???????????

IT BROKE!!!! And I clocked my head on the windowsill, so the big question is: Am I just getting to FAT, or did I wear it OUT!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Everyday is Thanksgiving for me, because I am without a doubt one of the most blessed human beings on this earth. I have so much to be thankful for and am so very blessed to have my family and friends in my life. All of you blog friends, I need you to know that you are now my family and I thank God for each of you everyday. God has blessed me with so many incredible things and people in my life and the blessings just keep coming. May God always bless you and your families

LOVE TO ALL, THE RODRIGUEZ FAMILY

In everything, give THANKS, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thes. 5:18

Monday Morning Update

Good morning everyone ! First I want to thank each and everyone of you for you thoughts and prayers for my family and I. I honestly don't know what I would do without you.
Just a few things:
1. Friday was our 31st LIDversary!!
2. DELETED.

3. Also this weekend my Uncle Pete passed away and his funeral is tuesday. Please keep all of them in your prayers.

4. Frank and I along with most of our kids attended a Waiting Families dinner on Saturday. It was nice, but so different from the past dinners.Our Beautiful Kids!

Our Josh with the Lion!

Even though I look like I have a monster size face, I love this picture of Josh and I!

5. At church on Sunday, Rayn and her class sang a couple of songs. You could hear her over everyone else!! It was so darn cute!
So cute!!!

So proud of all of them!

6.Here is a picture of a portion of the presents that our church has collected for OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD, I love this organization and I was so proud of our church family. Times are hard right now, but pockets and wallets are always open.
Merry Christmas little ones!
And last but not least. I love sundays after church when there is nowhere to go , or nothing that has to be done, because then we all just lay around , watch football and eat and just really enjoy being with each other. Kerry and the girls, Christopher,Amy,Josh Greg , Frank, Astrud and myself just had a nice relaxing day at home. I love it! Here is a preview of some of the things I am most Thankful for!!
Rayn and Josh!! Thank you Kung Fu Panda!!
Two of my favorite girls in the whole world!! Amy and Astrud!
Grandpa Frank and Josh with my porch scarecrows hat!!!
Chris, Lily and Josh playing possum!!

Have a great week!!

Just a few things for Monday....

I am going to have a busy week as usual, our friend and neighbor is going to be out of town so I will have two extra kids until thursday, which will be alot of fun since they are great kids.

I will be working today helping Jacy coordinate everything for the Annual Thanksgiving Feast for all the kids and their parents at MDO , which is tomorrow. We have a Youth meeting tonight at church also.

On Wednesday, I will be having a Diagnostic Mammogram, which is always ALOT of fun!!! I have fibrocystic "stuff" and back in January I had an abcess which is kind of a every 3 months or so happening for me. But I went for the usual sonogram and apparently it never got back to me that the Radiologist wanted and suggested I have a biopsy. I was put on the regular anti-inflammatorys and went about my life, well on Friday I was scheduled for a routine screening mammogram and they would not do it because of January and so back to the "SQUEEZER" I go!!! Pray that nothing is there please.

There are several things thru the week that I am either scheduled for or need to get done, in addition to helping with Mom and Kim, and I must add that the La Vernia Bears are in the Playoffs!!! And on Saturday our local FCC is having a Waiting Families Dinner and if you can believe this or not our kids have all rearranged their schedules so they can go with us!! I am so excited. It will be all of their first time except for Astrud of course to attend one of these functions , and I think seeing some of the little girls with their families is really going to make this real for them and I can't wait to see the looks on their faces.

I will do my best to follow along throughout the week with all of you, please be patient, I will get to all of you. Have a truly blessed week.

Love and Blessings, Kristy

3 YEARS TODAY.....

OK on second thoughts.......

There is something to blog about. For the last several days my heart has been so dang heavy and I walk around with a lump in my throat. I miss my baby. I want her home so bad, my heart and my arms ache. I know some people would think that is crazy, how can you miss someone you don't know....but you see I do know her, she has been in my heart for so long. I guess it all started with the ONE day of referrals. I know we are so close, but it is that so close but yet so far feeling, that gets you down. And I apologize to the people out there that look to me for encouragement , it is just not here tonight right now. I will snap out of this, I always do, right now I just got to have my own little pity party. COME ON CCAA PLEASE GIVE US OUR BABIES!!!!

