First day of school, and lots of tears and worries!

The last time I blogged was July 5! Oops, I guess I can blame writers block, but really it was laziness. Since July 5th not much has happened. Codi and Linsey spend a few weeks at their mom's house which allowed me some special alone time with Rich and Mia. I always cherish my alone time, but it's weird. The house is quiet, which is great, the kids don't argue, which is great, the food is cheaper, which is great, the laundry is less, which is great......but we get bored. All that noise, and food, and laundry is what makes us, US!

Today the kids went back to school.

Right now I'm going crazy. I'm so bored. I can't wait until sending the kids to school, and me being home alone becomes normal again. All I can think about is, What is Rich doing right now? I sent him to 7th grade. I feel like I sent him into a pack of wolves! When I dropped him and Codi off I cried. I did the same thing last year when Codi started 7th grade. Why is it so hard for me to send my kids to 7th grade?


There they go.....all grown up. This image won't leave my mind. I still have the image of Codi be-boppin off to 7th grade last year. I literally mean be-boppin.....he was such a little boy, and when he came out that day, he was struttin his stuff. I think something happens in that first day of Jr. High. I think during that short 7 hours of school something inside clicks and all of a sudden the world is different. I'm having a really hard time with this. My "wittle wichie" (that's what he called himself when he was 2, he also said he was goin got marry me because he didn't want me to be alone. But he did say he would marry me "when he gets big") is now Rich! How did this happen? This little boy that lined Hot wheels up in a row, and would spend hours building with Lego's and Kenex now does things like chat on the computer, sleep till noon, mows the lawn, and talks about his future.

Now my little Mia.......1st grade! She was so happy to get back to school. She was nervous last night. She didn't know how it would be to sit in a desk with no circle time. She was afraid the 2nd graders in her class would be mean to the 1st graders. But when we got to her class, as I was taking her picture the recess bell rang. She said "Hurry, take the picture. I want to go play" I barely got a good bye kiss. She ran off, and never missed a beat. It's like the summer never happened.

She has grown into the greatest person ever. I love to hang out with her. I love to talk with her about stuff. She is so in tune with life around her, and her understanding level is so great! She has a kind heart, and a free spirit. She is one of the most secure people I know she loves her long hair and it's red color, she loves her freckles, and she loves her fair skin (she says it's pink). I hope she stays this way forever. I can't wait to hear about her day. I bet I will get details unlike Rich. He will say "good" that's it!

She's so cute!

So it's 1:30, and I'm bored. I keep thinking about the kids. I can't seem to get anything done today. I have a few loads of laundry and some picking up, but I'd rather sit here and drive myself crazy, I guess.

I'll do all that stuff later.................

Good luck kids on your first day of school. I hope it goes great for you because it's traumatizing your mother!!!

Codi, 8th grade

Rich, 7th grade

Linsey, 4th grade

Mia, 1st grade

Slip N Slide Faces

This 4th of July I made a mad dash to Walmart and got the kids a Slip N Slide and a pool to play in. The kids had a blast playing in the yard with their new toys. I got some great pictures of them. I laughed so hard at these pictures of their faces coming down the Slip N Slide.

Enjoy........and feel free to laugh!

the crippled rat George

My mom is a kindergarten teacher and for the last few years she has had this rat named George in her class. He is such a neat rat. I swear this rat has personality. He knows his name, and comes to greet me when I call him. If I comb his back he sits real still and squints his eyes like "oooooooooo that's the spot". He's like a mini dog. He really is a crack up.

Last weekend while I was camping my mom sent me a text saying "I think George is dieing". I was so sad. I didn't want George to die. Then a while later she sent another text "He's ok, he must have had a stroke because he has no use of his hind legs."

Funny side note: Any animal that my parents have in their house looses control of their back end. Katie lost her poop control, Wyatt lost control, and now George. My mom and I seriously think there is a curse on their house of some sort.

So now poor ol' George drags his back end around his cage. It's really sad because his name is "George of the Jungle" because of how active he used to be. Now he's "George of the Drag"

My mom and dad had him in their spare room with the door closed because Maggy was always bugging him. So tonight I decided to bring him home with me.

