My Word for the Year!

I have seen several of your posts where you have chosen a word for the year that is like some sort of goal you wish to work towards for the year.  I decided that is not a bad idea and I have been tossing some ideas around in my head for several weeks.  There really is only one word that is appropriate for what I really want to work on this year and that word is.......

HEALING

Healing myself physically

Healing myself spiritually

Healing broken relationships

Physically - I just started the weight watchers program to help me make changes for a healthy lifestyle.  Along with this I have started walking regularly, well I started today!  I have had a gym membership for a while now but haven't been too faithful.  Well that is going to change.  I am planning to go to the gym at least 3 days a week (to start).  It will be easier once I get moved into my new home as the gym will just be down the street from my house (maybe a half mile). 

I have had really great results in the past with the weight watchers program and regular exercise.  In fact I lost about 65 pounds.  But then I got lazy again and gained it back!  The key is to make it a lifestyle change forever.  So I will do it again!

Spiritually - This would include creating a peaceful lifestyle while seeking out a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father.  I will do this through daily reading of the scriptures, attending the temple, praying more often, as well as regular church attendance.  

Relationships - To mend broken relationships between me and a few people that should be closest to me.  My children, my siblings, and friends.  It has been a tumultuous few years where nasty words were said, feelings hurt, and where I have pushed some of these people away. I will work on making amends for my part in creating these broken relationships.  I plan to work on forgiveness and in doing activities that will promote a more loving and open relationship with these people that I love.  

Wish me LUCK!  

Merry Christmas my Darlings.... and a Happy New Year too!

I just wanted to take a moment and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope each one of you have a wonderful Christmas filled with the love of family and friends.

I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends and family who support me in all I do and write such uplifting comments on my blog. Thank You for Inspiring me and sharing your lives with me.

I love you all!

Trip to Utah, A Job, School and Other Good Stuff

Wow!  So it's been a while since I've actually posted anything noteworthy.   I have posted a couple things here and there, mostly pictures, but nothing that stands out as amazing. I'm sorry for being such a slacker!  It's just that I have had a crazy past few weeks and I don't see that ending any time soon.  In fact, my life just got even more crazy, but it's all good.  I will just have to include blogging time into my schedule and be better at sticking to it. 

Here is what has been keeping me away....

School - You all know that I started school about 6 weeks ago at Colorado Technical University Online.  I am loving it!  But needless to say it's a full-time commitment in and of itself. Continuing my education is a HIGH priority for me right now and I am fully committed to achieving high grades and making the deans list in the near future.  So far I have an A in both classes.  Yeah!  This past week I have been working on my final papers for my classes, as we start a new session next week.  So I have been non-stop schooling lately.  Upcoming classes will be a little harder as I will be moving into Business Math and English Composition I.

Trip to Utah - Last week we made a trip to Utah for my family's camp out at Gooseberry Reservoir.  I'll get to that in just a minute. 

First I want to mention that Bill and I got to meet his daughter that was given up for adoption 25 years ago for the first time.  She and her husband, David, live in Arizona and just so happened to be in Salt Lake on the same weekend as us to attend the funeral of David's sister who had passed away.  Natalie made contact with Bill about a year ago and they have kept in contact since then.  Meeting Natalie and David was the most amazing experience.  She is so beautiful, inside and out! She and David just got married in May and they are a perfect match for each other.  After we left from meeting with them, we realized we didn't even take one picture.  And I even took my camera with me for that very reason.  I was and still am so upset by this.  So I had to borrow this picture of them from her facebook profile (I hope you don't mind Natalie).  We look forward to spending more time with them in the near future.   We are very blessed!

Now back to the camping trip... All of my family; my parents, all my siblings, nieces and nephews, and my kids all went camping to Gooseberry Reservoir in Sanpete County. The only person that was missing was my BIL, my sister,Valerie's husband, Bob.  And he was very much missed! This trip had been planned for many months and it was just so nice to be together. We had not been back home since we moved a year ago. 

We fished, camped, ate great food, had some fun nights around the camp fire telling silly progressive stories which was a hoot.   Did I mention that we fished?  We all caught 1 or 2 fish, but I think my 6 yr old niece caught a ton of fish all on her tiny Dora pole.  Every time she would throw her line in she would get a bite, it didn't matter that my line was right next to hers and it had the same bait.  For some reason the fish just loved her! 

Here is a movie I made of our trip...

We returned back to Salt Lake from camping on Sunday afternoon which left Bill and I a little time to visit with some friends and past neighbors for a little while.  I was able to catch up with some friends of mine who I haven't seen in several years, and who just happened to be in Utah also on this same weekend.  I feel very blessed to have been able to have this opportunity for chance meetings. It was also really nice to spend some time with my kids, but now I am missing them like crazy!  The weekend was so AWESOME! 

