A New Year!

Happy New Year my friends.  

Sending out all of my best wishes to you for a very happy, peaceful, successful, and blessed New Year!

The Good and the Bad!

The GOOD

• I made it on the Dean's List for achieving a recurring high GPA.  This makes me very happy because I have worked very hard.  Next goal is to make it on the Chancellor's List. 
• I only have one class this session. Really glad about this after having two very difficult classes last session.  This class is Professional Communications and it sounds like it will be good and fun. 
• Work is good for the most part.  It's nice to be able to just drive around town delivering parts all day and not get stuck in an office.  It is the perfect job to have while I am attending school full time.  It's also nice that it's located about 3 miles from my home.
• The Holiday's were nice, peaceful and quiet around here.  It always comes and goes way too fast for my liking.  We enjoyed spending quality time together and that is what made it so nice. 
• I discovered Skype!  And I love it!  I was able to Skype with both sides of the family over the Holiday's.  I was so happy to even get to see my Grandmother via Skype whom I haven't seen since I moved here over a year and half ago.  This made being separated from family a little easier. 

The BAD

• I didn't get to spend Christmas with my kids after all.  Big disappointment!  It is a long and unpleasant story that has to do with ex-husband fighting me on my visitation rights and teenage kids that are stinkers.  Enough said!
• Kyle informed us a couple days ago that he is moving out of our home on the 8th and on to Minnesota where his previous girlfriend lives.  Another Big Disappointment! Another long and sensitive story that I won't share here. 
• We missed out on seeing our Utah family over the Holidays.  Since I didn't get to have my kids for Christmas there was no reason to make the trip to Utah to pick them up.
• I was sick for over 3 weeks with a terrible cough and nasal congestion.  Thank goodness I am finally getting over it but now it has struck my DH.  Ugh! 

I was hoping the New Year would bring less unpleasant life changing events and more peace and contentment.  However, since it's only the 4th and I already know about two major events that affects me personally leads me to believe that wish is just not going to happen. 

With that said, all I can do is take the advice of Church Leaders and  find the good and happy in each day.  So that is my goal for this year.  I will live day to day and seek out the happiness and goodness in those days. And I will hope that tomorrow will be a better one.

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!

Jibber Jabber from a Blog Slacker

Well maybe I'm not necessarily a complete Blog Slacker, I have just been so busy that I haven't done my regular posting this week and I haven't had a chance to do much catching up with you on your blogs.  Mix that with completely taking last week off, it makes me feel like I am slacking.  I am just going to have to get used to that and not feel guilty.  I really have come to love blogging.  And I have tried to at least post something at a minimum 3 days per week this past year, as it is my way of journaling my life.  But things are going to be changing for me to where I may not have that kind of time anymore.  What am I saying? 

Well lets start off with this......   I don't usually make New Year resolutions per say but this year I did create a list of tasks or "to do's" that need to get accomplished.  So without further ado here is the list.  The first on the list will tell you why I may not have time for regular blogging. 

My 2010 To-Do List

1. Get a job. 
   
   
   
2. Spend at least 4 hrs each day doing something towards getting a job. 
   
   
   
3. Purchase clothes for work.
   
   
   
4. Create our 2010 Budget and stick to it.  Find ways to save more money.
   
   
   
5. Exercise daily and eat healthier.
   
   
   
6. New Transmission for the Buick Rendevous. 
   
   
   
7. Window fixed on Mercury.
   
   
   
8. Piano repaired and tuned (as of today, the peddle maneuver thing broke)
   
   
   
9. Purchase New Computer (ASAP-ours is a dinosaur and is wreaking havoc, causing great stress and wasting valuable time.
   
   
   
10. Get taxes done ASAP. 
    
    
    
11. Find and take class on digital photography.
    
    
    
12. Copy all pictures from computer to a CD. 
    
    
    
13. Plan trip to Arizona to see kids and grandkids.
    
    
    
14. Plan trip to Texas to visit Bill's parents.
    
    
    
15. Crochet at least 2-3 aphgan's this year.
    
    
    
16. Practice piano daily.
    
    
    
17. Study sunday school lesson earlier in week and find ways to improve teaching.
    
    
    
18. Order credit report and find ways to improve credit score. (credit history really sucks since my divorce)
    
    
    
19. Find out why the heck I still have not received my portion of my ex's retirement as stated in divorce settlement now going on 2 years.  What a joke!
    
    
    
20. Begin organizing and scrapbooking pictures . 
    
    
    

Well that just about covers it.  Just by looking at my top 9 items, you can see why I need a job.  Since moving to Montana I have not had a job and have enjoyed staying home and being able to do what I have wanted.  The job market is still a little scary.  There are lots of people competing for the jobs that are available.  So we will see.  I am looking for a part-time job and I have extensive experience in many areas. 

So this week all I have been doing is updating my resume and applying for jobs, as well as starting on that budget thing.  This all takes time and that is why I have been so busy and quiet from blog world, and why I feel like a blog slacker. 

Wish me luck in the job hunt!   Hi-ho-hi-ho its off to work I go!  

2009 Review

Here are some cool things from facebook.  I was able to create a year in review using my status updates and also my photos.  So here goes.....

If you use Facebook.... go check it out!

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!