My dad was so mad. He said "What makes you think you can just take him?" You know what my answer was "The same reason your wife came into my house and just TOOK Elvis!" He didn't have much to say after that.

So I brought George home with me. George likes me. Even my mom says me and that Rat have a special relationship. I know, I'm sick and probably need help.

I cleaned out his cage and decided that he needed some shelter because rats like to burrow and sense George is special now and can't burrow I needed to help him. So the only box I could find that would be the right size was a Kotex box.

George loves his new Kotex house!

So now we have a rat. But not just any old rat!

Here is George checking out his new house.

In this picture you can see George's cripled legs and hands. Poor George.

Wyatt

About 10 years ago I brought a family member home. At the time I didn't know this guy would turn into a family member, but he did. Wyatt, our Great Dane/Lab mix became one of the most beloved pets the Newman family would ever know.

This evening I was interrupted with the most tragic phone call ever. "Wyatt died" Then my evening turned into a great blur. I ran into the bedroom where Shannon was and shut the door and told him what my mom said said to me and I stormed out the door in a hurry. On my way to my mom and dad's house I called my Granny and told her the news. I didn't want my dad to have to say the words. "Wyatt died" is one of the hardest things I have had to say.

He was old, and ready to go at any time, but we didn't want it to happen. I guess it was our own selfish reasons, but who wants to let a family member go like that? We all knew that it was his time, but we didn't want it to come.

Our whole family rallied around this dog. When my mom and dad weren't going to be home my grandparents would come stay with him for fear that he would be alone, and need help with something like getting up, going out side, or eating. He came to stay with me at my house on one occasion because he was too old to be alone. Wyatt was our old man, and we loved him. He was my brother Wy-Wy. He was my dad's best friend. He was my kids uncle. He was my mom's walking buddy. And most of all he was our family.

The plan was to bury in at a Friends house on their ranch. My dad had his friend Jerry on hold with a tractor to dig the hole and Wyatt was to be placed in the orchards where he could rest in peace in the shade under the almond trees. But when the time actually came my dad couldn't bear the fact of Wyatt being away from home.

I called Shannon and asked him to come to my parents house and have him and the boys dig the grave next to Katie, our other family member whom we loved just as much. The boys and Shannon gracefully dug a grave for Wyatt with much respect. It was a perfect spot. Wyatt is at rest in the flowerbed next to his best friend.

When I went to my parents house I saw where Wyatt died. It was the worst thing ever to see. I knew that my dad shouldn't see him there like that. I had my mom and sister help me move him to the grass in the shade. I sat with him for a while and pet him one last time. I told him how much he was loved and how much I was going to miss him. Oh man, will I miss this guy. I will miss his loyalty, his friendship, and his love for us.

I called Pastor Dan and asked him for some scripture that would be appropriate for a burial. He gave me a few scriptures that were appropriate for the occasion. The scripture that I chose to read was from John 14: 1-3

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you will also may be where I am."

I chose this verse because it is important that we all know that Wyatt was called by God on this day of July 1, 2009 to be with him in the place that God has planned for Wyatt to be his whole life. Although, we know the only absolute in life is that we will all die, it is still so hard to embrace it. Know body wants to see a loved one leave this world, but when God calls, the opportunities are so much greater in Heaven then they are here on earth.

During the ceremony I asked everybody to mention one favorite memory that they had of Wyatt.
Mia remembered when she would cover Wyatt with her Nani (blanket). It made her feel special to give Wyatt her special blanket and make him comfortable in his old age.
Codi remembered one night when the boys slept outside and Wyatt ended up sleeping right next to him all night.
Linsey remembered playing with Wyatt before he got to old to run and play.
My dad said his whole life was what he would hold close.
Courtney said she didn't know Wyatt that long, but she would miss him allot.
Shannon remembered his loyalty and love.
Me and my mom had so many memories. Walking with Wyatt was always a treat. When Wyatt would walk with you he would lean his head on the side of your leg. He would always stay so close. Like he was protecting you.
I said there are cats everywhere singing praises. Wyatt was a cat killer in his younger years. We had a cat named Lucky, who turned out to be not so lucky in the end. There were a few small dogs that didn't get to live very long, and a kitten who fell to Wyatt's great jaw.
Rich couldn't think of anything to say, but I know he has so many memories of Wyatt.
My mom remembered how Wyatt would sit right next to the kids when they would play outside. Especially when we went to the beach. He would follow Rich around and stay really close and watch his every move.
I remember when I first got my mustang I would cram this big dog in the back seat and he would hang his head out the window and slobber in the wind. Wyatt loved to go places with me. I would fold down the back seat and he would take up the trunk and the back seat of my mustang and anticipate the oncoming trip.
Some of my fondest memories of Wyatt would be at the beach with Rich and Wyatt. The three of us would hang at the beach and quietly enjoy ourselves.
Every time I came to my parents house he would be there to great me at the door. Until he became too old to walk through the house he would wait for me to come greet him with his tail wagging and his face smiling. He was my brother Wy-Wy.

