2008 REFLECTIONS...

2008 is almost over and done with, WOW how fast did that go by? I want to take a moment and reflect on this year. 2008 has been a fast paced amazingly emotional year.

January, I turned 31, yeah 31. I remember when I was in my twenties and the thirties looked so far away, not anymore because I'M THERE. I had an amazing birthday party with a good group of people. I got my tattoo updated. When I turned 21 my dad bought my tattoo for me as a gift, It was my birth flower and Kayla's birth flower and this year I added Brycen, Emma, Hannah and Jeremy's flower to my garden, its complete for now.
Kayla turned 12, pre-teen with all the emotions, and she started junior high, and got a cell phone..I love her, we have such an amazing bond with eachother.
Brycen turned 7 and is growing bigger everyday and loves football, I can't wait to get him into a peewee league when he's 8. He lost his first tooth this year and tried contacts, that was fun, but finally went back to glasses. He's in 2nd grade and is very very smart.
My dad retired in June from Park City Police Department. June was a busy month for all of us, we attended so many wonderful events that people planned for us. One thing that we pulled off was an amazing Retirement party!!! We spent many days on the phone with the Marriott ordering things just so they would be exactly how we wanted them. It turned out wonderfully, it was an evening of drinks, dancing, crying, laughing and remembering a great officer and what he has done for the Park City community. I am so proud to have such a wonderful, loving and successful father.
Jeremy turned 34, he is almost in his mid thirties, who would have thought? LOl I tease him because he will always be older, but time has been good to him.. He's still as handsome as ever. My mom and Don came to visit for a few days, it was wonderful, I love seeing them, I miss them so much. they were so helpful and always are when they come out to stay, we always seem to get a project done while their out here. This time we put a banister on my front porch, it turned out awesome, it brings so much character to my house. thank you mom, don, fish and Jer for working so hard on it. It was alot of fun to watch it come together. We always have a good time, Jeremy and Don enjoying their "geysers" from Wasatch Brewery to BBQing for the whole family, we definitely had alot of fun together and the kids loved the time spent with Grandma Ray and Pappy. Then my mom came back in October for work, we were able to steal her for a day and have dinner with her. All of her kids and grandkids came together for a few hours to spend time with her, that was alot of fun, short amount of time but fun. My mom has lived in Georgia for 13 years, I have always missed her and enjoy seeing her once a year maybe twice a year at times. But as i get older and everytime she leaves I miss her even more. I enjoy the time we do get to spend with her but I cry everytime her and Don leave, they are such wonderful loving people. I can't wait to hug them again.. Thank you mom and Don for all that you have done and do for the Carter six pack, it is so much appreciated.
Hannah turned 2, wow, my baby is two, she is now a toddler, not an infant or a baby anymore, she is so smart, such a talker. She mimics everything that Emma does and they love eachother so very much. All she wanted for her birthday was a baby, so we got her one and each day she carries her around and loves her unconditionally. She loves to talk on the phone, so thank you to all of you who have been called just so Hannah can talk on the phone, its much appreciated. I remember she called my dad one day and was talking away and he thought he was talking to Emma, Ha Ha Ha it was so funny and then when he realized it was Hannah he was so amazed. We had a wonderful Halloween Party for the kids and went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with all of our kids friends, it was so fun and all the costumes were great.
We attended an adult Halloween party, everyone looked amazing, it was so fun to see everyone dress up. The night started out great until a few people got so drunk that their sense of respect and responsibility flew out the window and all their morals and values were gone. I learned alot about a few people that night. Not so fun.. I will never surround myself with others who like to do that..
We updated our kitchen, new everything. It was hard to live wthout a kitchen but well worth it. We were only without a full kitchen for a couple weeks so that was good. Now that it is done we love it so very much, everyone always gravitates to that part of the house anyway. It holds up well with alot of people. I have had a few gatherings and love it. Well worth the money and wait.
