04/01/2010 As the Gates Turned..

ok soo much for all that sad stuff.  3/30/2010 Was his last court date and our daughters birthday.  The day before the kids and I drove from Reno, NV to Long Beach, CA with only our clothes and prayers that all of this would soon be over....

the morning of the thirtieth I was the first one up with barely any sleep the night before.  I got up and gave out baby girl a big kiss and hug and told her Happy Birthday and I would be back later to celebrate.  I left to go pick up my brother in law to help me drive and support.  We drove about 1 hr to the detention center and I was a "HOT MESS...!"  We waited around forever and finally my brother in law had to go use the bathroom and that is when they came out to call me in the courtroom.  Now mind me this is the first time in four months I have been able to be that close to my husband without a phone and glass in between us and it was amazing!!  There are actually no words to explain how excited I was just to be that close to him and having nothing in between us but air.  I sat down behind him on the left hand side of the court room and he turned around and looked like the saddest man I have ever seen.  I kept looking around and I his Immigration Attorney was nowhere to be found.  I started flipping out because I already know that without an attorney we where going to get nothing accomplished.  The judge asked my husband for his attorney and my husband said he was a "no show".  Thats when things started to go downhill.  The judge proceeded to tell us that since he has no representation we would have to push his court date out and the next available was not until 4 months from then.  I bursted out in tears and the judge asked who I was, I said I am his wife and " I cant do this anymore."  "We just want to end this and throw in the towel, so we can all be together again, even if it is in Mexico."  The judge worked with us and before you know it Felix fired the attorney signed the paper and the next day he was on the bus to Tijuana, Mexico.... Before Felix walked out of the court room the judge stopped him and said, "Mr. Rodriguez, i know your a good man and you have a wonderful family, so you walk out of here and be together and never look back!"

This all couldnt of happened on a better day because I was able to go home and tell my daughter, "Happy Birthday Mija" we will be in Papi's arms by tomorrow evening!"  I had not seen smiles on my babies face that big in months=)  And they did not care that the next time we where going to see him that it was going to be in Mexico!  That is good stuff....

The next morning we where all up, ready and packed by 7 a.m. went to pick up my brother in law and we where off to Tijuana. Crossing the border was one of the most exciting but intimidating things ever!  Emotional Rollercoaster to say the least. My kids for once where just about speechless..  We arrived @ my mother in laws house to be greeted by all new faces except for the in laws.  Everyone wanted to know our story but I just wanted to see my husband.  Previously he had called me around 6 clock in the morning to let me know he was in Los Angeles, CA for processing so we knew that he would be dropped off in TJ around 6 p.m. 

I told my mother in law I wanted to be down @ the border waiting for him around 4 p.m. just in case he got there a lil sooner.  I had decided not to take the kids because I had no clue what the environment is like down there and I did not want anything to happen to my kids so they stayed and I promised them before I left that I would be bringing the Papi "home"....

One thing I will never forget is the sound of the revolving gates as people walked across the border into Tijuana.It made this creepy squeeky noise everytime it turned as though to tell me that,, "you will never forget this night!" It was kind of cold that night but my mother in law and I stood right in front of that gate while my father in law stood in another area to be sure not to miss him....It seemed like hundreds of people  After 2 hours I was getting very impatient, so I walked to where my father in law was and still nothing.  I turned around to tell my mother in law that I didnt see anyone and turned back around.  I was standing there staring at a tall, hispanic (go figure lol) in cacky pants and a black jacket not recognizing him until he said, "LeAnna!"  Its like I snapped out of it and there standing was my husband! I ran to him and hugged him and just cried.....He hugged me soooo tight and I could feel his whole body shaking and feel his tears on my neck. It was the most incredible moment of my life.  I had my husband back and I kept my promise to my kids.  Nothing else mattered, I do not know how long we stood there but when I turned around there where a couple guys that he had gotton off the bus with that had tears in their eyes too. 

The drive to his mom's i sat in the back with him and and we just held eachother the whole way and I just kept crying as he kept telling me, "its ok now I am here.." I felt as if I where to let go someone might take him away again and I had to get him home to the kids as I promised.  As we pulled into the drive way to no avail there standing was, Nana, Jr and Chito just waiting.  Of course Nana was the first one and she ran to her Papi and just cried and cried.  Jr walked up to him in shock with the biggest hug I have ever seen between the 2 of them and chito jumped up into his arms and said "Papi I always cry for you.."


And there we where "back together again...."

Deported

I decided to start this blog my life as I know it so it can bring a lil bit of highlight/understanding to changes that have happened in the last year or so.....

I am goin' to back up this blog to about 1/2010.

We finally had all we wanted, we had the beautiful house, relocated closer to family, kids loved their new home, schools and friends, husband had a good job and I was actually able to stay home for once and be a mom and wife.... then everything changed 1/21/2010. 

 

January 21st my husband (legal permanent resident) was detained by 4 ICE officers.  I was lost and did not no which way to turn.  As they brought my husband out and walked him in front of me in hand cuffs with 4 men walking behind him, his head down and tears falling from his cheeks all that would come out of my mouth was "I love you."  He looked at me and said "everything will be ok"...

 

I proceeded to ask one of the officers what was going on and he threw me a card with just a phone number (no name) and that we was being detained for deportation processing.  He then told me to stop talking to my husband as he is standing with him right in front of me!  I replied very aggresively and told him to get him the "F#%$ out of my face with him" then and ran to my car.  I looked in my rear view mirror and saw them standing there putting him into a suv.  I turned on my car to leave and had no clue where to go or what to do.  I remember banging my head against the window because I just wanted them to leave already!  Then my children started running through my mind and how was I going to go home without their father.  So I called my mom and from the pieces that I can remember I was just screaming to my mom, "help me mom they took Felix..."  And begged her to not say anything to the kids.  Somehow I ended up @ my mother in laws house and started to call attornies.  About 1 hr later I got a call from my husband and all he could say is, "please get me out of here."  By this time I have everyone calling me wanting answers and I had none to give.  I felt so alone, my mom and kids where @ home 8 hrs away and I was scared.

 

After hiring attornies I had to finally get back home to my kids... It was soo hard to leave because I felt like everything was unfinished and i was abandoning my husband.  I finally worked up the courage and made the drive home.  Meanwhile he had been transfered to a detention center in Lancaster, CA.  and that was the beginning of our fight for our family!

 

After months of driving a total of 12 hrs every saturday to visit him and not missing a visit and fighting for a "stay" we finally realized along with the attornies and thousands of dollars later that we where not going to come out winners in the good ol' US OF A=(   on 3/30/2010 his last court date and also our daughters birthdate we decided to throw in the towel and his deportation to Mexico began.  I went home talked to my kids and all 3 of them where ready to go to Mexico to be with "Papi.."  I wasnt even able to get to the part of asking the kids.  After I told them what happen to court our oldest (15) yr old, said ok when do we go to Mexico.  Our poor babies had never been parted from their dad and from January 21st up to 3/30/10 they where not able to see them.  That was not an option for him, he said he did not want the kids seeing him in the detention center.  So they could not wait to see him..... 

 

My next blog will be the day he came home (to mexico) 4/1/2010