After his funeral our family sat in the back yard and talked all about how wonderful Wyatt was. He will be missed so badly. Moving on without Wyatt will be such a hard thing to do. No dog will ever be able to fill the Great Dane size hole we all have in our hearts.

Wyatt, you were the best dog. You made such a big impact on this family and you are deeply loved by all of us. Everybody that met you thought you were an awesome dog, but we know you were more than that. You were more than a dog. You were a companion, friend, brother, uncle, son, and guardian. We trusted that you would always watch over us. We trusted that you would always love the other pets in the family. Matty will miss your ears, Elvis will miss your smell, Maggie will miss your company and warmth. Morris probably won't miss you that much, but he will notice that your gone. Snowy will wonder where you went, and wonder around looking for you. Any other dog that comes into this family will know there was a greater being here at one time, and that there are some big paws to fill, if it is possible to fill them at all. I love you Wyatt.

Rest in peace sweet boy. I know when the Lord calls me one day, you will be waiting at those pearly gates for me, and you will prance over to great me and shake my hand like you used to before you became to old to reach your paw up.

Here is Wyatt's final resting place. This is Matty sitting next to Wyatt. Matty is the first cat that was ever able to break through Wyatt's hatred of cats. I don't think Wyatt thought of Matty as a cat, she was his equal after much convincing on her part. The two of them had a mutual respect for eachother, and towards the end Matty would rub all over Wyatt when he was resting in the evenings. It was their routeine. Matty will miss Wyatt alot.

How will we move on without this wonderful dog? I guess we won't move on without him, but with him, in our hearts forever.

It's called "Fishing" not "Catching"

Last weekend Shannon and I took Rich and Mia fishing. Shannon planned this trip originally for Rich and him to do some Father-Son bonding. He wanted to reward Rich for such a great 6th grade year. Rich got a 4.0 all year! So naturally Mia and I tagged along. I personally think Mia was more excited about the trip than Rich was. She got a new miniature pink fishing pole that lights up when you reel the fish in. So exciting!

When we left in the morning we really didn't have a destination in mind. We just knew we would go to a lake. So we drove up through Friant, and passed Millerton lake. There was no way we would find a good fishing place there. That lake was so full the water was almost running over to the road. So on to Shaver lake!

When we got to Shaver we found this great 4 wheel drive trail that lead us right down to the lake. It was so beautiful. So green, but so cold. When we were getting ready to go we all had on our swim suits on under our clothes. Thinking maybe we would take a dip. Not! As we were walking out the door Shannon suggested we should grab sweaters, just in case. Good thing. I was wearing a sun dress over my suit, and so was Mia. Rich, and Shannon had their trunks and a t-shirt on. Flip-flops, and sunglasses! Ready for the sun, Not! I grabbed a blanket to sit on lake side, the blanket ended up wrapped up around me! Mia ended up wrapped up in Shannon's Duck hunting jacket, and Rich had the hood to his hoodie on his head. Shannon is never cold so he just put his sweater on and he was good. Us girls froze our butts off.

So Shannon taught the kids how to bait their lines, cast their lines, and he taught them how to look for a bite. It was pretty special. Mia lasted all of about 10 minutes. Rich did pretty good. He stuck it out.

By the end of our Shaver excursion Mia and I were bundled up in the back of the car reading a book, and Rich had pink hands. So needless to say we were ready to go around 1:00 p.m.

Since we were in the Dodge, AKA "the beast" we found some really cool 4 wheel paths around the lake. I thought we might flip at one point!

