Monday, December 28, 2009

2009 Is Almost Here...It's Amazing What A Year


While I sit and meditate about how fast the year is coming to an end I realize that it's been quite an interesting year. Probably one of a kind for me. While many painful tears were shed, much joy was also felt. It's been year the Lord has used to teach me many valuable things such as the importance of taking time to love those around you and never given up on the Lord and His promises. The most beautiful thing is that in the joy and in the pain the Lord was always there and was glorified. I would like to give you a little glimpse of what 2009 has been for me.....

* Had to give up my favorite dog..yes I cried lol
* Tried to fly to Florida for free through the military but plan was cancelled so we purchased last minute tickets....crazy but worth it!
* Witnessed the birth of my beautiful nephew Isaiah..what an amazing experience!
* Flew to Costa Rica with my mom and my husband to help care for my grandfather who was very ill
* Had my birthday party in Costa Rica..last birthday over there was when I turned 8
* My beautiful grandfather died and I was the last person he saw alive
* I am asked to join the Women's Ministry Leadership team and I go on my first retreat with them
* We purchased another dog
* I get a little part time job working for My best friend
* Iris - an amazing friend and woman of God dies
* Rode a horse again..last time was when I was 8 with my grandfather
* Attend women's retreat through church
* Started piano lessons....so much fun!
* Started to blog and love it since then:D
* Had a heart-to-heart with one of my best friends not an easy thing to do but it was God's will
* Had some of the children from the Watoto children's choir stay with us..what a blessing. These are orphans who love the Lord!
* My husband and I go on our first missions trip together to an orphanage in Mexico!
* Found out we had family on both sides close by
* Ministered to my husband's cousin who was bedridden at the hospital through her pregnancy
* My husband gets a motorcycle
*
* My wonderful aunt Roxana died she was only 55:(
* My youngest brother Jimmy graduates high school
* Get news that my husband is being transferred
* My good friend's baby girl Gabriela Isabelle is born to Ani and Victor
* Josiah Nathaniel is born to Erin and Nathan
* Cassidy is born to Stephanie and Clint
* Start teaching a devotional class at church
* Daniel and Emily are born to Lupita and Daniel
* Go to one of our favorite cities..Monterey, CA and have our candy apple
* Carmelina - another amazing woman of God and great friend dies
* Kathi - a great servant of the Lord dies
* Madison Jane is born to Anne and her husband
* My husband starts getting checked by the urologist
* My cousin Marcela finds out she's pregnant with Paula Roxana!
* Found out my cousin's wife Tatiana is expecting Mathias!
* My beautiful niece Isabella Grace is born to Veronica and Tim
* We're invited to our first 80's prom party....so much fun!
* Found out we were PREGNANT!!!!
* Went to Pismo Beach, CA for the first time and had Splash Mountain Cafe clam chowder for the first time....sooo good!
* My cousin Derrick joins the Army
* My brother in law Mark joins the Army
* Decorated for a 50's event at church
* My grandma arrives in Florida to be with my family
* went camping with our friends from church
* Join MOPS group for the first time..yeah!
* My friends Carla, Marlene, Yamileth, Shey, Anaiz, Petra, Brenda and Mayra find out that they're expecting in 2010!!!!
* Find out my husband's cousin Jackie us expecting her second baby...a boy!
* My husband feels that it's the Lord's will to get out of Army and we decide to move to Florida
* Jaclyn Grace born to Stephanie and husband
* Found our Anna and Corey are expecting Brookelyn Shae
* Become godparents to 4 beautiful children and attend their dedication
* My good friend Jennifer's husband dies
* Had our beautiful babyshower!
* Fly to Orlando we move across the country!
* Get apartment, phones, car and job (husband) all in one week...so blessed!
* We find out we're having a baby GIRL!!!
* Hadassah is born to Natalie and Dan
* Andy is born to Kelly and Noi
* Made the Thanksgiving turkey for the entire family for the first time
* Attend my friend Priscilla's wedding
* My friend Margarita gets engaged and she wants me to the a witness
* My sister and her hubby have their wedding reception and I get to decorate
* My husband registers for college and he's now all ready to go!
*Find out my cousin Gabriel and his wife are expecting their first baby August 2010!
* Have our first 3D Ultrasound!

