Just Being

Yesterday, started with Emma’s neck bright red and bumpy in the distinct outline of a necklace she had worn for Halloween the night before. Thank you cheap costume jewelry for reminding me that my girl and I are only meant to be showered with jewels in the form of nickel free and stainless steel. One oatmeal bath and 1% cortisone application later, we were settling in for a lazy Sunday when Emma’s friend Brandy came a knockin’. Brandy is our neighbor daughter (daughter by proxy if you will) who lives three doors down and across the street. Her and Emma can play for hours on end, and usually do.

With Emma occupied and distracted from her itchy neck, I set to work cleaning the pantry.

It’s an obsession. I also managed to clean the downstairs bathroom and start a mean enchilada sauce for dinner. Chicken and cheese wrapped up in tortilla deliciousness, smothered in spicy cilantro red sauce, I think that’s pretty awesome. (So does Dan)

It was rainy and cold outside, but we were cozy and warm on the inside doing the things that families do, content to just be.

A Reality (TV) Check

While there are many things wrong with the situation that is Jon & Kate, I won't judge. It really, truly is, none of my business, even though you try to make me open wide and eat it, I will not pass judgement. Even though every news channel is begging me to form an opionion, I just won't do it.


Instead, I will make a case for modern marriage. If you aren't ready to commit to the vows that you take, then don't do it. Don't get married. It seems very simple to me. That's my case.

The way I see it, and you may very well disagree, is this; once you make the decision to wed and procreate, you owe it to the family you had a hand in creating to stick it out for the long haul. Anything less than a full commitment to your spouse and children would be an exercise in selfishness. If you are the type of person who cannot handle that type of committment, then don't marry. Or have children. Happiness is relative.

Catch Up!

A mama tomato, a daddy tomato and a baby tomato are walking. The baby falls behind. The daddy tomato goes back, squishes the baby and says "Catch up!"

Ha ha, very funny. Thank you Pulp Fiction for bringing that joke into my life.

I am playing catch up though. D&E are visiting Grandma up North. Dan's mom Grandma, not to be confused with my mom, Grandma fa fa away. I thought I could clean the house, get some sewing done, even watch a movie that I know Dan has no interest in seeing. Alas, these things did not come to pass. Instead, I went to work. At work. For 8 whole hours. On a Saturday. And now. I blog. Priorities you know.

Here are some new pictures of Emma. Why? Because I am a bad daughter(in-law) and never mail photos to the respective Grandma's. Did I mention that I worked, on a Saturday? Who has time to send pictures? Although, Walgreen's certainly has the right idea. Maybe I will upload said photos and send them to the nearest Walgreen's for pick up. What do you think Grandma(s)? Please post your reply in the comments section of this blog. Welcome to the new millennium. Conversation via comments.

Oh, Baby

Dan and I have been thinking about giving child rearing a second chance. We figure Emma has turned out okay so far, we should be able to raise another decent human being. I for one am very excited, since I am positive that the second will not be nearly as much work as the first.

With Emma, I was so scared and nervous all the time. All had to be perfect and germ free. I was so caught up in creating and capturing the memories just perfectly, I exhausted myself.
Now, I know its okay if everything isn't antibacterial and that the occasional pea in the ear is no big deal and that imperfection and chaos is really what makes the best memories. I have also developed an insane amount of patience. I can sit though endless hours of Noggin TV without wrapping my arms around my legs, rocking back and forth muttering incoherent things to myself. Second time around is going to be a breeze.

Wish us luck!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

How did it get to be 2009? It was just 1999. That was the year Dan and I met. I think I still have a disposable camera with pictures of our jaunt through downtown New Orleans for the year that would become 2000. Or, the end of the world as many referred to it. The moments between 11:59pm 1999 and 12:00am 2000 was really just the beginning for me. It seems quite fitting that Dan and I were married on New Years day three years later. A new beginning.

2009 will be a big year, it will see Emma reach her fifth birthday as well as her first day of school. It will be the year that Dan and I hopefully concieve and achieve our second child. On September 10, the anniversary of our meeting 10 years ago.

I am looking forward to this new year and wishing your the most happiness for yours!

It's Mel!

Posting about home yesterday made me realize just how much I miss it. Not only home, but the people that live there too. My most favorite person in Reno would without a doubt be Melissa, or Mel to those who know her best. Talk about kindred. I think she took my place with my mom when I left Reno, I would even venture to say that my mom forgot that she had a daughter named Lisa. Something you should know is that everything clever I have ever said, or any catch phrase that I use on a regular basis was stolen directly from the lips of Mel. She is so fantastically gifted in the area of humor and wit, it's just easier to not compete and simply steal the words. Also, something you should know, is that whenever Mel is around, there is never a shortage of cleavage. What? It's important. Cleavage is sadly overlooked these days.


