One month ago today we finally saw that beautiful, precious little face and fell so completely in LOVE!!!! We love you Franceska Danielle and in only 35 days you will be in our arms FOREVER...........

The Call

Every call has a beginning
A quiet moment when
God whispers a promise
to a mother’s heart
A holy place where
a father bows and faithfully
accepts the journey set before him.
A miraculous morning that
unexpectedly dawns…
Casting its first light on a chosen threshold.
A gentle knock..
a closed door opens.
A sacred invitation sent by the Father..
Leads to the other side of the world.
Where lonely hearts stare out orphanage windows
Praying for someone to care..
And then one morning,
On an ordinary day
An orphan’s life changes...
God sends them a second chance...
Through you..

--author unknown

(My friend Fliss found this and shared it with me, I love it! Thank you so much Fliss.)


I

THIS MAN.....

THIS MAN IS MY HERO, THE FIRST MAN I EVER LOVED, THE BEST CARETAKER IN THE WORLD, HE IS MY DADDY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!!!!!

p.s. We got our Consulate appointment today....the day after my birthday !!! July 12th!!

It's starting to look like we are.....

on JUNE 24TH!!!!!! Did you see that!!!!! God's plan is revealing itself more and more everyday!! To HIM all the Glory goes!!! Our wedding anniversary is 6/19, we leave on 6/24, Frank's birthday is 6/30, we should head back home around the 7/7, and my birthday is 7/11!!!! How perfect is that!!!!! And then Franceska's 1st birthday will be 8/4!!!!!! What a great Summer we are going to have!!!!!!

Just playing around..........

Frank found some pictures of him when he was little and I cropped them and played with them a little and I'm thinking there is a bit of a family resemblance going on here!!!!!! lol You should see our son Christopher's pictures compared to his little sister's!!!! I just love this!! Franceska

Daddy

Daddy

Chunky Monkey Daddy....

You might not see a resemblance, but we are having fun anyway.........

TA and our baby is 10 months old!!!

Oh Little one we are on our way soon!!!!!!! We can't wait to hold you in our arms, and we can't wait to give you all of our kisses and all of this bottled up love, oh baby we are on our way.......

Updated pictures of our Franceska......

She weighs 19 lbs and is 27 inches long and has two teeth and we are just crazy in love with her !! I just can't wait to get my arms around her!!!! Come on TA!!!!!

As for me and my family....WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!!

OH NO .....WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

Today was a GREAT DAY!!!

Today was such a great day, I was with my Momma all afternoon and what you all should know is that it is very rare that she just sits still. Well she sat down and I handed her a picture of Franceska , and LOOK what she did............Oh God is so good!!! She was so funny today so much like her old self! My sister and several very special friends are giving me a huge Baby Shower on June 13th and although I am so excited it has been really bothering me that my Momma will not be there, well she will be now, I am framing this picture and setting it by the cake. So she won't only be there ...she will be there holding her grandbaby............ This is not such a good picture because she was sitting on me and I was trying to hold the camera and right before I snapped the picture she grabbed my face, isn't it just so sweet!!!

This morning our Grandbutton Joshua graduated from Pre-K!! We are so proud of him, he is such a "Big Boy"! He was so proud of his certificate and Medal!!!!! Meme , Grandpa and Aunt Astrud are soooooo proud of you!!!! We love you!

Here is Joshua with Me (meme), Amy's Mom Vivian (mama) and Amy his Mommy!!!!

Here is Joshua with his beautiful Aunt Ashley!!!

This was taken on Sunday, it is Kourtney, Jade and Amy!!! There was no way we could have had Jade do Speak No Evil because as you can see her mouth never shuts!!! LOL

I hope each and everyone of you had a blessed day like I had and if you didn't I pray tomorrow is better!!!

Alot of AMERICAN PRIDE AND THANKFULNESS....

We are only abut 35 minutes from BAMC (Brooke Army Medical Center) in San Antonio ,and I have to add that we are very proud of BAMC!! BAMC is where alot of the critically Wounded Warriors are brought to for some of the best medical care in the world. On Saturday BAMC was taking 300 Wounded Warriors and their families on a fishing trip to Corpus Christi, Texas and they just happen to have to come down Highway 87 right thru La Vernia!! Well there is about 25 miles of Hwy 87 between us and San Antonio and all along the route there was hundreds of people just waiting for these brave men and women to pass by just so we could yell, clap, wave an American Flag and just show our straight from the heart Texas gratitude and appreciation for all that they have done for us and for all that they have sacrificed!! Here are some pictures from the day , they passed at right about 7:15 a.m. and people started lining the streets at about 6:00 am and it was all over by 7:20 , and it was just about the best 45 minutes I have ever had!!! We parked out in front of our church, I think 98% of our church was out there , it was just an amazing time!! THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SOLDIERS OUT THERE WOUNDED OR NOT....ACTIVE DUTY OR NOT....THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE....YOU ARE TRULY OUR HEROES!!!!!
HERE THEY COME.....