Shannon asked Rich if he wanted to drive! I thought my son was going to pee his pants. He was so excited. He jumped in that drivers seat and took the wheel like a champ. He took us around curves, and over hills. He did really good. Mia kept saying "I'm so scared." She was a typical "peanut gallery" making fun of her brother.

I never knew that 4 wheel driving can lead you to some pretty beautiful places. We ended up on a huge flat rock with a view that was do die for.

So, since we were at Shaver lake, on the way home I begged Shannon to go to Blue Canyon. Blue Canyon is our spot. We go camping here every summer. In fact, we have been known to go here 6 times in one summer. It is just the most secluded, beautiful place on earth. If I could live there, I would! To get to Blue Canyon you have to drive down a 12 mile road that winds and curves all the way down into the canyon. Throughout the road there are tons of 4 wheel drive paths that probably lead to some interesting place. Shannon wanted to drive through them, but for some reason I wined him out of it. I wanted to go to Blue Canyon soooooo bad! And when we pulled into Blue Canyon.................the car died! When I say died, I mean DEAD!

The key would turn.........no sound. No sputter, no noise what so ever!

The most important thing I must say is this: When we were done fishing, obviously we didn't catch anything, Mia was a little bit sad. She was very discouraged that nobody caught a fish. I gave her this huge speech about how God had already planned this day out and he didn't want us to catch any fish for some reason. I told her that before we even planned this day ourselves, God had it all planned out. So, when the car died we all knew why I wined so much about not wanting to drive up a 4 wheel drive path. You see, nobody knew where we were going to be that day. If we would have driven up a path guess what would have happened......the car would have died leaving us stranded in the middle of nowhere! With no cell phone service. God definitely had his hand on our day!

At the camp site we were able to get a ranger to charge up the battery of the car. We then attempted to drive home.

Attempted being the key word here!

When we reached the bottom of the four lanes, the car died. Shannon called the road side service and guess what.......none on that car! Why not? We were so mad. We had no idea that cars with only liability didn't receive roadside coverage. We were so frustrated. My Granny and Grandad live in Friant so we called my Grandad to rescue us.

This is where the story gets good......

My Dad happened to be at My Grandparents house, and so him and my Grandad came to save us.

What they determined to be the problem was that the alternator was bad. Apparently the battery only starts the car, and the alternator keeps the car running. When your alternator goes bad, the car will only stay running until the battery is drained.

So as these 3 men stood around the front of the car humming and haaing, I suggested that we just jump start the car, charge the battery, drive as much as the battery would last, pull over and repeat! The only solution at this point.

My Dad said "Well, you don't want to do that, you'll blow the battery up."

My Grandad said "Na, that won't work"

My husband said "No, we need an alternator"

I said "Who gives a rip if the battery blows up, yes it will work how do you think we got here, and where the heck are we going to get an alternator out here!"

Clearly my opinion didn't matter. So guess what we did..........we stood in front of the car, tapped things, wiggled things, blew the dust off of things, and hummed, and haaed for about another 20 minutes. And by we, I don't' mean me. I went back into the car and sat with the kids and waited to see the the geniuses would come up with.

Wanna know what they decided to do after all of this...............jump start the car, charge the battery, drive as much the battery would last, pull over and repeat!

Oh Man, I found myself saying things I heard my Mother say about my Dad when I was a kid.

So we ended up pulling over about 4 times between the bottom of the four lanes and Friant. We parked the car at my Grandparents house and ended up having a nice dinner there.

Shannon went back the next day with an alternator, switched it out and drove "the beast" home.

Wow what a day.

The worst thing about the day was that my camera battery died at Shaver lake, and I didn't get to take pictures of this production of a day. I did get a few good pictures of fishing......not catching.

Shannon so proud of the first four wheel drive trail that "the Beast" conquered!

This is what we drove down to get to the lake. So pretty.

Teaching the kids how to Fish.

Mia all bundled up, toughing it out.

Rich driving on the big trail!

We were scared about Rich driving.

(We are so related! I could never deny this child. But, why would I want to? She's so darn cute!)

Shannon and the kids on the rock we drove to. I love this picture.

And then there's me! So coooooold.

Milestones......