I love Mel, and I would like to take this opportunity to say that I would love Mel more if she would get a blog of her very own so that I can steal her words shamelessly and use them as my own, I kid, I would give her full credit, at the very bottom of the post, in really small font, like .07.

So, You Wanna Write Some Stories?

If you are interested in starting your own family story or would like to improve on the things you already write about, may I suggest registering for this class. I did and am so stinkin' excited I can hardly stand it!

Harvest Time

This picture was taken last year during the Harvest Festival. Despite the long sleeves and windblown look, it was probably 80 degrees that day. I remember thinking how miserable and disappointing that Emma may never know the fall's of my youth. The crisp air laced with the scent of fireplace wood burning at houses nearby. Things are looking up for Harvest Festival 2008 though, the weatherman promised me that that there would be a drastic drop in temperature. This could mean 80 degrees to 75, but I am yearning and wishing for upper 60's (oh, alright lower 60's is really what I want) It would just make for a better hayride through the pumpkin patch and I would feel like I got to share a small piece of something that always makes me think of my childhood. Isn't that one of the best parts about being a parent?

How Cookies Led Me To God

One night, about a year ago, I was searching for some information on cookies. I was thinking about starting a cookie business making specialty cookies. I was researching recipes for these delectable little treats when Google lead me Oh Happy Day which in turn lead me to "The Nie Nie Dialogues". In my curiosity, I read a little bit about a woman and her family and found myself wanting to read more. I delved into the archives and got to know an amazing, fantastic, unbelievably remarkable family that extended beyond the girl whose blog I was reading. Not two days later, two young boys in white shirts and ties came to my door asking if they could talk to me about the Book of Mormon. I invited them back for dinner so they could discuss the Book of Mormon with myself, my husband and my then three year old daughter. They came by, every Wednesday for a month eventually introducing me to some ladies from The Relief Society. I made fast friends with these ladies who treated me as if we had known each other all our lives. I attended Church and was amazed at the bond that seemed to be formed between these people and God. I wasn't exactly sure what had come in to my life, but I was excited about it and ready to explore it with an open mind and heart.

When I shared with my mother my newfound joy, my mood was immediately deflated when she said, "If you become a Mormon, I will disown you!" The words were said with such vehemence and hatred. I knew she was not joking. My family apparently has a long history with the Mormon religion that has not always been a positive relationship. We had never attended church as a family, God had never been a part of our daily lives. I had a small children's bible where I learned about Adam and Eve, Moses, Noah etc. They were just stories to me and we never prayed or said blessings over anything.

Over the next few months, I stayed involved in the Church. I was still excited about my new "family" and eager to learn more about this sect of people who essentially lived their religion as opposed to attending worship once a week and the occasional church sponsored activity. I opened up a door of communication with my mother regarding the religion. It was then, at this time in my life, she told me of the deep ties my family history has with Mormonism. Back to my great grandfather. She disassociated herself from the Church before I was born, for reasons only she could explain or know, only to marry a man who was a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My parents were never active members in that church, however, my stepfather's family also had very early ties to the Mormon history. My mother and I had long theological conversations about the Bible, God and religions in general and I learned a great deal about my genealogy and history that I may have never known were the words of the Book of Mormon not brought to my doorstep.

I still struggle with knowing God, it's hard to blow off thirty three years of conditioning, but there are facets of my life that have improved from the direct impact the Church has had on my life. I think that I am willing to explore things that the Church has to offer and to allow Emma the opportunity to learn and grow within the Church as well as though the knowledge that I have to offer.

Family Vacation

We are leaving tonight to go to Sesame Place in PA. Emma is so excited she can hardly stand herself. Dan printed out a map of the theme park and Emma has circled every ride and waterslide she would like to go on. We are also going to Crayola Factory, which is an extra special treat for Emma that she doesn't even know about yet.

This is our first real vacation as a family, so I will try to take lots of pictures and make it memorable. I am really bad when it comes to taking pictures, mostly because I am so caught up in enjoying the moment. I have always felt that my memory serves me better in my head then with photos. A recent event has led me to believe that perhaps that is not the truth.

What better place to store my memories and legacy than right here with you?

A Post A Day In August

Here it is already, August first and I promised a post a day. I almost forgot. Right now, Emma is crying because she was running around like a wild child and fell. She hurt her pinky toe, on her left foot, it really hurts she says as she stands behind me. Real time people.

I took the day off from work so that Emma and I could spend the day together. We had some waffles, went to the water park and now, we are going to take a nap because mama's whooped.

