School Starts

Hey
We have made it to the beginning of a new school year. Also we have moved from our 2 bedroom apartment to a 3 bedroom apartment.

The new apartment has been wonderful so far. We are still trying to get everything unpacked and organized. The boys get their own room. Jonah has actually been able to sleep in his own bed. Yah!! I was really tired of having him wake me up every night. Jonah is having a harder time this school year though. He misses his brother and sister more I think.

Noah is now a second grader. Wow. I can't believe how fast they are growing up. He has Mrs. Sawa at Madison Elem. I think he is learning that second grade is a new playing field than first. He was always the top in his class and now he isn't quite the top right now. He gets frustrated that he can't remember more than he does. I just try to explain that it is okay. It will all come back to him as he attends school. After all this is only the first week.

Kristianne is in fourth grade. AAAKKK! When did she grow up so much. She has Ms. Abad as a teacher and it seems that she will be stretched as well as challenged this year. Mr. Abad has the gate class for fourth grade. She is excited to learn and just seems to love getting up in the morning to go to school.

One new developement is that we are now far enough away that they get to ride the bus home and to school. I am glad that they get this opportunity to be so mature and handle this adventure. They were nervous the first time because it was something so new. This morning though they were excited to ride the bus and go by themselves. Jonah was the one upset because I wouldn't let him go with them on the bus.

I have no callings in the Church right now but am enjoying the small break from it all. I have the dearest friend that is about 2 weeks from delivery of her first baby and I want to be there to support her and help her any way I can. We have had some vehicle problems...Our van has a broken Head Gasket and so we are borrowing mom's truck for a while. I am sure that they want it back any time. I just need to convince my husband to take advantage of the cash for clunkers and buy a new car. Or atleast a new one to up.

Tom is still working for the City of Upland and is trying to keep up his schooling. He only needs 2 classes but the School President raised fees 33% per quarter. It is sure hard to finish when all is heaped up on us. I don't want him to quit so close to the end of our school life.

Well now that I have rattled on and on about my family and our doings, I hope that I haven't bored you to tears. Keep the faith and follow the Savoiur.

Hot and Car Issues in California

Here we are at the middle to the end of July. We are melting down here. I think that anything over 75 maybe 80 is just too hot.

We are trying to pack for our move in August. Kristianne is so excited that I am sorry that it won't happen earlier for her sake. We have been able to visit with Chris and Sarah and their family this last weekend. Also Brett and TAnnis are here for the last 2 weeks. it has been so exciting to get to know my youngest nephew and niece. Braden and Madison are such good natured kids.

On to car troubles...We have been dealing with a van that has been feeling under the weather. Well we just found out that it is not the radiator that was just replaced but come to find out it wasn't just the radiator but we have a bad Head Gasket. So now we don't know if the radiator really needed to be replaced or if it was just the seal that was broken.

Because of all of this car problems we are thinking about getting a new car and junking the old one. The van that is... To be continued...

Moving

Hey all I just thought that I would let all of you know that we are moving. It is still in the city of Riverside. I am excited because it is to a bigger apartment. Kristianne is the most excited because she will finally have her own room. As she calls it "My Girl Cave". I think that now that she is 9 that she is really needing her own space to just explore being a girl without having her brothers always on top of her small space.(her bed on the bunk bed). We won't be moving until the middle of August but it will at least be before school starts for the kids. I now have a 2nd and a 4th grader.
I'm having a hard time being a mother of a nine year old. She is growing up way too fast for me. I still want the sweet innocent little girl that seemed to need me more. I am glad that she is growing up because now we can do more girly things. Nails, pedicures, clothes and shoe shopping and even getting our ears pierced. I am trying to convince her that it is fun and that the pain doesn't last all that long.

Well Noah has learned to ride his bike all by himself now. He just likes to have someone be down by the street to watch him but you don't need to help him at all. As is mentioned in the previous blog that Noah had 9 stitches in his forehead. He had them removed the following Wednesday. Now the scar is so minimal that as he grows we will probably not really be able to see it. So just to keep his mother on her toes...he was riding his bike on the 10th of July and came in Grandma Rogers house crying and bleeding. I was actually calm but he was about to pass out. He had fallen off his bike and somehow gotten his finger caught in the chain. It gave him a blood blister and then it ripped open. It made him go completely pale and clamy. We were just a little bit worried about him. All is well now but he has another bandaid and is swollen and sore on his left baby finger.

Jonah...Jonah...The only thing that comes to mind is Dennis the Menance. He found the circuit box in our apartment and shut the entire house down. That was the worst rolling black out that I have ever heard of because it was just in our little apartment. I told both my husband and father and they laughed. They said it was okay for them to laugh because they weren't there to get after him. Thanks...

Tom is doing well in work and is looking forward to another year in school. Maybe looking forward was too strong of an emotion. I am looking more forward to having the school years behind us. WAY BEHIND US!
We are doing well just melting in the hot of California.

Summer survival!?!?!?

