Franceska's bows and neck pillow!!

Today , Kerry and I went to run some errands and we went into this little Childrens clothing store and look what I found!!! A baby neck pillow for the plane ride!! How cute is that!! That is Astrud being silly with it, and then I found these precious little bows in all different colors and I just wanted to share with you. Aren't they cute!!!

Prayer request!!!

I would like to ask all of you to keep my best friend Jessica in your prayers. It is nothing very serious, but she had to have her eardrum cut open today and she is in so much pain. She has had nothing but trouble with her ears for several years. I really pray that you start feeling better Jess, love ya!!

I got an email from Steven

thanks mom cant talk much but i love you and as soon as i get a day off to go buy a phone card(which wont happen til after the end of the month) i will give you guys a call. love you tell strud i said hi and i love her. peace out
-stevo
joshua 1:9

This picture is so old but I cherish it, it is Bubba and Astrud being silly!!! It was like 4 or 5 years ago!!!

This morning bright and early I got this email from Bubba and I have to tell you it might not be much but I love these words. Last night at the volleyball games during the National Anthem at that very moment it was almost as if my arms ached because I wanted to hug him so bad and just as always God takes care of it. Because getting this email was a "HUG" for me. All of you hug your kids today really tight ok!!!

SCcrrreeeaamm!!!! STILL WAITING ON THE USCIS!

I sent off our I600-A renewal on August 3rd and I am still waiting for our fingerprinting appointment to come in the mail! Everyday I run to the mailbox and see if it is in there. I know we have enough time but when we are doing something like that it makes it feel like it is really getting closer, or at least like we are doing something in that direction. I know it is just a headgame , but hey whatever helps???? How long did it take for all of you to get your appointments set up????

17 MONTHS DOWN!!!!

Today is our 17th month LID anniversary!!!! Don't know how many more but I sure am glad we got 17 behind us. It will happen soon, I know it will. Thank you goes out to Rachelle and the boys for making our #17!!! Thanks you , we love you guys.

This may be way too much Information, BUT......

Ok this may be way too much information , but today I felt like this kitty looks because I had to have a sonogram in my "private" place to check for scar tissue and endometriosis and gunk because I need to have a complete hysterectomy and guess what they found???? A big ole honkin fibroid tumor!!!!(which explains alot , to say the least). Then if that was not enough I had to have a mammogram because yes you guessed it I have crap in my almost non existent boobs that tend to flare up , so I was smashed like "Roadkill" like the cat!!! I AM A WALKING FEMALE FLOP!!! None of it ever worked anyway other than to give me grief so it's coming out!!! BUT if that is not enough violation for one person to handle , next week I have to have a colonoscopy to check for more scar tissue and stuff, by this time next week I will have been completely humiliated and violated so please keep my sanity in your prayers!!!!!

Rayns 3rd Birthday!

Technology is a Blessed thing, Thank you God!!!

Tonight Frank, Astrud and I got to see Bubba via our web cam and Yahoo messenger!!!!Megan kind of was trying to walk us thru things but actually technology was not cooperating with the words but by God we got to see our boy!!!! It is super early in the morning in Iraq and he just got off work. He was able to see us and hear us, we just were not able to hear him. Megan was telling us what he was saying.

As a lot of you know I have had the blues for a couple of days so you can only imagine what kind of state I was in when I got to see my Soldier boy, but gosh it was so good to see his face, I wished I could have touched his chubby cheeks!!

When I think of how my Granny went months without hearing from my Uncle Bill when he was in Vietnam it breaks my heart. I am so so thankful for the internet and modern technology. God is great!!!! And to all of you who really know me, you have to know that I had my camera taking pictures of my computer. Frank and Astrud truly think I have lost my mind, I say "whatever"!!!!!!!

It's a sad day around the Rodriguez house!!

Well I killed her!!! We have had "Cleo" our goldfish for about 2 1/2 years , she had grown to be orca size and she was my little companion!!! When I would walk into the room she would flop around as if happy to see me and dangit I killed her!! I got my sister Kerry's big fancy aquarium with the big pretty oak pedestal and everything to give Cleo a new Condo and she died. The picture is not Cleo but that is what she looked like. I'm a murderer, what a bummer !!!! Oh well Cleo is in fishy heaven now!

Go on with your lives but NEVER EVER FORGET!

I am posting this in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, those who have lost their lives fighting for our freedom and our protection and in honor of those fighting and protecting us today. May God protect all of them and all of us and may nothing like this ever happen again on our Homeland.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
LAND OF THE FREE
BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!

