Heritage
I thought I was coming home on Monday and was persuaded to stay another day. I went to go by and see Sister Rosalie before I left and Elizabeth asked if I would stay another day and invited us to stay at her house. After talking with Mike and taking into consideration the weather and the time of day, I chose to stay. We went to her sisters nail shop and I got one of the best pedicures I have had in a long time. I also got a manicure and my brows waxed. It was such a treat to have Sister Rosalie watching Landry while I got to do something for myself. I went to pay for mine and I was going to treat Elizabeth and I found out she had already paid for it! Then we went to dinner and again, they treated. I couldn't believe how generous and kind they were. I couldn't do anything for them before they beat me to it. When we got back to their house after dinner, I found out that I was going to have to sleep
with Elizabeth. Well most of you that know me are probably laughing at the thought of me first, agreeing to spend the night(with my child) with complete strangers and then finding out that my sleeping arrangements were a little different than I originally thought. We stayed up for a while talking and as strange as it seems, it felt like I had known her my whole life. She is 28, one of 12...yes-12 children and has one of the most interesting stories you have ever heard. She told me some really funny stories from her childhood and some truly heartbreaking ones. I was touched by her honesty and candor and appreciated her ability to have such a great outlook on life. She told me that she came here when she was 11 years old and would have to wake up at 3 am to go work on the crab boats 45 minutes away. She talked about how she would smell like crab and that she would be so tired by the end of the day only to have to wake up and do it all over again. I can't imagine what a tough life it would be for a young girl but she and her brothers and sisters did their part and now they are reaping the benefits of their hard work. She also told me that when they were in Vietnam that were wealthy and they they had a big house and lots of money and even housekeepers. After the war, that all changed. When they got here, they had very few things and only a few clothes each. They had to start completely from scratch. I only have to spend a short period of time with people that I share the same heritage from to realize how truly blessed this life I have is. While I had a difficult start, my fairy tale started much sooner than most of theirs. 
Her family is full of very intelligent individuals. They have a doctor, a few business owners, pharmacist, Registered Nurse and on and on. I am so glad I chose to stay and get to know these wonderful people. I know that we will be friends for a long, long time.
with Elizabeth. Well most of you that know me are probably laughing at the thought of me first, agreeing to spend the night(with my child) with complete strangers and then finding out that my sleeping arrangements were a little different than I originally thought. We stayed up for a while talking and as strange as it seems, it felt like I had known her my whole life. She is 28, one of 12...yes-12 children and has one of the most interesting stories you have ever heard. She told me some really funny stories from her childhood and some truly heartbreaking ones. I was touched by her honesty and candor and appreciated her ability to have such a great outlook on life. She told me that she came here when she was 11 years old and would have to wake up at 3 am to go work on the crab boats 45 minutes away. She talked about how she would smell like crab and that she would be so tired by the end of the day only to have to wake up and do it all over again. I can't imagine what a tough life it would be for a young girl but she and her brothers and sisters did their part and now they are reaping the benefits of their hard work. She also told me that when they were in Vietnam that were wealthy and they they had a big house and lots of money and even housekeepers. After the war, that all changed. When they got here, they had very few things and only a few clothes each. They had to start completely from scratch. I only have to spend a short period of time with people that I share the same heritage from to realize how truly blessed this life I have is. While I had a difficult start, my fairy tale started much sooner than most of theirs. 
Her family is full of very intelligent individuals. They have a doctor, a few business owners, pharmacist, Registered Nurse and on and on. I am so glad I chose to stay and get to know these wonderful people. I know that we will be friends for a long, long time. L-Landry sitting up on a riding toy at Aunt Elaine's house
R top-Sister Rosalie and Landry
R bottom-Elizabeth feeding Landry a Vietnamese fruit.
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