I met Gina through our daughters who happened to meet at our apartment playground. They were inseparable and so were we. The girls were 5-6 years old and we have always stayed in touch over the years. Gina and I were  besties for 20+ years. I remember days of Gina doing the books for her and Steve’s Laser Light Show and Balloon Business, raising babies and trials and tribulations over our lives, divorce, lost houses, growing children but we helped each other through it . At one point they all lived w me in my little house while Gina got back on her feet. It was a packed house but boy did we have some fun. 

I took Gina to a country concert w me at the Fair and it was love at first site ….hence the country gal emerged! She was in awe watching Winona and Martina McBride and she caught the fever of singing ! She got a gig later at the Rodeo where we use to take free line dancing classes and the next thing you knew she was all over Spokane singing her heart out. I helped her paint her cute little home inside and out in the valley and we learned a lot about gardening together.  When she got Sick I went to chemo with her, held her hand and prayed, made her laugh so hard you would have thought we were drinking margaritas instead of her getting chemo. We shopped for wigs too.  Sadly the last four years Gina drifted apart from me I am not sure why but I do know she had and has so many friends maybe she was just to busy or maybe focused on her beautiful girls and grandchildren. 

I miss you my friend, I reached out every few months but never heard back until the day you passed. 

Every time I hear certain songs I smile and know it’s you. From Bonnie Raitt to Martina to Garth. I bet Jesus has a heck of a karaoke machine up there. 

I know one thing for sure and that is those girls and grandchildren sure have an angel in heaven watching over them! 

Til we meet again my friend. ❤️ 

My hero is LuGina. She is what a true warrior is all about. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she never feared it. She simply stated, I’m going to put up a hell of a fight. And fight is what she did! 13 years of fighting. Giving up was never on her mind.

I recall all the bdays we celebrated with friends. Each lady would wear the Happy Birthday tiara and a huge bobble ring that was the size of the Hope Diamond. We always had great laughs and she had thee best laugh of all.

I remember that were ever she lived, she made it a home.

Some of our best moments were when we all met up to shop for a new wig soon after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. We had a ball!! We all tried on wigs and fooled a mutual friend with one I was wearing. She thought I had a new do. That is how Gina works. She finds the rainbow after every rainstorm.

My hero fought for 13 yrs. She fought so she could meet her 3 grandsons. She fought so she had more time with her 3 beautiful daughters that she raised single-handed. She fought so she could give Malibu a loving home. She is a hero, she is my hero, my Gina 💞 

(She always called me , “My Heidi”)

Gina was my foster sister and dear friend she came in our home when she was in seventh grade

My sister Jacque married her older brother Wilfred.  It must have been scary for Gina change foster homes but in ours she fit right in. She enjoyed riding the ponies with my sister Joan and brother John or some of our neighbor friends.   We went through Condon's Castle's orchards when we rode.

Gina learned her life skills while with us. We had house chores, garden work and there was things some time to do in the barnyard...like butchering chickens which was a family event...yuck.  Gina learned to sew and she just grew into a wonderful young woman.

She went to church with us and was confirmed to even learn more about God's saving grace.

We picked cherries each summer to have money for bible camp and buy things we wanted like clothing.  She had that lovely voice we would sing together and she would play on the piano with me.  All the cousin's loved her one of them tried to teach her the "YUCKA" drive as he called it.  Gina was everyday turning more beautiful inside and out.  We had celebrations in our home some were weddings, holidays where Gina learned to Poka since she lived with a German family.  Gina will always be in my ❤️ heart.  I know that she is in heaven with family and with ours too.  Good bye sis I will see you too in heaven someday,  love you so much