Many have asked me over these past two months how my trip was back to the States. I have received inquiries from acquaintances and their concerns about what they were told about me per my ex husband Col. Kevin P. Landers and his wife Melody Wilson Landers. I have also been informed that the lies continue about me, our children and my family. I intend on disputing this defamation of character in this blog entry. Before blogging my travel experiences, let me refresh all of you on the harassment the children and I continue to face - for years - by my DV abuser Kevin P. Landers and his wife Melody Wilson Landers.

I extended my trip to spend time with my family, John’s family and to take care of legal documents. One major document to renew was my USA passport. One should note that my son’s engagement to his fiancé lasted for awhile and in the midst of this long engagement, Horrendous, Hateful lies were being spread – ONCE AGAIN - about me. Kevin & Melody chose to spread their HATE on social media sites. Melody used her Pinterest, Facebook, Google Plus (http://kevinmelody.blogspot.com/) and Twitter. She also set up fake email accounts and social media sites in my name and impersonated me to try to convince others and the courts that I was harassing her...something Melody has been doing for years. This was NOT a solo effort. Col. Kevin Paul Landers approves of this behavior per his reports to police, courts, etc. he has signed court filings to support the FALSE accusations. Melody has also impersonated ALL 4 of my children and her daughter Kayla. I feel certain that there are others out there that have been impersonated.

Why post this blog entry now?

I chose to wait until well after my trip to the USA because I did not want to take away from the joyous moments we all had as a family these past few months. I wanted to hold onto the glow of happiness and love I felt from so many wonderful people. I will forever hold onto every moment I shared with my children, my family and my friends that I have missed for so long.

But, now is the time to write about what transpired over these past 11 years and the unfortunate negative events that took place because Col. Kevin P. Landers and his wife Melody did EVERYTHING they could (with lies of course) to try to stop me from traveling back to the states to spend time with my loved ones. Here are some examples of the calculated, manipulative lies that both Col. Kevin P. Landers and Melody Wilson Landers have told over the years to try to hide their lies & instigate others to hate me.

In October 2006, Melody contacted me here in Mexico. I have many voice messages to prove her contact along with emails of her correspondence with me and John. She was very friendly and because she was around my children, I talked to her. I wanted to know about my kids. On the other hand, John kept warning me, “Be careful Catherine. She is mentally unstable and I do not trust her.” I heeded John’s advice but I so desperately wanted to know about my kids. She would call crying sometimes because Kevin Sr. was being mean to her. She left several messages on our answering machine claiming that Kevin Sr. was harassing and stalking her and “Bobby” her and “Tommy “her and ?

Melody claimed that she had an African American boyfriend named Bobby and that Kevin Sr. called him the “N” word several times. She portrayed to me that she was also a victim of Kevin’s abuses and claimed she took Kevin Sr. to court to file a restraining order against him. She claims to have taken “joy” in watching Kevin Sr. be embarrassed at work and in Cumberland County Courts when the judge issued a restraining order. I found this very odd that she was laughing about a restraining order. Her allegations concerning Col. Landers were made in November, 2006. By February 2007, Melody and Kevin Sr. were married. This was 2 months after Melody joked about a restraining order against Col. Kevin Paul Landers.

See Blog entry Transcribed Voicemails per Melody

Over the course of several years, John and I have had to deal with Kevin and Melody’s hatefulness and lies. They used the children as pawns to try to hurt me. Our daughter Amanda was sent to me in July 2008 and I had to beg Kevin to send me the proper paperwork for Amanda to stay with me and he would not. I even got in touch with his Commanding General at Fort Carson-General Mark Graham- who was very kind to me and Amanda. But, Col. Landers still refused to send me Amanda’s paperwork. After 117 days of Amanda living with me (she was on a 120 day temporary visa) Col. Kevin Landers -her father- pulled her back to his home. Once he got her there, he threw her into a facility and I lost contact with Amanda for about 7 months...nobody from Kevin’s family has chose to contact Amanda since January 2009. She eventually came back to me in late 2009 because the facility had maxed out her father’s insurance and he would have to pay “out-of-pocket”. Kevin could not send Amanda to his go to FREE JobCorp because Amanda was not 16. He agreed to release Amanda to me here in San Miguel de Allende under the condition of NO financial support. Since our divorce, he has never financially nor emotionally supported his minor children Kevin Jr., Amanda & M. I lost contact with my oldest daughter “M” but eventually found her in Anaconda Montana Job Corps. She had been thrown into that facility by her father and had not had contact with any of her family for about a year. Kevin Sr. refused to take care of his daughter but once he found out that I had sought her out and was engaging with M, he and Melody started claiming that I had no right to talk to her because of a no-contact order issued. Please keep in mind that I was never served any papers concerning a “No Contact” order. After much research and contact with the Montana Senator Tester’s office…I received much help from Erik Nylund who works with Senator Tester. After establishing the fact that I COULD have contact with my daughter because there was no existing “No Contact” order, (Kevin and Melody lied to Job Corps) I took care of all of my daughters emotional, monetary, and physical needs until she moved in with John and I on January 11^th 2011.

