San Diego

After Spending Lives Apart, Sisters Reunite for Holidays

The holidays are a little merrier for one San Diego family that reunited with a loved one after spending their lives apart

Ashley and Jennifer Travers and Michelle Thomas are three sisters with a lot in common, but they wouldn’t have known it two years ago.

Michelle, the oldest sibling, was adopted just days after she was born from her high school birth parents.

Years later, Michelle’s birth parents married and had Ashley and Jennifer. The pair discovered they had another sibling and, two years ago found Michelle via Facebook.

“She was excited and I was freaking out,” Jennifer said. “I didn’t know if (Michelle) would be like, ‘oh’ and (I was) nervous because she had her own family.”

The Travers sisters ultimately decided to reach out.

“We figured she’d probably want to know where her weird side of the family came from,” Jennifer said. 

“Yes, this definitely explains a lot, Michelle quipped. “Genetics run deep.”

This winter the siblings and their families are celebrating the holidays all together for the first time.

Ashley and Jen are showing Michelle, who is from Indiana, all San Diego has to offer — meanwhile discovering all the similarities they share.

All three sisters love to shop, always “bargain-hunting” for the best deals when they do. And they consider themselves “foodies.”

“When they say they plan their days around meals I was like ‘Yes I do that,’” Michelle said excitedly.

Jennifer and Michelle even use the same cell phone passwords.

“It’s crazy,” Michelle said.

With the reunion, two separate families became one big family. Michelle has six children, Jennifer has a newborn and Ashley is expecting her first child.

“I went from being an only child who was Italian, to the oldest sister of two, who had not a lick of Italian in me,” Michelle said.

The siblings plan on spending the holidays together, and Michelle’s birthday on Dec. 23.

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