As you can see...it's been an action packed year and these are just the highlights. Did you noticed all the ladies who had and are having babies??? Incredible! I love it! God has been very active in our lives and even in the midst of our trials..He remained faithful and was glorified! I don't know what all 2010 holds but one thing I do know is that as long as our eyes remain fixed on the Lord...I will always be in His will and He will take good care of us! We look forward to 2010 because we're going to make every effort to make God the center of it and because we will get to hold our baby girl in our arms for the first time in April Lord-willing!!! I hope you had an adventurous 2009 and are now looking forward to 2010 and all it's BLESSINGS!!!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Pregnancy update....Third Trimester Here We Come!!!



Time for another update on my pregnancy. I am feeling great and I'm loving my belly! "Life" is such a precious miracle..it still blows me away how a little person can be grow inside of me and that soon she's going to be here and be a person capable of making a difference in this world..something that honestly she's doing already because God is being glorified through this miracle! Thanx, my bloggy friends, for taking the time to visit my blog, for your good wishes and your countless prayers! I am def. going to try to blog more. Stay tuned for more....

How far along? 26 weeks today...14 weeks to go!!! We are now in the double digits:D

Total weight gain: 12 lbs

Maternity clothes? My hubby blessed me with more maternity clothes for Christmas...another pair of jeans, a black skirt and a pair of comfy pants...my sis-in-law Veronica gave me an amazing top for Christmas!

Sleep: Huh....things have changed a little since last update in this department. I still get up to empty my bladder but now I get up a second time...hungry..yes..I get up hungry or may I say..Karina's hungry so I can't sleep lol. I've been getting up around 4am to grab a small snack. I think it's cute and preparing for her early feeds... I'm glad I'm adjusting early!

Best moment this week: 3 days ago my husband felt our baby girl move for the first time..he was thrilled. If he hugs me as we sleep and has his arm around my waist she "kicks" or "hi 5's" her daddy:D She also loves every time she hear his voice..it gets me teary cause it's so special! Tomorrow we'll have our 3D ultrasound...can't wait to see her even better!!!

Movement: Oh YES! She's definitely moving alot now. She loves to move at night when I go to bed and in the morning when I wake up. Not sure if she's going to be a morning or night person but something tells me she's gonna be like her daddy..a morning person:D

Gender: Last time we saw her the tech said that she's definitely a girl!!!

Labor Signs: None...I do need to read up on Braxton Hicks so I know when these come around.

Belly Button in or out? It's making it's way out..it cracks me up!

What I miss: prob wearing my fav jeans but that's totally fine because I have my baby girl in my belly and those jeans will be worn again Lord-willing!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm realizing that we should start working on her nursery come Jan. time's gonna fly. I also need to seek God more because I want to be a good example to her. We need to pray and ask God to guide us to the right church so we can get plugged in and give her that foundation from day one!

Milestones: Entering my third and LAST trimester...yeah!!! My husband feeling his baby girl move!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Leave It All Before His Throne....I did and found freedom!


