Location: Cuvee, 1140 North Van Ness Ave Suite 103, Fresno, California
Date: MAY 16TH
Time: 6-9pm, Doors open at 4pm

For more details please visit: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.avila.5243?ref=tn_tnmn#!/events/304587009673814/ or call 559-709-7077

Details:

Fashion Show Contributors

Boutiques:
Stella Laguna Beach
http://on.fb.me/Zgzbny

Yoshi NOW!
http://on.fb.me/10kW0sO

Macy’s
http://on.fb.me/14QxujR

KG Designs
http://on.fb.me/WI9E6y

Royally Spoiled
http://on.fb.me/Z527S1

Musicians:
LEVY’S JAZZ 2 SOUL
http://on.fb.me/12vTlSa

Stable Hands
https://www.facebook.com/stablehands559?fref=ts

Fashion Show Coordinator:
Mekal Glenn-Bacorn Perry

Hair:
Paul Mitchell The School of Fresno

Lead Make up Artists:
The Makeup Imaginarium
http://on.fb.me/15wqN8Z
Jillian Anaya
Rachel Riggs

Birds are chirping, things are growing and the beauty of the Central Valley is at its PEAK as SPRING is now upon us!

If you have a SNAPSHOT that you would love to share, please email it to stephanie@familyfirstmagazine.com to have it published on our website and shared through our social media sites!

Brianna in an almond orchard!

Sam =)

CJ enjoying the weather in his hot air balloon!

Aryan & Zaina Dhaliwal enjoying the outdoors in Fresno, CA!

Natalia loves to stop by her favorite pink trees on her Sunday walks with her Mommy!

Location: To be held at The Standard located at 9455 North Fort Washington Road, Fresno, CA 93730

Time: 6:00 pm-9:00pm

Live music and a fashion show showcasing the work of local designers and stylists. More details to be posted soon!

Your Family or children can be on the cover of FAMILY FIRST MAGAZINE!!!

We are currently hosting a contest on our facebook fan page

https://www.facebook.com/FamilyFirstMagazine

Details on the JULY/AUGUST Cover Contest!!!

https://www.facebook.com/FamilyFirstMagazine

Details on the May/June Cover Contest!!!

1. Submit a photo of your child, children or family (post it on the Fan Page wall or email it to us at info@familyfirstmagazine.com)! LAST DAY TO SUBMIT PHOTO WAS MARCH 21ST!!! NO MORE ENTRIES ARE BEING ACCEPTED FOR THIS CONTEST!
2. Have your friends and family Vote/Like your photo which will be located in the MAY/JUNE COVER CONTEST Photo Album!
3. The photo with the most likes on March 31st midnight will win a free photoshoot from Bryana Bettencourts Photography and be featured on the cover of Family First Magazine’s MAY/JUNE ISSUE!

All contestants will get a free year subscription to the digital magazine.

As a young boy growing up, my father told me that I must provide for my family by working hard to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. These were values he learned during his youth.

I grew up to learn that there is more expected when raising a family. Such as teaching them how to give love, receive love, and communicate with spiritual love. Being a husband and a father is something you work on every day by acknowledging your wife and children with simple words; good morning, I love you, have a blessed day! Let them know how important they are in your life by being an example of spiritual love.

Your wife should be your focus everyday. Make sure she feels your love during the good and during the bad times of your relationship. I personally learned the hard way…by doing the opposite and then losing her after twenty five years. The following statement is so true: “You don’t know what you have until you’ve lost it”. I didn’t realize Gods gift to me until after I lost her. You should love your wife with the same passion you felt when you first seen her. Your heart felt love when you kissed her for the first time.

So how did I lose my one? I do believe the reason why I lost her is that I started focusing on loving worldly things, living of flesh, and stopped living spiritually. I remember telling my children, “Keep your relationship with love, and remember to continue dating throughout your relationship.” How sad to say, buy I never took my own advice. If I could turn back the time, I would tell her how beautiful she is, embrace her with a kiss, and tend to her needs everyday. I would not follow in the foot steps before me and instead use the principles that create a loving relationship.

I started to focus on my needs, which separated me from my wife and children. This is why it is so important to have spiritual guidance in your relationship. With spiritual guidance your relationship receives love, joy, peace, forgiveness, understanding, and commitment. Everyday is a challenge and life’s journey may have many difficulties, but love endures all. Love your spouse like you would want to be loved. Men are the leaders of their house, and everyone looks to them for guidance. We must lead them with spiritual love and guidance so as to create a Godly Loving Home. It is never too late to change but you must be a willing vessel to except change, so that you may recover what you lost in time. Spiritual growth allows others to see the change within you.

‘Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.’
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Paul Romero

Sample Chapter 1

January 15, 2011

(a caregiver’s cheat sheet)

I was motivated to put together a cheat sheet on some things I have recently been forced to learn. I don’t know how useful this will be, but here are my thoughts, in no particular order. And keep in mind that this is a man’s view, so feelings are sometimes optional.

I honestly don’t know how some people do this alone. I truly believe that people can die from falling into the cracks. As well-intentioned as our doctors, nurses and medical institutions are, there are wide cracks that patients can fall into where they suffer in some lonely solitude, waiting for a phone call or a prescription from an overloaded medical professional who, in their own human frailty, forgot, or never wrote.

I function as Carole’s advocate. I force communication between doctors. I build a team. Receptionists know my name. Pharmacists and their staff ask how Carole is when I pick up scripts. Even nurses, technicians, on-call doctors, nurses’ aides, anyone who becomes a part of Carole’s care for more than a few minutes is brought up to speed, and is made to feel a part of the treatment. There is no one of insignificance in my wife’s treatment. I try to show respect for their expertise, and in return I get their best efforts.