I can't imagine having more children, I think I would be in a constant state of zombieism. Yes, I totally just made that word up.

I can see Emma walking down the hallway from my computer nekki (naked) with her blue blankie. I guess she's whooped too!

Emma's Fancy B*&% Hole

Family laCarter had a wonderful day at the beach yesterday. One of the benefits of living in a city named Virginia Beach is that there actually is a beach close by and we can go whenever we want, on a whim even, which is what we did yesterday.

Emma loves to play in the sand, and one of her favorite things to do is dig a little hole, plant her hiney in it and cover herself up with sand. Imagine my surprise when she announced happily, and quite loudly, "Look at my fancy B*&^ hole!"

You see, I understood, she meant look at the hole, which is fancy, and to which she placed her hiney in. It made perfect sense to my innocent four-year old that this sandy hole should indeed be deemed a butt........hole.

To the beach goers nearby however, all they knew is that there was a child, saying dirty things and her parents were laughing at her.

Makes you think twice about giving a parent dirty looks when you overhear a conversation to which you are not privy to don't it!

On Having More Children

Why yes, I would love to have more children. If I could, I would have twelve. Yes, that's right, a dozen little chiltins running around, doing things like raising the farm animals, tending to the garden, cooking and cleaning, all those good things children should be doing and learning. Children bring so much joy and happiness with their innocence and willingness to learn all about the world around them.

The problem lies with the world that we live in today. I spend every single day wondering how I am going to bring Emma up in this world of excess, direspect and selfishisness.

Now, I have never been of tree hugging hippe set, or the devout Christian set or of the anything set really, but in my utopian world, I would live with my husband and children in the Montana mountains, miles from anyone, raising my own food, making my own clothes and teaching my own children. Teaching them the three R's of course, but also about nature, art, culture, music and obedience, respect, so on and so on.

I hate, yes, I hate the public school system and dread that day when Emma must attend her very first day of kindergarten. I abhor the children whose parents provide for their every want including Louis Vuitton handbags and Dior sunglasses (at age 5!)and the way Emma will feel when she has to endure the tauntings and the teasings for not wearing Juicy Couture sweatpants or Seven jeans to school. I detest the fact that when Emma is kind and obedient to her elders that children will write terrible things about her on the Internet and perhaps wound her little soul into thinking she is an outcast or not good enough.

I live in fear that everyday will bring a new challenge about how much money she has to make, or how big of a house she has to live in, or how fancy of a car she must drive. Or, how much she will hate me for trying to raise her to believe that McDonalds is not healthy food, that being a good wife and mother are noble pursuits, that sex is something special and that love does not equal cost of the wedding.

I worry that she will meet the right person to start a family of her own, that she will meet the wrong person who will take advantage of her. It hurts me to think that she will have her heart broken, that she will not truly appriciate things until she is older.

I worry about the state of the country that we live in, and the state of democracy and how that will effect Emma's children, and their children.

And so, yes, I would love to have more children, but I somehow feel as if I would be doing a great disservice to those little humans by bringing them up in the world in which we live.

It's Officially Christmas Season

Do you ever notice how hard it is to get a good picture of a Christmas tree? Well, here it is, the very first tree that Miss E will most likely remember and the very first she decorated almost all by herself.

Happy Happy Turkey Day (Late)

Happy Turkey Day. Late. I am always late, except when I am on time. I can never seem to get Christmas cards out on time, halloween costumes finished on time, last Easter's rabbit put away from the mantel (on time). I am however, always on time for work, which is a great thing or else I would be fired. That would leave a considerable amount of time for blogging though. I would be writing until your eyes turned blue from so much reading. (that is unless your eyes are already blue, then they would turn brown). Here are some things I am thankful for this year.

My beautiful daughter and fantastic husband.
My new, very well paying job
My hair, which is getting quite long and lovely
The blogging community, without whom, I would be lost
My ability to sew and be crafty
My husband's new lawn business, which he loves more than me, but makes him happier than the Navy
Did I mention my family?


Now that the Christmas shopping season has officially started, I will make a list for you of the things Dan, Emma and myself would like for the happy holiday we dedicate to the coming of God's only begotten son by purchasing ungodly amounts of things we don't need and going into hock for said items.

Emma would like:
Everything from the Toys R Us catalog.

Dan would like:
Everything from the Toys R Us catalog and a real "Big Boy" tractor.

Lisa would like:
World peace, pumpkin pie/eggnog flavored coffee creamer, the answer to the meaning of life and a new IPod docking station/alarm clock with battery back-up.



Seriously, does anyone even read this blog?