64 Years Old

I am 64 years old today. 64 years young. I have had 64 years of blessings so far. It has been an awesome ride to date. Life is an adventure. You can’t ask for anything more.

64 years ago today I was born in San Diego, CA, to a wonderful lady named June. This last weekend I went to see her up in Wisconsin. I wrote a blog about it.   Read Blog here!

I was adopted by my fantastic parents, Joe and Fern Hann. I had lots  of childhood blessings. Lots of love, friends and the chance to go to the beach often. Had to throw that in. I love the beach and miss being able to go on a regular basis. Growing up in San Diego was the best.

Graduated from San Diego High School in the top 5% of my class. I was a cheerleader, Class Historian, Year Book Treasurer and a variety of other things.

   I had lots of friends and loved going to school there. I even graduated with my husband Dennis, tho it would be years before we connected and got married.

I attended San Diego State University and have a degree in Accounting. Took the CPA exam with a little push from my mom and passed it on the 1st sitting. I am really thankful for my degree and passing the exam but my heart was never really into accounting.

I had other passions that I didn’t pursue. Lesson to be learned – do what you have a passion for, not something to please your mom. I wanted to be a teacher or photographer, tho I have a natural ability for numbers and math.

I have LOTs of Blessings

I have 12 blessings (Children), 4 by birth, 4 by adoption, 4 by step. Love them all. We have 15 grandchildren blessings, with 1 more on the way this summer. Grandchildren are what it is all about.

Grandchildren are the BEST!! I can’t imagine a day without any one of them. Just wish I lived closer to them. They are spread out from Albuquerque – Knoxville, Houston to

St Louis. Lots of them are just too far to pop over and see. I hate not being there for their special days.

Married my best friend Dennis 13 years ago. He has been a true blessing to me. I can’t imagine life without him. Don’t think I could have gone through all that I have gone through the last 13 years without him. He has been my rock.

Having a personal relationship with Jesus has been a big blessing for the last 37 years. Jesus is the one who gets me through life day by day. Jesus has been the blessing giver, even in the midst of stress, fear and day to day living. Jesus has been with me every inch of the way. Jesus totally = Blessings.

Blessings Abound

I have had 64 years of blessings. OK, it hasn’t all been roses, and I have been through some hard things that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. But overall I have had

wonderful blessings in my life. I really couldn’t ask for better.

Life just keeps getting better. I have an awesome husband, wonderful kids and grandkids,and I love living in the Midwest (tornadoes suck, but other than that), building a powerful on-line business, DS Domination, retired from a J-O-B and I can get out and take pictures with my camera any time I choose. Blessings abound. I couldn’t be happier.

So, for any of you that think growing older is scary or not all it’s cracked up to be – let me assure you, I am 64 and blessings abound.

Be sure to check out my awesome business opportunity. Let it be a blessing to you too. All you have to do is click on the link below. Add your email address, watch the video and JOIN. DS Domination has been a huge blessing in my life.

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Have a wonderful day of blessings,
Charyl aka Mom8isme

Adopted but Not Forgotten

Dennis and I are heading off later today to go visit my birth mom. Yep, I said “birth mom”. I was adopted as an infant. 

About 20 years ago I decided I needed to find and meet her. So, the search began. I had been carrying around a form to fill out and send in to an online search for birth parents and adoptees. I filled it out and sent it in. Then the wait began.

Apparently, the only way for a match was if both mom and child sent the information in. I figured I had a long shot at finding her at best. BUT a couple short weeks later I got my information. I was genuinely surprised. It was exciting to know I was adopted but not forgotten. Me in my adopted mom (Fern Hann's) arms in the picture.

Now, what to do? Didn’t want to freak her out by calling her so wrote her a letter and telling her all she needed to know about me, just in case she didn’t want to write me back. She did write me back and I eventually went up to meet her.

I Was Adopted – The Hard Choice

She is an awesome lady. She made a hard choice putting me up for adoption but I am positive it was the best choice for both of us at the time. I have enjoyed getting to know her from a distance. I have only met her twice. This will be my 3rd time and it’s been about 12 years since I was there last time.Wasn't I cute as a baby.

BUT here is the odd part. She never gave that company her information. In fact, she had never told a single person about me. Even her husband was quite shocked and surprised when my letter arrived. I was adopted but no one knew.

To this day we have no clue how our information got entered in the data base. I have decided it is just one of those mysteries of life. Someone wanted us to find each other. My theory is it’s just one of those “God Things”. We were meant to know each other. I was adopted but God knew where I was all along.

I Was Adopted – The Reunion

Had a wonderful reunion with my birth mom June. She was so surprised when I walked in. I loved the look on her face. I even got a chance to visit with my brother, Gary. What a treat. I am so glad I came. June has had a ton of health problems lately. I am glad I didn't put it off until it was too late.

I have 2 brothers named Gary. One adopted brother and one birth brother. THAT doesn't happen very often.

