Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas. Anticipating this day for weeks. Ran out of time and not everything got done, but you know what...it doesn't really matter. Right now my family is all around me and we are celebrating the birth of a baby that would change everything. There is laughter and joy and fun and in my little corner of the would, all is as it should be.
Wishing everyone the Merriest Christmas ever and hoping you will be blessed abundantly in 2010.

Love,

Zach is home, John and Cassie arrive in 2 days. This has been playing in my head all week. Click . Like many Moms, I am busy getting ready, wanting to make sure that my family's Christmas is everything that they are dreaming of.
I was cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom on Sunday and was thinking of all of the ladies that I know and that they were probably doing something similar to me at that moment. The Mom makes the Christmas celebration happen. My Mom did it for our family, I do it for us, and someday Kate and Cassie will do it for their families.
I am praying for all of the ladies in my life that are hustling to get it all done this week. Love you!

Sunday

Over the ground lies a mantle of white, A heaven of diamonds shine down thro' the night...
We woke up yesterday to loads of snow, wind and icy cold temps. Snow before Christmas...perfect.

My view yesterday morning. Since we were snowed in I spent the day finishing up the wrapping and I started in on getting the house spic and span. By the end of the day I was a little overwhelmed with how much more that I had to do and realizing I don't have much time left I felt myself beginning to panic. The dog needed to be let out and this was what greeted me at the back door. The pictures do not so this justice.

Winter sunset, just for me at my meltdown moment. I took a few shots, put away the vacum and made my family dinner. Simple things.

Going

Going

Gone

Saturday

We traveled to Cape Cod yesterday for a Christmas visit with my Mom. I forgot my camera...so we purchased a disposable and I will post them and the details of the trip when I get them developed. This was the first year that because of their work schedules none of the kids could come. My Mom loaded us down with gifts to bring back for them and I wanted to get these few pictures up of Kate and Zach opening their presents so my Mom could see them.
*Hi Mom...the kids were so excited to open their gifts last night! Kate's jaw literally dropped when she saw the North Face fleece. She loves it and put it on and wore it all night. Zachary loved his AE hoodie. He is wearing it now as I type this. I am sitting here typing in my new jammies...so cozy and soft! Thanks again for such a fun day. XO

Sunday

We went to church last night... so I had planned to clean the entire upstairs today. My plan was foiled however when the electricity went off with a loud pop around 9:30 am. Today turned into my wrapping day. Good thing too, I did not finish until 4:30.
I made myself a fire to keep warm, strapped my handy dandy Scotch tape holder to my wrist and got started. I am sure it won't surprise anyone when I share that I really get into wrapping gifts. I love to find cool boxes, baskets or odd containers and jazz them up with cool ribbons and tags. So much fun for me. I just finished cleaning up all the scraps and popped a pork roast in the oven. The electricity is on and the garlicky aroma of the roast is filling the house with it's goodness. Productive day!

My mess. It only got worse as the day progressed.

Midway through the electricity came back on and Jim came home from a little outing. He put on some Christmas CD's and helped me wrap all of the stocking stuffers :)

Seasons Greetings

Christmas is just around the corner. I love this season and I really try to slow down and savor each moment. After I became a true believer in Jesus, the Christmas season has had an even richer and more poignant tug on my heart. Still, I am over the moon with all of the fun traditions and sparkly lights. Hey, it is the lead up to the biggest birthday celebration of all and I think it should be done up right. I don't even mind the shopping, the hustle bustle of it all. I came out of a small shop in Woodbury the other day to the first soft snowflakes of the season. Someone had a wood fire burning and the air was so crisp it stung the inside of my nose. I get to live in New England at Christmas! I have not been many places, but I know that this is the place to be at this time of year! I loaded my packages into my car and my heart felt so light.
I hope you all are slowing things down long enough to have a few of these moments for yourself.

Happy Birthday

Dear John,
27 years ago, right around this time, Daddy and I were in the car heading to Bridgeport Hospital for a day that would change our lives forever. We were becoming parents for the first time. We were so young and in some ways naïve to what was in store for us. December 10, 1982 changed everything. It was just around dinner time when they handed you to me for the first time, all wrapped up tightly, with your little red face peeking out and your little lips pursed. You felt so good and you fit just right in my arms. It was as if they had been empty for so long and now they were filled with what was meant to be in them. That moment is deep down in my memory, as clear right now as it was then. I remember looking at the window and seeing snowflakes float by and thinking, I am the luckiest girl alive. And I still am…but it is so much more than luck. Happy Birthday sweet boy.
Love,
Mom

49

We celebrated my birthday on Sunday. Started off with the 4 of us in church :) ! We then went out for a fun lunch at PF Changs in West Hartford, followed by shopping at the West Farms mall. It is so much fun when we can all be together and the perfect birthday present for me.

Happy birthday girl!

I chose spicy chicken, yum yum!

Love this boy!

Favorite Pasta

This is a pasta dish that my whole family loves. A bunch of people have e-mailed me for the recipe...so here goes. Easy and I usually have all of the ingredients. When I have leftover pork chops or roast, I have sliced it thin and added it in. Grilled chicken is good in this as well, but honestly it stands on it's own very nicely...with no meat.

I prefer fresh, this works well too.

A splurge, but worth it.

The olives add salty texture.

Pasta with lines.

Sweet firm tomatoes. I have used cherry tomatoes too. Grape tomatoes don't hold up in this recipe. Use the whole package.

Pour enough olive oil in the bottom of a large non-stick saute pan to cover.

Add 3-4 cloves chopped garlic and begin to heat on low. Do not allow garlic to brown.

Half tomatoes like this and add to oil, face down.

The juice from the tomatoes prevents garlic from over cooking. Turn heat up to medium and allow tomatoes to simmer gently.

Chop a large bunch of parsley, reserve a smal amount for garnish. Add parsley to tomatoes and oil.

Sprinkle with about this much kosher salt. Approx 1/2tsp. Add fresh cracked pepper to taste. I use about 1/2 tsp.

When tomatoes are soft (10 min), mash them down with spoon so that they release all of their juice.

Add this much dried basil or a good amount of fresh chopped (better).

Add 1 box pasta to boiling salted water. Cook until al dente.

Add 1 can olives. Stir.

Add approx 1/4 cup parmesan. Stir.

Add 1 pat butter and a few spoonfuls of the salted pasta water... stir until melted in. Drain cooked pasta and return to pot. Add finished sauce scraping bottom of pan to get every bit, mix well.

Transfer to large serving platter. Garnish with parmesan and reserved parsley. Serve.

The Window

Winter

Thankgiving Pictures

My picture taking left alot to be desired on Thanksgiving. By the time I realized/remembered to snap a picture...the bird was 1/2 carved. I didn't even get any shots of Al and Lorraine. UGH! I guess that means we were having too much fun being together. Anyway, here they are, Thanksgiving 2009.

Here is where I remembered the camera. Jim carving the turkey.

Making the gravy.

Perfect turkey breast. It was so good!

Table full of deliciousness. Hope you all had a wonderful day too!