I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MY NEW-FOUND DAUGHTER
CHRISTINE, HER THREE DAUGHTERS, AND THEIR FAMILIES
(First read letters from Christine and me on bottom of the page,
then scroll back to top and begin slideshow)
BETH: It has been great learning about my biological history and getting to meet a number of wonderful people from the family. I am looking forward to meeting Christine and other relatives in the coming years and all are welcome to come and visit us in Florida!
Two Three Year Old Princesses
DAUGHTER NATALIE & FAMILY
DAUGHTER BETHANY & FAMILY
Dear Everyone,
On the 4th of July weekend of 2016 I was informed by my daughter Rachel that I was the birthfather of another daughter. I never had any knowledge during the past 52 years that I had fathered a baby girl named Christine. When Rachel told me about her, I was shocked! And I'm still in shock!
During the last six months of 2016 I learned a lot about Christine and her beautiful family. As you can see in the above slideshow and in the photos of her three daughters and their families, she has done well in increasing the size of the Haugo family. Her three daughters and their husbands are the parents of 11 children. So that means that you have 18 more relatives! Fifteen are genetic and three are through marriage (their husbands).
Christine was born in a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah and was given up for adoption through Catholic Charities. She was adopted by Gerald and Rosemary Vincent of Salt Lake City and has spent most of her life there. Her birthmother was from Missoula, Montana.
Christine and her daughters, especially Bethany, have spent a lot of time trying to locate the birthmother. I've shared all the info I know about her with them and, as of yet, we haven't been able to locate her. Hopefully, 2017 will bring GOOD NEWS to all.
PRINCESS SITARA - On her 3rd birthday
(Rachel's daughter)
Anyway, in the last few months, I have talked quite often to Don and also to my sisters Beth, Michelle, and Rachel. I even spent a weekend a few weeks ago with Rachel and her wonderful and generous family. I felt right at home and they were so good to me! I'm looking forward to going there again and also hoping to meet Don & Iryna, Michelle, and Beth and their families in the near future.
Everyone has been so kind and welcoming to me and my daughters, what a monumental event in my life this year. I never thought I would find my birth family... let alone them find me! I realize there are LOTS of you out there and I'm always excited to get a "friend request" from a Haugo family member... even though we have never met and I might not be exactly sure how we're related since there are so many of you and I haven't memorized the Haugo family tree yet! It's just so big! LOL
On a bittersweet note, it has been only a little over two years since I lost both my parents, Gerald and Rosemary Vincent, Rosemary just a little over two weeks ago. I know nobody could ever take their place and I will always love and miss them with all my heart. I'm not particularly religious, but I can't help but feel there was some "divine goings-on upstairs" with the timing of all of you coming into my life at this time.
Here's to a Happy 2017 for all and may we all meet one day!
Love, Christine
DON & IRYNA - Canyon Falls, YNP - 2011
SISTER MICHELLE & FAMILY - Christmas 2015 in Dubai
CASSANDRA: We are excited to be part of such a wonderful and loving family. Knowing where we come from has made our family feel complete. Thanks for the extended love and friendships! We are excited to meet all of you in person one day! May God bless each of you. Have a happy 2017!
CHRISTINE'S NEW-FOUND FAMILY: Beth, Michelle, Rachel and Birthfather Donald
SLIDESHOW OF CHRISTINE'S FAMILY
Comments From Christine's Children
DAUGHTER CASSANDRA & FAMILY
PRINCESS ROSIE - On her 3rd birthday at Disneyland
(Cassandra's Daughter)
CHRISTINE
DON & IRYNA - Walking in Yellowstone NP
Same Place, Different Times
YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED ON "NEW YEAR'S DAY 2017" WITH 18 NEW RELATIVES!
Letter From Christine's Birthfather Donald
Christine and I have many of the same interests. She is a master gardener and has written several articles for gardening magazines, I have always enjoyed gardening; She sky dived, I sky dived and smokejumped; She loves the great outdoors, I love the great outdoors; She has a passion for outdoor adventure-sports activities (see photos on slideshow), I'm also passionate about them.
