Mulberry Street

My sister posted the following clip of Looney Tunes. First of all, what happened to quality cartoon entertainment? Eric would argue that Sponge Bob is a worthy replacement, but there is nothing like the classic Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote conflict. I think Genevieve and I will take up looking up more Looney Tunes on YouTube instead of watching Barbie too often. On a sidenote, why didn't that silly coyote ever run on all four feet? I think he could have caught that pesky bird if he had used more than two. Second, what does "egad" mean anyway? Well, I looked it up using wikipedia and here is what it said, "A minced oath (also pseudo-profanity or expletive-deletive) is an English language expression based on a profanity that has been altered to reduce the objectionable characteristics of the original expression, for example, darn or dang instead of...etc. etc." Thank you Looney Tunes for censoring our childhood ears. You could have really taught us som...

At least I think that is how the cliche goes. I have recently come to the conclusion that I am not old enough to be a mother of two children. When I shared this sentiment with my dad he said, "There are younger woman than you with several children." So I rephrased my sentiment as, "Perhaps I am not mature enough to have two children." I think I know myself well enough to come to a logical conclusion - more children make me more crazy. We'll see if my conclusion comes to fruition by the end of summer. That is to say, check back in about August to see if I have completely lost it...yet. The baby inside of me sparks an entire range of emotions within me. I am excited. I am nervous. I am overwhelmed. I am anxious. Etc. Gratefully, the constant emotion I have each day is peace. Anytime Genevieve throws me a curve ball, we figure it out. Anytime we get sick, we get better. Anytime Eric or I have a reality check, we realize it was for the best. So, I know that when our...

Lest I be criticized for my lack of enthusiasm for the west, specifically the Gem State, I thought I would share some favorite shots from our recent trip there over the winter. These photos were all taken at the barn where Eric grew up on the west bench of Pocatello, ID. Well, he didn't grow up in the barn. He did, however, help paint it, bursh horses, stack hay bales, and shovel out stalls. Originally the barn was built by Eric's grandfather who raced chariots. (Yes, in the past century - did you know that chariot racing still took place outside of ancient Greece or ancient Rome?) The barn offered a unique opportunity for our amateur photography. If you look past the junk found in most barns, you can find a handful of treasures. The lighting inside was less than ideal. All of the above shots were favored by a little bit of natural light, thankfully. We used the big flash for shots of the saddles and reins but they didn't turn out, and I can't figure out how to fi...

Email from Eric to Alisha Subject: Some important dates Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 10:18am Alisha, How about HIGH NOON in JUNE! June 16th, we're set for the Logan Temple at 12noon. The room holds 55 people (largest room Logan has), guests need to be there at 11:30, and we need to be there at 11:00. No session before the wedding (thought you'd appreciate being right one more time). Do you think noon would give us enough time for breakfast, driving, and photos? By the way...I'm excited! Another important time: Tomorrow at 2 in the afternoon, do you want to go to the airport with me to pick up my mother? As it turns out, my dad dropped her off at the Pocatello airport last week, so she doesn't have a car there. I think the plane arrives at 2:05, so we'll probably have to leave at about 1:40 or so. My dad seemed to think it was a good idea to go get her. How 'bout I woke up really early today! I was at work by 6:45 this morning, plugging away at my tasks. I've gotte...

It is official. The 2009-2010 winter has moved into first place for the most snowfall in the DC Metro area. I'm not sure if I am proud to be a part of this monumental occasion or not. Frankly I've had my fill of cold and snow for one winter. Our most recent storm dumped another twelve inches on us and brought along some chilly winds too. It is strange to walk out my front door and see snow drifts. The last time I saw those were in Idaho, a very windy place indeed. Gratefully the snow has melted off the sidewalks and parking lot. Genevieve thought she was pretty cool romping around in her snow boots and sunglasses. Talk about snow blind! I tried to convince her to lick the snow, but she refused. She doesn't mind interaction with snow as long as there is no skin to cold contact. Eric piled the snow so high on our lawn from shoveling, that there wasn't anywhere left to throw it this time around. Good thing the sun came out and graced us with it's presence. I'm...

