I have thought of the bear story many times over the years.  Carrie did make several laps around the trailer until either Dad or Mom opened the door, reached out and drug her inside.  Funny thing was, the bear just stopped at the campfire.  I think Dad had cooked trout for dinner that evening and apparently the bear thought it smelled good.  We had many good and very funny times camping didn't we Mama!

 I will always remember the time we were camping at Yellowstone.  We were all sitting around the campfire, me on mom's lap, when we looked up and saw a bear walking into our campsite.  Of course we all screamed, mom stood up along with dad and Connie and we ran for the trailer.  However, they all seemed to forget the most important person....me!  Yep, I was left outside of the trailer along with the bear.  If I remember correctly I took a couple of laps around the trailer before they got the door opened and hauled me in.  Ah, good times.

Your website is perfect, Connie.  LaDonna was the epitome of "amazing grace" through all the suffering she endured during her life, and still kept that beautiful smile.  Her smile was such a gift to all of us.

A few years ago your Mom and Dad spent a couple of days at the beach.  Her birthday was July 27, mine July 26.  She said she did not do much reading, but we had bought her the first 4 books of the "Left Behind" series for her birthday.  Each book had over 400 pages. We called her two weeks later and asked if she had started the books yet.  She said she had read them all in two weeks!  Once she started she could not put them down, and enjoyed them so much.  She went out to Costco and bought the next one to start on it, and was faithful to get the next one every time one came out.  There were 12 in all.  I was glad we were able to get her started on something that brought her pleasure.

I remember the weekend LaDonna and Curt,  Lou and Carol Cornish and Gene and I went to Long Beach, stayed at The Breakers Motel, and had our Sunday evening sing-along of different hymns of the church.  I made a book for all  of us, and we had our CD for music.  How special to share with fellow believers our love of the Lord.  We've gone to both LaDonna's and Lou's churches and been truly blessed by the "old time religion" feel of their churches.  God is so faithful to meet us in those places and knit our hearts together with such special people.

I remember Thanksgiving weekend 1999.  LaDonna and Curt came up on Wednesday, we went to pizza with them and my Dad and Mary.  On Thursday, we had Thanksgiving dinner with the six of them.  We visited all day long, had the neighbors come over for pumpkin pie, and thoroughly enjoyed all the good company.   My Dad was enjoying himself so much that he did not want to go home.  But I wanted to be able to visit with Curt and LaDonna, so I took Dad and Mary back to Winlock.  I will always regret that I did that since he was having such a good time.  But we learn from our mistakes, and we did enjoy the next two days with Curt and LaDonna.

I remember the trip to the Colorado reunion in 1999.  Both Curt and LaDonna and we had car troubles on the trip.  I think their car needed a water pump; ours needed a new fuel injector.  But we all made it in time for dinner Friday night!  They both enjoyed family reunions so much, Curt as much as LaDonna.  This extended family was easy to love and adopt, as I have found out over the years.  LaDonna is just as much my cousin as Gene's--I'm thankful for that great gift in my life.

And the reunion at Maynard's in Klamath Falls in 2004.  We so enjoyed our visit again, but LaDonna was so sick, and as we hugged goodbye, LaDonna and I had the sense we would not see each other again and it brought us great sadness.  But the Lord was good, and we got to spend 3 days with them again in Arkansas in 2007 to our delight.  There are not very many people I would drive all the way to Arkansas to see!  But she and Curt were definitely those people!

This is not goodbye forever.  Just until we meet up again in heaven.  The Lord has given us that promise to hold to for comfort. 

Very few people touch our lives as profoundly as LaDonna has done.  Our lives were definitely richer for having known her, spent time with her, and loved her dearly.  I will miss our earthly gatherings, dear friend.  Janis and Gene