HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BARB!!

Photo taken October, 12 1968 on your third birthday. Your brother carried this photo with him while in the Army. This was only one of several photos that he had with him.

Barb hoping that you are having a wonderful birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's so hard to believe that you are all grown up. It is so sad that we have missed so many of your birthdays over the years. It wasn't because we didn't want to be with you...............we was kept from you by lies and deceptions.

We are looking forward to seeing you and James at Thanksgiving.

Love to our beautiful sister on her special day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who don't know........Barb is Rich's adopted sister. His family provided foster care for children in need. They received Barb from the hospital when she was 3 days old. She is Black, White and Puerto Rican. The family fell in love with the beautiful little girl and decided to adopt her into their family. Before Rich and I started a serious relationship Rich asked me if I had any thing against people of mixed races. I told No! He then told me about the beautiful little girl that his family had adopted.........she was mixed race. I asked him when I could meet her. The moment I met her I fell in love with her. She was so precious.

Until the death of Rich's mother we were allowed to spend time with Barb. We took her with us when we visited my family. They loved her! To this day Dad remembers Barb out in the garden when they lived in Wimer. She had never been around gardens and was so facinated with everything. She loved playing with Bobbie, Nancy and Sandi outside and getting dirty. We had to clean her up before we could take her back home.

After Rich's mother died we weren't allowed to spend much time with Barb. We were thought to be bad influences on her because we have a laid-back lifestyle.

So Barb grew up without us seeing her very often. Gone were the wonderful times we spent with her. Gone were special times in her life that we missed. There wasn't a time that we didn't love or miss her and wonder how she was doing.

Now that Barb is all grown up we have been reunited with her and hope to be able to have times together that we can cherish.