My youngest son Justin had the most pain to deal with. He was forbidden to have ANY contact with his siblings or me for 11 years. Col. Kevin P. Landers and wife Melody claimed that they were trying to keep my son safe from all of the lies his siblings and I were spreading about them. It was stated publically by Melody several times that Justin was in therapy because I was harassing Justin and his step-brother Kyle Ray Wilson. Yet, I had not had ANY contact with Justin. It was publicly written by Melody that I made videos threatening to burn Kevin Sr. and Melody’s home down in Colorado Springs and that I was going to “push Kyle into a ditch” because he was a “retard.” However, in the court proceedings that Kevin Sr. and Melody filed for harassment, domestic violence and cyber bullying against me, no video’s were ever produced. Kevin Sr. and Melody also lied under oath stating that I threatened to harm both of them, Kyle and Justin therefore they ALL feared for their life. I did not nor have I ever threatened any human being, especially a child.

In a court document dated Feb. 07, 2012 filed by Col. Kevin Landers, he stated that he feared for his life and his family’s life and that I was trying to ruin his career. He also stated under oath that he was the one who filed for divorce and received full custody of our children because I was unfit. All lies to the El Paso county authorities…i.e. I was the one who filed for divorce on April 4^th 2005 and the legal proceeding to begin the divorce process was started by the court on April 11^th 2005. After a “no contact complaint” was filed and a court date set in Colorado, Kevin and Melody –in the presence of me and the Judge- stated their concerns about this blog –vs- their fear of me….they feared this blog, and the Judge reprimanded them. They did not fear for their safety. Their intent was to get before a judge on the pretense that they needed legal protection for themselves from me (keep in mind I live over 1200 miles away from them). Once before the judge, they thought they could throw the blog in and have me censored…it did not go well with the judge (for them anyway). In the court hearing after I conceded to the No Contact request (I had not had contact with them since 2009; I sure wasn’t wanting any contact now) Kevin Sr. says to Judge Curtis, “What about her blog?”

Judge Curtis basically states that the blog is not the issue, nor is it a threat. A no contact order was issued stating that I conceded to the order but that I admit NO guilt, nor admittance that I am a threat to Kevin Sr., Melody nor Kyle. The complaint had requested No Contact with Justin, but the court struck out that request. A court order (one of many) that Melody has posted, manipulated, lied about and plagiarized many times over the years.

Melody has also posed as Justin on his Facebook and sent me horrible messages all of which I knew were not Justin. Justin lived in a cloud of lies by his father and step-mother and he knew they were lying but he was just a kid that has no recourse to escape them. He was their prisoner for 11 years. Justin was a token Kevin Sr. needed to use as propaganda to say, “See, I am a good father.”

However, as soon as Justin turned 18, he ran away and never looked back. All 4 of our children see their father’s lies and manipulative behavior. He is mean and they see it.

Over the past 11 years it has been verbally and publicly written that I am a felon running from the law...that the FBI, CIA, ICE, Federal Marshalls, Interpol and Border Patrol will arrest me at the border. I am sure that Kevin and Melody’s verbal slander with family, friends and community is even more abundant than I am aware of. More slander against me, John, our children and our families. These are some of the many horrible, outrageous lies that Col. Landers and Melody have spread to try to harm me, my family and my relationship with my children.

Here is the synopsis:

Not only did I cross the border in November, 2015 from Mexico into the United States, I also renewed my passport, updated my Social Security Card, and renewed my Driver’s License. These are ALL government facilities so if I was a felon with over 400 counts against me and a 4 time felon(according to Melody) how could I renew any of these documents? I would have been detained at the border and handcuffed immediately. Something Col. Kevin P. Landers and Melody stated would happen if I crossed. But without any problem, I re-entered the Mexican border in December, 2015 with no problem what so ever. I am a free citizen in all countries with no felonies against me. Why would Melody and Kevin Sr. work so hard to claim that I am not allowed to enter into the USA to attend my son’s wedding?

