Uncategorized

Today is my birthday. But instead of celebrating my 53rd birthday I am celebrating my 1st birthday!  Why is this you ask?  This was the first year that my birth mother and her hubby Gary came to the ‘north country’ of the US to celebrate my birthday.  We enjoyed downtown Chicago including the Field Museum, mini makeover for Sherry and I at the Estée Lauder counter, beignets at the Grand Lux Cafe, and a Blackhawks hockey game to wind an incredible weekend to a close.  Here are a few pictures to share:

I toyed with the idea of calling this the family meeting – but since learning from my husband when his parents called for a ‘’family meeting’ it meant someone was in trouble where a discussion and perhaps an intervention would take place. This is definitely not the case!
My mom and I woke up and decided to stop on the way to get some coffee so we could get to Waco around lunchtime. While Sherry drove, I worked on my blog website learning as I was going along (not the easiest but a very rewarding challenge).  Kristen, Angi’s daughter and her hubby Zach called us as they were driving from College Station, TX to Sherry’s house. Kristen who is known as Lil Kris because she named after her Aunt Kristen (known as Big Kris or just ‘Sister’) is a nurse. Sherry is so excited to have a nurse now in the family since it was her dream as well! Her husband Zach is finishing his computer science and engineering degree at Texas A&M so they live in College Station, TX which is about 1 hour southeast from Waco.

  Kristen and Zach!

Sherry asked that Kristen call her mom Angi to let them know we should arrive around 12:30 pm.  As we were pulling onto the street where Sherry lives she asked me if I was nervous. I didn’t think so since I met my sister and brother via FaceTime. Then  she followed up with the fact that everyone was there waiting. 🙂 Tony arrived first with Dylan as he has been excited to see us. Others had arrived shortly after him. We pull into the driveway then into the garage. Sherry said we would get our things later and we walk toward the back sliding glass door. She has several lovely wind chimes hanging from a wooden pergola over the back porch and a koi pond with plants all around. We walk in the back door seeing my family members standing up in their family room.  Everyone begins to say hello and then I ask if I can give each family member a hug.  That seemed so appropriate to break the ice!  So one by one, I hug my sister Angi , brother Tony, Sherry’s husband Gary, brother-in-law Michael, nephews Dylan and Korbin, nieces Kori and Kristen and her husband Zach. My sister Kristen, her husband Scott and their daughter Madeline were not able to join us but I am hoping to see them late March or early April. So in total from my Mother’s family I have twelve wonderful new family members who are now part of my life! What did I do to deserve this is what I ask??!! Truly blessed!

We decide that we are all pretty hungry and Mexican food sounds good. So I climb into Sherry’s car with her husband Gary driving and we head out to one of the women’s favorite place. Apparently there is a debate as to whether this is a favorite place for the men in the family too but as I am beginning to learn from my birth mother that she and her daughters are strong, empowered and well respected! We arrive and there is a 45 min wait since there are 10 of us. We call a couple other places to find one that can accommodate our group size right away.  A newly renovated restaurant said they had availability so off we drove to this one.  We fill a table and start right away with chips, salsa and queso. Growing up in Texas and eating a fair amount of tex/mex food I begin to feel right at home with my new family.

A long table filled with family!

Angi, Tony, Sherry, me and Brandy (Angi’s hubby)

We finished our lunch around 3pm deciding to head back to the house.  The sun began to shine creating more warmth to the day so we stayed outside for a while playing ball with Sherry’s poodle dog, Harley and Lil Kris’ Australian shepherd dog, Maggie.  We swapped stories about our lives, our families growing up, what we are doing now, etc.  Cori was studying for a big exam on Monday so several family members were quizzing her to help her prepare.  Since our conversations were so engaging we decided that instead of going out for dinner we would send out for pizza. The guys who had set off for more beverages came back with a couple funny stories about their quest to find wine, beer, cider and dessert.  Ryan and Brittany good friends of Zach and Kristen’s also joined us that evening sharing wonderful news of their pregnancy!  Everyone was so elated to hear the news!  At some point in the evening after several rounds of ‘go fish’ card games we started talking about the new show on Spike TV called ‘Waco’ re-creating the story on the Branch Davidian compound and the terrible fire in 1993 where 83 people died.  I had heard on NPR just recently an interview between Gary Noesner, a retired FBI chief hostage negotiator and David Thibodeau, one of the few Davidian survivors.  Some of the family remembers seeing the smoke from the fire all the way to their high school. Tony’s ex-wife had 2 aunts who decided to stay in the compound perishing in the fire.  What everyone realized is that no one had been to the actual compound.  So we decided that after breakfast on Sunday we would venture out there.  I think we could have talked all night but decided to call it an evening sometime around midnight.

I found the first day with my new family just delightful!  There was definitely a feeling of comfort, belonging and just overall fun.  So much to soak in not only finding my birth mom but nine new people that I didn’t know I was related to until January 1, 2018.  🙂