My Collection of Goddaughters

Dana, Victoria, Ginger
(Taken today.)

This school year and last, my goddaughter from Canada has been living with me while attending high school here. Legally, I am Victoria's guardian. However, there's simply no GUARDING required with this gal! She's on top of her school work, comes home at a decent hour, doesn't have a pesty boyfriend. Nope. I'm not guarding her at all . . . just relishing an energetic and delightful teenager.

Vic has four sisters and, one by one, they have adopted me as their godmother. (Actually, one by one, their godmothers assigned at birth finked out. Only Vic has been mine since the very beginning.) Each of them has done their college studies in Utah and so they've landed at my place frequently. Individually and collectively, they have a special place in my life.

Brooke is the eldest. She and my son Arian were dear friends, especially during their college years. This shot was taken during one my cookie decorating parties. She was always game for any event at our place and fit right into the family


Paige is next in line. She and my daughter Leah are the dearest of friends. In fact, Paige just got back from visiting Leah in Ohio and you can read all about THAT on Leah's blog.


Dana lives in California, but it's hard to really believe that! She's a frequent visitor and it's fun to hear her giggling downstairs with Victoria when the two of them get going.


Breanna, on the right, just left to serve an LDS mission. She was last year's regular bunker at Ginger's Bed & Breakfast, as her parents named it. She attended a college three hours north of here and often spent here weekends with her adopted godmother and sister.

So, that's the line-up.

MaryJoy (the birthmother) and I were childhood friends and we found each other again in SPAIN of all places. The relationship rolled on through the business of getting married and having babies and getting those babies married. (All of mine, half of hers.) Our families have traveled together and had a blast.

This (rather poor) shot was taken at Lake Osoyoos in British Columbia, Canada in 1996. Both of family dogs were in attendance. Victoria is leaning into me - front row. We had some great evenings around the fire at the shores of the lake. The kids slept under the stars.


Here we are in the Yucatan (Southern Mexico) back in 1999. We took along MaryJoy's parent's who are on the right with MJ herself on the left. (I'm behind the camera.) We did some fabulous snorkling in the clear Caribbean waters. Our cabana was right on the beach. No electricity.

Sometimes we get our family members through blood and sometimes through pure serendipity. I feel richly blessed to have FIVE amazing goddaughters (and their birth parents) in my life.