My reader

Mia is such a reader now. She has discovered that she can read the books in our book shelves at home. Usually, her teacher (Grandma) sends home books from the school library. The books are geared towards what the class has learned that day in school, so they reinforce the reading rule, or letter family. Mia has never ventured out of that safe place of reading only assigned books, until today! Today she discovered that all books have the same kind of words in them, and all she needs to do is tap the words out! I'm so proud of her. She said she can't wait to be able to read chapter books. I'm sure we still have a ways to go, but not far. She has a difficult time remembering the difference between a "d" and "b", and there are some reading rules that she just hasn't learned yet.

She is lovein' the new found independence of being able to read and write! Rich gave her a few old journals that he found in his room while he was cleaning it...............I'm still trying to believe that one. "My son cleaned his room, without having to be told to"................my jaw is still on the ground! Back to my story, Rich gave Mia a few journals, and she writes in them all day long. She will occasionally ask me how to spell a word, or name but she is pretty much independently writing. Maybe she will be the reader, and writer that I always wished I could be. Who knows.....................

Here is a video of Mia venturing out of her comfort zone.

I love to watch her facial expressions. Her mouth does the cutest things, and her eyes become very intense when sounding out a word.

("interesting face Mia")

(FYI: videos take forever to upload. I won't be doing this much.)

2280+

This is what 2,280 plus pictures look like in boxes and envelopes. In these boxes and envelopes contain the memories for the last 5 years of our lives.

As I drove home from Costco today with all of these pictures in the back seat of my van I felt like I had some top secret treasure with me. The worst part of all of it was that when I got home and looked through all of them (a two hour long look through) I felt like something was missing. I went through all of the cd's and memory sticks that I have. Of course, I found two cd's that were totally over looked. Not surprising! Rich and I went delirious in Costco uploading all 2280 plus pictures.

People were pretty angry when the photo lady told them that their pictures wouldn't be ready in one hour, or even that day. She even pointed me out, and said it was because I was making a big order. How rude!

But all the dirty looks were totally worth it!

The fun part will be putting them all in chronological order, then in photo albums!

Here are some blasts from my past...........

I found a treasure!

Today I finally made the decision to develop all of the disposable cameras that Shannon and I had accumulated before we went digital. Years 2001to about 2004 are the years that the camera's are from.

It was so much fun looking at the pictures.

There is one camera from Shannon before he met Me. I laughed so hard when I saw the pictures of his kids then. They were definitely "single Dad" kids. Linsey's hair was all pulled back slick tight in a pony tail. She was wearing a dress with Whinnie the Pooh boy tennis shoes. He said "They were for comfort". Poor little girl.

Another Camera was from a beach trip I took Rich and Mia on in 2004. It was so neat to remember how much fun we had playing in the sand all day. As I looked through the pictures I remembered that I didn't put any sunblock on any of us. Shannon was so mad at me because had to nurse us all back from horrible sunburns for the next week. He kept telling me we were going to get skin cancer. What can I say, I was a new mom! (Kinda)

Another great group of pictures was from Shannon's 31st Birthday party. This was when his brother Jason was staying with us. The kids and I went to the Dollar tree and I basically let the kids get whatever they wanted. We picked out decorations and allot of "gifts/junk" for their Dad. We locked him in the bedroom before dinner that night. I made his favorite dinner, and baked a cake while Uncle Jason and the kids decorated. When we allowed Shannon to come to dinner the kids surprised him with confetti and streamers. It was a blast!

My favorite group of pictures to look through were the 2004 Easter pics. The kids were so young and playful. Mia still drank from a bottle at nap time, and Linsey still needed me to dress her. The boys looked to me for help, and wanted to show me everything!

It was so amazing to remember all of this while I was looking through the pictures because, just the other day I was getting really sad about how I was forgetting what the kids were like when they were young. I tried so hard to remember what Mia looked like, what she sounded like, and what did it feel like to hold her. I couldn't for the life of me remember what Richie's face looked like without the peach fuzzy mustache he has now. I wanted to remember doing Linsey's hair, and how her hair felt as I brushed it. Codi was always asking Shannon for help with things and now he never needs us. I was getting really upset at myself for forgetting all of this.