Another thing that is getting me down is all of the blogging arguing going on. Let's face it friends, all of us are not going to agree on everything, or believe in the same things, or even like each other all the time, but we can't let the evil one step in and take over, we are all in this together, so let's all take a deep breath and start the day anew, ok. In these times I always try to remember:

Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give
up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
Galatians 6:9

These crack me up!! Thanks Jessica!

Nothing worth blogging is really going on, but Jessica sent me these two emails and they just crack me up , so I thought I would share....


Just think ...
if the Indians had given the Pilgrims
a donkey instead of a turkey,
we would all be having a piece of ass this Thanksgiving


Due to increasing age, forgetfulness, and my decreasing ability to send cards on time here is my card to cover every Holiday .

Veterans Day 2008

Thank you to all of the soldiers of past and present for what you have made possible in this lifetime. Thank you to my Daddy, Frank, Steven, Sugarbabe, Uncle Bill,Uncle Chuck,Uncle Bob, Rick, Larry Green and so, so , many others. I will be forever grateful.

Just some thoughts!!!

AND THANK THEM FOR LISTENING!!

I just had some thoughts, some are good , some are bad......


1.I am so thankful that even though the CCAA only matched supposedly two days this month, we are at least one more LID date away from our Franceska.

2.I also am so thankful that I am sitting at my computer while next to me the window is open because the weather here is just the exact way I like it.

3.I am thankful that even though my candidate did not win the Presidential election, on Wednesday night at church, Karen reminded us of what Romans 13 says,
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,
for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God.

So the way I interpret that is we are to submit to the government because it is there for our benefit and protection , and God is the one who allows all authorities to rule. Yet there are also times when civil disobedience is warranted. When a governements actions violate the precepts of God, believers have a responsibility to act. (Ac5:29). Prayer , protests, boycotts, and other campaigns all can be utilized to bring about change , but all must be couched in love. (1Co 16:14). I voted as a Christian, I voted because at least I know that the candidate I did vote for is a Christian. I voted for all of the unborn babies that will more than likely lose their right to live. The forefathers of my country based the constitution on the Bible. With that all being said, and after having read Romans 13, I do pray for our new President, I pray that God leads him to lead our country in the way it was meant to be ran. I pray that his family is safe, and I pray that everyday God graces me with the trust I need to wholeheartedly trust my new President.

(Now if I have offended anyone, I apologize. There are alot of you that I love dearly , and alot of you that I barely know that have been very vocal on this very subject and I have not left one ill comment on any other blogs, this is my opinion and I pray that you respect that as I have respected you.)

4.Now to something that has just irritated the heck out of me. My daughter Astrud as all of you know has some really special friends, that I might add Frank and I along with the rest of our extended family love to pieces. But one of their parents has just pissed me off. Everytime she has been with Astrud in at least the last 7 months or so has questioned Astrud politically and spiritually. Now don't get me wrong Astrud has this innate ability to hold HER own. When asked about the bible, or her opinions on certain things she is quite capable of giving an educated, responsible, mature answer. BUT the other day this particular parent cornered Astrud and ask her WHY this , and WHY that which were political questions and when Astrud replied because I vote the BIBLE, this woman started telling her that you are always throwing around the bible, and throwing around your beliefs, etc. etc. etc.....

So Astrud just told her that you can't pick which parts of the bible you want to follow that you have to follow all of it. I must remind you that my daughter is only 15 years old and way ahead of me in her relationship with HIM at her age than I was. She is not an arrogant, saracastic kid, and I know that she answered her in a tone just like she always uses in her everyday conversations. Now for any of you who know me, know that I am a tad bit more mouthier , and have more temper that I would like to admit, but to my daughters asking I have not said anything to this lady. Also because I love her daughter as if she was my own, I have never once questioned her political views or spiritual life. I have witnessed to her, but not in a pushy way, I have witnessed to all the girls about being accountable to and for each other, in everyday life. It just pisses me off that this lady feels as if she can do this to our 15 year old daughter. OK I am done, I have vented on this subject and won't bring it up again.

5.And something else that irritates me is that today online there are tons of emails out there of women that are being so negative about the small amount of days that made it thru referral and how they are going to probably quit the program, how it is probably going to be another year and a half for us April 06ers!!!!! Good gravy ladies, you have made it this far , how can you just turn your away from the baby that you have been loving and waiting for so long???? First , I don't think it is going to be another year and a half before us April 06ers get our babies!!! Second, I don't care how BIG March 06 is, or how many families are logged in , there are still 31 days in March just like the rest of the year. Does that make me stupid???? Honestly , is that a dumb way to look at that???? I truly believe in my heart of hearts that the CCAA is really trying to get thru the backlog as fast as they can.

