A butt load of pics!

Aaron and Pa at the Strean family Christmas

Sibling smoochie!
Aaron and Collin in his room playing guitar

He can be such a good dog!

Timmy, Matt and Aaron on Christmas Eve at Mom's

Kelsey, Aaron and Xander on Christmas Eve-it was not fun getting this picture!

The GCUMC hispanic loving girls and their kids!

A portion of our family

:-(

Me, Mom and Krissy

He really does love me???

Krissy and Tish

A sleeping baby!

What happens when you forget about the hot chocolate

Aaron's new ride

He LOVES his art table!!

My babe's new hat-did I really buy him that?

Ace likes to make himself comfortable!

At the end of the day!

Ben, Will and Aaron at Chuck E Cheese

Daddy and Aaron assembling Ace's new crate

Our new puppy!

A really special prayer request

I am going to make this as vague as possible.

I have a really special friend who is going through the hardest time of her life. She is contemplating making a really drastic change in her life that would effect many people. Last night we were on the phone for over 3 hours and this pregnant girl made it past mignight folks. I am not going to name her or give any other details. For those of you that pray, please pray for her, her heart, her soul and her family. She truly needs strength and guidance from God on this one.

Friend-I love you. I am here for you today like I have always been. I will be here tomorrow and with you through every single bump in the road. You have strength that you don't know you have within yourself and from those who love you.

What a freakin day!

Well...we had an amazing Christmas Day and Eve. We went to church with Mom, John, Beth, Chimy, Kelsey and Xander and then we all headed to Mom's for dinner. It was great to have them there with us! This was their first year staying home for Christmas Eve so hopefully we were able to make the transition a little easier on Beth's heart! After we all ate and everyone left the whle family opened our pajamas and took pictures. Aaron was pretty much already starting to crash and burn so we headed home. After he went to bed we got all the presents out and I talked to Dan and Collin-enough to make my heart warm while I was having my own night of transition. Yesterday was just enough to make my heart burst. It was perfect, except for the missing parts of our family-Andy, Ashley, Dad, Aya and Abu. Aaron wanted Pa here so much and didn't understand that he wasn't coming and still today was asking when he was coming to see his toys. It really broke my heart. Just goes to prove that divorce SUCKS! and everyone pays for it for life. Abu said they woudl be here next year-WOO HOO! It would be awesome to have them here with us-especially with all 4 (did you hear that-4!!!) kids here! I cannot believe it and I cannot wait all at the same time. We spent the whole day at Mom's and came home in time to play for a bit and go to bed!

Today we went to Chuck E Cheese and took Ben and Will. Instead of Chrsitams gifts for them we took them there and Aaron was thrilled to see them. When we got home it was crazy-Ace had gotten out of the crate again. This was the first time Alex was blessed enough to be here to find it. So...we took Aaron to Mom's and decided we were taking him to the pound. On the way we were both crying and changed our minds. So a talk with a couenselor, later along with another $100 crate we have pretty much determined Ace has separtion anxiety. So...he is back home with us-much to my Mother's delight (who hates him but cried hysterically when I told her what we were doing)! Tomorrow we are calling the vet to see what else we can do.

So much blubber going on above. I have so much more to weite, but Aaron needs a bath and there is a ton to do around here. I will post pics soon of what has been going on lately!

MUCH LOVE PEOPLE!!!

Christmas Eve

Ah! I am off now through Monday and I am really excited! Aaron and I are hanging out this morning and then we have a few errands to run. Cord Camera to get his Christmas pictures made (a little late wouldn't ya say) and then Krogers for ketchup and some more batteries. Everything is finally wrapped and ready to go. Alex works until 2 and then he is off until Januray 5th-booger! Tonight we will go to church and then head to Mom's for dinner. This year will be a little different becasue we have always gone to Rob and Tammy's on Christmas Eve-not sure why the switch. After everyone leaves we will open our Christmas jammies, take pictures and then come home. I will be dying for Aaron to wake up in the morning. As soon as he open his eyes I will call Mom and Krissy and they will all come over to watch him open his gifts, then it will be breakfast and then we will head to Mom's at some point.

