Looking back on my life events, I can’t believe it all led to this.
I am the youngest of 7 children and my parents were immigrant workers. We lived in a small three-bedroom trailer out at Hulbert Farms. I remember sharing a room with my older sister, my oldest brother having his own room, my parents in the last room, and the rest of my brothers out in the living room. My parents instilled kindness, hard work, and the importance of family into each of their children and I will forever be grateful for that.
My siblings and I all attended the La Conner School District and are now Alumni. Life was as normal as it could be until I reached middle school. My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and my dad went into kidney failure and needed dialysis three times a week. My mom would go to chemo and radiation and my dad went to dialysis. They both still worked and it just because the new normal. My world came crashing down in the summer going into my sophomore year of high school. There was no more the doctors could do for my mom and she was given a short couple of months to live. Unfortunately, she only made it a couple of weeks. The community was so supportive and I will forever be grateful.
About a year after my mom’s passing, my dad had to get his leg amputated due to poor circulation. My dad had to then be in a wheelchair and could no longer work out in the fields. Our trailer was not handicap accessible, so we had to move. We ended up moving into a four bedroom house on Caledonia St. in La Conner.
Since my dad was unable to work and because my twin brother and I were still in high school, my sister Yanira and her son Anthony and Husband Tony, and brother Ernie and his girlfriend also lived in our home to help my dad financially and care for him medically. My sister and her family were in one room, my brother and his girlfriend in another, my twin brother and I in one room, and my dad in his own room downstairs. Although, my nephew Anthony would often sleep in my dad’s room. Our family remained strong and resilient, and I know that my mom was proud.
Our family grew as my siblings had my nephews and niece who have all attended the La Conner School District. I welcomed my beautiful daughter Mia in 2011 and moved out of the home a few months after her birth. In 2013, my dad’s health declined and he passed on September 14th. My parents are missed every single day and I know that my siblings and I want to make them proud of the kind of people we have grown to become.
I was then a young adult renting with my fiancé and raising our daughter. We went from renting a manufactured home to an apartment to then moving in with my in-laws. We welcomed our son Greyson in 2015 and in 2016, I decided I wanted to go back to college. In January of 2017, my husband asked for a divorce. I was shocked, hurt, but most of all I was scared. We were living with his mom in Oak Harbor so I knew I had to move out. I had nowhere to go and no money because I cut back my work hours to take classes. My amazing sister welcomed us into her home in La Conner on a temporary basis until I could try and figure something out.
I enrolled Mia into the La Conner School District and she quickly made friends. I was luckily able to get a place at the Anacortes Family Shelter and Mia was still able to attend school in La Conner. The Anacortes Family Shelter put us in a studio apartment that came furnished with everything the kids and I could need including food, toiletries, blankets, movies, etc..
After a little over 2 weeks, I was able to save up some money for a deposit and found a place to rent. I was so proud to move into our little two bedroom duplex in Mount Vernon and it was the first time I had felt some happiness in a while. Mia had her own room and Greyson shared a room with me. We made it work and although driving the kids to school in La Conner from Mount Vernon was overwhelming at times, I would gladly continue to make that drive because of the community that we have built in our small town of La Conner.
Fast forward to August of 2024, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post that Skagit Habitat for Humanity was accepting applications for a La Conner build. I immediately applied but because it would have been such a dream come true. And because I am not used to good things happening to me, I didn’t get my hopes up. A few weeks later, I received a voicemail from Skagit Habitat for Humanity asking for a call back. I called back and was informed that they wanted to schedule an interview with me and do a walk-through of my home.
After the interview they let us know that the board would be meeting within a couple days to make their decision. I kept telling myself how perfect it would be if we were chosen and became anxious to receive the answer. I didn’t know if it would be a call, an email, a meeting or how they would inform us. On October 3rd, I went to work like any other day. The receptionist at the office I work for came into my office to let me know that someone was there to speak to me. I had no appointments that day so I had no idea who would be asking to speak to me. I walked out of my office and into the lobby and the first thing I saw was the big balloon and the faces of the members that did my interview. I instantly broke down crying and I still tear up to this day thinking of that moment.
In that one instant, my entire life changed. All I could think about was how happy my kids were going to be and how Greyson would now have his own room. Greyson can have his friends over now and have his own space. Mia can go home between school and practices rather than not being able to due to us living in Mount Vernon and practices being in La Conner.
Now I, a 35 year old, can for the first time in my life, have my own room. I’m proud. I will one day be able to show my kids how to buy a house and walk them through the process because I will soon be a homeowner. My new home will be located just a couple houses down from the home I lived with my dad after my mom passed away. Everything now seems so right and meant to be. I can’t wait to be HOME. I will forever be grateful to Skagit Habitat for Humanity. Without them, my dream may have never come true.
