My scariest vacation that I've been on is the time I went to Florida with my family. We were driving from Grandview to Panama which was like a 12-hour drive and it was fun. It was spring break so everybody was at the beach. It was very crowded so we all stayed together. When we got there, we were in a hotel and my dad suggested we go fishing on a boat, so the next day we rented a boat that could fit a lot of people. When we got the boat everyone took a turn driving it for about an hour or two. When we were on the water we saw an island and we wanted to explore it and fish and swim. So we were on the island for about an hour having fun, fishing, swimming, and all of a sudden I got shocked by something so I looked down and saw a herd of jellyfish right below me and I couldn't move. I kept getting stung over and over so I just made a run for it. When I got to the shore my body was all red and stung really bad. One of the funniest times in my life was when I was in junior high. It was me and my friends and family it was summertime so we were all swimming and playing and everyone was having a good time. So then we left and went to the store to get snacks and drinks for everyone. When we got back we went right back to swimming and everyone suggested we move the trampoline next to the pool so we could jump into the pool. So we moved it over by the pool and everyone was jumping on the trampoline into the pool so the trampoline was really slick. When I went on the trampoline I got really high and was about to go into the pool, then I was too high and slipped and bounced really high in the air. I looked down and I’m about to miss the pool so when I landed I tried catching myself with my arm. When I landed my arm was badly broken and I had to get taken to the ER.

When I was nine years old, I was adopted. My mom and dad were both eighteen when they had me and my brother. It all began when my brother and I were found alone in a car. I was 3 and my brother was 4 when we were placed in foster care. My mother was given time to get a job and a place to live before we could be returned. my brother and I were separated. My first foster home was in Haughton, Louisiana and my brother was in Shreveport, Louisiana. His foster family found out about me through my social worker and we scheduled visits every once in a while. My mom got a job and a place to live. We then returned to her about a year later. But things didn't go well. Her boyfriend was physically and mentally abusive to me, my brother, and my mom. Two years after we had been back with my mother she quit her job and her boyfriend moved out. She placed us back in foster care when I was 5. My brother went back to his first foster home in Shreveport and I went to a different family. My mom came in to visit me in the foster home on my 6th birthday. Later on, my foster mom became ill and I had to move again. My new home was with a woman named Mary in Benton, Louisiana. I liked staying with Mary but I still missed my brother. The social worker continued to schedule our visits with my brother. On February 4, 1981, my mom had another little boy named Jeremy. She then gave him to a family in Texas who wanted to adopt him. The family was the relatives of a friend of my mom’s. That day she also signed her rights away to me and my brother. My biological father was still nowhere to be found and lost custody of me and my brother. The Slaughters, my brother's foster family, started the process to adopt both of us. On October 7, 1983, the adoption was final, and the Slaughter family went from 2 boys and 2 girls to 3 boys and 3 girls.

My grandmother lived in an old house in Fort Worth, all I knew was that three people had died in her house. My Grandma later passed away in that house which was then left to me and my sister, that house had always creeped me out... I never wanted to go in there alone. My daughter Rozlin and my niece were toddlers at the time only about 2 years old, my sister, my mom, and I went to start cleaning out the house, we were digging through the old closet when I turned around to see my niece Brooke who looked like she was reaching to someone trying to be picked up or held, we were creeped out but we kept working anyway. Later on, my mom came back and brought us back some lunch. We went downstairs where there was a huge dining room. We decided that we would eat there. Rozlin was sitting across the table from me and my back was facing the dark hallway with stairs and a room. My mom, sister, and I were all talking when out of nowhere Rozlin whispers in my ear ¨Mom there is a monster beside you¨ we all went silent as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I didn't know what to say so I asked Rozlin ¨Is the monster back there?¨ she whispered to me ¨NO! ITS RIGHT BESIDE YOU!¨ she kept staring beside me for the rest of the time and I was really scared. We left after that and I never went to that house again.

I have lived here in Grandview my whole life. 3-4 generations of my family have lived here. I am currently teaching 7th-grade science in my old 9th-grade classroom. My math teacher from when I was learning math is still teaching here at Grandview. When I was growing up I lived next to two cemeteries, one on each side of my house. I love Halloween, when I was growing up me and my friends would go to the cemetery next to my house and try to scare each other and tell scary stories, the guys were always scared after hearing those stories.

I had a pet lemur. Her name was Mitiz, but you gotta watch her cause she will cause mischief when you're not looking. She was super sweet her best friend was a dog but sadly one day that dog got ran over when Mitiz saw my husband getting my dog she thought that he was hurting her, Mitiz attacked my husband. No one got hurt but Mitiz never forgave him so we had to take her to a sanctuary soon after that happened. Mitiz was one big trouble maker but I loved her. When I would cook she would bite grapes in half and would hold her little hand over the pan, I would say “ don’t you do it… MITIZ don’t”... plop. One time while we were outside listening to people sing Christmas carols, Mitiz who I thought was put up in her crate got out. For some odd reason she ran towards one girl singing and fish hooked her (no one got hurt) it was hilarious. The next time that we sang Christmas carols the girl who got attacked by Mitiz, didn't go up and sing. I told her “it's ok Mitiz is put away in her crate” she refused anyway.

My name is Donnell Carter Senior. I was born in Lubbock Texas on May 25, 1953. I grew up in Fort Worth Texas, I graduated from Dunbar High School. I got married when I was 19 years old, I later enlisted and went to the army in 1969-1972. I have four children, two boys and two girls. I have 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

My family is originally from Fort Worth Texas. I first learned how to cook from my mom. I later moved to Arizona. I also learned how to cook in the military kitchen (mess hall). I later became a lieutenant at the federal prison in Arizona, I remained a firearm instructor for 13 years. I also worked on the SORT team for 5 years at the state prison. I got my training to use a sniper rifle in Las Vegas as well, after 21 years I moved back to Texas to be with my family.

I moved from Holbert Arizona to Fort Worth, after a few years later I moved to Grandview, Texas. My life has been good, but I couldn't have made it without God. Overall I can say I have had a good life. I have seen many things, been to a lot of places, and I’m happy, after working dangerous jobs and stopping a prison ride. I can truly say I’m blessed and happy.