And Rachelle , my dear friend may one day your Birthday not be overshadowed by such an awlful day in History. Happy Birthday, We love you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOHOO!!!

GUESS WHAT ???? I GOT TO SPEAK TO STEVEN TODAY!!!!!!!!! He called around 2 this afternoon , which was around 11 pm in Iraq and he just wanted to touch base, let us know he is allright!! I have to tell ya'll that it was Heaven getting to hear his voice. When Steven and Astrud were quite younger Frank started this ritual that we do at the supper table and as the years have passed now my neices , well all of us still do it. We play "HIGH/LOW". That is when you tell your high and low for the day. It is and I guess will always be something we will look forward to. Well today after school Kerry and I took the girls to Dairy Queen while I was waiting for Astrud to get out of Volleyball practice and when I asked Jade, Lily and Rayn what their highs were for the day, they all three immediately said their high was that "Bubba" called. I thought it was priceless since they did not even get to talk to him!!!! And just one last thing, you three awesome women that left some of the most sincere , loving, spiritual comments in the world on my last post, Thank you, I don't even know you ladies personally, or let's say away from the internet, but all of you mean the world to me and I am so thankful that God put you in my life.

An update on Steven!

I just wanted all of you to know that Steven has left Kuwait and is now in Iraq. Saturday about 20 of them including Steven were left in Kuwait, but now the entire unit is there. They are probably getting settled in as we speak. Keep all of them in your prayers because it is really hot over there and they have to wear those Hot uniforms and carry alot of gear. Thank you all and God bless!!!!

And Steven if you see this the Longhorns beat TCU saturday 34 -14!!!!
And the Cowboys beat the Giants!!!

For Jenny!

Hi everyone, this weekend we were at a birthday party for my nephews, Kurt and Jeffrey and my neice Jenny said that she enjoys looking at my blog first thing every morning and that she has a friend at work who does the same. I really appreciate it and I love you Jenny. AND TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO SAY THEY LOOK AT MY BLOG OFTEN, PLEASE LEAVE ME COMMENTS, I LOVE READING THEM. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!
(jessica, tammy, jenny, etc. etc.!!!!!)

Some things I got and found

Yesterday my very special friend Rachelle gave Franceska and I these "Mommy and Me" bracelets. I love them so much and can't wait to put it on Franceskas little wrist. Thank you Chelle , you make everything so special.

And then my neice, Jade gave me a set of 12 books that are all "Bugs Life", some Family bible stories, and 3 Barney books that were hers when she was little and she wanted Franceska to have them. I love you Jade and you are going to be an awesome "Big Cousin!"

And finally I was cruising one of my favorite sites, Cafepress.com and I found a T-shirt that I just have to have, it reads :

ARMY MOM

I am a caring mother ,
My son has gone to war
My mind is filled with worries
that I have never known before.
Everyday I try to keep my thoughts
from turning black, I may be scared but,
I AM PROUD
MY SON HAS GOT YOUR BACK!!!!!

I know I ask all of the time, but please keep Steven in your prayers. Today is one of those "bad " days for me I guess. I will be better tomorrow. I always try to remember what Phillippians 4:6 says,

Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

There truly is a part of me that has given it to God this time, which I just could not do the first time, I sometime have such a sense of peace and I know that is what my God wants me to do, so I do try everyday to put it in my "Something for Jesus to do box", as all of you should do also, no worries. Thank you all for letting me ramble on , I needed it!!! Love to all.

WHAT TIME IS IT??????

You betcha it is time for FOOTBALL!!!!! HOOK'EM HORNS!!!!!!!!! Oh and of course , GO BEARS!!!! And of course GO COWBOYS!!!

GO LONGHORNS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim is 44!!!

This is a picture of my "BIG SISTER" Kim with our neice Rayn, and today is Kim's birthday!! She is 44!!! Did you hear me? FORTY FOUR!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday Kim , we love you!!!

Today is Craig's birthday!!

Today is our son Craig's 24th birthday. He lives in Lubbock and we miss him a bunch!! This is a picture of Craig and Tracy a.k.a. "BUBBLES" and we love her bunches also. We hope you have a great and very blessed day Craig, we love you!!!

Our Labor Day Party!!

We put together a little get together pretty quick for Labor Day. We were all inside for the duration of the party because we got roughly 2 1/12 inches of rain AGAIN! We all played the WII game or all of the kids played Guitar Hero and we ate and ate and ate!!! Here is a group picture. And it took 4 pictures to get it right because APPARENTLY it irritated a certain "FEW" that I had put lip gloss on for the picture and they kept trying to wipe it off!! Hey it's my house and my party, so I can do whatever I want right????