You have to have mercy on doctors. They’ve spent 12 years of their lives in school getting an MD. As much as they may have a compassionate world view, they only know what they treat, not who they treat. It is up to you to teach them. Speak for your spouse. You’d be surprised at how stoic some people get in front of a medical professional. Tell the doc what YOU saw and HOW she really felt. In many cases, it’s the only honest thing the doc hears in the appointment, especially early in the diagnosis stage.

Guys, when you married your spouse, you didn’t just take her hand in marriage, you got her whole Barbie collection. There is the Happy Spouse Barbie, the Angry Spouse Barbie, the Shy Spouse Barbie, the I Want to Fight Barbie, the I’m Ready to Kiss and Make Up Barbie, etc. We only have a fighting chance when we recognize which Barbie we’re dealing with and act accordingly.

None of that valuable experience helps in this situation.  There is no Barbie for this. You will see your wife, perhaps for the first time, as the naked, vulnerable soul that she really is, and your only purpose in life from that point on is to protect her.

I’m serious. When you actually see how fragile this woman really is, you are born again. You become a new being with a single purpose. You are part warrior, part defender, part comforter, part student, part nurse, but fully focused on one thing: her.

And keep in mind that this new being you have become is disposable. You were designed to survive wounds and stress you never imagined you could withstand. You don’t have armor, but you now have the ability to shed your skin and keep going. Rest for her is recouping strength and healing.  Rest for you is optional.

You have no idea how much strength is inside you. Take my word for it, when you need it, it will be there.

Build a wall around her. Filter who gets in, how long they stay and what they say.  Don’t allow opinion, speculation or ignorance to weaken her. I don’t care how well-intentioned someone is, I don’t want my wife wasting energy listening to miracle cures, trendy diets or local shamans. There is a door to your house. Feel free to use it at this time. Lock it when they leave.

Keep everyone informed with the least amount of energy used by you. Sorry, individual phone calls are out of the question, there are just too many people to update. I use an email list, one email that sends the same message to everyone.  If someone doesn’t have email, then so be it. Ask someone on the list to keep that person informed; your energy needs to be focused on one, not many.

Her care is not an example of democracy in action. Listen carefully and then decide. When it’s their turn, they will understand. Or not.

Manage the meds. She honestly doesn’t remember that she took her pills two hours ago. All she knows is that it hurts.

As much as it may pain others, only you understand her most intimate communications.  The brave face she puts up for friends and family is just a mask, and only you can see through it. Don’t ignore what you see.  Get her to sanctuary, even if she protests.  Sometimes she buys into her own bullshit and denies to herself how much it hurts. Take the beating later, but get her the hell out of there now.  She will only suffer more the longer she stays. And hurting someone else’s feelings in the process of escape is collateral damage, acceptable loss. Don’t try to save everyone, just her.

Your tears are worthless.  They don’t solve anything; they only undermine the strength and trust your spouse sees in you.  If you have to (and you will), do it on your own time and in your own space.

You don’t need to be strong in every moment, just this moment.

The picture at the top of this chapter is my wedding ring.

You Mean, Besides the Cancer? will be available for order January 2012!

For more information on Fresno resident Bob Marcotte (author) and his soon to be released book please visit http://besidesthecancer.org/

Sarah co-owns Testament Tattoo & Bazinga! Beauty on East Shields Avenue with Josh Newman. The tattoo parlor opened in March 2010 and Sarah began working as Josh’s apprentice, performing her first tattoo on her trusting mentor. Sarah then signed on as Josh’s partner and expanded the shop to include Bazinga! Beauty where Sarah does hair cuts, color, and extensions.

Sarah’s parents are each others’ first loves and continue to have a strong marriage. She has one 16 year old sister, with whom she says she is very close. Sarah’s parents noticed her artistic talents at a young age and arranged for her to receive classical training in the arts from the age of seven until she was 16. She has experience with various artistic media including painting, drawing and sculpture.

As a child Sarah says she was “silly, boy-crazy, and obnoxious.” She was bullied throughout her junior high and high school years for dressing differently and listening to different types of music. Sarah mentioned that although being bullied was very hurtful and at times overwhelming, it motivated her to make her dreams a reality. She says she has always been passionate about art and music. Another of Sarah’s passions is musical theater, as she mentioned that she is “obsessed” with the musical “Rent.”

Sarah graduated from Bullard High School in 2006 and began modeling for bridal runway shows at the age of 17. She then went to the Paul Mitchell cosmetology school and began doing hair modeling. Sarah has also done some work with alternative modeling that features heavily tattooed women.

Sarah did her first tattoo at the age of 22 and says that the most rewarding thing about tattooing is that “I get the opportunity to put a piece of my artwork permanently on a person. Seeing their response – happiness, joy, excitement – that makes me feel good.”

As a Fresno-based artist, Sarah says she is inspired by the art scene in different areas of the city, including the beautiful murals in the Tower District. She appreciates that the city is family-oriented and diverse. As a person who has spent most of her life in Fresno, Sarah says, “I can’t imagine settling anywhere else. This is home to me.”

Sarah also has a heart for charity work and has plans to get the community motivated to join her in her efforts. She wants to get the shop involved by donating part of the proceeds from pink ribbon tattoos to breast cancer research foundations. Sarah also promotes an annual event in the Tower Theatre called “The Pink Show” that donates part of its proceeds from live music and a silent auction to breast cancer charities.

It is inspiring to see a young woman pursue her goals with strength, confidence and compassion. As Sarah-Rochelle Fisher follows her dreams she will continue to inspire the community that helped shape her into the talented young woman she is today.