About a year ago, I was sitting down doing my devotional and quickly realized that God was really trying to get through me. I had no idea how heavy my heart felt while dealing with infertility and other issues such as the news that my grandfather's health going downhill quickly. The entire devotional that day was dealing with my heart on a personal level. I tried to continue reading but couldn't do it anymore...I broke down. I couldn't stop sobbing, I was feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, everything seemed like a big blur. It's always harder to move forward when the future is unknown huh? But I realized that I had done all I could on my part to be strong and that now God wanted me to fully surrender to HIM! Honestly, many times I felt that I couldn't do much to alleviate the situations..all I could really do was pray, trust God and be still. God decided to have a heart-to-heart with me that day. I closed my devotional book and poured out my heart to God....I was completely transparent with Him. I was real and held nothing back. Boy did I sobbed that day. I pretty much bowed before His throne and surrender everything to Him. I knew this is was He wanted from me because many a times I had no control over situations I was "trying" to fix on my own. After about an hour and a half of nonstop praying/sobbing I felt the kinda of peace I felt the day I rededicated my life to Christ..the kind of peace only the Lord Almighty can give. I literally felt the weight being taken off my shoulders and I was once again able to breath a breath of fresh air. I felt like a brand new person ready to conquer the world. God filled my thoughts with beautiful scripture and filled me once again with strength and hope to move forward! Funny thing is....all this happened while my husband was mowing the lawn in the backyard. God took care of the loud lawnmower and my husband didn't even noticed. It was just God and I......every else became a blur. I knew that everything would be ok and that God would begin to do great things. BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Later on that day as I washed dishes, I felt the need to look out the window and couldn't believe my eyes.....all the way by the back fence was a beautiful pink flower...one I'd never seen there before. I quickly asked my husband if he had planted any seeds back there and he said no. I pointed out the flower to him and he couldn't believe his eyes. I then looked at him with a big smile and said, "I know who put it there...God..babe..God is with us and everything will be ok". He smiled and agreed. I was so amazed that I couldn't stop admiring the flower from the distance. I starred at it through the window and smiled through my tears because I knew that this was God's way of letting me know that He was right by my side no matter what! As I continued to contemplate on it I told myself, "maybe this is God's way of letting me know that He's going to bless us with the baby we've been praying for , the way He blessed Hannah and that our baby will be a baby girl!!! And now, a year later, I am carrying the baby He so lovingly promised us......a baby GIRL! It gives me the chills to see His Majesty, His Power and His desire to fulfill our dreams!

I want you to know that:

* God hears your cry and truly cares
* God has great plans for your life
*If you surrender EVERYTHING and I mean every bit of you to Him....amazing things will begin to happen

* God is always there...you just have to take the time to see Him

*No one can take away the special encounters you have with our Lord...they are real and they are yours to keep forever!
* God honors humility and honesty..."the weak will become strong"

*God created you and knows you like no one else ever will....He knows what makes you happy!

This is what I saw through my window:






This is my precious pink flower from God in all her beauty:




(She wanted to sleep and the tech kept waking her up)




(She kept covering her eyes hahaha)



(look at my hand)

NEVER STOP BELIEVING, NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP YOUR EYES FIXED ON THE LORD AND HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH!!!!!

Friday, December 4, 2009

"Merry Christmas" has a new meaning to me!

This past Wednesday, my hubby took me out on a date where he delighted me with a dinner at Cracker Barrel and then blessed me with tickets to Chris Tomlin's Glory In the Highest Christmas tour with Orlando being his opening night! I was thrilled:D If he happens to be in your town or nearby..make sure to try to make this concert..it was unbelievable! You can feel the Holy Spirit in the room! We worshipped our Savior the entire time not only through worship but also through a wonderful message that Louie Giglio shared. It has made such a big impact on my life that I wanted to share some of it with you hoping that you too are blessed by it!




Louie came out with a present that was unwrapped by someone in the audience and out came something most of us are family with...a Bible. Louie then said that he was holding in his hand the greatest story ever told...the birth of Jesus Christ. I think I speak for most people there that I thought we were going to hear the story we hear every Christmas, the story read in many homes, heard in many churches but boy were we in for quite a surprise!

*He said that after years and years of complete silence after God created the world the people must have thought one of three things....one...God is dead, two..God is mad..or three...Go has nothing else to say. BUT He did have something to say and that was JESUS!