Simple…they tried to scare me into not crossing the border. Fear is a scare tactic abusers use all the time on their victims. They convince their victims that they have power over them. Kevin and Melody tried to make me fear spending time with my kids. They also instilled fear in our children… “If you talk to your Mom or John you will be breaking the law and abetting a felon.” Neither John nor myself are felons. Search/Google it.

Kevin Sr. promised me that he would make sure I had no contact with my family, my children or my friends and he accomplished that for years with a smile on his face. My going back to the United States in November 2015 was the best way I could disprove the fallacies and the slander while at the same time expose the extreme hatred and evil inside of this couple. I did make it to New Jersey and met my children in Newark, NJ. It was the first time I had seen my oldest (groom) and youngest son in 11 years. I cannot describe the emotion we all felt. I had to reach up to hug my two sons who were now young men…they were 8 and 14 years when I last held them. Their sisters were also deeply emotional because they too had not seen their brothers in years. This reunification was the first time since 2006 that all 4 children were together. My 3 children and I got a hotel room together which was awesome…my 4^th child had groom things to attend. We also spent much time with my daughter-in-laws family. What a strong, sweet, loving family they are. Everything was a marathon of sorts as weddings always are. But, I wouldn't trade ANY moment. I treasured every second that I was there.

I was not sure if Kevin Sr. and Melody were going to be attending. I was prepared to be cordial for the sake of the children. Regardless of my past with Kevin Sr. and Melody, this was about my oldest son's wedding and I was ready to make the best of it. I also discussed this with my children and reassured them that nothing bad was going to happen and it was going to be okay. I had to do this because they were VERY nervous that either their Dad and/or Melody would try to do something to disrupt the wedding/reunion. The kids were concerned that I was going to be arrested because they had been told for so long that I was a felon. What cruel lies Kevin Sr. and Melody would tell to put fear in the kids. I felt confident that after 11 years of being divorced and with Kevin Sr. needing to conduct himself as a Colonel in the USArmy , for some reason I felt that he would not act in a manner that was unbecoming of an officer or upset our children and the family. However, the day I arrived I was told that Kevin Sr. and Melody were not attending the wedding. Apparently, Kevin Sr. and Melody were not pleased that I was going to be in attendance so Melody, once again, started re-posting documents and hate concerning me…these posts were being placed on links that were meant for the communication of all those attending the upcoming wedding. When the Bride’s family told Melody how inappropriate it was to use the wedding link as a venue to discuss the grooms mothers “shortcomings”, Melody refused to remove the postings, so she was removed from the link along with her postings. This reprimand was not received well by Col. Landers and in the end he ended up verbally insulting the bride-to-be and demanded that I- the Grooms mother; his ex – be uninvited. My son told his dad that we all need to get along. My ex hung up on my son & texted that he would not be attending the wedding and not to expect anything from him in the future. Basically my ex and Melody did not get their way, so they declined attending & “took their toys and pouted.” Apparently Melody proceeded to post to the bride’s family the reasons why they couldn't attend if I were going. Of course it was all lies. It was very upsetting to my son and his wife's family. I truly felt so sad for my son and his wife's family. Why all this hatred in lieu of a day that they wanted all of their family members in attendance to celebrate with them? My goodness, for one day could Col. Landers at the very least control his hatred for the sake of his son and his 3 other children? Will he ever let go of his hatred and stop lying? Will he ever stop being abusive? The night of the rehearsal dinner answered not only the question of controlling his hate, but it also showed how mean Col. Kevin P. Landers truly is. Allow me to elaborate...

Accepting the fact that Kevin Sr. and Melody were not coming to the wedding, the children and I continued to enjoy the time spent with each other and the wedding festivities. The rehearsal dinner was November 12^th 2015. The entire wedding party which was inclusive of me, my youngest son who was the best man, and my two daughters that were bridesmaids. We went to Perona Farms Wedding Barn for the rehearsal in Andover, NJ. After the rehearsal, we went to eat a lovely dinner with the entire wedding party. After the dinner, we all went our separate ways. My oldest son and my daughter- in-law went home and my 3 younger kids and I went to our hotel room. Within 20 minutes of us settling in our room, my older daughter received a text from her brother-the groom. Her brother was very upset and told her that she needed to tell me what was going on. My daughter proceeded to tell me that her brother received a phone call from the Stanhope Police Department. The officer on duty told my son that his father gave them a restraining order against me and that if I attended the wedding I would be arrested on the spot and taken to jail. It was also told to my son and daughter-in-law that if I were to attend the wedding and Kevin Sr. showed up that they should hide me away in a closet so I wouldn't be arrested....WHAT? I told my son that if it were best that I did not attend then it would be ok but he insisted that I be there and he was not going to hide me in a closet if his father and Melody showed up.