6.And LAST......I do with every ounce of my soul believe that this is the last Christmas that we will be without Franceska. I do believe that she will be home this summer. I have FAITH. We are only 2 months away from the last LID that was referred, and we have endured this far, we are NOTgoing anywhere!!!! Our baby is waiting for us somewhere in China.

*****Sorry for the bitchiness of this post, I just needed to get it all out, I did, and now I feel so much better, thank you for listening*****

What does our future hold?

This is from a Beth Moore Bible study.

"Imagine standing on a battlefield all alone facing an angry army of 1,000 men, each breathing torturous threats. Suddenly you feel the earth pound beneath your feet like the hoofbeats of 10,000 horsemen. Your heart nearly melts with fear as you prepare yourself for the ever-mounting foe. Then you realize it wasn't 10,000 horsemen after all. It was one. Your gaze lifts higher and higher as you try to focus on His face with the sun in your eyes. He looks 100 feet tall atop His stallion and His very presence emanates authority. He is stunningly beautiful. Staggeringly powerful. His horse gallops onto the battlefield, kicking up the earth. The rider firmly pulls the reins and brings His horse to a halt right beside you. The horseman then looks down at you and says, "Proceed into battle, mighty warrior. I am on your side."

Do you feel His strength? When we call on his name, God promises believers power and victory in the terrifying battles of the spiritual realm. He promised we'd be more than conquerors! Do not be afraid of this election and the leaders of this world. Our God is King and more powerful than any leader of this country.

Thank you to my friend Kim from The Byrd's Nest. Love you.

Election Day might be rough, so here are some smiles!!!

I know I post alot of pictures, but Astrud and her friends are always taking pictures and some of them are really random and then some of them are really good!!! I probably have 1000 pictures of the girls just having fun!! The innocence is just beautiful to me, in all of the pictures they have taken, probably less than half are actually really pretty smiling pics, they are always making funny and ugly faces and there is absolutely no inhibition and I admire that!!!! I am always trying my best to take a "good" picture. I pray I learn from these beautiful young women!! Enjoy!

p.s. sorry for the extra music, tomorrow after school, I will get Astrud to take it off, I don't know how!! lolol

Halloween 08 Pictures!

Ok my Halloween post has to start out with a wonderful story. Back on October 21st which happen to be our 30th LIDversary , Kim was in the hospital still and as I was walking out of the family waiting room, I came face to face with a lady pushing a stroller which happen to have her daughter in it, that just happen to be from China!! So as I got in the elevator, I smiled and somehow just knew that , that was God's way of telling me he has not forgotten about us or Franceska. It just made me smile and it gave me hope that this long journey would soon come full circle. So about 40 minutes later when I came back up I looked in the waiting room and there was Lt. Smith , my sisters awesome nurse sitting there with his family.....the same lady , with the same little precious China doll!!!! I smiled again!!!

So when he came in my sisters room later on that day I just had to ask him and tell him all about us and tell him what day it just happen to be for us. He got choked up , I got choked up, he told their story, we both got choked up AGAIN, and he reminded me that it was that RED THREAD that also brought us together. So on the morning of Halloween I met him, his wife Jody and their precious babygirl Gracie!!! Gracie has two very handsome brothers at home also. And she just happens to be such a cutie patootie, I could listen to her voice all day long!!!! They are such an awesome family, and I feel like I have known them forever already. I am so thankful for God bringing them into our lives, I have already learned so much from them.

They are going back to China in November to be a part of something that has never happened before. They along with other families have been invited back to the province of Fuling ( hope I spelled that right), to personally carry the babies to their newly built orphanage! Can you believe that, how awesome!!!!! So please keep this family in your prayers as they travel.
Our lil Zane the Monkey! Isn't that the cutest darn Monkey!!!!

Heres Garett as Anniken Skywalkwer, and Kyndall as Garbriella from High School Musical!

This is my friend April, I think she looks so darn cute!!!

Rayn and Brett

Rayn, the most precious Pumpkin in the world!!!

Poppy and Rayn

Jacy's dad , Larry and my daddy, Harold...(The Antique Railroaders"

Me, Rayn and Nonny (my mom)

Jake, the local SWAT!

Lil Cousin Taylor!

US GIRLS! Becka, Me,, Kerry, Jennifer and Jacy

Pastor Dave, The Only Vikings Fan in Texas!!

My neice Jade and friend Abby

Our "Star Gazing" picture

Jade and Abby