*God broke the silence with a baby's cry. A human flesh and bone like you and I. He also said that God used a baby's cry because He knew that His people were weeping, broken, lonely, hopeless.



* God chose His Son's entrance in a unique way...He could have came in all His glory and might announcing His Son but instead his Son was born in a cold cave, to two lonely people who had been ridiculed by the bizarre story they shared, away from home and from the warmth and support of their family, and on tax day to top it off. Not a good day but God chose this very same day to send His and Only Son!


* Jesus came to hurting world, a world full of issues. We all have them, insecurities, failed marriages, hurtful pasts, addictions, broken relationships, betrayal, rebellious children, infertility, poverty, illnesses, loneliness, depression, doubt, abuse, abandonment, and the list goes on and on. We all have them...we live in a fallen world.

*Jesus came to reconcile, to set free, to mend, to fix, to comfort, to heal, to protect, to revive.


*Jesus is the PERFECT GIFT, God's answer to this hurting world. He is CHRISTmas!


So next time someone says: "what can I do to feel better?" you say MERRY CHRISTMAS! We might think of baby Jesus as an innocent child but He is powerful to save, He is our only hope, the only way or mighty Savior!


If you are hurting please know that the first step is to realize that Christmas is not about the presents, about the tree, the lights, not even about family...it's about Jesus!

*God doesn't say: "Here's my address see if you can find it". He says, "I know your address and I want to move in" AMAZING!!!!


If you don't know this Savior that I'm talking about please let me know and we can pray! If you know Him but "life" has taken you away from Him please know that it's never too late to start over! God is never too busy to answer our cry for help! It breaks my heart to see who we run around "hopeless" when God is just a prayer away. I pray that if there's anything you remember from my post is that MERRY CHRISTMAS = JESUS!!!

So.....MERRY CHRISTMAS!


While we sang some of the some with Chris Tomlin I was so touched by the lyrics..these are songs we're sung probably 100 times over and over again but if you take the time to really look at the lyrics you realize that these songs were truly inspired by our God and reveal who Jesus is and why He came to us!


For example take... "O Holy Night"

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Pregnancy Update

I was checking out my bloggy friend Katie's blog, who I'm very happy to say is expecting a baby as well and found this very neat idea...a quick and great way to keep you guys updated so I thought I'd join in the fun:D

Here we go:

How far along? 20 weeks and 4 days....almost 5 months!!!

Total weight gain: I've gained approx. 7 lbs in 20 weeks....not bad, gaining weight at a very steady pace which is what they recommend.

Maternity clothes? I no longer fit into my regular jeans, the rubber bands kept popping so I gave that up..besides I really wanted to get into maternity clothes!Maternity clothes is very comfy..not zippers or buttons! I've found very cute tops..just need something nice for a few events coming up including my sister's wedding reception and the holidays off course!

Sleep: I'm actually alot sleepier during my 2nd trimester. No problem sleeping in..I do it every time I get the chance! I get up to use the restroom once mainly around 2-3am and fall right back to sleep. I do wake up with alot of body ache but sounds like it's part of being pregnant which I don't mind at all. It's all worth it:D I did bring out the extra pillows to help alleviate some of the pain.

Best moment this week: Starting our baby girl's scrapbook! I am putting alot of love into it and am still in awe that I finally get to make one for a child of my own! Also, checking out the crib bedding set that my awesome mom is working on..she's staying up til 3am working on it at times...she's amazing! It's looking so beautiful!

Movement: A few weeks ago, I would feel a lil something but didn't want to get ahead of myself. Honestly, I still don't know if that was the baby? Lately though I have been feeling like if they inflate a balloon inside my abdomen which puts pressure..like an empty feeling with a little discomfort...I keep saying it must be her moving in her, making room for her growing little body! Has anyone felt this sensation while pregnant? They describe in so many ways....

Gender: In case you missed my post...IT'S A GIRL!!!! Karina Rocio<3

Labor Signs: Not that I know of.....don't expect or want them til full term..that is our desire!

