It all started February 17 1986 when a beautiful little girl was born. Angela and Brendan were so happy to be finally meeting their little girl. Little did they know that this was going to be the very beginning of a life long journey of love, laughter, joy, heartache,devistation, and tears. Their little girl was born what most doctors call a blue baby for she was born dead the umbilical cord had wrapped around this precious baby girls neck 3 times. Thankfully for the Doctor and nurses this life was saved and they named their little blue eyed angel Maggie Nicole Lee.

They spent the first few months of Maggie's life in and out of the hospital because she was always sick she would catch pneumonia at the drop of a dime. Which made things really rough for the parents trying to care for a sick baby and her 1 year old brother Corey. After taking into consideration they decided to give Angela's mother and step father custody of their little girl in hopes of being able to get her medical coverage to take care of her. During this time Angela and Brendan grew apart and finally divorced one another sending them in their separate ways. Gracie the grandmother of Maggie had a wonderful baby sitter for her that just loved Maggie very much. As days turned into nights and nights into weeks and weeks into months, Gracie went to Rena with the biggest question anyone could ever be asked. "Rena do you want Nikki", Gracie asked. "Yes I want Nikki", Rena replied nor realizing what she was really being asked. Gracie looked at her and responded "I'm not asking you if you want to watch Nikki, I am asking you do you want to keep Nikki as in do you want to adopt her?" With a very shocked yet excited answer Rena replied with "Yes I would love to adopt Nikki, I love her so much and would be happy to do it". This is where the real journey begins and people's lives are filled with joy while others lives are torn apart forever.

Rena and her husband Johnny's prayers were finally answered for Rena was unable to have children of her own. They were now the parents of a beautiful little girl after the whole adoption process was over they were finally able to move on with there lives as a family. Only one little problem stood in the way Gracie still had grandparent rights and had not yet told Angela she had given her little girl up for adoption.

Gracie called Angela whom was living in Pennsylvania at the time, 6 weeks after the adoption was finalized when it was to late to change there minds and reverse the adoption. Angela answers the phone "Hello", "Hey Angie" Gracie responds. "I'm thinking about comin to visit how does that sound to you?" "That sounds great I can't wait to see yall". "Well there's only one thing" Gracie said. "What's that" Angie asks. After a moment of silence and a crackled voice "I'm not bringing Nikki with me." Angie gets quiet and worried "why not?" "Well I'm not bringing Nikki with me because she has been adopted" Gracie says. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE HAS BEEN ADOPTED" Angie screams. "Well Rena and Johnny adopted her from me". Very hurt from the news of losing her little girl forever as she thought Angela hung the phone up and began to cry. Her little girl her first born daughter had been taken away from her and she wouldn't be able to see her ever again. Angela's life had just been forever turned upside down or so she thought.

After months turned into years. Maggie started growing up into a beautiful little girl she was so full of energy and always so happy. She was in girl scouts, gymnastics, dance played softball. Just lived her life to the fullest but always knew something was missing in her life. Rena wasn't sure as to weather or not she should tell Nikki she was adopted but felt if she found out later in her life she would hate her. So she did what she felt was right and told her the truth. Nikki grew depressed and wondered why nobody wanted her or loved her. Was there something wrong with her. Until one day at the age of 13 she was told to get dressed nice and fix her makeup and her hair she was going to meet someone. Not knowing who she was going to meet or where they were going Nikki did as she was told. She got in the car with her mom and they began to drive on the way to Brenham. Rena looked at Nikki and asked her "do you want to know where we are going" Nikki worried responded "yes". Rena hesitated for a min and said "I am taking you to meet your biological mom and brothers and sister" Tears began to roll out of Nikki's eyes. "What's the matter" asked Rena. "I'm scared, why now after 13 years why try to act like you care you gave me away and now you want to come back into my life like nothing ever happened". Just as scared and worried ad Nikki her mother grabs her hand and tells her "It's OK to be scared I am scared to I don't know what your going to be feeling after its over I am scared they are going to try to take you away from me or your going to want to go with them and not come back home with me". "Your my mom and nothing will change that I love you" Nikki said to rena.

After a 45 min drive they pull up the Casa Ole in Brenham where they were greeted by Angie, Jimmie, Gracie, Corey, Amber,and Jd. They visited shared stories ate lunch and all got ready to leave and say there goodbyes. Photos were taken hugs were shared and they got in there Cara and drove in opposite directions. Nikki was quiet for a little while looking out her window and started crying. Rena stayed silent as she didn't want to interfere with any feeling Nikki was feeling at this moment .

Nikki met with Angie again a few more times after the first meeting she went and spent a week in Louisiana with them when she was 14. After she went home she didn't hear from them again until she was 17 years old.
Nikki spent her entire life with a roller coaster emotions. Happy one min sad the next. Feeling unloved and unwanted.
WHEN SHE WAS 14 SHE ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE WHICH RENA NEVER KNEW. NIKKI WENT ON A SUMMER TRIP TO GLORIETA NEW MEXICO WITH HER CHURCH GROUP WHERE SHE TOLD HER DEACON ABOUT HER DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE ATTEMPT. AT THAT MOMENT RENA REALIZED SOMETHING WAS REALLY BOTHERING NIKKI. She was depressed and really needed help. So she got her help. And things started getting better for Nikki she was happy again and full of love and joy. But still always felt she was missing something. Nikki was always the type to keep her feelings bottled up inside she never shared what was going on with anyone except for her notebook.
That was her way to vent write down her feeling and ball it up and throw it away.
The only real father figure she had in her life was her Grandpa Darrell Bishop she idolized this man he could do no wrong or no harm in her eyes. Once again her life took another tragic turn. Her grandfather turned deathly Ill while she was on vacation in Oklahoma. She returned from vacation with her mom waiting for her st the end of the terminal as she unboarded the plane. "Where is grandma" Nikki asked. "She couldn't come" Rena responded
"Let's go home"
WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN Giddings Rena passed up the turn to the house Nikki confused asked "Where are we going" "We gotta go somewhere first right quick" says Rena. Nikki just sits back and says "okay" a few minutes later they pull into the nursing home "why are we here" Nikki asks. "You will see" says rena. They walk inside and walk into a room where Nikki sees her grandfather laying in the bed. He looked bad very bad sounded horrible gurgling on his own saliva. The last day of visiting Nikki didn't want to go to dance camp for she knew this would be the last time she saw her grandpa alive. Rena started to let her stay but changed her mind and told her she needed to go to camp. Nikki went to camp as requested and spent the night for her lock in her mother was there to meet her at noon the next day to pick her up. When Nikki got the the car rena looked at her and said "I'm sorry" Nikki screamed "I told you he wasn't going to make it I wanted to be there you said he would still be here" crying Nikki walked into the funeral home where she saw her grandpa laying there lifeless. Completely broken Nikki showed no emotions shed not one tear she was hurt because he didn't wait for her. She didn't get to say goodbye. She had been left behind once again. Nikki's mom asked her to write a poem and put a picture in the casket. Nikki was so mad that her grandpa left she didn't do either.
After the funeral everyone went home and it wasn't until then that it actually set in that her grandpa was gone and she would never see him again. Reality had set in and Nikki grew depressed once again. That is when the next chapter of her young life began.