Well we have been having a wonderful time this summer. The kids are tan and happy. That is until June 26th at about 130 or 200 in the morning. Kristianne bursts into our room and said that Noah had just fallen out of bed. Now a little bit of background. He sleeps on the top bunk of our bunk bed. It does have railings and all the correct protection.
Needless to say when Kristianne said that he had fallen we had him come into our room and that is when we had the discovery... In the dark Tom said "We have blood", now I didn't exactly know from where we had blood but we did. I immediatly turned on the bedroom light to see Noah covered in blood on his hands and face. There was also a large dut on his forehead between his eyebrows.
I began looking for the first aid kit and Tom is trying to assess how bad he is. Then I looked at Tom and he was white as a ghost. I precided to put 3 butterfly bandaids on his head and cover it with a sterile gauze. I then put him in the van and drove him to the Hospital. I called my mom to come over and help me make it though this ordeal. It was amazing because we found that not one light was red when we came to it. Heavenly Father was really watching over us this morning.
Then I get to the Hospital and they get him in and my mom showed up. I was so grateful that she was there because I don't think I could have done it while he was being stitched up. I waited in the waiting room and then was able to come back to him. He was smiling and doing so well. The doctor put 9 stitched in his little head. We then went home and tried to get some sleep because by this time everyone was awake. While at the hospital then the other 2 with Tom watched a movie to take their minds off what was going on. Kristianne was really worried about her little brother.
I am so grateful that Kristianne was alert enough even in her sleep to come and get us up to help Noah.
By about 4 in the morning we all finally fell back to sleep. Then at 7 we all started to wake up and begin our day. I am so grateful for the protection of the priesthood that helped us know what needed to be done during this trial. Also I am very much in awe of Noah's ability to be so strong during this painful ordeal.

School's Out

We have just about made it to the end of school this year. I just wanted to share with all that both Kristianne and Noah recieved the perfect attendance award for the whole year. Also, Kristianne was awarded the Magnificant Mustang Award which means she got proficient and/or advanced on her report card. She also got the Principal's list and Most improved in Social Studies.
Noah also got the Magnificant Mustang and the Principal's List. He also got the most improved award for Reading. He has gone from doing his grade level to reading above it this last trimester.
Jonah is becoming more ready for the older kids to be home. I think he needs someone to rough house and play with. He has turned into a Cars fanatic and Green Eggs and Ham fanatic. I am getting really bored of watching these movies 3-4 times a week. We now only have movies to watch. We got rid of our cable. I guess it could be worse than cars every other day. I am boring.
Tom is finished with this last quarter. He is also ready for a break for summer. we are hoping that we are still on schedule to graduate in spring of next year (2010). Right now we are down to prayer to get that far.
We are moving this summer to a 3 bed room apartment in the same area but are continuing to find a home or condo to purchase. We are being realistic that we are probably not able to get a home yet but it never hurts to look. Maybe we will be surprised. We are needing to move into a bigger place because Kristianne needs to be in her own space and we are busting out of this little apartment.
I am doing much for the school. I think that I now have 6-8 teachers that I am helping get prepared for next year. Also I am on the PTA. Nothing of a position on the board but I am a parent volenteer. I know that it is for my children as well as their friends. It is so much fun to hear "Hello, Mrs. Guymon", from across the playground or lunchroom. I think that it makes Kristianne and Noah feel really good that I am there to help in their classrooms.

Survived Spring Break

Well we have survived spring break and are back in the swing of things. It was fun to spend time with the children without the tv. This at first was really hard but it has become ever increasingly easier. I am now on facebook and I blog. What has come over me. I am part of the twenty first century.

Full of Gratitude and Updates

Hey all,
I just wanted to tell you that I am very grateful for the support that I get from friends and family. I have been having a time trying to potty train Jonah. He was not having any of it. Thanks to Kirsten because if it wasn't for you then he would not even want to try. He is doing really well. Today has been his best day yet.
I am learning a lot lately about following the promptings of the spirit and also being grateful for the gospel. I am so thankful for the scriptures. We have started reading the scriptures again with our kids but this time both Kristianne and Noah can read for themselves. I feel pride in their accomplishments.
Kristianne just got her hair cut again like it was in the baptismal photo. She is reading many wonderful books. She is looking forward until when she can get her new lenses for her glasses. Her favorite subjects in school are reading and writing. I think she wants to grow up and be just like Kit Kitridge from the American Girl Books. Noah is amazing in both math and science. I think that he thrives on those kind of things. He is now wearing glasses. He looks amazing in them. I am not so sure that I want him to wear them only because they make him so much more handsome and all the girls will think he is cute.
Jonah is full of life and loves the gospel in his own way. He loves to say prayers for meals or whatever. He is such a good boy that sometimes I over look the goodness because of the extra energy.
Tom is working with Upland city still and attending Cal Poly Pomona. We are hoping that some day we will be out of school but at the same time we are being blessed while we are in that time of our lives. He teaches sumbeams with me in primary and he loves it.
I am a sunbeam teacher and am learning to understand that the Lord puts us where we can accomplish all that He wants rather than what we want. I have cut my hair again. I mean cut it. I cut enough off to make a wig just like the hair still on my head. I also found out how curly my hair really is. I am loving the chance for something different and the release of the weight on my head and neck. This is a self portrait of my new hair cut.
Thank you to all of you that have given me courage and strength to stay true to the gospel.

just hanging out.

We have had a trying few weeks. I was very sick with a sinus infection and then Jonah got it. Not only did he have a sinus infection or cold but he just has the flu. I didn't really sleep for one day because he was sick all night. I have also learned that patience is something that you can choose to have or not. I am really trying to find the joy and fun in what my children do. We are trying to potty train Jonah, which will cause anyone's patience to become thin. When he got sick the training was put on hold. Now we are trying it again. If any of you have any great ideas to help let me know.

Jonah was so excited to meet Lighting McQueen.

Family from Utah

Hey all, I just thought that I would share what we have been doing the past few weeks. My inlaws came for a visit. It is wonderful to have them here. We took the kids to Disneyland and California Adventure over the first weekend they were here. The kids were so excited because we stayed in a hotel not too far from the 2 parks. We were up early and up late but loving every minute of it. On Sunday we came home but decided to catch a ward sacrament meeting. We ended up at a Samoan ward meeting. It was interesting but different at the same time.