When I opened this group of Easter pictures all of the memories came flooding back to me. There is one picture of Mia holding her bottle, with her "sleepy eyes" and all of a sudden I remembered how she smelled, I remember how her round plump little body felt to pick up. I remembered how she sounded when she said "huwh"! I felt so grateful to have these pictures.

Everybody says family pictures are priceless, and I truly feel that way. Nothing could ever give me the feelings that these pictures give me. No words could describe how special these pictures are to me now.

I can't wait to get the 1805 other pictures I will have waiting for me at Costco tomorrow!!!

I didn't mention that I also spent an hour and a half standing in front of the photo kiosk (sp?) uploading every picture that has ever been taken in this family.

Happy Mothers Day to Me!!

(Please excuse any mispelled words. I am bawling as I am writing this, and I can't see very well)
:'(

Below are some samples from my day........

This is Linsey at age 1. Notice the shoes. I think Shannon should get an award for the hair-do!

This is a picture from the beach trip that I took Rich and Mia on.

Happy Birthday Shannon!

Notice the crown that we made him wear.

What a good sport he was!!!

This is a picture of the kids on Easter, 2004. So little!!!

And this picture brought tears to my eyes.

This is the picture that brought back all of the memories.

I'm proud..........but old!

Today was fun. We went to West Hills Oil to do some much needed mechanic work. Shannon changed my brakes, and the thermostat on his Dodge (aka "the beast").

Why am I proud? Not because the work on the cars got done, but because my husband held it together!

When we do any kind of work-yard work, house work, car work, etc....Shannon gets really grouchy.

He's not the Handy Man, Gardner, or Mechanic that some of us (us being ME!) can be. Yes, I'm a mechanic......just ask Shannon about my back break job. I rocked!

Anyway, Shannon gets really grouchy, and isn't very kind to be around when we do this type of work.

Today he started to get grouchy. I asked him a few questions about the breaks, I love doing mechanic work it's like putting puzzles together, and Shannon gave me the short grouch answers. I even got a few glares! "Yikes" is what I said to myself. I slowly stepped away and gave him is space. I told myself "today's gonna turn out to be a really great day". But you know what.........a few minutes later it was great!

He started having conversations with me and the girls. It was like the grouch dropped outta sight.

The rest of the day was so great. We washed our cars, inside and out. He gave me helpful pointers, instead of grouchy demands!

So to say the least......I'm proud of him.

He told me he was working on his attitude, which is something that everybody can relate to a time or two.....right? I know I can.

So, this post is just my proof that when you give something to God.........He follows through. I didn't get in God's way by saying something "constructive" to my husband, I just let God do the work.....All of it!

That evening I told Shannon how proud of him I was........and I think he felt good. I think he was proud of himself too, and I think he liked that I noticed.

So now when I think of tackling my backyard I probably won't become so skeptical of my husbands attitude. I think it might......I said might, be pleasant. Let's face it people, re-doing a back yard can't be that much fun, much less pleasant.

I'll continue praying! :)

Oh, I can't go without telling all of you the wisdom that my daughter passed down to me today.

We were talking about the vending machine at Perkos on the way home from San Joaquin. The one with all the stuffies in it that are crammed in there so tight that getting one of those toys is impossible. Well, we probably wasted our life savings in quarters on it the other night. I tried to give my daughter a well learned lesson by telling her that now she knows those machines aren't good to play at because little girls that LOVE stuffies always walk away sad.

Mia reminded me that I have won her a teddy bear from the one at Me N Eds once. Then she said................"Mommy, your probably just too old to play it now"

Mia loves to remind me of my age these days. Could that possibly be because I made a big deal about turning 29? Hummmm.