Belly Button in or out? Well...my mom keeps telling me that it will pop out not too far down the road. It's still in but I have noticed that it's getting there...not as hollow as it used to be...it's amazing what happens during pregnancy.

What I miss: The only thing I can think of is sleeping on my back. I didn't really like it until I got pregnant lol. Since I can only sleep on my sides, it hurts so sleeping on my back sounds so good. I do use a pillow behind me to give me some comfort. Honestly though...pain can be a very good thing when you've waited so long for a baby! It constantly reminds me of God's indescribable power!!!


Weekly Wisdom: I'm realizing more and more each day that we truly need to draw closer to the Lord. We need Him more now than ever because we have a little person coming soon whom the Lord will entrust to us and we need raise in a godly home. We need to strive to be godly and be good examples for her to follow.


Milestones: Finding out that the baby in my tummy is a precious little girl! It has to be one of the best moments in my life! My precious grandma (abuelita) bought Karina a very cute carseat and my mom got her a very cute bassinet! The nursery room is also starting to happen!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Nursery Theme

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a mommy! I loved playing house, where I enjoyed being the "mommy" and carried my "baby" in such a gentle way. I even named my dolls making them as human as possible because I longed to be a mother in my heart already. I've dreamed about it, talked about, written my poetry inspired by it and now it's such a reality in my life. I'm gonna be a mommy! I constantly look in the mirror and admire my beautiful baby bump..something I envisioned having while daydreaming. Being such a detailed person, I also knew exactly what I wanted for my first baby girl's nursery room. Right before we got pregnant I knew theme, color pattern, accesories and all.

Theme I've chosen is: Butterfly

It's going to be a butterfly garden with a Victorian touch..so me hahaha!

My decision came easy because I love butterflies but this love grew during a trip to Costa Rica, my birth country) where there's a huge variety of butterflies and you can easily find butterfly sactuaries. We were taken to one where you could see their coccoons and all. It was beautiful! As I walked around I felt a little tingle on my finger. When I looked down this is what I saw:








It was an experience out of this world. I looked at it closer and noticed that somehting was missing, it had a permanent injury. See the broken wing? Everything became a blur and for a minute it was just me and that butterfly when all of a sudden I felt the Lord telling me:

"look at this beautiful butterfly, look at it closely. This butterfly represents who you are to Me. This butterfly is beautiful, yet not perfect, it's missing part of it's wing which makes it impossible for it to fly like the others. I want you to be just like that. You are beautiful yet you are not perfect. You're not flawed, I just made you imperfect so that you would always need to depend on Me. I want to sustain you, to nourish you, to help you survive. Don't do life on your own, lean on Me. I'll be here to hold you and you will be ok!"

It was incredible! It all happened in what seemed liek seconds and it made an impact on me for life:D Some people are a little skeptical about "God talking like this to people" but let me tell you...it happened to me and I wouldn't change it for the world! Ever isnce that day, butterflies have a very special meaning to me! Because not only are they beautiful but they also have a very special meaning:

The Butterfly Christian Symbol represents and symbolizes the Resurrection. The butterfly has three phases during its life:

The caterpillar - The caterpillar which just eats symbolises normal earthly life where people are preoccupied with taking care of their physical needs.

The chrysalis or cocoon - The chrysalis or cocoon resembles the tomb.

The butterfly - The butterfly represents the resurrection into a glorious new life free of material restrictions.


It is the only animal that is transformed 100% from one animal to another....the way we should be transformed into a new person when we surrender our lives to Christ and ask Him to be our Savior!

I want Karina to know about Salvation, about a Savior named Jesus Christ and that only through Him and in Him she'll find eternal life. I want her to know this already. I'm praying for her Salvation as I carried her in my womb. It's such a joy for me to know that her due date April 4 is on Easter Sunday! To be honest with you..seeing the way God has worked in my life...it doesn't surprise me at all. God works in mysteriously beautiful ways:D

Here's a sneak peek at what I've chosen for her nursery:



My mom has gracious offered to make all the crib bedding and she wants me to help her so I can learn but also so Karina will cherish it even more knowing that her grandma and her mom made this for her with lots of love!