THERE WERE 4 BUSES AND OUR COUNTY SHERIFF AND ABOUT 6 COP CARS CAME THRU IN FRONT AND BACK WITH SIRENS ON !!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!

THIS IS WHAT THE SCENE WAS FOR ABOUT 25 MILES AHEAD OF US AND PROBABLY FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 60 MILES AHEAD......

THIS IS GRACE...SEE HER TSHIRT??? MY DADDY WEARS COMBAT BOOTS!!!

MY MISTER AND GRACE'S DADDY OUR GOOD FRIEND LANCE!

MY MISTER, OUR PASTOR, BRO. DAVE , HIS WONDERFUL WIFE CATHY , OUR NEICE MICHELLE AND MYSELF

FRANK, ASTRUD AND MICHELLE

Also on Saturday we had a wedding, a very special wedding. These two people are Wayne and Yvonne Brooks. Mine and Wayne's families go back about 5 generations...THEY ARE FAMILY!

Yvonne and I were in the same class and graduated together. They had Brandon which is the same age as our Steven, they graduated together and we also had their graduation party together. Then the beautiful Dominique and then our gorgeous Mariah was born. Like I said we are FAMILY and we all love each other sooooo much. Saturday Brandon married Melissa outside in a beautiful yard wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and I just wanted to show you a few pictures from the day.

Here is Wayne and Yvonne..... you know how I feel about both of you. I love you!!!! My life would not be the same without you in it, and I thank God for you both. Oh the memories....I can't wait to see what God has planned for our future together.....

Here is a picture of the wedding party....all of them were so handsome and pretty....

Here is Brandon looking at his BRIDE, I think this picture is just priceless, I just love it!!! It made me tear up, I am so proud of him.

Here is my Dominique, she is such a lovely young woman, and she is so smart, she loves God, she is so caring and so unique she makes me so darn proud, her Aunt Kristy loves you so much!!!

Here is my Mariah! This young lady is just not a pretty face, she is so talented, she is an athletic machine!!! I love listening to Mariah talk, her voice just pours sweetness and caring , she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, your Aunt Kristy and Uncle Frank love you so much baby.

And of course it would not be a normal event if there wasn't the usual "Dork" picture! Here is Astrud, my neice Michelle and Astrud's "Lil Mister" Anthony!!! They called it their Family portrait!

And last but certainly not least, My Mister usually gets our coffee ready at night , so most mornings all I have to do is flip the switch. Well last week this is what I woke up too....my mug that says: "The Real Boss", his mug : The Man, The Myth, The Legend and can you see it????

Franceska's picture with a handwritten note that says: "WE LOVE YOU BIG"!!!!! and little stick people for all of us!!!! I know....you have no words.....he is toooooo much isn't he!!!!

Just a little IRRITATED!!!!!

(THIS IS WHO I SEE WHN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!!)

Hi everyone I just came here to vent a little!!! I drove to our agency today to hand deliver our Visa applications and although all of that went without incident , when we were looking over some paperwork "J" noticed that our fingerprints (3rd set) will expire 8/14/2010 and she told me we better get those redone!!! I said are you serious?????

We were thinking that since our fingerprints ( I did say 3rd set....right?????) did not expire till August and our I171 not expiring till 10/10 that we were in the clear. She told me that for whatever reason now the C*C* is holding back on TA's!!! Really taking their time issuing them, and that possibly at the earliest we will travel is late July!!!!!! so it's official IM IRRITATED!!!!!!

I can honestly say that the last almost 5 years has been the easy part!! Just knowing our Franceska is there and getting bigger, and more attached and just without us every single day that goes by for no apparent reason is sooooo hard!!!! We were looking so forward to having her 1st birthday party here at home with friends and family and now we might be in China I know it is not my time or schedule it is HIS but come on C*C* give us a BREAK!!!!!!!!!! All of us!!!!!!!

So will all of you pray with us that either this times goes by fast or that something happens and it all happens faster???? Thank you all and God bless......

It's official.....SHES OURS!!!

On Wednesday the FedEx man delivered our package and I think he thought I was NUTS when I said, WAIT you can't leave yet , I have to take a picture of you....I have been waitinfg 4 1/2 yrs for you!!!!! I then explained why and he was all smiles!!!!! Here is Mommy signing the paperwork.......

Here is Daddy signing the paperwork.......

And it's official ( at least for this part of the journey)....SHE IS OURS!!!!! We are just over the moon in love with her!!! My sister Kerry and I rushed over to my parent's house on monday to show them their granddaughter's picture, well we were thinking that we would surprise Daddy and when I showed him the picture he couldn't talk for a few seconds and his chin was quivering and he just kept looking at her!!! As for my mom, we have already passed that moment in time where she would know but that's okay because I know "The Heart Remembers"!!!