My children were very upset by their father's antics and once again I had to be my ex-husband's buffer (something I was for 18 years) to soothe my children's fears and try to figure out what I could do to stop Kevin Sr.'s temper tantrum. So, I started making phone calls at 10pm that night....the night before my son's wedding. I talked to several people, a federal attorney and also with law enforcement.

Meanwhile while I was making some phone calls into the middle of the night to try to figure out what was going on, my son and daughter- in-law were trying to reason with Kevin Sr. However, the Colonel refused to talk to his son but he did talk to my daughter-in-law. I find it interesting that now that my son is a man, his father refused to talk to him but did choose to talk to my daughter-in-law…and he was quite abrasive with her. It is common knowledge that abusers typically ONLY try to intimidate women and children and by the mere fact that Kevin Sr. refused to talk to his son proved this. Unfortunately my daughter-in-law got caught in the cross fire of Kevin Sr.’s rage and was trying to reason with him but his anger just escalated more and more to the point that he said, "I will do everything in my power to get ‘my ex wife’ arrested!" My daughter-in-law was shocked by the way he was screaming, panting, and saying things that were irrational. She told me that he was usually nice but I told her that she experienced the man that I was married to for 18 years. He frightened her. He lost control and when Kevin Sr. loses control, he goes into a rage and someone is going to suffer. This was obviously very upsetting to these poor kids on the eve of their celebration and once again I felt like I had to pick up the pieces of Col. Kevin P. Landers anger even though we have been divorced now for over 11 years.

So, I met with authorities the next morning and they checked to see if I did indeed have any charges or restraining orders against me. I have to admit that I was nervous, but I was ready to address anything that needed to be taken care of. I was told that I had “not one thing” against me. I was told by the authorities to go tell my children and my family to enjoy the wedding and if I needed any more assistance to give them a call. I told the detective that Kevin was a Colonel in the USArmy and the detective blatantly said-"Rank means nothing." Basically, Kevin Sr. has been able to intimidate soldiers with his rank over the years, but the NJ authorities were not putting up with Kevin's "power game." I was assured that “Col Kevin Landers won’t be causing any problems in our district.” This meeting took place the morning of the wedding and everyone was relieved to hear my news. So, we all decided that we would not allow Kevin's behavior to ruin a very wonderful, celebratory day. The plan was that if Kevin Sr. chose to show up that he would not be allowed to enter the building and to all of our relief, he never showed up nor caused any problems in the district. Please let me stress here that Col. Kevin P. Landers lives in North Carolina and was uninvited to the wedding several weeks prior because of he and Melody's behavior. He text to my son and bride that they were not going to attend. He has the local young police officer contact my son to inform him that “his father” would be attending and that his mother would be arrested. And YES, it was verified that his messenger is active with the Stanhope Police Department…just another victim of Kevin Landers using the USArmy rank to cry a river. I find it ironic that 30 minutes after the rehearsal dinner; he is making idle threats and was in a rage over the phone with my daughter-in-law. Was he sitting in the parking lot at the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner was held just watching? How did he know when all of us left? Pretty eerie and a little frightening to think that he may have been stalking us.

So, did he think he could bully to get his way as he has in the past? Maybe...but I will tell you this...my daughter-in-laws family is one of the closets families I have ever met. They love each other...protect each other and will not allow bullies to enter their family circle. I admire that immensely and I am so thankful that my son has been a part of this awesome family for many years.

As I write this I still feel a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and anger that the father of my children still continues to act in an irrational manner when he does not get his way. In the past, he went to any lengths to try to destroy me because I left him and he got away with stalking/harassing me through others. He got away with it because I did not want to stand up and dispute, because I knew he had my youngest in his physical custody and he would use my efforts against our son Justin. He was able to bully our children for years because they had no choice but to obey his commands. When will he understand that he cannot bully his way through life and when is he going to understand that we have overcome his anger outburst. Neither I nor the children are afraid of him anymore. He cannot say things to embarrass us any longer. HE is the embarrassment. With his consistent behavior over the years, we pretty much expect his behavior. He however is becoming an embarrassment to himself and a disappointment to the people that believed him and his second wife Melody's lies all these years. I think about the people reading this that did believe the lies they were told by Kevin and Melody. Especially the ones that publicly had some pretty hateful things to say about me without truly knowing both sides of the story. I do understand that sometimes we have feelings of passion for others because of the image they may present to society and the stories they have to share. But, I do hope that all of us will use caution when making judgments, especially public ones, when we are not confident that what we are being told by others is the truth. So here are some facts...not opinions:

I filed for divorce from Col. Kevin P. Landers because he was extremely physically abusive…he beat the living shit out of me…consistently. I am Epileptic because of the sever head beating he inflicted on me.