Another daughter, three more grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren! Wow!! All of a sudden I feel so old! Seriously, my daughters and Iryna and I have been blessed to have such wonderful people become a part of our family! We're looking forward to getting to know them over the next years. I hope you get to know them, too. They have informed me that they would love to meet you. Click on the link on the bottom of this page to find the names, ages and contact information for each family.
Special thanks to Christine's birthmother and her parents, Catholic Charities, Gerald and Rosemary Vincent (Christine's birthparents), Christine, Bethany Weise, Cassandra Romney, Natalie Gardiner, Jane and Wayne Ingebretsen, John Haugo, Rachel Hager, and to Ancestry.com for their care-giving, love, support and research for making this union possible.
Iryna and I are looking forward to meeting Christine and her family in person this year. 2016 was truly a blessed year!
Love, Donald
Same Place, Same Time
PHOTOS OF CHRISTINE'S FAMILY
Photo of Christine and 2016 Family Christmas Photos of Her Daughters Natalie, Cassandra and Bethany
Dear Haugo Clan,
Wow, what a year full of surprises and change this has been! I don't even know where to start. Let me try to keep it simple.
About two years ago, my youngest daughter, Bethany, took an Ancestry.com DNA test because she has always been curious about her biological heritage. The results came back with a high percentage of Scandinavian DNA. Since her father is of French lineage, she was curious to see what percentage of Scandinavian DNA I had, so she bought me the test and I took it. The results were approximately 80% Scandinavian and 20% Irish. Shortly thereafter, I heard from Wayne and then with John through DNA matches on Ancestry.
Finally one morning the phone rang and I saw that the call was from Minnesota. I had known that Don was my birth father for a few months and wasn't sure if I should contact him or not - but I knew it was him when the phone rang! He was so happy and exuberant as he said to me, "Hello, Christine! This is Don Haugo, your birth father!!! I just found out about you and can't tell you how happy I am and how wonderful this news is!"
I was so happy he broke the ice, because I probably would have pondered about what to do for years. And I was overjoyed that he was so happy about such an unexpected surprise!
Letter to Haugo's From Christine
NATALIE: Hello Haugo family! What a beautiful discovery this wonderful connection has turned out to be! We have been welcomed with open arms by so many in your family already and feel excited to know a little bit more about our heritage. With love from the desert.
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Comments From Christine's Sisters
MICHELLE: I wasn't as surprised to find out that I had another biological sister, as I was the first time when I found out about Beth. I'm happy to have these beautiful new women as blood relatives and I'm look forward to getting to know them more and more. Genetics are interesting to me.
CASSANDRA - Canyon Falls, YNP - 2014
RACHEL: This is so amazing to discover more close family. There is a familiarity in your eyes and smiles and voices even though we are meeting for the first time. Just looking at Rosie and Sitara, they are like two birds of a feather! God has blessed our family and I am thankful for another sister, nieces and cousins (or great nieces and nephews to be correct)! Welcome to the Haugo family! Now you will know you come from a long line of Minnesota Norwegian immigrants who go way back to Telemark, Norway for hundreds of years!
SISTER BETH & HAMILTON - Mountain biking
BETHANY: I remember when I was 15 having a strong urge to find my mother's biological parents, to know where we came from. What an exciting journey it has been to find the Haugo side so many years later, with arms so open and welcoming. This is more than we could have expected! Love, Bethany
Christine and I both lived in the Pacific coast area of central California in the early 1990's. I lived in Santa Cruz, which is on the Pacific coastline just south of Half Moon Bay. Christine and I both spent time recreating at Half Moon Bay. Maybe we crossed paths and didn't know it! Finally, we met this December and bonded taking walks along the Pacific shoreline near Santa Cruz, which we both love. - Rachel
SISTER RACHEL & FAMILY - Ski trip Christmas 2016
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