Happy Birthday Babe!

Blogger award

I received this Blog award from my friend Linda over at Parkers Paradise, she is an awesome lady who always makes me feel like she is sitting right beside me. She always makes me feel loved. This award is based on creativity , design, interesting content, and contribution to the blogging community. I am always a little shocked and maybe overwhelmed when I get one of these awards because I am just an ordianary girl that babbles on and on about things that probably bore all of you to death alot of the time, but thank you for following this journey with me. All of you make the wait so much easier and I mean that from the depths of my heart and soul. Thank you Linda so much, you are so special to me. God bless all of you.

I present this award to:

1. Kimberly at Seventh Diamond. She has already been given this award but I had to do this for her because she is an amazing woman. She has so much in her heart for giving and helping other people. She has a family and a thousand other things that she takes care of and never ever ceases to amaze me.

2. Tracey at Our Baby Ladybug. I have only known her since the EMW conference, but she really touched my life and I really feel she deserves this award. Her blog is so much fun and she has just taken to blogging like a fish does to swimming. She always has something interesting to tell us about.

3. Fliss at Fliss and Mikes Adventures. This lady just kills me, she is the funniest Aussie I have ever known. Ok so maybe she is the only Aussie I have ever known , but I am so glad that she is the FIRST!! She has so many adventures and she has no fear! She is so outgoing and everyone that goes to her blog just loves reading about her life.

4. Kris over at Tell Her This. This lady never ever ceases to amaze me with her words or her photography. She is one of the most articulate people that I have ever known. Every single time I read her blog she leaves me speechless and that is no small feat!! But I am serious this lady is so intelligent and heartfelt.

5. And last but not least my sweet friend Christie at Our Red Thread Journey. She is my friend, and I love her. We have never yet met in person but I can get a text from her at any minute of the day whether it is today ,tomorrow or in two weeks and it always feels like we have known each other our whole life. She is one of the most educated, intelligent women I have ever had the opportunity to call "FRIEND". Her blog is awesome and the content is always worth reading.

1.) You must post these rules.

2.) You must name 5 blogs worthy of this award based on creativity, design, interesting content, and contribution to the blogging community.

3.) You must list the name of each blog and link to it.

4.) You must link back to the presenter of your award.

5.) You must link back to the original presenter.( Click on image above. )

I APPLAUD you KIM!!!!

On October 17th my dear ,sweet, brave, determined underwent Gastric Bypass surgery, and on that day she weighed 311 lbs, and today she weighs 161 lbs!!!!! Yes your right that is 150 POUNDS!!!! I am so proud of you , and you look GORGEOUS!!! Before surgery

After surgery a couple of months......

And TODAY!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For you Lea

My dear sweet friend Lea at Oh My # 6 , please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers as well as your neice and the rest of your family.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

One Day Closer.....

In My Heart!
This poem was written by Heather Bradfield Garbe. I couldn't have written it better. It truly sums up my feeling toward our daughter who is waiting for us in China. God be with her!!

I have always felt your presence in my heart

At times when I thought you to be lost, you were only lying dormant growing ever stronger waiting to make a bolder appearance in my dreams.

When having to make the decision as to whether to come get you or bear you through my womb for me the answer was clear I already knew you were waiting for us to bring you home .

While reading the stories of your sisters who went before you I couldn't understand the torture of their parents wait and now, while I type I myself am counting the seconds .

Be well my sweet Franceska Danielle ,dream of beautiful things and in the morning know that it's one day closer .

(Thank you Vicki, I love you)

A few things for today....

First I want to say Happy Anniversary to my sweet, sweet husband Frank, you are the bestest thing that has ever happened to me, and I love the way you love me, no matter what kind of mood I am in , or how busy I am when it doesn't seem that I ever have enough time for you, I love you for the way you love our kids and the rest of our family. You are the most real, loving, and sincere person that I have ever known. I thank God for putting you in my life. I LOVE YOU!!!

Kerry and the girls and I came home a day early from the lake because last night our friend April and her family lost close to everything in a house fire. Please keep them in your prayers.

What's going on today!

Happy Saturday to everyone! Here are a few things that is going on and a few things that is on my mind.

#1 Please pray for Nate, Tricia and Gwyneth. Tricia is going through quite a bit again.

#2 Please keep my husband Frank in your prayers, he has walking pneumonia and really feels like crud. I feel so bad for him , not a good way to spend Father's Day weekend.

#3 I won't be around until thursday because sunday evening if Frank is doing better, Astrud, Alex and I are going to the lake . My whole family is there.

#4 Don't you just love the shirt I bought myself from Cafepress.com, I just love it!! And there is nothing we can do about this wait so we might as well make the best of it.

I know there is a ton of other stuff that I am forgetting but I pray all of you are safe , happy and healthy this weekend. Hug your Daddy's and love the father of your children and most of all thank your Father in Heaven for loving you the way he does.