Plastic Answers

Last night I read an interesting devotional in this really great bible study I've been reading. (Thanks Julie!) It's a ten week study, that is taking me a year to finish. I always felt bad that it was taking me so long to finish, then I read my friend Kim's blog about a book that she put down, and found later to finish. She felt that it was God's way of telling her that it wasn't time to read what was next. That was so inspiring to me because it's true. I feel that God has put it on my heart to read a lesson when I would need it.

So last night I read a study on how the world has so many great, easy, plastic answers for everyday problems or situations. Donna Partow, the author of the study said she has read so many marriage books with so many "do it yourself" answers to problems that might arise in marriage. One was Saran Wrap! Yikes, I don't think I'll ever be trying that one.....Sorry Shannon!

The verse for the study was: Jesus Answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". John 14:6

Isn't this so hard to remember, why is that. Why do I try to fix everything on my own. Why do I always look for "plastic" answers for all of my problems. I'm not just talking marriage, I'm talking everyday problems.

Some of the best advice I have given my husband, mother, children, and friends is to give your problems to God. Tell him "God I can't do this. It's now your problem. I will be your faithful servant, and in return you will fix this for me. I will be checking in with you to make sure that you are pleased with my attitude, and actions. And, I will be a witness and tell everybody how great you are."

A guest preacher in church last Sunday also game me some light on this topic. He said sometimes God is working in your life, or some body's life, and then we come along and open our mouth and then BAM....we have made more work for God. (This is my interpretation of what he said) What I took from this is really the only way to fix something, or confront somebody is to go to God. For all we know he is already working on it.

The few times I have been able to do this guess what...........God fixed my problems, and after I gave the problem to him I felt so good. I no longer worried, I no longer stressed, or became mad about the situation I was in. I felt at peace because I know my God will handle it for me.

Imagine that........plastic doesn't really fix everything, it only works in the kitchen, it's great for storage, but it's not for fixing your life!!! That's what God is for.

I'm cleaning my guns!

Today I went on a field trip with my kids. Rich and Mia's class both went to the Earth movie. Great movie by the way.

Anyway......Me and my son were at the snack bar line and in front of us were 3 girls. Probably Rich's age. They kept looking back at him and smiling at him then giggling to their friends.

I do believe these girl were flirting with my little boy.

I was like "Helloooooooo......Mother here! I'm his Mommy, and I'm right here, by him, watching you, flirt with my little boy!"

I told him "Rich, those girls are flirting with you" He gave me a -Rich smirk- like "no biggy" So I did what any Mother would do. I put my arm around him and said in a silly voice "I love you....SON!" He pulled away and said "Mooooooooooom" Good, I embarrassed him. I broke any cool he might have! Success!!!

When these girls were done buying their snacks at the snack bar they didn't go to the theater, they walked off to the side and proceeded to watch my son.

This just tells me that I need to clean my guns, and probably carry one with me at all times. Not to use, just to scare off the girls. Those vultures.

Don't they know he's my baby boy?
Don't they know he is going to live with me until he's 35?
Don't they know they aren't good enough for him?!?!

Just look at my little boy! He might have been 7 or 8 in these pictures. When did he grow up and become somebody that girls flirt with?

Sewing.........blah!

I just learned something new about myself today. I hate sewing! It's not fun! It's not easy! It's hard to see what you are doing! I poked myself tons of times! It made my head hurt!!!!!

On Easter Sunday my Grandma gave my mom her sewing machine, and it sat in the back of my van until today..........horrible today!

At work Jenice told me about this really cute material that Walmart had. It was basically a dress already made, all you do is sew up the back, and add straps. That sounds fairly easy doesn't it?

After I picked the girls up from school I had this wonderful idea to drive them into Fresno, let them pick out a few dresses, and I would sew them. Fun! We found the cutest patterns. For straps we found cute ribbon that matched the dresses, and I thought I could make really cute hair bows also.

Oh my Goodness....WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!

I read the directions on the sewing machine, I threaded the machine, and I even practiced on an old shirt. Everything was working out just dandy.

Then came time for the dresses. I really think the machine didn't like the dresses. It kept jamming, and tangling up the thread. So, 30 minutes later I had 3 dresses sewn up the back. This probably should have only taken about 10 minutes.