Today was such a big day. This morning Shannon and I went to an awards assembly at Kerman Christian School. We proudly watched our daughter, Mia receive an award for Citizenship. She is such a great Citizen! Then, we proudly watched our son, Rich receive awards for Citizenship, Student Council (he was the president for one quarter, and the classroom rep. for another quarter), and then the most highest achievement of them all, he received the Principals Honor Roll. In order to receive the Principals Honor Roll you must receive a 4.0 GPA. This year Rich set a goal to receive straight A's for all 3 quarters, and he did it! Things got a bit iffy, but in total Richie style he pulled it off!

These two kids are just the light of my life. I call them my "Pride and Joy"!

Rich being my Pride. He makes me so proud. He defeats, and concurs everything he sets his mind to. Any goal this boy of mine makes he accomplishes. He has total pride in himself, and it definitely shows. He is not a quitter. He will finish everything that he sets out to do. Not only will he finish everything, Rich will make sure he is doing his absolute best! He does not halfway do anything. The impression he is leaving, and the role model hie is being for his younger siblings, and friends is such a good one. Everybody that comes into contact with Rich has great things to say about him. What mother wouldn't be proud to have a son like this! I feel so blessed to have Rich in my life. He is one of the best gifts that God has given to me.

Mia being my Joy. This little girl fills me so full of Joy on a daily basis. She has the best personality and the cutest face! Everything she does, she makes it the best time of her life. When Mia smiles the world gets just a little bit brighter. The confidence she has in herself amazes me. She loves her freckles, she loves her bright red hair, she loves her silly toes, she will try anything new, and to embarrass this child is almost impossible. (Well, unless Dallas Nord walks into the room, then this strong willed little girl turns to mush and hides.)

So today I celebrated my "Pride and Joy" moving foreword in their lives.

Mia's ceremony was perfect! Her teacher (my Mother, Mia's Grandma) gave each child a gift certificate to Berians for reaching their reading goal. Mia read 400 books! She gave each child a candy bar award. Mia's candy bar award was a Symphony. The reason Mia received this award is because she is always singing or humming. It was so cute because after Mrs. Newman explained to the class what a Symphony actually was, Noah, Mia's friend said "because Mia is always singing" What can I say the kid is musical. Then she handed out the Diplomas. When Mrs. Newman gave each child their Diploma she said "Now you are officially a First Grader!" That just brought tears to my eyes. I wasn't ready to hear that. Last night I laid in my bed and tried to imagine my little girl sitting in a school desk all day. No circle time on the carpet any more. In a class with second graders (the class will be a 1, 2 combo class). I tried to imagine her do a spelling test, taking a math test.....TEST! My little girl testing! Oh the stress.......on me of course. Then I asked her if she was going to miss circle time, and she said "no, it hurt my back!" She is definitely ready to move on, so I guess this means I have to be ready too.

Rich's graduation was great too. His Principal, Mrs. Rahal, opened with a wonderful speech about how each child has left a lasting impression on the school, and that the prayer of the staff of KCS might leave an impression on each child. Oh Lord, I hope so. The staff all 10 years of Richie's attendance at KCS has been wonderful. Yes, I said 10 years. My little boy has been at KCS since he was 2. He went to Preschool there when my Mom first started her venture into teaching. Richie's life has been centered around Kerman Covenant Church. We attend church there, and he goes to school there. What a wonderful thing to be able to say about your life. So anyway, back to the graduation. Each child was given the opportunity to say what their favorite memory was at KCS. Rich said he couldn't remember anything. I think it was overload. Trying to remember your favorite memory from the last 10 years of your life is hard. He chose to talk about 6th grade camp. I'd like to think he chose that because I was there........Probably not, but I can dream.....right! Then each kid was given an individual award from the teacher. Richie's award was a Leadership award. My son the quiet Leader. I really hope this is a trait he takes with himself throughout his entire life. It is one of his best, among many, qualities.

So that's it! Their off..........

Here some more pictures of the day.

Mia's Kindergarten class.

Now they are all big First Graders!

Richie's Sixth Grade class.

Now they are Seventh Graders!

Mia posing in front of the class Cake.

The cake says....Onto 1st Grade!

Rich and his best friend of 12 years, Cole.

Rich and another great friend, Jacob.