When I Say I'm A Christian




When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I am saved"
I'm whispering "I was lost"
That is why I chose this way.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
And need someone to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And cannot ever pay the debt.



When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are all too visible,
But God believes I'm worth it.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I can still feel pain
I have my share of heartaches
Which is why I call upon His name.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I'm loved."

Friday, November 6, 2009

And Now For The BIG News......

The day has arrived to finally share the great news with you guys!
Looks like most of you voted for a girl on the survey. In general, that was the main vote. I am so happy to finally be able to reveal the gender of our beautiful miracle baby! But first, let me share with you how we made this happen. Those of you who know me well, know that I like to think outside the box and be unique! So this time wasn't an exception....we really wanted to have fun and make it very memorable.

That afternoon, we got to my OB/GYN's and told the tech that we wanted to find out the sex of our baby but over dinner. So she old us to close our eyes. She put the picture of our baby revealing the sex and a piece of paper in an enveloped and sealed it. That night..we headed to Carrabas..an Italian restaurant that is very special for us because it's where we dined the day before Manuel proposed to me and where he told me he loved me for the first time! We had our dinner and quickly got to dessert. We then told the waitress our plan...she was to take the envelope to the back, read what was inside and bring out "the dessert". You see, we chose a dessert for a boy and one for a girl. She was thrilled to do this for us and wouldn't stop smiling:D A few minutes later..she makes her way to our table...our hearts were about to explode with excitement!By this time even the restaurant manager is on it and awaiting our reaction. She lays the covered tray on the table and takes the top off....WOW! This is defnitely going down as one of the best moments in history for us and we could totally do this all over again and again! We now knew who this little person was..it was incredible! I got teary, choked up and everything in between.

The next part of our plan was to reveal it to my parents. Off course this too had to be unique, memorable for all of us. So we headed to a Baskin Robins and purchased a cake...a rainbow cake so they would have to work a lil harder hahaha! We told them to write our baby's name on it with yellow frosting. While we waited..we called our family in San Diego to tell them the great news! We got to my parents where most of my family was anxiously waiting and revealed the news to them! It was so awesome to do this for them! You coudl see the joy in their faces. Let me tell you though...my mom was the cutest because all along she was outnumbered...and when she foudn out she was right..she kept jumping up and down sayin.."I told you, I told you..I knew it would be a...." Too cute! So let me safe you from the suspense and with great joy share with you what our miracle baby is:

We are having a.............






............................................................





.............................................................





.............................................................






.............................................................

its a girl Pictures, Images and Photos

ITS A GIRL Pictures, Images and Photos


Our beautiful Karina Rocio<3


which means "pure heavenly dew drops

she will be named Rocio after my husband's sister who passed at a very young age



So that's how it all happened and this is what it all looks like on camera:



(before we foudn out...the suspense was killing us hahaha)



(my hubby wanted to get my reaction...I had the nervous, excited giggles)



(We were so thrilled)




(One very happy mama)



(this was our wonderful waitress...she was the sweetest and thanked us for making her part of this special event)




(the proud daddy-to-be)



(this was the "girl" dessert..colorful)



(this would have been the "boy" dessert which we have to go back and try)



(Manuel raising the cake so no one would peek)





(Gradmas give the best hugs)



(Our baby's first cake)



(My mom knew it was a girl all along and kept starring at the cake)



(We couldn't stop smiling)



(Here is our baby girl's latest picture...she's kinda looking like her daddy<3)

Monday, November 2, 2009

Months 3 and 4 and Going On Strong!