Thanksgiving was amazing as always, Jeremy and I cook the bird together and as I always say a couple who cooks a bird together stays together. PA HA HA We had his mom over and it was a quiet wonderful day.
Towards the end of this year we have had major changes in our lives. We have done so much work to our house, all the rooms upstairs have been upgraded, so the only thing left is the basement. Other changes have been not watching my nephews anymore, they moved to Magna and go to a different school and a different daycare. I have had the pleasure of watching them the last three years and I've enjoyed every moment. They became a huge part of our family. I am sad to see Heather and the boys go, but I know that they will be happy out in Magna with Aaron and a new school, still it isn't any easier mourning the loss of them. I am hoping they will remember the wonderful times we had together and I hope they will always know that I am here for them at any time.
Another change has been losing a group of people that were an important part of my life. I have learned that the world is ever changing and so are people. The ones who you thought were your friends really aren't and will do something to harm you in an instant, or turn their back on you in a blink of an eye. I have had four people done that to me recently. It pains me to have opened my heart and my life up to people who are not so nice. I have gotten a close up view of who they really are and I do not and will not surround myself with such negativity. In a way I am grateful to know of their true motives just so I don't make the mistake and forgive them just to get hurt again. Since that door has slammed shut another wonderful door has opened and I have found others to turn to, ones who are true, honest, genuinely nice and just want to be your friend without "plotting" something against you. Friends who are mature, and on the same life path that you are. A group of people that can be friends with eachother without others getting mad and throwing attitudes. I love it and am blessed to have met such wonderful ADULTS and I look forward to future gatherings like the one we had on 12-20 at the bar, what an amazing night.
Emma turned 4, what a smart kid she is. She is our firecracker, miss attitude, she is hard-headed and stubborn but can be such a sweetheart all at the same time. She has a best friend, Diego, I have had the pleasure to care for him for the past two years, its been a fun time. He fits into our family well. He loves Jeremy and always calls him funny. The whole Montes family fits in well with our family, they are such wonderful friends to us, we are truly blessed to have them in our life.
And here we are to NOW, I love the holiday season, I love Christmas and what it stands for. We had our Evans family gathering, I miss my aunts and uncles and cousins. I caught my dad and his brother standing back looking at the family and commenting on how wonderful we all are, that meant alot and I'm glad i was within ears-shot of that comment. Cousin Jessi and i are going to plan something for the summertime for this family, we need to get together more than just once a year. I love everyone and it was so great to hang out with them for a few hours.
I can't believe Santa will be here soon. The kids are looking forward to it. I am too. I need to get our Christmas cards out, if they are late I'm sorry. Mom your gift is coming in January, sorry I couldn't make the deadline for Christmas. We are hoping together with the Lindsay side of the family, well atleast the little kids so they can exchange gifts. They always have alot of fun.
New Years is around the corner. It will be different this year, so many changes in our lives and the old traditions are going to be gone, well atleast for me. I am looking forward to starting my own traditions, ones that will never be broken. I have great goals for 2009 but thats for another blog.
My Christmas wish for this year is to have a sisterhood with my younger sister. Her and I have not been able to see eye to eye on a few things and its ended up in not having a great relationship anymore. I have apologized as much as I am able to. I just hope we can get past this and have a new sistership together. I love her with all of my heart and miss her so much. I hope 2009 will bring us a new start.
I guess you could say that in 2008 I have loved, laughed, listened and lost. Yet I wouldn't change this year for anything, it has taught me so much and has made me a much better person. I believe that the things we experience in life make us better people in the long run. I am just trying to be the best person I can be. "I AM WHO I AM AND THATS ALL I KNOW HOW TO BE"

