Senior

We made the move to Grandma's house this weekend. It feels odd, but that is to be expected. We will be able to visit our house which helps a lot.
Today was my first day of my last year of high school. I'm not sure if it has really hit me that I'm going to be graduating in a year. It's kind of a scary thought.
When I was younger I thought all high school seniors were smart and really cool. Turns out I was very wrong. I have changed a lot since I was a freshman, though. The other day I was reading through an old diary from that year, and I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the things I had written. Tis the way of life. When I'm twenty I'll probably roll my eyes at this years diary. That is one thing that will probably never change, my eye rolls. Along with my eyebrow raise.

Finally

I know it has been a pathetically long time since I've posted, but I have a very good excuse. Grandma picked up a stomach virus about three weeks ago which totally wiped her out. She became very dehydrated and weak. The weeks since then have been crazy, with one problem after another hitting her. It seems that things are starting to settle down now. Grandma is in rehab and will hopefully be able to come home soon. The pictures are a little of what I have been up to lately.
Built a sandcastle complete with a flower forest.
Ate drumsticks. Lucy was a chocolate monster by the time she finished her cone.
Gave Dad sparklers (he did like them, it's kind of hard to tell in this picture)

Oh Man!

I do not really like wrapping presents, and usually just stick the present in a bag with some tissue paper. Today I decided I was going to wrap Dad's Father's Day present up to make it look nice. I thought I did a pretty good job. As I was admiring my work it hit me....I forgot to take the price tag off. I found out that my unwrapping skills aren't half bad.

Dad's Birthday Trip

Dad's birthday was last Saturday, which of course sparked the question of what present to get him. This is always a difficult decision, as he is not the easiest person to shop for. Dad and I both love history, so I paid for us to visit a Civil War plantation not far from our house. It was actually in Charlotte, which I found to be a little surprising.
History Ramble: Charlotte was a large city during the Civil War and it's surprising that it was not captured by the North. Near the end of the war Jefferson Davis moved to Charlotte. He was standing on Tryon street when he was told the war had ended. The only sign of that is a small plaque built on the street.: End of History Ramble
Dad and I were the only people there for the tour, which was nice. The tour guide said they were having a really slow day.

Ashokan Farewell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jz7lPU7r8Q&feature=related
I absolutely love this song, it is so beautiful. It was written by Jay Ungar and became popular after being used in a Ken Burns Civil War documentary. The first time I heard it was while watching that documentary.

Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

4 squares Baker's chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine (1.5 sticks)
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 scant cup flour
1/2 to 2/3 cup nutella

Preheat oven to 350. Line 19x13 inch pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl for 90 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour. Pour into prepared pan. Then add the nutella to the top of the brownie mixture and just leave it (don't stir it in). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup butter (1 stick)
2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix room-temperature cream cheese and butter together. Once the mixture is very smooth, add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the sugar in slowly and keep adding until you get desired sweetness and thickness.

The Rest of the Easter Pictures

Lucy wasn't very excited about sharing.




A good idea that didn't work.