Love, K

The Smith Family

Hi everyone you might remember a few posts back when I was asking for prayers for a really good friends son that has been diagnosed with Cancer????? Well you know how God always does things for a reason. I put a message to Seth on his Caringbridge account and his mom's sister Vicki saw my message and she emailed me!! We have not seen each other for 10 years and I knew that they were adopting from China also ,but with life always as fast as it is , and not having time to sit down much less having time to catch up with a really special lifelong friend, we have never gotten in touch until now! How awesome is that!! Vicki and I were always really close to each other and I have always loved her so much and I really don't think it is a coincidence that we are both going to be mommies to our own little China Dolls. I also do not think it is a coincidence that their LID is 7/11/06, that is MY BIRTHDAY!!! It's a God wink! So anyway her , Kent and their beautiful son Kyle are starting a blog, so go on over there and give them one of your Giant Welcomes to the family like you always do! They are going to name their daughter Jadyn Nicole. And their blog address is: www.ourjourneytojadynnicole.blogspot.com. Thank you to all of you I know you will make them feel right at home. God bless .
The Smith Family
and Vicki and Kent.....isn't she just beautiful! Sorry Kent, I think your just gorgeous but that girl sitting next to you is just too pretty for words!

Jeffrey Graduated!!!

My nephew Jeffrey graduated this past friday night from high school and we are so darn proud of him. I think he is just tooo cute for words. Here are a couple of pictures of him and Astrud. This one is from the Athletic Banquet a few weeks ago.
This was at his graduation sunday afternoon. They were just being dorks!!!!

And this is some of us with the "graduate". From left to right is Frank, me, my arm is around Jade, Astrud , Jeffrey, Kerry, Chastity, Kim and Rayn and Lily!!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU JEFFREY!! May you always follow your heart and always look to God for guidance.

What Flower are you?

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Ethan Gary

Please go to www.ethangary.com and read about this little boy and the accident that he had. Please keep him in your prayers.

Gotta get a little SAPPY!!!

My friends are my Estate... Emily Dickinson

I have to tell you that even though my computer is causing me gray hair, it has brought so many unbelievable people into my life. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!! The other day when I was having a pity party there was so many of you that just immediately lifted me up with just simple words of encouragement , caring, and love. I thank each and everyone of you for that. I am sure that by now all of you have realized that I am a very sentimental person, well all of you make my world brighter and I love you all. Blessings to all of you.

p.s. Is it something with just my computer or is something wrong with NeoCounter?? Mine is blank and every blog that I go to that has one on it, is blank also??? HELP!

I'm Kind of back and I am MOODY!!!

First thing I have to apologize for what is about to happen!!!! I am so #^$&%*^* IRRITATED AND PISSED off at so many things right now. I am really struggling with some things that are going on right now . It is just Life in general and I guess I am just having a pity party!!! I know that I am always telling people how to lean on God and to pray about everything, and I should not be talking or expressing myself like this, but here are a few of the things that are bothering me right now.

1. I am so disappointed in my big sister Kim. I am irritated all to hell with her and I won't even go into it for so many reasons.

2. I am HOT!!!!! I am now on hormones for my hotflashes and they are somewhat better but my body has changed drastically since my surgery in November and now on these friggin hormones I am gaining weight and I feel like a cow!!!! And we all know what part of a womans life suffers when she does not feel good about herself, so to say the least I am probably not on any , "BEST WIFE", lists right now!!!

3. Our air conditioner went out for two days this weekend and you have to remember that we live in Texas and there have already been several days that have reached 100 degrees!!! But at least it is working now and I am very grateful for that!

4. I am so irritated , pissed off, and whatever else you would like to call it about this WAIT!!!!! There are things in our lives that we need to plan and this living in limbo is really taking its toll on me!!! Good gravy is it just so hard for the dang CCAA to speed things up, we are in our 3rd month of January 2006 referrals , so at this rate by the time April comes along we will be way past that 3 year mark and I can't even put into words how PISSY that makes me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that when we look into Franceskas eyes all of this will go away, but for right now I just want my baby!!! Sometimes it just doesn't even feel like it is going to happen because there is no "MOVEMENT" happening!!!! I know all of you other waiting mommies know exactly what I am talking about. There are friends that got pregnant right before or during the start of this process and most of the babies are already 2 years old and then there are the pregnant friends (in which I am ecstatic for), that their pregnancies have already come and gone, after thinking at the beginning of them that maybe we will get Franceska right around the time of "your" due date!!! (WHATEVER))))

5. I am irritated because even though I am posting right now, my computer is still not right!!!! I don't know alot about computers except how to blog and check my mail and such so when time permits I will get it looked at. But being away from the computer and all of you has made me feel so disconnected.


OK I am done for now , there are a few other things but I don't want to bore you to death. Thanks for listening. I know what I need to do, I need to go and pray about all of this stuff. I have been so busy lately that I have pushed HIM to the back seat in my life and isn't it funny how since I have let that happen, that "mean one" has kinda taken over my thoughts so I better get on my knees and pray!!! I promise that next post I will be alot more friendlier!!!! Love to all of you.