Like I've metioned, the Lord has blessed us with a neat trip every time we turn a month! On our third month we were able to go camping with our couples group from church to beautiful Bass Lake...about 40 minutes from our house in Fresno, CA. We had a blessed time of fellowship and good food! It was also a busy month for us because we started the packing to move to Florida and make all kinds of arrangements. Everything worked out and God provided. Here are a few pics of that trip and my belly shot for the month 3:














Our 4th month also brought along a trip except this trip would be permanent. We were all set to finally make the move to Orlando, Florida....the 4 of us were to embark on a brand new journey...my husband, myself, our baby and the Lord!!! We asked Him to pack His bags and come along...can't live without Him!!! Getting reeady to move was bitter-sweet. We were so excited to be close to family but leaving our good friends, our beautiful house, fmaily in San Diego and amazing church was hard. We were also given an amazing babyshower by one of my best friends!She also treated me to a manucure! Boy did we feel special<3 Here are a few pics of that special day and my 4th belly shot:



(aren't these the cutest set of rubber duckies? It's a soldier and his princess...us! Thanx Cheryl..these are going on top of our next babyshower's cake)



(with my beautiful, delicious cake...it has chocolate covered strawberries and truffles..yum!)











(so blessed to have had all these wonderful people at our babyshower and in our lives)



(our baby's very first ornament from Tia Veronica! Sis..you also got us our very first ornament as a married couple remember?)



(we loved this onesie that my Sis-in-law Veronica got us...so true)



(This baby carriage was put together by our wonderful cousin Jackie n her hubby..isn't it one of the neatest things ever?)

Friday, October 30, 2009

I am back and feeling very blessed!



Hello my dearest friends and family!


I pray my post finds you blessed! We made it safe and sound to Orlando, Florida and were sweetly welcomed by our family. The very next day we begin our search to settle in and God has been more than gracious! By that following frinday the Lord had blessed us with new cell phones, an apartment, a car a job for Manuel and the Lord has provided a very nice family to rent our house in California! We are simply amazed to see how God is so faithful! We knew that this would be a big change for us starting over but we also knew that God was in complete control and that we just needed to obey and allow Him to take care of all the details. He is more than faithful when you surrender to Him!

I want to take the time to thank you my bloggy friends for all your prayers and wonderful wishes during this time of change. God has heard them and has taken good care of us! Thank you for your love!!!

We are now enjoying our new home and settling in quiet well. Having our family close by is very sweet! We are still looking for a church so please keep us in your prayers that we find the church the Lord has for us! Oh and Lord-willing a week from today we'll find out what we're having, it will also be our 5th wedding anniversary that day!!!! We're so excited....we'll def let you know the big news!


Here are a few pics of the last days in California:


(Here with my mini me Niki...every time her mom says a friend is coming..she thinks it's me...she loves me!)


(our good friends Jen n Rico treated us to a dilicious dinner)


(I am pictured here with the wonderufl ladies from the Leadership Team of the Women's Ministry which I was part of....they also treated me to a delicious lunch)


(I am here with one of my very good friends Irene who is like a big sister to me)

And a few pictures of our first days in Florida:



(Our beautiful nephew Isaiah with my sis/his mom Irene)


(This little guy brings the fmaily so mich joy)


(I am here with my other sis Gaby who is so happy ti have me close again)


(My youngest brother Jimmy with my hubby Manuel....they are like brothers!)


(My mami is so happy to have us close again and is so excited to meet her grandbaby)


(I love my abuelita (grandma) so much..she's been an inspiration and has a huge heart)


(Isaiah is quite a character hahaha)


(We love this little guy so much..hadn't seen him since his birth)


(How bout them beautiful blue eyes and long eyelashes?!?!?)

Fresno, CA will always have a special place in our hearts! We do believe that God brought us here for reasons yet unseen. We are excited to see what Go dhas in store and are ready to be used for His glory!


God bless you my wonderful bloggy friends n family...you are a true blessing
Love,

The Reyes Family