time. I couldn't help but think back to Jackson's first birthday. It's kind of hard for me to believe that Jackson will be 8 this February ... and it's also kind of hard to believe that it's been a whole year since Sawyer came into Dave and Sandy's life (well, came into a whole bunch of people's lives, actually). I remember it like it was yesterday.
Here are some pics.

 

 

 

 

1st Day, 2nd grade

Today is Jackson's first day in 2nd grade. It's hard to believe that this is even possible. I mean, I remember when I was in the 2nd grade. Time flies, so I need to remember to enjoy the moments.


Starting the day off right.


Being silly w/ his friend Emma as they wait for the bus.



The big 2nd grader. BTW,I didn't choose this outfit,but Jackson DIDN'T want to wear what I put out. You choose your battles!


Still waiting.


Here comes the bus. The excitement is kicking in !





Load 'um up. They have the same bus driver as last year. The kids were excited about that.


Off he goes ... Have a great day bud !

Labor Day 2008

Another year ... another good time.
This year's trip was to Westerly, R.I. We've never stayed there before, so it was like a game of Russian Roulette (ok, not exactly like that, but you get the idea). It turned out to be a really nice place ... so we're planning to go back again next year. But, with a group like this, how could you possibly go wrong ??!!



On Monday afternoon some of us decided to head to Newport, R.I. to see how the rich folk live. Wow, what a neat place. I'm totally living there when I grow up ;)

A busy week

Summer camp is over, so Jackson is spending this week (and next) with his Grandma and Grandpa Howe. He's been doing lots of fun things, like going to the library and McDonald's, playing basketball w/ the new hoop and getting ice cream from the ice cream man !!! Although he's spending the whole week with them, we've been lucky enough to see him just about every night. Monday was Laura's b-day dinner (Happy b-day Laura), Tuesday was Red Robin for burgers w/ the family, Wednesday was meeting. I think this helps him to not get as homesick. Ok, who am I kidding ... it's really been a help to me. I don't know what it is ... I mean I know that he's in really, really good hands (thank you Gordon and Sue) and that he's having lots of fun (he told me tonight that the week is going by too fast), but I just get so sad whenever he's not around. The house feels different ... empty, quiet, and just a little bit boring. I know I should be taking advantage of this free time, cuz there are times when it's just chaos around here and he's running around like a screaming banshee and nothing gets done(can anyone relate??!!), but sometimes I think that silence can be worse. And, for the record, nothing is getting done around here anyway. Our yard looks something like this and the sink looks a whole lot like that ... and lets not even discuss the laundry. But, you know what ... I don't care. Yep, that's right ... I really don't care. Maybe tomorrow !!?? MAYBE

Her are some pics of dinner at Red Robin. Dave's Uncle Richard and Aunt Connie were here visiting from Florida.





Dave, Jackson and Bengamin. He's going to be an awesome big brother !

I've been tagged

by Shelley Chappell.

Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. *Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.* Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I love peaches right now !!! Yum.

2. I'll never forget the day that my son was born. It's such a miracle.

3. I'm anxious to meet the new baby.

4. Dave and I eloped 10 years ago. It was the most romantic thing we've done. I think we've been forgiven by family and friends??

5. I HATE, HATE, HATE spiders.

6. Don't believe any of the stories that my mom or sister may tell you about me as a child ... I was an angel ... really, I was.

7. Okay, maybe I wasn't a total angel. I'll tell you one story. I remember one time when my sister and I were fighting and I told her "I wouldn't go to sleep tonight if I were you". Well, that night I slept like a baby (I had totally forgotten my threat). My sister stayed up the whole night waiting for me to sneak into her room. This story still makes me laugh when I think about it. My sister doesn't think its so funny though.

I tag Katie, Christina, Linda, Julie, Jody, Jennifer, Anne

The halfway mark

Today, we had the appointment we've been waiting for since we learned I was expecting ... the 20 week appointment !! In this visit they did a level-2 ultrasound where they checked the baby's anatomy (the heart, bladder, spine, mouth, fingers, toes, kidneys ... you name it). Everything looks perfect <sigh or relief>. The baby even co-operated and they were able to determine the sex. I'm not going to post that here b/c there are some people (Claude) who want to be surprised. So, if you want to know, let us know and we'll fill you in, but be prepared to keep the news from a certain someone. If you don't want to know (Claude), gosh, I really hope you don't inadvertently find out ... after all, there are still 20 weeks left to go !!! So, I hope those of us who know can keep it from those who don't want to. It's a tall order, I know. They also confirmed that the baby is breech, but apparently that's normal for 20 weeks. I guess the baby usually turns around at 30-32 weeks. Also, my due date is now Dec 29th. A whole week earlier than previously thought.