Upon breaking free of their father, none of my children choose to be in contact with him. Melody's daughter chose to not have contact with her mother Melody several years ago as well. So we are talking about 5 children that chose to leave as I did. With the above behavior by Kevin Sr. I think it is very clear WHY he lost his entire family. His recent behavior has set him back so far away from having a relationship with his kids. He could have gone to the wedding and acted as a respectable, honorable man and father but in his typical form, because he got mad, he became unorthodox, enraged, irrational, and abusive. A behavior the children and I lived with for years and a behavior we all chose to leave one by one.

Many horrible lies have been told about me. Keep in mind that Melody has a pattern of posting things and then deleting them. She has also opened up media sites in my name, Johns name, our children’s names, took screenshots & manipulated them and then used those as hate propaganda against all of us. Don’t believe me? Take a look at ALL the big lies Col. Landers and Melody have told and gotten away with them up to this point. Why would she go to any lengths to try to discredit me, John or our children? Col. Kevin P. Landers and Melody Wilson Landers have gotten away with their little lie games for years because I was not there to defend myself or the kids. I am tired of their games. We all are.

Here are just a few of the lies told that can now be disputed just by one action. I traveled back to the United States. Upon crossing the border, all of Col. Kevin P. Landers and Melody Wilson Landers 11 years of lies were discredited…

Claims by KPL & MWL:

· -I am breaking laws both in the United States and Mexico

· -I am a fugitive running and hiding (It is no secret that I have lived in San Miguel de Allende, MEXICO for years)

· - I abused my children and that is why Kevin Sr. gained full custody

· -My children hated me and wanted nothing to do with me-especially Justin

· -My youngest son Justin has talked to D.A.'s about my harassment of him and his family and that Justin had to seek counseling because I was stalking him

· -I threatened Kevin and Melody with bullets that had their initials and I was going to track them down and that I would also “rope my daughters” into helping me

· - Melody claimed that the DA she was talking to said that I would be arrested for ‘Premeditated Homicide’ if I crossed the border

· -The Border Patrol would arrest me as soon as I tried to cross and that I would either sit in a Mexican prison or USA law enforcement would detain me

· - I have been court ordered to remove ALL my social media sites

· - Per Melody’s postings, I choose not to abide by the laws in the United States because I live in Mexico. Truth of the matter is that I am a law abiding, legal USA citizen and have the same rights as everyone else to include freedom to have social media sites

· -Melody once again uses the courts and big legal words to try to intimidate and distract others from the truth

· -That I wanted to kill Kyle, called him fat, called him Fiona and made fun of him. Let me stress, I have never made fun of any living human being-especially a child. My late Aunt had Polio. My father’s late sister (my Aunt) had mental disabilities and lived with us for years so my parents could take care of her. I have a cousin that has Down syndrome/trisomy 21; One of my dear friends has Multiple Sclerosis and we enjoy our get-togethers often. I have helped take care of HIV+ babies. I have volunteered in classrooms with children with special needs. Even Kevin Sr. knows that I would NEVER call a child such horrible things. I met Kyle once, and he said, “Hi.” My children have told me wonderful stories about Kyle and I understand why they loved him so much

Excuses will be made, and more lies will be told about this blog entry by Col. Kevin P. Landers and Melody. They must do "damage control" as they have done for years to hide their lies. I just truly hope that at this point, others will start to realize that what comes out of Kevin and Melody’s mouth should be questionable especially after all the years of lies told about me, my children and others. Those “others” could very well be you.

I do hope that one day Col. Kevin P. Landers realizes that his anger will continue to give him nothing but grief, disappointment and loneliness. I truly thought that losing me and now his children would soften him and maybe help him understand that it is not us or others that are “ruining his reputation”, HE is destroying the world he lives in. As far as Melody, she has caused much pain to her “bonus kids” and her daughter by the hateful way she chooses to live her life. John has only referred to one person as “Evil” since I met him in 1986. That person is Melody. I have not spoken face-to-face with Melody (nor do I desire) but after all these years and the stories shared by the kids in her care, friends that became her foe and people that directly know her, Melody appears to be depressed, sad, lonely, angry, bitter, insecure…a person that needs some type of guidance to help heal whatever internal demons she is facing. She has told so many lies that I do not know what truths if any she has ever shared with me and John. John’s impression is that she may have spoken the truth to him about her father…who knows?