Job Status - My work with the Census ended a few days before our trip to Utah and so I had been really stepping up my time spent seeking a new job.  I met with a Career Assistance Advisor through my school who assisted me in revamping my resume and brushing up on my interview skills.  And I spent many hours apply for job after job during this past month.  On July 26th I received a phone call from O'Reilly Auto Parts, a place that I had applied to several months ago.  A job opening has come available and I interviewed that day, and found out the next that I got the job.  Yes, you read that right..... I finally got a job!  It's a full-time position driving auto parts around.  And it couldn't have come at a better time.  Yeehaw!

Now this is where my life gets even more crazier.  Full-time school + Full-time job = A very full life!  Now I just have to figure out how to keep it all in balance including my family and social commitments.  I haven't had a full-time job in a few years and I definitely have not had school on top of it.  But hey, people do it all the time, right? 

Other stuff - I have hundreds of pictures I still need to edit and post of our hikes and Daisy's Adventures.  I haven't spent a lot of time on that because I still need to get a new computer and an external hard drive for this one before I start adding more files to it.  That will be a project I will have to work in my spare time. Ha!  And I would still like to be able to spend some time catching up on your blogs too.  Life is just getting in the way just a bit right now.  I hope you will forgive me. 

Great News - I'm SO excited that my in-laws are coming for a visit later this month.  I am really looking forward to spending some good time with them.  MIL is an excellent photographer and am hoping she can teach me a thing or two. Here is a cute picture of the two them and their dog "Dinky"..... 

Can't wait to see you Mom & Dad!

Now to all my bloggy friends out there.... I promise to catch up with you over the next few days.  I can't wait to see whats been happening in your lives. 

A Fishing Tale & Other Stories

I went fishing the other day....

But all I got was this...

Mosquito bites everywhere!  Ouch!

It was really nice to escape for a little while and just relax.  And that is what fishing is for me... Relaxing!

Also....

On Sunday's after church it is our routine to go on a new hike or geocache.  For two weeks in a row we have enjoyed having some really great friends join us on our hikes.  

  We have seen many beautiful wildflowers like these....

And we have seen some fantastic scenery

These activities are the things that keep me from doing this....

And also what help me to find balance in my life.

How do you find balance in your life?

I really would like to know. I'm curious! 

And I have to write a report on this subject for school. 

So please share with me what works for you. 

Thanks to some amazing friends

I have some amazing friends.  Friends that I have known for a while and friends that I have met by blogging.  To every single one you, THANK YOU.  You are amazing and I am so grateful for your kind words and thoughtful remarks that touch my heart and inspire me.  You have lifted my spirits and have helped me to see and feel that things will be okay.  The words "thank you" just doesn't express enough of how I feel about you.   I want you  to know that I know how blessed I am by your friendship.  I love you all. 

I am back

Hello my friends.  I am back.  I had a wonderful week being able to spend some much needed time with my kids.  We picked them up on December 26th and had Christmas together.  They seemed to really love their gifts.  We spent the week just hanging out and enjoying each other's company.  I will write a more detailed post with pictures when I have a little bit more time.  I still need to upload and edit the pictures I took. 

I just wanted to say hello and let you all know I am back and to look for an updated blog very soon.   I have so many things to catch up on and do right now though.  I have missed the time I normally have to spend catching up with all of you.  I hope your Christmas and New Years was full of much fun and joy and that you have made some wonderful memories. 

See you soon!

To all my bloggy friends.....

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my blog.  They brighten my days. 

I have enjoyed getting to know you all a little more with every post or blog I read.

Thank you for allowing me to share in your live's just a little bit. 

I am so blessed to be able to call you my friend.

May you all feel our Saviors love during this Christmas Season and throughout the New year! 

May your days be happy, your heart be light, your Christmas merry and the New Year bright! 

Feelings of Nostalgia

As we are getting closer and closer to our moving date, I am overcome with so many emotions. I am moving several hundred miles away from my home town, the place where I grew up, the place that holds so many fond memories. It's not just a hop, skip and a jump to come home. As I start to ponder this, I get a homesick feeling inside of me. But how can that be when I haven't even left yet?

Well it's like this....

I start thinking about my sweet, beautiful nieces who range from 1 to 15 and how much I will miss them and being part of their every day lives and watching them grow up. I will miss birthdays and other special moments in their lives and it truly makes me feel "homesick".