The straps...............HARD! In fact the hardest part. Getting those straps in the right place, at the right angle, and having both of them the same length is not easy. No, no, no, "not easy" is an understatement. Finally about an hour later I had straps on 3 dresses.

I haven't even finished. Linsey's dress has to be hemmed. The darn machine wouldn't go through two layers of dress, so guess what.......I have to hand sew the darn thing. One of Mia's dress needs the straps to be finished. And I have only made one hair bow. I am not looking foreword to tomorrow. The girls are gonna want their dresses because "Super Mom" decided to start this "wonderful" project.

If we lived in the olden days, you know when mom's made all the clothes because there weren't stores to buy the clothes, my kids would have one outfit a year.......maybe.

So after my sewing excursion I decided that I needed a bath to wind down and relax. Guess who showed up in my bath? Mia. She walked in, striped down and got in. Did she ask if she could join me.......no! I'm hoping that writing this blog will wind me down.

Hey Grandma.........wanna finish the dresses?

Here is a picture of Mia's finished dress, and Linsey's unfinished dress.
The pictures of the girls aren't the best............I wonder if my feelings of the sewing is coming out in them. :(

Mission Statement

Tonight in class an assignment was given to us. I totally misunderstood the assignment. What's new! We were to write a mission statement. I thought I could write a generic mission statement, but nope. It was for this particular organization. But.......I began to write one for my family. Half way through the assignment I was corrected. FORGET IT! My family is much more important.

The teacher gave us a worksheet to use as a guideline. There were 3 questions.
1. Achievement. List all the things that you feel are important to have.
2. Accomplishments. List the things that the organization has done.
3. Legacy. Think of an organization that has been successful, and why?

Achievements that are important to have in our family:

• Unity
• Love
• Safety
• Closeness
• Honesty
• Care
• Laughter

Accomplishments that we as a family have:

• become a family
• support one another
• feel safe at home
• help one another when in need

Legacy:

• Intimacy
• Unity
• Unconditional love

So after jotting all of these down, I did some brain storming. I chose the most important, and the most reachable for our family, and this is what I came up with:

Our family will encourage one another to become united, honest, and love each other through the unconditional love that we have for one another. We will be sure to laugh together, support one another and create a bond that cannot be broken. And, all of this will be done through Jesus Christ, our savior and one true God.

I still have to run it by the fam, I'm sure the response won't be what I'm looking for. But, I think......no I know this will be something important for our family. Who knows.....maybe I'll make the family memorize it!

Where do all the white people eat in this town?????

This morning I went into Fastrip to grab myself a wonderful Starbucks coffee drink. Gotta love Starbucks first thing in the morning! So as I was walking out of the store something very unusual happened to me............
This guy, about my age, and white ( I have to say this, you'll see.......), walked up to me and said "Excuse me, are you from around here?" I said "Ya for the last 29 years I've been from around here", He then asked me "Do you know where I can grab a bite to eat that's not Mexican food in this town". I recommended Mc Donaldas, Burgerking, Perko's, or Chubby's. He said "ya I was afraid of that". I was completely thrown. I didn't know what to say. He was obviously upset about the dinning choices in Kerman. He then said, quite loud, in Fastrip "Where do all the white people eat in this town?!?!" We were surrounded by at least 4 individuals of Hispanic descent. I then became about 6 inches shorter. I was so afraid that there was going to be some kind of riot in Fastrip. I could just see it on the news. Two white people malled in Kerman Fastrip for being prejudice. Oh no!!! I then politely said "Try Frenso, and have a nice day" I scooted outta there as fast as I could.
All I wanted was a Starbucks Coffee, which we don't have in Kerman either!!!!!!

As I drove away I noticed Reno's, and Kathy's. "Hey guy, Kathy's has great white people burgers!" If your still alive, who knows, the people in Fastrip might have given him a lesson in Mexican food by now! Yikes!!!