June is just the sweetest lady around. She had a stroke recently and struggles a bit with her words but her smile tells it all. She often says "yessss", "righttttt" or "noooo". It was quite cute. It was really good to know that even tho I was adopted, I was definitely never forgotten!

It's interesting to me since I was adopted to look at some one besides my children or grandchildren and see similarities. It is something most people take for granted. It was fun to hear June say things like you look just like your brother John. I could even see where I got my smile. It was fascinating. I was adopted but I look like someone. Awesome feeling.

It was so hard to leave. It felt like I was losing something I finally had. Unfortunately, we live 12 hours away so I can't just pop over and visit. I definitely don't want this to be the last time I see her. She is just too precious for that. I was adopted but never forgotten.

Have a fantastic day and be sure to treasure those you love, 

Charyl aka Mom8isme

52 Pieces of Me Part 2

I love photography. I love to take pictures. I always have and always will. I remember back when I was a teenager I always had my camera with me. I was historian in school and various social clubs. Always took my camera on dates, ok, when the date was a picnic, the beach or up to the mountains to play in the snow.

I had “take a photography class” on my to-do list since I was about 20. Finally took that class last year. Only 39 years late. I plan to take the next class at the Tech school as soon as I can fit it in. I am trying to teach myself Photoshop but it is slow going. I will learn and conquer.

I have to laugh at my newer daughter/son in laws when they join the family. They basically tell the other to get used to getting their picture taken ‘cuz she (me) is never going to change. J They adjust and on a good day even smile when I aim the camera at them. My kids and grandkids, well, they just take the camera for granted. Mom/Grandma takes pictures. What else is new?

A Mom I Am

I am definitely a mom. There is no way to get around it. Have been for over 40 years. I have 8 children and 4 step kids. Yep that equals 12!!! Life is definitely full for us.

It didn't start out to be like this. I had my 1st child my 1st year of college. It seemed like he would be an only child since I got divorced soon after he arrived. But 10 years later, I found myself married again and expecting #2. She was actually due on his 10th birthday. Go figure. But laid back as she is, HJ arrived a month later, weighing in at 10# 4oz. Then they just started arriving every 2 years. TA in '81 and JA in '83.

OK, some arrived by adoption. Adoption was something I decided I wanted to do when I was 12. I was adopted and decided I wanted to give a child the same opportunity that I had. I never wavered in that conviction. Finally in 1989 the time was right and we adopted our daughter LJ, who is #5 in the line-up. She came as a little 3 1/2 year old bundle of energy. My dream had finally come true. But bubbles burst and reality sets in. Things were not the way I had dreamed. LJ didn't adjust well, and of course I felt it was my issue not hers. I also thought it could be because she was the only adopted child in the family or the only black child. I had a lot to learn.

2 years later we decided to add to our family. I had always wanted a large family. Plus, I thought maybe another adopted child would help LJ settle in. So, PJ arrived. PJ was a sweet 3 1/2 year old. She settled in and adjusted in a couple weeks. LJ, of course, was still unsettled and fighting me every step on the way. The next few years were extremely rocky. Never a peaceful day. The older kids hated the stress and commotion, but life went on. My husband at the time was in the military so I was a "single" parent a lot of the time. What a life. Not one I would want to do over.

But life continues, we got out of the military and settled in the midwest. One day, out of the blue we received a phone call that PJ had a brother, and would we like to adopt him. Definitely not on my agenda but after much discussion we decided to give it a try. KA, age 5 1/2 came the summer of '95. KA was either introverted and scared of his own shadow or bouncing off the walls. Take your pick. About the time we got him settled and on the right medicine we received a call that KA's foster brother SA needed a new placement. Since K and S had missed each other that year we decided, again, after much discussion, to bring him home too. At this point in 1996 - SA was 4 1/2, KA 6 1/2, PJ 9, LJ 11, JA 13, TA 15 , HJ 17 and JS 27, out of the house and married with a child of his own. Life never settled down. It has now been 12 years since SA joined our family and I have not had a stressless day yet.

To add to the confusion, my husband and I divorced and I was left to parent the 7 kids myself. Actually this was a better situation since my ex had a hard time dealing with the kids and all their issues. I think he definitely got the easier end of the deal.

A couple years later, I connected with DL an old school friend who I had known since we were 8. We grew up 2 blocks apart in San Diego. We never dated tho he had written me a few love letters in grade school and even gave me a ring in 5th grade. OK it was out of a cracker jacks box, but it was the thought that counts. We were married in 2000 and I am now the proud step parent of JA 39, PM 21, KM 21 and LM 18.

I always wanted a large family but I never dreamed it would come about the way it did. Life is like a box of chocolates – “you never know what you’re gonna get."

To see more of my family check out my web page http://www.abandcs.com/

Have a wonderful day and we will chat soon.
Charyl