Wow!  I forgot I even had this blog!!  I just happened to find it while I was messing around on my computer.  I have been wanting to be better at writing in my journal this year, so maybe this will help.  Since it is the beginning of 2023, here are some highlights of 2022:

1.  We went to an Escape Room as a family in Pleasant Grove and loved it!  It was a magic show one!

2.  Owen played Junior Jazz basketball and had lots of fun.

3.  We went Classic Skating and it was a blast!  I used to go there all the time when I was young!

4.  We celebrated Flynn and Thor's 1st birthday!

5.  The little girls went swimming at the Provo Rec Center with the neighbors (Pauda's and Schroeder's)

6.  Ivy got a perm

7.  I got a job as the "Install Manager" at Liv Design Collective on January 21st, making $24/hr.  My first "real" job!

8.  Raptor got sprayed by a skunk....twice in 2 weeks!!

9.  Eden got to sing at Abravanel Hall with the Payson High School Choir!

10.  We went to a Grizzlies Hockey game in SLC and met Bailey and her family there.

11.  My Uncle Tom Atkin passed away and they had a special burial for him at the Payson Cemetary.  Got to see lots of cousins, aunts and uncles.

12.  Learned how to drive a trailer and a Uhaul around SLC like a BOSS!

13.  Eden got chosen to play in a piano masterclass in Spanish Fork.

14.  Eden held her first group piano recital for her students.

15.  Maria started taking piano lessons from Eden.

16.  Eden got her first kiss...woot woot!  Haha!  And she performed so cute in her 80s Choir concert!

17.  Eden went to Florida for her choir trip and got to go to Disneyworld.  She also came home in tears since she "broke-up" with Alex and broke his heart.  Rough time, but good learning experience.

18.  Ivy and I celebrated our 9th and 40th birthdays together by going shopping, going to build-a-bear, and just having an awesome day together.

19.  Ivy and Maria both played soccer and I coached Ivy's team.  

20.  Eden ran track and made it to the state tournament at BYU with her relay team.  

21.  Maria got to go get a pedicure for her 6th birthday and have a day out with mom.

22.  Clint, Eden, my dad, Barbara, Ana, Sasha and I all got to go to Boston for 5 days in April.  They came to watch me run the Boston Marathon!  It was such an amazing trip.  We toured Boston the 1st day, drove to Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and other cool places.  We ate lots of yummy food and stayed in a fun Air BnB.  The marathon was the icing on the cake and I ran it in 3:20.  It was AMAZING!!!

23.  We got to go to Grace at the end of April and visit some old friends.

24.  Maria and Ivy did lots of gymnastics and had some fun home meets.

25.  I went to Hogle Zoo with Maria for her kindergarten field trip and got to bring Ivy along too!

26.  Maria graduated from Kindergarten and had the cutest graduation program ever!

27.  Went hiking a lot.  Bought a new red truck

28.  Camped at Spanish Oaks reservoir, went kayaking with the kids, and had a bonfire.

29.  The girls took swimming lessons at a fun outdoor private pool in Spring Lake.

30.  Went to an outdoor concert at the park in Payson.

31.  Owen and Eden went to FSY at Snow College for a week.

32.  Clint took the little girls fishing and camping.

33.  I helped Ivy make some money by having an "Art Camp"  We did it every week for 3 weeks and had different art projects we made.  The first week, we had 18 kids come!

34.  I took the kids camping by myself out to Gunnison Reservoir for Owen's mountain biking ride with his team.  Lots and lots of pokey weeds!!

35.  Drove to Whitefish, Montana with my co-worker Stacie for an install for a client there.  It was a fun trip, beautiful drive in a massive uhaul, and we got to fly home.

36.  Went to the Stadium of Fire and got to see Tim McGraw!

37.  Went to Malad for the 4th of July and Clint, Eden, Ivy and I all ran in the 5K.  I was first woman overall (20:53)

38.  I ran all summer long at 7:00 AM with the cross country team.  I coached them this season.

39.  Went to the Scottish Festival in Payson.  Clint walked around with his "Scottish Clans Podcast" shirt on that he had made to promote his podcast.

40.  Biked with the girls to the Red Barn for ice cream.  Biked with the girls to the library.  Lots of biking!

41.  Played at the Hive and did the go-cart racing

42.  Went to Julio and Emily's farm party in Heber.

43.  Owen started a dog walking business and got his braces off

44.  Went to Lagoon as a family

45.  Went to Mendon for the 24th of July and ran in the 5K (first woman - 20:41).  The kids had a blast with old friends from school.

46.  Had cross country camp and ran lots of miles.  Got to hear from some amazing speakers in Provo Canyon.  Dad came to listen to Doug Padilla.

47.  Eden turned 16 and got her driver's license!  She also got a car from my dad!...and a phone from us!

48.  Clint and I went to Bryce Canyon for a seminary retreat.

49.  Went to the rodeo in Santaquin for Orchard days.  Eden and I ran the 5K (first woman - 19:14).  Went to the parade.

50.  Drove the Nebo loop and hiked around with the family.

51.  Maria started 1st grade and LOVES her teacher (Mrs. McMullin).  Ivy started 4th grade and loves her teacher (Mrs. Zaugg).  Owen started 8th grade and Eden started 11th.