Dinner time, and romance........<3

Tonight I was able to make a sit down dinner, at a decent time for a change. I made my own made-up version of Chinese Chicken Salad, and sandwiches. I don't think I made enough salad, the kids were licking their plates. Seriously, they licked their plates. Thanks Marsha for the dressing!

When we are able to all sit down together and eat dinner, Shannon will go around the table and ask the kids how their day was, and who they played with, what they learned in school, and any thing else we can get out of them. First of all I must remind you we have three children in our family who like to be heard, and one that just sits back and listens. (Darn the bad luck) So getting things out of these kids is not hard at all. Tonight we were able to confirm that Linsey has a crush on a boy, Mia once again confirmed that she is in love with Dallas, and the boys-no such luck. Well, for tonight anyway.

Mia was so excited that "Mrs. Newman" brought out the shapes and taught the kids all kinds of neat tricks with them. She said she played with one of her "very best friends, Kennedi". They played Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Would anybody like to explain how you play Beverly Hills Chihuahua?

Linsey said "nothin", followed by about 15 minutes of an explanation of every subject that was taught in school. All I could think was "Wow, that's allot of nothin" Shannon asked her who she played with today. And jokingly he asked her if she played Starwars with a boy in her class, who I will not mention, and her face turned red and she started giggling out of control. (We joke about playing Starwars because one day Richie came home and said he played Starwars, and I thought Shannon was going to bust his gut. It just struck him funny. And in typical Guidry fashion, nothing ever gets old. Jokes go on for years around here) Shannon asked her "Does ______ know you like him?" and she said "No". Oh, Linsey, you fell right into that trap!!! The boys let loose and it was over for Linsey. At this point Mia said "Everybody knows who I like-like" I guess the second "like" makes the feelings more romantic or something. Then Linsey blurted out "Dallas". I'm sure it was to take the attention off of her. And for some reason Mia became so upset. I reminded her that she said everybody knew who she liked, and she said (like a little adult) "Yes, but I didn't want her to confirm it" Who taught this kid how to talk like this?

The boys never had crushes this young, or at least they knew better than to tell us. We still joke with Rich about a girl that he played with alot in his younger elementary years. Of course he doesn't like her, nor did he ever, but it's still fun to give him a hard time. See, nothing ever gets old in this house.

We have a rule in our home. No boyfriends or girlfriends until your ready for marriage, or at least out of Highschool. I'm OK with crushes, or hanging out with somebody that they might like. When dances come around I'm sure the kids will go with somebody they have a crush on. Hopefully the will go with a group of freinds.

However, the bible says that courting, which is dating, is intended for finding a mate. Somebody to spend the rest of you life with. And I just don't think my children will find the person that they intend to spend the rest of their life with in Jr. High. Our kids understand the rule, and so far respect it. I am trying to instill into my children the values of relationships and how important your friends whether they be boy or girl can be. In a perfect world my children would become best friends with the person that they marry before they become an "item". (oh wow, that was so hard to write) I just want my children to have fun. I want them to experience everything they can. I really feel that I robbed myself of a lot of experiences because I always had a boyfriend.

I've been told by so many people that my children will probably rebel and hide relationships from me, and I had friends like this in high school, it's possible. but I have God on my side. I believe that every night when I pray for my children, God listens, and I am sure he understands how important this wish is for my children. So no worries here!!!

So our nice family dinner turned out to be something very interesting. Linsey almost lost her dinner, and Mia, once again.....Loves Dallas! (poor Dallas)

why blog.....

I have decided that the one liners on facebook just aren't enough for me. I'm not sure how interesting my blog will be, or if anybody will follow, but here I go!

Although many of you know who I am, but I will give my explanation.....

I am a 29 year old mom and wife. By the way, I'll be 29 until I turn 50. I am the mother of 4 children. My husband and I have created our home in Kerman, Ca. But before I'm a mother and a wife I follow Jesus Christ. I do my best to model christian behavior for my children and my husband. Although, I do slip occasionally I feel I'm doing my best, with God by my side.

So here we go people......