I think of my Grandma, who is getting on in years. There is the possibility that I may never see her again. I am so glad I was able to spend a little bit of time with her the other day when she was in Salt Lake. She is such a wonderful person and an example of a woman of strength. I wonder when or if I will see her again, and then I get all choked up because I have wanted to spend so much more time with her than I have these past few years. I already miss her so much.

Most of my immediate family members live near me here in West Valley City. My parents live a couple blocks away and are in the same ward as I am. My sister and her family live in West Jordan. My little brother and his family live in Kearns. I have another Brother that lives in Delta and a sister that lives in Texas. So for the most part we have been pretty close. Close enough that we would always get together for special occasions or just because. These have always been fun times. I have enjoyed these times so much and I will miss being part of all the activities my family will be having in the future. I know there have been some hard feelings between us all most recently, and I hope that with time and distance we can start to mend our hurt hearts so that we can be a close family like we always have been. Even if I haven't always shown it, I do love you all so much!!!

One of the most emotional and difficult feelings I have been having is that I am leaving my kids behind. They have both chosen to move back to Cedar City and live with their dad. They love living there and have many friends and I am truly happy for them. However, it is not easy for me as their mother to move so far away. To not be part of their every day lives is going to be very difficult. What will I do without Football, Baseball, Dance, Softball, Orchestra, Band, School Plays, etc??? I really don't know what I will do. I just want my kids to know that I love them with all my heart and I want them to be happy. I will miss them beyond description and I will be counting days, hours and minutes until I can see them again.

I am currently living not only in my home town, but in my "home" ward. This ward has always been so welcoming and truly makes anyone feel at home. I look around at the people in Sacrament Meeting and I know almost everyone. They are parents of my friends, or teachers that have taught me in Primary or Young Women's. They are my neighbors, my friends, and most importantly, they are "Family" to me. And they are also getting on in years. There will be many of these wonderful people that I may never see again and that is what makes this move the most difficult.

I have so many wonderful friends that I am so greatful and blessed to have in my life. You have always been there for me when I needed you. Thank You for your listening ears and your eagerness to help me out when I've needed someone. And even though we might not always have opportunities to spend time with each other, I know you are just a phone call away. I will miss you all so much and hope that you will come and visit me while on your next Yellowstone vacations!!

When we moved into the home we live in, and into this area, we did so thinking we would be living here for the rest of our lives. I guess God has a different plan for us. For some reason we must be needed in Montana. So even though I am having such an emotional time with feelings of nostalgia and saying goodbye to all that I know and all thats comfortable, I am also looking forward to new experiences and a start of a new life.

Snowboarding Day!

Part of the Christmas gifts we gave the kids this year was a gift certificate for a day of snowboard lessons, complete with all the equipment, and lift passes. So last Saturday, Shellise, Bill, Shellise's Friend Megan, and I went to snowboarding up at Snow Basin. Shellise had a scheduled snowboarding class from 10:00 a.m. to Noon.

The weather wasn't great. It rained all morning and made it so that everyone got soaked pretty quickly. But Shellise had a good time learning how to snowboard. Bill & Megan enjoyed the morning too, riding the lift up the hill and snowboarding down many, many times. I enjoyed watching from the Lodge. Shellise did pretty good. She spent a lot of time falling on her rear end and did a few face plants in the snow, but for the most part had fun. However, because the weather was beginning to get even worse, we quickly cut the day short soon after Shellise's class was over.

Even though the weather wasn't the greatest, and Shellise ended up being very sore for the next several days, we still made some good memories and look forward to going again in the near future and when Jessie can go with us. Also....Preferably when the ski's are blue and the sun is shining!

Photos - Better late than never

These are random photos from 2008 that I have wanted to post but never got around to.

Jessie, Daisy, Shellise & Abby

"Our Kids"

Jessie and his best friend Ryan Graham

Jessie & Ryan

Rocky - Our Cockatoo

Our Dog - Abby "the house Princess"

Abby - Isn't she cute?

Billy - Paragliding

Me getting ready to Paraglide

Me with my paragliding instructor

Our Wedding Day

I love this one of my mom. She is being silly. She might not appreciate this picture but I love it.

Billy & I and Bishop Costner

Our First Kiss as a Married Couple

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!