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from THE CARTER 6 PACK

"STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL"

The famous quote from my mom!! She has always told me that, as far back as I can remember. She is right, I know that, Its just hard to remember sometimes.

I am a giver, I give and give and expect nothing but simple kindness, I guess that is to much to ask. I am a problem solver, I reach out and befriend people with the best intentions at heart. When you try to get to know someone you ask questions, you want to know t hings, you try to start conversations or small talk. I have tried to do all that for one person, and got nothing in return so I stopped. Now I'm told that I dislike this person. I can't win. I try to help then I try to step back and not help and I get crap for both.

This has shaken me ALOT. How and why does this one person hurt me so bad? Why do I let them? I have no answers other than that is how I'm made.

Like my mom told me last night, you pick yourself up and brush yourself off and go tell that person to KISS off!!! (I want to use the word that starts with and F and ends in a K) PA HA HA HA HA no really, you just go on in life. Weed out the bad people, the ones who don't add any good to your life. It's just hard. I will do it and life will go on. I have learned my lesson.

Thanks mom for your advice and your ear for me to cry on. I LOVE YOU..

MY KIDS ARE FAMOUS!!!

On Wednesday we had an eye Dr. appointment at 1pm so I thought it would be good for the kids to go to school for the morning half of the day. So starting 11:40am I drop Diego off at preschool (he is a little darling that I watch) he attends preschool in the same school that Brycen goes to. I try to check Brycen out but he is at lunch, so I am walking all over the lunch room to find him, I figured he was outside so I just took it upon myself to go out there and get him. I found him, he had to tell me he had an asthma attack first thing in the morning, so that story took forever, and then we got his backpack, saw his teacher and told her he would not be back due to his appointment, she then began so explain something, I have no idea what. Then we headed back to the office so I could sign him out.. OMG it took forever, then we were on our way to go get Kayla from school. I told her before she left school that I would call her on her cell phone when I was on my way there. I did that, I left her a message. I got to her school and she was at lunch, so they could only announce her name through the halls.. Yeah she didn't show up, she didn't answer her phone, I was blowing it up every two minutes.. I waited there for twenty minutes, until lunch was over and she was going to walk by the office. OMG I was going to hit her in her head.. I was so mad, and we were now running late. Meanwhile Jer is in the truck with the other kids whom I'm sure are throwing fits. FINALLY we are on our way to the eye dr. On the way there Jeremy says "we are keeping them out of school for the whole day next time, this is crazy" so we speed to our appointment only to find that clinic has been cancelled because of a power outage.. WHAT??? we went all the way to Primary Childrens for them not to be seen.. OMG I was going to freak out.. So I get my cell phone out and call the Moran Eye Center to reschedule. While I'm doing that the eye dr. comes out and asks Jeremy and the kids if they want to be on the news with him. It was a story about getting your eyes checked as early as possible to catch any problems and fix them. So all four kids were picked to be on the news with their eye dr. A man who has been in our life for almost 13 years. He says we have racked up our frequent flyer miles... Damn straight.. I love him though he has made it possible for my childrens eye sight to be the best it can be. Thanks Dr. Hoffman. You can watch it at this link: http://www. ksl. com/?nid=148&sid=4974690 I am a proud mom.. I am all for teaching other parents how important it is to get your childs eyes checked. All in all it was a very strange day.. It was worth going to the eye dr. LOL

THESE ARE JUST CUTE RANDOM PICTURES I ADDED..

UPSIDE DOWN... HOW CAN THAT BE?

IN OUR HOUSE THAT IS...I have to vent, I have vented in front of my husband and to the point where there is nothing more that we can talk about on this particular subject... So earlier this year, April I believe it was, we got everything together to get our house refinanced because our mortgage was going to an adjustable rate. We put all of our paper work in and the appraiser came out. We get a phone call from our fabulous mortgage broker Jessi. The appraiser said that our house won't appraise for what we are expecting it to. So it wasn't worth refinancing at that time... The appraiser specifically said "upgrade your kitchen, it will add equity" So that is what we did, on the spot upgraded the kitchen... 15,000 worth of kitchen upgrade. We were told that we would get all that back in a refi.. So we rushed to get it done. Did the best job we knew how.. We sent everything in to start the process. Get a call saying our debt to income ratio is to high, BECAUSE WE UPGRADED OUR KITCHEN.. how the hell could this happen??? we don't qualify for an FHA loan because our debt ratio is to high, 50% to be exact. So this puts us in a huge huge huge situation... I don't know what we are going to do. We are maxed on all of our credit cards we don't make enough to make it each month... So basically to pay off our great upgraded kitchen I will probably have to go back to work full time... I am not ready to leave my babies yet... I am so torn.. If anyone knows of a office job opening that is full time with benefits that would be great, I'm not going part time, It has to be worth it. I don't even know if that will help, I hope so. Jeremy will have to work from home and be a stay at home dad and juggle all the things, while I steal our one car to get to work. O-M-G.. this is so overwhelming there are times where I can't think about it for fear I will blow a fuse.. I need the impossible to happen... And I doubt it will.. So I need to stand up, and deal with this head on. Do what I need to do to get my family by. They are definitely worth it.. If anyone has any suggestions, please send them my way...

I am going to go drown myself in my Monday night shows.... I HAVE A DATE WITH THE TV...