My Sweet Valentine

My sweet friend Sandy shared a post about how her and her husband met and in honor of Valentine's Day I wanted to share how my husband and I met.



It all started one Wednesday evening on Feb. 2004 when I got home from church and started working on my Nutrition homework. I was living with my parents at the time in Orlando, Florida and was really focused on finishing up my required classes to get into the nursing program. Before I continue though I must share that a few months back I wanted to find pen pals since I love to write and learn about other culture. Well, the first website that popped up was Loveandseek.com a website for Christian singles. Little did I know that minutes after navigating through this foreign site..I would have a full profile picture and all. Not what I had in mind at all. God was definitely up to something. After about a few months of pretty much meeting people and going absolutely nowhere, I was determined to cancel my subscription and using the money wiser. But every time I tried something came up. Which brings us back to that famous Wednesday:D

As I tried to do homework..two different guys messaged me...I needed a break so decided to respond. Oh boy...that was quite an experience...one was all into his hair..I mean not one sentence from him without the phrase "my hair" lol...yes girls...there are guys very into themselves lol. The other guy was what you would call a gangsta...the type of of guy I had had grown out of. Hat to the side, pants held up with a belt and the language...ooooh boy the language lol. HUGE turnoff. I was beginning to think that maybe I logged into the wrong site. Right before I logged off though...this I noticed I got another message and said "now what?" As I look up at the screen, I see the sweetest smile I've ever seen in my entire life...it was captivating. He said a simple "hello" and that was enough for me. Not hair convos, no baggy pants lol...boy was I relieved. To make a long story short...we talked online for 2 hrs about everything. We shared our testimonies and quickly realized that we were both coming from he same path and were truly ready to do things right and to finally find "the one". We wanted something real! We felt very comfortable with each other very quickly and even gave each other pet names...Lollipop (he dedicated the 50's lollipop song to me so that was to be my nickname..he would sing this song to me all the time.) I nicknamed him Mr. Bubble Gum and he loved it. From there are we talked almost every day online until we moved on to phone calls. We maintained a strong long distance friendship. He was stationed in TN and I was living in FL. I can honestly tell you though that aside from his sweet smile...what truly got my heart was that he was in the military and was a strong Christian! I loved hearing about his awesome relationship with the Lord! It was very refreshing and it's what I was looking for in that special guy!
We remained friends for 4 months and finally met in person in May 2004...we've been inseparable since then:D

We laugh every time we share our love story because we never know what kind of reaction we're going to get since some people are either old-school or are afraid/hesitant with the whole meeting online thing. BUT this goes to show that God does work in mysterious ways and wanted it to happen this way! Funny is I say that God has a sense of humor cause my husband's from San Diego and I was raised in Orlando....completely opposites on the map..you can actually draw a straight line across..nothing is impossible for our Lord! He is the one I longed to meet for so long..that faceless shadow I saw in my mind as I envisioned my wedding day. This love story has in existence for 5 yrs and 3 months and it's been an amazing journey. Manuel changed my life the day we met online. I can't remember my life before him and don't want to...he makes me laugh every day! It hasn't always been easy but the Lord's hand has been upon us guiding our every step. Together we've accomplished our dreams, our goals, experienced many firsts, battled many trials, enjoyed our many blessings and most important..have grown closer to the Lord! And now....we are about to embark in a whole new journey...the amazing journey of parenting which we are so excited and eager to begin! I pray we remain together until the Lord calls us home. We hope to go home together and walk through the gates of Heaven holding each other's hand!









HAPPY VALENTINE'S MY SWEET FRIENDS AND FAMILY<3 Love YOU lots!!!!!

Just A Little Sad But Very, Very Grateful!!!

These past 3 months have been full of excitement! Every time I wake up I realize that I'm pregnant and I embrace it all over again! God has blessed us beyond measure and having my grandma right by my side during my pregnancy has been so sweet! She's always been like a mother to me. So nurturing, so caring, such a gentle demeanor but especially so loving! She's spent the night several times, played our card game,I even taught her how to play Uno which she enjoyed, we talked about her childhood and my dreams for my baby girl, laughed our socks off:D I've loved tucking her into bed and making sure she feels right at home,I enjoyed her sense of humor, I've given her her insulin shots and meds because I want her to be healthy, she's shared great recipes, we've made tamales, gone for walks, gone out for some ice cream and sometimes...we've just sat and enjoyed a great conversation about life. I was really looking forward to coming to Florida because not only would I see my parents and siblings but I knew my grandma was waiting for us with open arms! She's been staying with my parents here in Orlando, Fl for almost 5 months, she lives in Costa Rica which is where I'm from. You see...we wanted her here for a little while because my grandfather passed in Jan 2009 and she was getting depressed and lonely. The reason why I'm a little sad is because on Jan. 14 she heads back home and it will be hard to see her go. She does has a round trip to come back on May 5 to stay for a little bit...she wants to meet her great grandbaby Karina:D I would love for her to live here permanently but she also has her life back in Costa Rica along with other children whom she misses. I pray that while she's over there, she is taken care of. That she doesn't sleep all by herself in a big empty house like she was and but most important that she feels God's love and protection. I also pray for her health, that she's able to get back on a plane and come see us again. She has diabetes, takes thyroid meds, high cholesterol and has polyps in her colon which cause her a great deal of pain. Regardless of her illnesses, she always keeps a smile on her face..something that amazes me! Even though I'm sad that she's living, I am very grateful because they Lord has blessed us with beautiful moments together. She was here when we found out the sex of our baby..ahhhh the joy on her face was such a beautiful sight! She was here for Thanksgiving, for my sister's wedding reception, for Christmas, New Years, my sister's bridal shower and for my nephew's 1st birthday. My mom would always tell us that we can't have it all in life meaning that we can't be selfish and must be grateful for what we do have. I want to thank the Lord for these amazing 5 months with my grandmother. I will never forget them! Every time I will look back and remember my pregnancy..I will remember these special memories with my grandma. I pray that she's with us for a long time! I've learned to truly make the best of every situation and enjoy every minute of my life! If you can, would you remember my grandma Cecilia in your prayers? I know God will hear them!

Here are a few pictures of the many we took together throughout the 5 months...



Such a beautiful woman!



Having our delicious ice cream!



So happy to have her here for my pregnancy!





She bought Karina a beautiful car seat! She's blessed us so much!





Here she was helping me organize some of Karina's clothes!



I totally love that beautiful smile!



One of our many meals together at our house!



Making her part of my pregnancy has been so special to me!

I LOVE YOU Abuelita...you are my angel!!!! God bless you and protect you always:D You've taught me so much and now I get to teach it to my children. You are a Proverbs 31! Can't wait to have you here again Lord-willing!