We at the Carpenter house had a wonderful holiday season and we hope that you all did too. We spent most of our time with family. My sister, Alicia, had our whole family invade her new, spacious, home not only on Christmas Day but also New Years Eve and New Years Day. We are talking about Mom & Dad, and all 5 of us siblings and our families. We had everyone together this year. We had a blast playing games, watching movies and eating yummy food. We have really enjoyed my sister, Valerie, her husband, Bob, their son Parker and dog, Sallie Mae who was able to travel from Texas to spend all the Holiday Season with us. It has been so much fun spending time together as a family. We have also enjoyed the time spent with Jessie & Shellise. Jessie was able to stay up here the whole 2-1/2 weeks and it's been great. I have yet to get the Christmas pictures uploaded, but I will work on that and will post them later.

The only thing that was missing was Bill's side of the family. His kids, parents and brother live in other states and so we were not able to see or spend any time with them. We hope that we will be able to take a trip to see them all really soon this year. We want them all to know that we love them and miss them and are very greatful to have them in our lives.

Thanks to all of you who sent us your Christmas cards and pictures. I was real slacker this year and didn't get my traditional card and letter out. But I am so thankful that you did. I love looking at your pictures and reading your letters. I will do better the next Holiday Season.

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year! I look forward to regularly keeping up to date with you via your blogs... so keep blogging people!

What I am most THANKFUL for this THANKSgiving...

When most people think about Thanksgiving the first thing that comes to mind is the Turkey Dinner with all the fixings – potatoes, gravy, candied yams, fresh baked rolls, cranberry sauce, and pies galore. Is that really what Thanksgiving is all about?

Nope, not in my book anyway! I could do without the dinner. The meal itself is not my favorite…well the pies – Maybe! Thanksgiving is really about “Giving Thanks”.

Because I have so many things to be thankful for this year, I thought I would post them here to share with all of you.

This year I am most grateful for and blessed by my Wonderful Husband. Finding him and having him in my life has completely changed my life for the good. I am truly blessed to be loved by him.

I am also very grateful for our kids and grand kids. Without them my life would be dull. They bring so much joy and enrichment to my life. They are my inspiration and my heroes.

I am thankful for parents who have stood by and supported me through the hard times, who have always been there for me no matter what. Who have picked me up when I have fallen on my face and gave me the encouragement I needed to get back up and keep going.

Thanksgiving, for most people, brings families together in one place, to eat and enjoy each other’s time and company, and of course, Football. For this I am grateful. This is the part of Thanksgiving that I do enjoy. It is the time I get to spend with family.

I am most thankful for my Heavenly Father who does hear and answer prayers. He answered mine by bringing Billy into my life at the exact time that I needed him most.

I am blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to have the knowledge that I have of Heavenly Father’s plan for me.

I am thankful for my brother, Jesus Christ, who died for me on the cross and who was resurrected so that I might live again.

I am thankful to live in America, the land of the Free. Especially for the freedoms that I have, that we sometimes take for granted. For the right to Vote. While I may not always agree on who was voted into our government, at least we have the right to vote and to know that our vote does count. For being able to worship God freely, at church and in our daily lives. Not everyone is free to do that without persecution.

I am thankful for our jobs. For being able to work and make good money, that keeps food on our table and shelter over our heads.

I am thankful for living in this day and age of technology - To have instant communication at our fingertips - For being able to search anything on the Internet with a touch of the keyboard and the click of the mouse.

I am thankful for getting started in the blogging world this year. It has been such a fun way of sharing lives with all my friends and family.

I am especially thankful to all of you who are my dear friends. For your kind words when I needed a listening ear. For your help when I needed help. For always being there supporting me no matter what. I love you all!

And finally, I am very thankful for this Holiday in November. Because it reminds us that we need to be thankful in all things, every day of the Year!

What I've Been Up To

Here are the top 10 things that I have been doing lately....

10. Reading Danielle Steel's Book "Bungalow 2".
9. Listening to Audiobook of Michele Ashman Bell's "Forget Me Not".
8. Yard Work - Weeding, Planting Perennials, Putting Bulbs in the Ground.
7. Watching the 1st and 2nd season of "The 4400".
6. Blogging.
5. Bowling on Thursday Night Mixed League.
4. Preparing and sending out Wedding Invites.
3. Spending Time with Honey & Kiddo's.
2. Working for S.L. County Constables Office.

AND THE NUMBER ONE THING I HAVE BEEN DOING IS.....

1. Planning our Wedding.

Now for anyone that is reading this.... You are tagged! I want to see the top 10 things you have been doing lately. Thanks for playing along with me on this!

Memories

Here is a fun little game that a friend inspired me to start on my blog. This is how it works:

Leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a very short time, a long time, or just your first impression of me, any memory that you can think of. I have many friends that read my blog but don't comment, I would love to hear from you. Even if you don't have a blog you can comment, all you have to have is an email address.

Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.

I will try to jog my memory and come up with a memory for you too.