And during all of that Frank was going into San Antonio to show his Mom and she was just beside herself, she thought she was beautiful and immediately said she looks just like Frank and our son Christopher when they were little!!! For real she really does!!!!

Our paperwork says she is a good eater, she likes being around other children, she loves rattle toys and she LOVES BEING OUTSIDE!!! Just like her Mommy!!!!

It is so good turning over to turn the lamp off at night and seeing her there, and in the morning she is the first thing I see. Even though we are so ready to bring her home I have to admit that knowing where she is , and actually having a picture to kiss goodnight really does make a difference. Frank and I just can't wait to get our arms around her. Oh my gosh I just love her so much.................................

This is what I woke up to......

When I woke up this morning look what the very first thing was that I saw when I opened my eyes.....OUR DAUGHTER!!! After so many minutes, hours, days, months and years of not knowing....finally a beautiful face to a name. We are so over the moon in love with her!!! Do you think people would think would think Im crazy if I hang a 5x7 picture around my neck and wear it everywhere I go?????????

For those of you who have been following this journey with us, maybe you remember Frank and Astrud calling themselves a Blog widower and a Blog orphan ....well wonder who was on his computer googling the map of Jiangxi and the orphanage and wanting to pay to get updated photos etc, etc, etc??????? Yes it was that same Blog Widower that really thinks being on the computer is overrated and even PRINTED pictures and got in his truck and drove 45 minutes to his moms house so he could give them to her!!!!! And the same Blog Orphan whose status on FB was "I finally got to see my little sisters face today"!!!!! Isn't that just the sweetest thing!!!!

I want to take a little bit of time to thank each and everyone of you that were so patient with me yesterday, we had alot of people here yesterday and the whole time I kept thinking, "I really need to get to the computer and post pictures, I was making myself so nervous about letting all of you down that I kinda became a little grouchy and short tempered.....yes Me I admit it!!!! So anywho I am sorry it took so long, thank you for being patient, for loving me and for loving our daughter!!! I love you all!!!! May God wrap his arms around each of you so tight that you can truly feel the love he has for you...........

Thank you Fliss for doctoring up our pictures, I absolutely love them and you!!!

INTRODUCING OUR BABYGIRL FRANCESKA DANIELLE

HERE SHE IS....... Born August 4, 2009

NAME: Gan Xing Qin (Franceska Danielle Rodriguez)

SWI: Jianxin

Province: Jiangxi

AND WE ARE SOOOOOO IN LOVE!!!!!!

Ring Phone Ring........

Just waiting for the phone to ring....will it be today or tomorrow.....oh pleeeeeezzz let it be today!!!

To all of you INCREDIBLE LADIES OUT THERE!!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU!!!! I HOPE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!!!!

Thank you so much!!!!!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR HEARTFELT COMMENTS THAT I CAN TRULY FEEL THE LOVE IN. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS THIS WAY BUT I NEED TO SAY THAT IT IS MOMENTS LIKE THIS WHEN IT IS JUST SO OBVIOUS WHY I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH. OVER THE YEARS YOU ALL HAVE BECOME FAMILY TO ME AND I AM SO GRATEFUL TO MY FATHER IN HEAVEN FOR PUTTING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IN MY LIFE'S PATH!!!

Rumors have it that we are IN!!! We just can't believe that we might be seeing our babygirls face in just a few days, oh gosh I just can't wait!!!! I will keep you all posted as fast as I can. We have a huge family and live in a small town and I know that our house will be full as soon as we hear something so please hang on and I will post everything I have . I love all of you!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL MOTHERS!!! GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.........

Tick...Tock...Tick....Tock.......

The clock just keeps on ticking and NO RUMORS!!!!! Can you say CRAZY???? I can cause I am!!!! I just want to know if we are IN or not!! If your thinking, "Oh Kristy don't get your hopes up, it might be next month"......TOO LATE!!!!! Please just a few rumors and then let's see that STORK!!!!

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 2010

Today is NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER....Please remember and honor the fact that we can pray and worship freely and please remember all of our soldiers who are fighting for our right to do that right now this minute overseas....

"If we ever forget that we are One Nation under God, then we will be a Nation gone under"..Ronald Reagan

God bless you and your families and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

What will this week bring?????????????

WELL..............what will this week bring??????????????????? WILL IT BRING OUR DAUGHTERS PICTURE TO US????? Oh I sure do hope so.............................................

To Our Franceska Danielle

BORN IN OUR HEARTS

We see you in our dreams and feel you in our hearts;

Sweet baby waiting patiently, half a world apart.

We try hard to imagine your many gifts and charms,

Passing the time until at last, we hold you in our arms.

Soon we'll be together and we will give you all our love;

Our precious little angel from heaven up above.....

Oh Franceska we are trying so hard to wait patiently for any word... any shred of anything about you.....Please know that we are counting down the days until we see your face.

We love you, Mommy and Daddy