A request has been made by some out of town family members for a pic of my figure at 5 months ... So, here it is.

... Let me root, root, root for the home team ...

My mother-in-law recently give this to me and I thought it was worth a blog post ...

Friday night we went to visit Brad and Shelley and the girls in NH. Saturday was a really nice day, so we chilled out by Kent and Sharon's pool. I could totally get used to that !! Sunday was the big meeting before convention, which was nice to get to this year. It's hard to believe it's that time of the year already. It was a nice weekend ... and great to see everyone again.

We'll be back NH... is this weekend ok?

Here are some pics.

After a very HOT Saturday afternoon, Gordon, Sue, Rebecca and John stopped by for a swim and dinner. We had fun making pizzas and eating ice cream.

The Lang family was in our meeting today and we convinced them to have lunch w/ us before they started their journey back home to Canada. It was a short, but sweet visit. After lunch, we ran into The Zal and Edwards family in the parking lot ... they were having lunch at the restaurant next to us.

Then, we were off to celebrate Jacob's (11th) and Amelia's (3rd) birthday at the Crossings. It was perfect until a thunderstorm forced us to leave. Here are some pics from the weekend.

MONSTER trucks

Dave took Jackson to the monster truck show at Lebanon Valley Speedway last night. Like Jeff Foxworthy once said 'You know you're a redneck when ... '

Canada Bound

Last Tuesday we began our journey west and north to visit family. We spent the first night at Tim & Kelly's new house in Rochester. Wedneday morning we were Canada bound to spend a few days and nights w/ Amy, Rob, Rebecca and John in Walkerton. We had a wonderful time. Thanks to both families for their hospitality. When can we come back?

Fort Ticonderoga

On the 4th of July we went north to Fort Ticonderoga with my parents and my nephew, Jacob. They actually mentioned this while we were on our way back from the Finger Lakes and it sounded fun and patriotic ...

Afterward we crashed the redneck festival in town, then headed south for fireworks in Clifton Park. Totally worth it.


Happy Anniversary Gordon and Sue.

The Finger Lakes

A few weekends ago we went to the Finger Lakes w/ my parents. It certainly is beautiful in Western NY.

The Bronx Zoo

School's over, so we decided to hop on the Metro North and head to the city. First stop, the Bronx Zoo. After that, Carnegie Deli. It was a fun day.

Father's Day and Lake George

Dave's birthday weekend

Oh it was so long ago ...

Sorry, we re-built our home pc recently and Picasa isn't loaded on it yet, so I haven't been able to download our pictures. I hope to be able to do that this weekend (actually, I hope Dave does that this weekend).

The weekend of June 6th was Dave's b-day weekend. Brad, Shelley and the girls came out that weekend and we decided to take a trip up North to Lake George for Americade ... (ok, and the outlets). Claude and Dave Z. met up w/ the guys in the village to gawk at the bikes (and those riding them). There were some pretty interesting sites. Later, we hit the go-karts and then ate at a Thai restaurant in Glens Falls. It was yum.

On Sunday I had a potluck where we wished Dave a happy 73rd, oops I mean 37th b-day. It was a HOT weekend!!! So hot that nobody really wanted to be outside for very long, except if it was to go to the pool, of course.

For Father's day we went to the crossings in Colonie. We packed a picnic lunch and just hung out. Dave, Sandy and Sawyer were there too. We sat and chatted it up w/ them for a while before they went on their way to a potluck and we headed back home to the pool. It was another hot day.

That's all for now.

Ciao

This and That

As my friend Brad pointed out, it's been a month since my last post. I can't believe how time flies. Here's what we've we've been up to.

Jackson has started soccer, but I don't have any pics yet (I know, I'm a bad soccer mom). He pulled his Achilles tendon in the first practice and had to sit out of a few practices ... and his first game. All is better now and he seems to be really enjoying soccer this spring. He's not as timid as last year.

I forgot my camera on Mother's Day, but we had a nice time at a local park with my mom and dad; my sister and her family; and Laura, Brian and Benjamin. Trish don't forget to hook me up w/ the pics from your camera ;)

Jackson got a set of golf clubs for his birthday and he had a chance to practice a few weeks ago. I think he's going to be the next Tiger Woods !





















Next, we visited the Oliver's in CT over Memorial Day weekend. The weather was beautiful and I was glad for the long weekend.

Here are just some misc pics from the weekend:


Here are pics from the local farm where you can feed the animals:


Here are some go-cart and batting cage pics:


Until next time ... which very well could be a month from now. Ciao.