52.  Eden had lots of fun cross country meets and ran really well!  Owen had some fun mountain bike races 

53.  Ana took Nic and Owen biking at Snowbasin for his birthday

54.  The little girls and I hiked around while they were biking and found a huge metal paper airplane.

55.  Eden and Clint got to sing and play guitar and piano at a concert in the park in Santaquin.

56.  Eden got asked to Homecoming, wore a blue dress and looked STUNNING!!  So fun to help her get ready for her first real date!

57.  Julio, Ana, Owen, Nic and I went and biked the WOW trail in Midway.  I got to ride Ana's expensive bike!

58.  Clint and I drove to Grace to pick up 8,000 pounds of potatoes from the Jorgensens for our cross country fundraiser.

59.  Uncle Victor and Alex came to visit my dad and they came and watched Eden's cross country race in Fairview.

60.  I drove to Cedar City with a co-worker for an install for one of our clients.

61.  We took some awesome family pictures up Payson Canyon

62.     

My little dancing queen

Yesterday Eden had a dance performance at the city park.  Every summer in Grace, there is a get together at the park where they serve dinner, have some great local entertainment, and show a movie.  Every year that we have been here so far, I think it has rained on that blessed day.  It was so warm during the day, but when we got to the park last night, the clouds looked threatening.  Sure enough, before Eden was supposed to perform, the rain started coming down HARD. 

We sat in it for a while, but then decided to head for the car.  We waited it out, and sure enough, it only lasted about 10 minutes.  We were able to go back out and watch our sweet little girl perform her dance.  She looked so darling and grown-up!

At the end of her dance, she tried to give us a wink, but it looked more like a blink with both eyes=)  I just love this little girl more than I can even express.  She is so sweet and brings so much joy to our family.  She has such a big spirit, and is so kind and loving to everyone.  I'm so grateful everyday that I got the privilege to be her mom. 

Happy 4th!

On the 4th, we had our annual Carter Family Reunion at my mom and dad's house in the canyon.  We were able to go to it this year.  It wasn't as big as it has been in years past because everyone is so spread out now.  My Aunt Marsha has 8 kids, but only 1 of them lives even remotely close.  It was fun to see some of my cousins though.  I'm one of the younger cousins though, so I was the only one there with a baby.  My mom always works so hard to make everything perfect for the reunion.  I admire her ability to get so much done and she has so much energy!  My dad smoked some ribs and brats, and the food was oh so good. 

Later that night, Clint and I took the kids to Midway to watch the fireworks at Memorial Hill.  The fireworks are so close and the kids laid on top of the van while they watched the fireworks exploding right over their heads.  It was great, and Ivy LOVED the fireworks!  She kept screaming with joy everytime they would go off. 

I love the 4th of July and I am so grateful for all the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our awesome country.  I feel so blessed to have a grandma, a grandpa, 2 brothers, and a husband who have served our country in the military.  My heart is so full of love and respect everytime we sing our National Anthem, or when I see our flag billowing in the breeze.  I am so grateful to have all the many freedoms we enjoy because of others who were willing to sacrifice.  We are so blessed.

Ivy looking cute in her red, white and blue

Clint played us some songs on my uncle Ned's guitar

Me and my sweet baby

Summer Fun Stuff

We have done some fun things so far this summer.  This week we have been at my mom and dad's house.  We came down last Thursday so I could run the Wasatch Back Ragnar over the weekend.  You can see the details of the race on my other blog:  www.itsokaytobefast.blogspot.com.
On Monday we went to Lagoon with my brother's kids.  My kids had a blast riding on the roller coasters.  This is the first time they have been on a full-size real life roller coaster and they LOVED it!  Eden was so brave and wanted to go on every ride.  Owen was a little more reserved, but he loved the old roller coaster.

Yesterday we celebrated my dad's 63rd birthday.  My dad is awesome.  He is such a great dad, grandpa, and I am so grateful for all that he does for me and my family.   He was able to come home early from work and do his favorite thing ever...sit on his couch and watch World Cup Soccer!  I love papa Ju!

Today we went with my mom to the newly remodeled Monte L. Bean Life Science museum at BYU.  It was pretty cool.  The kids loved all the great exhibits.  Ivy especially loved the animals.  She kept pointing at them and yelling.

To My Soccer Girls

I got a comment on my post from yesterday from one of my soccer girls, Alli. I didn't mention them on my list of people I miss and am so grateful to. So here's to you, my soccer team... I loved every minute of coaching you girls. You made my coaching experience one I will never ever forget. I miss you tons, and I know I am going to miss coaching you this next year. You were such a strength to me during the season when Clint left. Being able to come to practice everyday helped me forget how sad I was after he left, and just being with you guys made me happy. I wish all of you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Especially all of you seniors. I know you will all do great things. Keep doing fitness fun and running the six flags magic vomit, just for me! I love you girls....HONESTLY!

