Hart family end of year letter
2014 started off with me working and raising Cameron like normal. Everything was pretty simple like that until February. Cameron’s Dad decided to move back to Houston from Kansas and wanted to spend time with Cameron. Understandable, right? It is a good thing that he wanted to since he hadn’t been around for almost 2 years! So he would come by every 3 weeks or so and everything else was pretty much normal around here. Cameron was not too happy about spending time with him at first but got used to seeing him whenever his Dad had time to come by.
For Cameron’s 9th birthday, he had a friend spend the night and I took them both to Dave and Buster’s, a movie, and got a cookie cake from the mall which both boys LOVED. The next Monday, on his birthday, Cameron left for a week long camp with Second Baptist Church. It was his first away camp experience and he came back saying how much he loved it. I picked him up when they got back, the first thing he did was ask me if he can go next year. I’m so glad he loved camp! But, while he was gone, I got a bit sick and was unable to leave the house for work. I did not even get out of bed unless I was going to see the doctor. After multiple visits, the doctor ended up putting me on anti-anxiety medication so I would be able to leave the house and be able to go back to work. I didn’t realize at the time how much it would mess up my memory! But at least I was able to go to work. I think I slept most of that week but maybe I needed it.
About a week before my birthday, I found a website for adoptees. I figured it couldn’t hurt to put in my information and thought nothing would come out of it but I did it anyway. I mean, I had gone to the Houston courts 3 times throughout my life to have them open the records and was always denied! So when I received an email on the website 2 days later, I was shocked. A guy sent me an email saying that if my birth certificate number was this, then he was sorry to tell me that my biological mother had passed away and let me know how to send off for a copy of my non certified birth certificate. I couldn’t even look at my birth certificate for a couple of days because I was so shocked about how fast that happened! But a couple of days later, I looked and saw the exact same number on my birth certificate and then for $10, I sent off and found out my biological mother is Barbara Branch and she was 16 when she had me in 1973. I then googled Barbara and the first listing was her obituary. By reading it, I found out the names of all of my siblings. I have 4 siblings, 3 sisters and a brother. I then went to Facebook and looked each one of them up. I was too nervous to send anyone an email so I just copied a picture of each of them and put it into a picture application to see if I looked like any of them. I had no idea what Barbara looked like at that time. I could see little bits of myself in each of them. It took me 2 more weeks to finally send each of them a message on Facebook. When I did, a week later, my youngest sister Airial saw my message and called me. We talked a couple of times and then I drove up to meet her in Onalaska, TX. When I pulled up to her house, she was in her front yard. When I got out of my car, she stopped cold and her mouth dropped open. She told me that I look just like her Mom. She ended up giving me some pictures of Barbara and we hung out for a few hours with her boyfriend. They took me to meet one of our mother’s closest friends and when I met Mary Anne, she thought it was a ghost getting out of the car but then hugged me close and was very happy to meet me. I showed them all my scrapbook that I made of my life and they were picking out pictures that looked like my biological mother. Airial’s boyfriend also said I stand and walk like Barbara as well as gesture in the same ways.
After meeting Airial, I talked to one of my other sisters Angela and then went back to Onalaska to meet her and her family. She had the same reaction as Airial. She was a bit nervous which I completely understand because she’s letting a stranger into her life just like I am letting a huge family of strangers into my life. She showed me some pictures as well. I got to meet all 3 of her kids and her husband and everyone was so nice! 2 weeks after meeting Angela, I drove down and met my little brother Calvin in Dickinson, TX with his family. Cameron went with me and I took a picture of Cameron and Calvin IV (my nephew) and was shocked at how much they resemble each other. My brother said I looked just like his Mama and gave me pictures and a frame with pictures as well. My other sister lives in the Texas Panhandle so I haven’t had a chance to meet Aimee but she and I talk quite a bit and have a lot in common. She also agrees with our other siblings that I look just like Barbara. She sent me a bunch of pictures of my biological mother growing up so it was really interesting to see how much I look like my mother and great grandmother too. I talked to my siblings’ father and he told me that he’s sorry I did not get a chance to meet Barbara but if I ever have any questions to feel free to ask him since he met her in high school. He also let me know that he was NOT my biological father and he wasn’t completely sure who was. I also met Barbara’s sister, my Aunt Brenda, and her husband over lunch. They are both very nice. She saw my scrapbook and we talked about when they were growing up. She let me know I have another Aunt and an Uncle so I look forward to meeting them as well. I am very lucky and glad that Barbara told my siblings about me so I was more welcomed by them instead of them not knowing anything about it!
In the middle of July, Shaun got kicked out of his friend’s house and asked if he could stay here. Since he is Cameron’s father and I believe that they need to have a relationship and needs his dad around, I said okay. He brought what little he had and started sleeping on my couch. At first, he would stay with his friend during the week because his friend lives close to his job and only be here on weekends. Now he’s only here when he’s not with his girlfriend which works out well for all of us. Cameron has been enjoying having his Dad around as well.
Things went back to as close as normal as things can get for a while with me just spending time getting to know my siblings more. In October, I took a short vacation. I rented a SUV, drove to Dallas to pick up my friend Demi, then we drove to Kansas City, KS to see my friend Rebecca. We stayed at a nice hotel, I got to meet another of Rebecca’s friends and Rebecca’s boyfriend that I’ve talked to many times but had never actually met, and we all had a great time hanging out. I was so happy to spend my vacation with 2 of my best friends! We were there when the Royals were in the playoffs so the city had dyed the city fountain water blue in the city so we went to take pictures there and we just had a great time!
In December, I got let go from my job over my 3rd mistake in 2 ½ years. I was okay with that since I was not happy and was taking all kinds of medicine just to go to work on a daily basis. I have not needed any kind of medicine since I left there and have been much happier. My Aunt Kay passed away right after that so I took Cameron out of school 2 days early before Christmas break and we drove to Arkansas to be with family and attend her funeral service. Aunt Kay was the first person I called when I found my biological mother and siblings, I always loved her and will miss her terribly. My Uncle came up for her service as well so it was nice to spend time with him too. I wanted to be there for my cousin since he has always been there for me. I’m so glad I got to spend time with Mike and April, just not in that situation. I know that they know that I’m there for them anytime they need me.
Then we came home to have Christmas where Cameron got spoiled like usual. Before we left, a friend had helped me find my biological father by talking to a bunch of people on Facebook from Spring, TX high school class of 1974. After chatting for a couple of weeks with quite a few people, he found a woman who was in Barbara’s group of friends in high school. He talked to her and then gave me her number. I talked to her for a while and she said it was one of two men. Either a Native American guy or a guy named Mark that she dated before she left school to have me. I sent Mark a message on Facebook and he and I have chatted quite a bit since. He seems like a great person as well. It is a definite possibility that I have found my biological father as many people that see our pictures have said we have similar facial features. Cameron and I are headed to Elgin, TX to take a paternity test with him on the 3rd. He said he would not be unhappy to know that he has a daughter and grandson because that means he is leaving something behind when he leaves this earth.
To end 2014, I met a guy online and we talked for a few weeks before meeting. We talked while I was in Arkansas and we talked while he was in Arizona visiting his family for Christmas. He asked me out for New Years Eve which sounded great to me. We met at a bar he knows people at. We talked a lot, played pool, watched sports, and he helped set off fireworks right before midnight. I really enjoyed our first date.
I am looking forward to 2015, seeing what great job I will get and where this year takes me and Cameron in all aspects. I now have a pretty large extended family and look forward to getting to know them better this year. Cameron will be 10 years old this year so it’s a big year for him too. It’s going to be a great year! Yay 2015!!!!
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