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Our Goudie Family Story

Gordon and I met at Pacific Energy Fireplace Products in 1996. We were friends who had lunch and breaks together. Soon we were facing layoffs. This had a strange effect on me. I started thinking about my friendship with Gordon and thinking that with us living in totally different towns in opposite directions. The chances were that one or both of us might find other employment in our time off and might never see each other again. For some reason that I didn't quite understand at the time, this thought made me quite upset and I started to cry. Apparently Gordon was feeling the same way because we decided that we should explore the reason why the thought of never seeing each other again was not something we wanted to face.

Our company was having a meeting at a local tavern to discuss the future of the company. Gord and I went to the meeting and after that was over we decided to go across the street to a bar and hang out for a while.

While there I started talking to another buddy of mine and Gord went to play pool. I chatted with my guy friend for about an hour at which time I decided to see what Gord was doing and I found him playing pool and he was quite drunk. Much drunker that one would expect someone to be after only one hour of drinking. (I think he was jealous) but he would never admit that,that was the reason he was so drunk. I told him that I had to go home now and he didn't want me to leave. He did everything to convince me not to leave. But I had to go.

By the next weekend we were together again and we didn't go home. Neither of us wanted to be apart again. The date was November 22, 1996.

The Christmas Road Trip To Meet The Family

A few days before Christmas we picked up his Mother in Sooke and drove up to Campbell River so Gord could introduce me to his family. His sister Bonita lived in Campbell River with her husband Brian and their 2 children Brittany and Jessie. It was snowing heavy on our ride to Campbell River. His mom was having a good time razing Gordon as he was driving. We decided to take my Lincoln Town Car. This car for those of you who don't know, is rear wheel drive and it handles snow like a hot knife through butter. Suffice it to say I was panicking in the back seat for the entire trip to the river that day.

When we got to Fanny Bay we were all ready for a break and we decided to stop for dinner at the Fanny Bay inn. I cannot remember what we had to eat but I remember another event clearly. Gordon had to go to the washroom and his mother Audrey put her hand on my arm and asked me if I could have children. I thought this was a funny question to be asked within hours of meeting. But I told his mother that yes I could have children. She said good and patted my arm. Then she said the strangest thing yet. Gordie needs a baby.

The Family at Christmas

We stayed with Bonita's family through Christmas 1996. I liked her family a lot but I still felt like an outsider. This feeling had a lot to do with my upbringing and not the welcome of his family. On the morning of December 24th I woke up crying. Gordon woke up and asked me why I was crying and if someone in the family had said something that had upset me. I told him no, nobody had said anything and that I was not upset about anything. Upon reflection I realized that the only other time in my life that I had cried for no reason was when I was pregnant with Crystal. I informed Gord of this fact and suggested that we go and pick up a home pregnancy test.

The Test Results

We picked up a test and headed back to his sister's house. I was nervous and I told Gord about the last time I had to tell someone that I was expecting a baby. Crystal's dad, when told, said the baby wasn't his. She was, but that's another story. I was nervous that this time would be a similar experience. I told Gord that I would go and do the test in the washroom but that I couldn't bring myself to read the results. Gord agreed that he would go and read the results in the bathroom. That was a tense 2 minutes. Gord went in the bathroom and came out a minute later. He put his arms around me and said " so August". At first I didn't know what he meant then it hit me. We were pregnant. He hugged me and assured me that he was very happy. I only had one thing to say. Please don't say anything to his family that would ruin Christmas because that is my favorite time of the year. He said that he wouldn't...

An Hour Later...

We were in the living room having a few drinks an hour later when Gord says to his mother "so Gram ma what are you doing in August" or something to that effect. Gord's mom looked from Gord to me and realized that she was going to be a gram ma again in August. Well she was up and off that couch and hugging us both in seconds. Then it was Bonita's turn to hug us. I was blown away at the happiness his family showed us.

Christmas Morn

Well, all had gone way better than I had expected and I was still spinning from the realization that we were going to be parents. This was the second child for me but the very first for Gordon. And boy was he excited. Anyway it was time to open presents. I don't remember what everyone got but Bonita has the pictures for those of you who are curious. I only remember the last one. It was labeled "to the baby". When Gord and I opened it, inside we found a red sleeper with the words embroidered on the front, "Baby's First Christmas". I couldn't believe that his family didn't think low of me due to the fact that we had only been together just a little over a month by this time. This was the best time, and I will always be grateful for his family's acceptance and love.

A message for Gord...

Before we left Bonita's we had a long talk about some things that I wanted her to talk to her brother about. I told Bonita to talk to Gordon and find out how he felt about my being pregnant. I knew in my heart that Gord was a good man and that he might feel that he should marry me because he had gotten me pregnant. I wanted his sister to tell him that he didn't need to feel that he had to marry me out of responsibility for the baby. I wanted her to make sure that if he asked me it was because he loved me first and wanted a life with me regardless of my being pregnant. I told Bonita that I could have a baby on my own and that I had raised Crystal on my own and that I didn't want Gord to marry me for the wrong reasons.