We skipped the all-important nap to get outside and enjoy the sunshine after being cooped up for too many days. Genevieve made it until almost 4:00pm before her meltdowns began - back to naps tomorrow. Ashley and Makenzie joined us on a few runs down the sledding hill. Would you ever guess that a boogie board is a much better sled than a saucer? Well it is. We went twice as fast and twice as far on the boogie board. Who needs a sled anyway? We had a fun time until the snow crept into our boots and soaked our socks. I keep telling myself that we'll go out again, but I just can't stand the cold and wind like I used to. I think it is fair to say that Ashley and I enjoyed ourselves completely, on account of the smiles on our faces. The girls smiled for a couple of runs but then simply tolerated the experience toward the end.

snow angels, pine cones, unfair treatment of Bisous, and block towers, because there really isn't anything else to do.

On Sunday, Genevieve saw a portion of the movie "Testaments" and we've been discussing what she saw, every day since. There were scenes of Jesus on the cross, earthquakes, and darkness. It was a bit unnerving for her little mind. I explained to her that when Jesus died, there were big storms and people were sad. Now, rather abruptly she'll state the following with her signature furrowed brow, "When Jesus died, people were sad." I have since tried to explain resurrection to my toddler. My definition is very simplistic when compared to LDS.org. I told Genevieve that Jesus lives again with Heavenly Father in Heaven and people are happy again because we get to live with him again too, someday. Tonight, when we went over the conversation yet again, I thought I would ask her about Jesus' death to test what she had learned. She confirmed most of what I had tried to teach her, including the new big word resurrection. There was, however, one exception. I asked ...

...we take photos of ourselves. We're tired of all the snow and we're running out of ideas to entertain ourselves.

Genevieve put her animals and friends to bed, then made one for herself on the bottom landing. If you ever need a place to stay, I'm sure Genevieve can find some space here for you.

The snow stopped. It must have happened sometime in the last hour. All day long we've gazed out the windows in wonder. There isn't much else to do during such a long storm. However, when the snow stopped we were around the house doing various things (I was napping on the couch while Eric vacuumed the basement with Evie) and didn't even notice. When I gazed out the window at sunset it felt eerily calm and quiet. We'll all enjoy the peace for a few hours now that darkness is upon us. It is official. Our toddler is more helpful and respectful than all of the members of our neighbor's household. In order to take advantage of the snowplow, Eric was shoveling for the second time to ensure our cars wouldn't get blocked in. While he and other neighbors worked hard, our next-door neighbors (you know those neighbors ) frolicked in the streets holding beer and throwing snowballs. Upon several requests from the snowplow driver they still wouldn't get out of ...

There are reports of trees falling onto power lines and starting fires. There are reports that over 100,000 people are without power. There are reports of 4-Wheel vehicles stuck on roadways. According to WTOP, we have received 20-30 inches of snow thus far, and we are to receive an additional 5-10 inches before the end. Currently we are safe, warm, and counting our blessings! 28 hours after the snow began to fall and still snowing. Eric struck a truce (with his back not the snow) and decided to come inside until it stopped. They tell us the snow may fall until 10:00pm tonight. Wowser!

They say this storm may break all DC records, including the infamous "Knickerbocker Storm" of 1922 . Eric shoveled for a good hour or so. Genevieve and I only lasted twenty minutes before the wind blew us back inside. A full 24 hours after the snow began to fall and it is still snowing and blowing.

Did you know I was pregnant? I sorta slipped in a few references in previous posts, but none as explicit as this post. We waited a lot longer to make our announcement this time around, mostly due to the holidays and traveling and our desire to tell our families in person. The best part about our dawdling announcement is that when I tell people how far along I am, they respond with, "Really? You're more than half way there?" Ahhh, music to my ears. I have a good friend who loves to be pregnant (Gwen that would be you). I never understood how anyone could enjoy pregnancy, because, let's be honest here, there are a lot more cons than pros. Sure the biggest pro is getting a baby, but there is a lot that has to happen along the way before the big reward. (How did Sylvia put it? Something about not being pregnant anymore.) Long before we had Genevieve, my sister-in-law got pregnant and suggested I get pregnant too. Eric claimed she only wanted company in her misery...miser...

Nobody minds a little snow when it looks like this in the morning.

We went to a local fire station to tour the trucks and meet the firemen. We learned about response time, gear, and the the difference between a fire truck and a rescue engine. The men were very nice and gave out official helmets for all the kids to take home. Unfortunately, all the kids were already scared to death after watching the fireman don his oxygen mask. Each child could have taken a picture with a fireman, but opted for a photo in the truck instead. We had a great time with our friends. Thanks Eliza! To see more pictures of the kids and fire station go to our photo site here .

Genevieve got into my makeup while I was showering. She applied foundation, blush, and mascara in all the right places. Luckily, she managed to keep all the mess off the carpet. Whew!