I must say this, I am very relieved that my children are no longer in her care. The damage has been done, but now that the kids are away from Kevin and Melody’s insanities, they are healing and I am very proud of each of them.

I also want to add that if not for me, his siblings and his Ryan cousins that my son would have not had ANY family members at his wedding and it was not because no one was invited. Kevin Sr.’s sister Kelly and his brother Brian were invited along with their spouses and children. It saddens me that my children have been pushed aside and forgotten especially by the Landers side of the family. Kevin Sr.’s mother who is referred to as Magaw by her grandchildren, did not attend the first wedding of one of her grandchildren. Magaw (Rebecca “Becky” Landers) chose to disown KJ, Megan, Amanda and Justin. For reasons that will never be logical. I am truly shocked that a loving grandmother picks and chooses which grandchildren she is going to embrace and be kind to. Her late husband Poppy James “Jim” Landers chose the same path. Just because their son and I could not continue in a marriage does not condone anger towards their own grandchildren. This goes for the rest of the Landers family. But, it is the typical Landers hateful, manipulative, controlling behavior that was taught. My family and I have had our challenges over the years, but I know for a fact that if both my parents were alive today, regardless of the family issues, they would have attended their grandson’s wedding with smiles on their faces.

On a side note, I do hope that John’s ex-wife Kelly Baker Barnes understands that no amount of damage control will ever fix the lies she has told her children about their dad. John’s 4 little ones are now 17 and their legal freedom is just around the corner. They will eventually be leaving for college, getting into relationships, creating their own lives and independence away from their mother Kelly and when they do, they will seek out John for answers. As much as Kelly has lied over the years to attempt to have her kids hate John their father, he is still and will always be their father. And just as my children have done, Kelly and John’s children want the truth so they can move on to healthy, productive, successful lives. I do hope Kelly views Kevin’s experience with his children as a warning that the more one tries to keep a child away from a parent, the more that child is going to seek them out and when they find out that Kelly has lied to them all these years, I do hope she realizes the consequences per what has transpired with her brother’s children. I do believe that Kelly is a better parent than her brother Kevin. But, let’s face it- he hasn’t set the bar too high. Just because Kelly is a better parent than her oldest brother does not mean she is a good parent. Good, loving parents don’t lie to their children and tell them that they are not allowed to have a relationship with their father because he’s a mean man and a criminal. Good, loving parents don’t tell lies to their children especially when the children have fond, loving memories of their dad. Good, loving parents don’t tell their children that if it is found out that you had contact with your father then you will be punished and removed off all media sites for good. Good, loving parents don’t bribe their children by buying them material items but threaten to remove them if they have contact with their father. And most importantly, good loving parents don’t use their children as trophies in an effort to say, “Look at what a wonderful Mom I am.” My advice to Kelly is that she must tell her children ALL the truths about herself and their father before they find it out on their own either through their older brother, their cousins, family or friends, me or more importantly-John.

I have learned many things in all my trials but one very important thing that I have learned about children is this: Children don’t expect perfect parents. They want honest ones.

I know that this is a very long entry but it was necessary to share all that I have to set a clear picture of where I was 11 years ago and where I am today. I have overcome much and there were times that it was all I could do to place one foot in front of the other some days. But where I stand today is proof that truth does prevail and love is always the answer. The events that took place in the United States this year with my children and families opened a whole new chapter in all of our lives. I was able to create an even deeper bond with my children and it was so wonderful to sit back and watch them dance, sing and enjoy each other after all these years of separation and manipulation. They finally achieved their “exhale moment.”

All of our physical memories (gifts, photos, notes, toys, “firsts”) were destroyed by Kevin, Sr. But it is okay. In this new chapter of our lives, we can document new memories and I look forward to many more family reunions in the States…SOON!

Having said that, I hope this New Year brings all of you a more peaceful one…a more joyous one…a more loving one.

Thank you once again for taking time to be a part of my life by reading my blog. Thanks to all of my readers who have followed me on this journey and for all the words of encouragement. I am truly grateful.

I'm choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.” ~Elizabeth Gilbert, -Eat, Pray, Love

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