Last night the kids each opened their jammies and one gift. Andy open his camera and was REALLY REALLY happy and Ashley opened her Girl Talk Jenga! They were so excited, but it hurts to not have them here so much. Alex's heart is so broken and sad so PLEASE pray for him today and especially tomorrow. However, I assured him last night that if we were to ever divorce we could just be neighbors!

I hope that you all have a Merry Christmas!

Our BIG (little) news!

We are expecting a new little A Rodriguez! We found out on November 6th and had our first visit to the doctor on December 5th. We are really happy and I am more than excited this time around for some reason. Aaron is excited-from what we can tell. He went to the doctor with us and saw the baby on the screen. He said and I quote, "the baby is all black"! Not sure how I woudl ever explain that one to Alex.

We are due on July 9th and will have our c-section scheduled for July 1st-unless there are complications with my blood pressure again.

Will we find out the sex-NO WAY! and yes we already have names.

So, please join in our excitement and pray for this little one to be healthy all along the way!

Rough!

This week one of our friends lost her Mom to cancer. She was a lovely lady who was so caring, loving and gentle. I cannot imagine the pain that Missy and her family are feeling. Tonight Alex and I went to the calling hours with Gallagher and it was simply surreal. To be so young and lose your Mom. Ah, it makes me so so sad. Thankfully Missy has great friends and an amazing boyfriend that is supportive and wonderful. I am so glad that I went even though we have lost touch over the years. Life is so full of ups and downs and when there are tough times you band together NO MATTER WHAT has happened in the past. There is something to be said about referring to bad times as water under the bridge. I am so thankful that I was able to leave the water there and put my arms around her tonight. Friends come and they go, but sometimes you have to forget the bad things and just be there for people that are important. Please pray for Missy, Nick, Tonya, Chad, Lauren and Butch-they need all the prayers we can give them right now.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA LYNN KOVALCHIK

In lieu of sending Missy a birthday card here is my tribute to one of the Greatest Friends Ever!

How we we have celebrated in the "Good Ole Days"

Tomorrow is my friend Missy's birthday-a really special day in my book. Missy and I have been friends since 8th grade and have only grown closer as the years have gone by. A few weeks ago I sat in my basement going through 7 boxes of old pictures and had so many memories to relive. I am so blessed with her friendship that at times it leaves me with no words to say. She has been a constant in my life for more than half of it. We have been through really hard times (the loss of Grandparents and boyfriends, pregnancies, weddings, step children, pets and family drama) and some of the best times ever (falling in love, raising our children, growing our families, marrying the men of our dreams, drunk fests in high school-man those were the days).

Dying each other's hair in front of my Grandmas in 94 or 95

Essentially I could go one forever and ever about the memories I have with her. What is most important to me about Missy is that our friendship has NEVER wavered. With time things always change and you often lose the people you were once friends with, but that is the farthest from the truth from our friendship. When she was engaged (the first few times) and I was living the single life we were best friends, when she was broken up living the single life and I was "in love" we were best friends and when she got married and I was still searching for Mr. Right we were best friends...you get the point-no matter what our friendship has been strong. (OK, there was one fight over this boyfriend of hers that she thought I was "making out" with)

This was after I moved to Columbus and was visiting-we were at my Grandmas-maybe 1998

We talk all the time-even while on vacation. She checks in when she knows someone in my home has been sick, she knows all our of kids and all about each of them and she takes the time to remember special things. I could not imagine my life without Missy and I pray that I never have to. She is so important in my life yesterday, today and for all of my tomorrows.

Here we are on the day of our friend Jamie's wedding.

Missy-Happy Birthday! I hope you have an amazingly sweet day and that all of your wishes come true. (OK most of them!) Thank you so much for being such an amazing best friend time and time again. Thank you for being there and supporting me. Thank you for understanding me even when I am completely irrational and telling me that I am. Thank you for listening to the things that I would not tell anyone in the universe but you. I love you and I am so blessed by your friendship. Happy Birthday!

Aaron says Happy Birthday Missy and he wrote the following line...

.n;nkgmjgy?O0 tg0f;[;p;[h\/.lp .;l [lh[p-k,[= hj