I Miss You Burley!

This week's blog post is dedicated to...Burley, Idaho! We moved from our lovely home in Burley in October to live with my parents while Clint is deployed. I miss my home, my friends, my ward, and everything about Burley (except for the somewhat incessant wind). We had so many wonderful memories in our home.

Eden's dinosaur birthday cake. I made the horse cake for Clint a month before to practice for Eden's cake. I know Clint's cake looks like a cake for a 2 year old, but Clint likes horses okay!

We moved to Burley in July 2008 when Clint was assigned to teach seminary at Burley High School. Our baby boy Owen was born a few months later in September. The kids loved living there and they had so many good friends. Eden and her best buddy, Bridger Duncan, were inseparable. I've never seen kids so young be so connected. The day we moved from Burley, Bridger gave Eden a teddy bear and said, "Eden, this is Bridger Bear. Whenever you get sad or miss me, just give him a hug." I couldn't help but cry, especially when Tiffanie, Bridger's mom, told me how Bridger cried all day long the day his little friend left. I miss my friend Tiffanie too. I became friends with her when I was called to be the Primary secretary while she was the President. She was always there for me, especially when Clint left for Iraq. She would always invite me over for dinner and let me be a part of her family. She is such an amazing example to me of a wonderful mother and of someone who is so willing to serve others. I miss her so much!

BRIDGER and EDEN

Eden's preschool friends

We had such an amazing ward in Burley. The day we moved in, we had a stream of non-stop visitors just coming by to bring us food and introduce themselves. Our neighbor Paul, came over and mowed our lawn and weeded the garden. Our friends Lex and Rachelle helped us get wood for the winter, among many many other things. Maryann Clayton was like a mother to me. I love and miss her so much. As well as Karla Ward, Judy Zollinger, Michelle Thornton, Krista Gammon, and so many others. I've never known so many amazing, good, incredibly awesome people in one area. Everyone in our ward was my friend. I love and miss them all.

I also miss my friends in town. We lived out in the country, but I had some amazing friends that lived in town. I first met Ashley Wray when we were both at the Health Department getting our babies their shots. Then we kept meeting each other at the park, the library, etc. (Burley isn't very big). She invited me to a girl's lunch she was having at her house, and that's how I got introduced to all the amazing girls that became my friends. So thank you Ashley! She is one of my best friends. She also watched my kids everyday during the soccer season while Clint was gone. Some of the girls that became my good friends are Alyssa, Ericka, Amie, Marci, Jess, Jenn, Adele, and of course Megi Jones.

Ericka, Ashley and Me after running a very cold 5K in May.

Megi Jones is one of my very best friends. She was my assistant coach for the soccer team this past season. She is so amazing. The girls absolutely loved her and I could never have made it through the season without her. She took over for several practices and games since Clint left right in the middle of the season. I miss her so much. She is so easy to talk to and she has been such a support to me on the soccer field and off. She was always offering to take care of my kids for me, and was just more than willing to help out anytime. She is also one of the most patriotic people I know. I love and miss her tons!
Megi and Me

So just a recap. To all my friends in Burley.... I love and miss you all. Thank you for making our 2 years in Burley a wonderful experience that we will NEVER forget! We probably won't be back in Burley since Clint will get reassigned somewhere else to teach when he gets back, but we will always remember you. There are many people that I love and miss that I didn't mention, but just know that you all on my mind and in my prayers all the time.

A Whole Year!

Wow, it's pretty pathetic that my last post was exactly a whole year ago! One of my goals is to keep my blog updated once a week. I hope I don't let myself down. Now that I basically have no stress and nothing going on in my life right now, it shouldn't be too hard, right? I guess I'll start out by providing a recap of the last year.

1) We put our house up for sale in August. (p.s. it still hasn't sold)

2) Clint left for Camp Shelby, Mississippi on August 21st. He was there until September 17th, when he left for Iraq. He will be in Iraq for 1 year.
3) I went out to Mississippi to see Clint for a few days before he left the country. My mom and dad watched the kids for us.

4) My soccer team did AWESOME and took 3rd in our district. This was my second year coaching them, and they went from a no-win season, to winning 4 games, to taking 3rd. I was pretty proud of them.
5) Eden started preschool.
6) Owen decided he wanted to be a superhero.
7) I moved down to Provo Canyon with my parents in October so I wouldn't have to be alone while Clint was gone.

8) We went to visit my brother Tony and his family in Kansas over Thanksgiving.

All the cousins
(Sydney, Dru, Owen, Evelyn, Dante, Eden, Elena, Nic)

Tony and new baby Dru

9) Christmas was awesome, except for the fact that Clint wasn't here with us.

10) My brother Julio's family is living in the cabin by my parent's house until they leave for South Korea in February.Elena, Evelyn, and Nic celebrating Ev's 7th birthday