Hello. 

I have always loved hearing stories about the "old days". I can spend hours looking through old photos; looking for clues. Who were these people; really? Where did they work, where did they live, where did they shop.....more questions then answers and then I realized that with each passing year, those faces in the photos are harder to recognize. A person my Grandma remembered just 5 years ago is now a blank face. I knew that I wanted to save my family's history for my Grandmothers. My Dad and I spent time researching his tree. It was a fairly easy tree, but the my Maternal side was/is much more challenging, but I was determined and DNA was my new tool, but little did I know how much this test would change my life forever.

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Celebrating Grandma Goldie's 100th birthday

August 5, 2017

Nothing is better than having a Grandma turn 100! As the Family Genealogist and Historian, I could think of nothing better than capturing a vile of my Grandmother's spit! My Paternal Great Grandfather is a bit of a puzzle with a super common name, so I expected that her results would give me some answers. When we ordered the DNA test kits there was a Buy 2 get 1 Free offer, so my husband and I thought "Why not" and we submitted our testing along with Grandma's sample. I was not prepared for the shock that my own results would provide.

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Alternate Reality

June 1, 2018

For the first 18 months, I ignored my test results and my sister helped to assure me that what I thought I was seeing was incorrect. My sister that I was raised with had also completed the DNA testing. She gave me access to her results and I was able to determine that we had no Paternal matches! My world was completely rocked. I started researching my own results. My "mother" was zero help; no names, no places, no discussion.
I have never felt so alone, lost and waves of grief as you realize your life, the life you thought you had is not your reality. You have this Alternate Reality. You think of how all the medical information you have is only 1/2 correct. Do you have other brothers and sisters? Would this have been my name? The questions just keep coming and there is literally no one who can help.

 

 

First Phone Call to Biological Father.

October 4, 2019

This was seriously frightening. I dialed the phone and hung up at least 10 times. I memorized what I thought I should say and then, I let the phone ring. As it was ringing, all I could hear was my heart beating. I was terrified. What if he doesn't even remember "being with" my mother? What if his wife answers the phone? Terrifying stuff! He answered the phone and my "Saving Grace" was that he did remember my mother (quiet fondly). When I told him that I was his daughter, he simply said "Yeah, I can see where that would have happened". We talked for over an hour and exchanged several photos over text. We have had several great conversations since this day, but it was a BIG event!

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