Mia and her best friend, Alyssa.

Mia, and paper Mia.
After Richie's graduation Shannon and I took the kids to Perko's. We started talking about how important this night was. It was the first time our family had a big day like this. Two members of our family shared such an important milestone. Then we started figuring out all the other days in our lives that would be similar.

Check this out............

• When Codi graduates from Middle School, Shannon and I will be graduating from College with our Bachelors Degree.




• When Rich graduates Middle School, Shannon and I will be graduating with our Masters Degree.




• When Codi graduates from High School, Linsey will be graduating from Middle School.




• When Rich graduates from High School, Mia will be graduating from Middle School.




• When Codi graduates College (being that it only takes him 4 years to do so) Linsey will graduate from High School.




• When Rich graduates College (cross your fingers for 4 years), Mia will graduate from High School.

Isn't that neat!

Our Dinner Guest

Tonight at the dinner table Mia had this cup sitting next to her. I thought maybe she got herself a glass of water or something and would rather drink from a cup that she picked. So I didn't think much of it until she stuck her arm completely into the cup. I then thought maybe there was ice in the cup and she was diggin it out. So I once again didn't think much of it.

Then all of a sudden she had this little black thing on her finger. Shannon and I both looked at it at the same time and Shannon yelled "what the beep is that?" (he didn't really say beep, I just don't want to type what he said.) It looked like a rat terd! That was my first guess.

Mia said in her cute little voice "It's my rolly-polly, he's having dinner with us tonight".

It was so funny! I had to grab my camera and shoot some pictures to share with everybody

She is so proud of herself!

Saying "Goodbye" to our dinner guest

Day 1

This is the view from the back fence looking at what we call the "front of the back yard". The greenish blue stuff is some kind of grass patch. Shannon wanted to see what it would do. There is seed under it, just in case you are worrying. The patio will go from the spicket up to the house, around the corner and fill in the space behind where the dogs and wheelbarrel are. A tree and ground cover will go in the dirt space where the dogs and wheelbarrel are.

waiting for the grass to grow........................



Enjoying their new yard!

What a sweet face!

Notice the dog bone. My dogs will always have one or two of these with them. Last night one of my precious babies chewed up the drip line. I almost murdered them........all of them! I have since then sprayed all the drips with a nasty tasting stuff that is suposed to keep dogs from chewing (I'll be doing this everyday), burried everything that I could, and bought dog bones!

There's Bridgette with her bone.

She is so darn cute!

Just another shot of the dogs enjoying their new yard.

See the tree! I did that when it cooled down. This is also where I will put a ground cover, probably Vinca Minor, after the patio goes in. Where Ross is laying is where he has been laying since I put the tree there. I think he found his spot! Or maybe he is sitting on a bone, if so It's been 3 hours and he is still here.

"Guard the bone Ross!"

Fiesta

Last night we laid the sod! It was so great.

What made it so great..........

• The fact that we now have grass in the backyard,




• The dogs romping around on it showing us their excitement,




• and the Fiesta music being played in the neighbor's yard. It was so appropriate!

When we got it down me and the dogs rolled around on it. They were so happy. It was full of so many smells, and it was so soft and cool!

Today we will throw the seed on the rest of the yard and do some heavy praying over it. Then I will install the drip line for the flowerbeds and plant some flowers, bushes and ground cover. We are just so ready to have this backyard up and running. I would hate for the dogs to have another hot dirty summer. I want them to have grass to lay in, trees to be shaded by, and pretty flowers to look at. (they will probably eat the flowers, or dig them up but I'd like to think they will just enjoy them with their eyes, not their paws!)

This morning when I went outside to check on the grass Liko decided to flip over one of the strips of sod. I think I will have to nail the stuff down! Or maybe I'll throw a blanket back there everyday to keep him busy with something else. He thinks it is funny to take blankets away from Ross and Bridgette and drag them around the yard. I've watched him pull a blanket out from under a sleeping dog. He romps around like "HAHA, that was funny"! I seriously think he is a prankster. He is Richie's dog!

Here are some pictures of our hard work.

Ladies, he is mine! (Check out the outfit! Check out the boots and the really high socks, I can't forget to mention the short shorts with the boots and really high socks!)