Summer!!!!

Most of the people that know about this blog are also on my facebook, so I decided not to post pics of my Colombia trip since it will be a little redundant. I had a blast in Cartagena, although it was not without its challenges, and had an even better time in Bucaramanga. Most of my family lives in Bucaramanaga, and I got to see family members that I had not seen since I was 16 years old, way too long ago. It was pretty tough to say goodbye, and although I tried to keep it together the entire last day, I spent most of the plane ride crying uncontrollably. After I got off the first plane, I wondered what everyone else in the plane was thinking about all that, but Oh, well... can't always hold it in, and I definitely couldn't that day.
After we came home, I started to work on some family history research. I went online to find the call numbers for the micro-fiches I wanted to look at, and to my surprise there was a link to view the records on PDF form!! That proved to be the best thing for me. I went to look at my mother's side of the family, since it is the one I know about the least, and I do know where they are from, and found so much information. I was able to trace back ancestors to the 6th generation back, but since they all seemed to die quite young, I went back only to about the 1900's. The next day I looked up my father's side, I was also able to trace back to the 6th generation, but on their side I went pack to the late 1700's. I was so shocked to see on the official records mentions of the cost of registration being in Reales, or the Spanish coins used by the king at the time!!! (Colombia used to be a Spanish colony) It is almost bizarre for me to look at these records... So many children in my family who I never even knew about because they died young, and even a set of twins that not even my dad knew about!
On a more personal note, some of you might even think I am crazy, and to be fair, sometimes I am :) BUT I want to share this nevertheless. A few years ago (before 2005), I had a very interesting dream. I was at my grandpa's place in Bucaramanga, walking on their hall, and I even felt the same familiar comfortable feeling of being home. I looked at one of their walls, which is usually bare, and saw a collection of old pictures. in the center there was a metal family tree with pictures, instead of names on the branches. In it, I saw a girl I didn't recognize, and I just asked out loud who this girl was. My mom and aunt where there and told me that she died very young, and that no one knew her because her work was not done yet, and then I woke up.
When I talked to my mom next, I asked her whether there was any girl that died young in her family, and she said no, that there was an uncle of hers on her mother's side who died young, but no one else to her knowledge. I then told her about my dream, and she said maybe it was her uncle, but I knew it had to be a girl for it to make sense.
So, as I was looking up her ancestors in Simacota, I found a girl, Socorro Gomez, who died only a year before both of her parents died, and this all occurred when my grandpa was only a few years old. He may or may not remember her, but obviously didn't tell anyone about her, and I am so glad I looked them up.
I have a new found appreciation for my little family and my children since I have done this. They are my most precious inheritance, and I should never forget it.
I must go now and do some more mundane things, I have to get ready for nursing school, Emma's and Logan's school shopping, and catch up on cleaning, which I have put off for far too long....
Ta ta!!!