The kids were all playing nicely in their bedrooms. I had originally tried to convince them to go out in the backyard and enjoy the nice fall weather, but I wasn't going to interrupt their bonding time. I thought about washing dishes and spent some time staring into the pantry to figure out what to make for dinner.
Around 4:30pm
I was thinking things were awfully quiet and wondered what kind of trouble the kids were getting in to, but decided to just enjoy the peace instead.
About 4:40pm
Ashby came into the kitchen looking for something and I asked him what they were up to. He said he was reading in his room. I asked what Cody was doing. He said he didn't know because Cody wasn't with him. Hmmmm...I looked in the bedrooms...no Cody and no Levi.
The backdoor was still locked, so nobody was playing out there. The front door was unlocked, and I knew I had locked it.
I ran outside and looked up and down the sidewalks. Nothing. I ran around the back of the house and looked in the shared grassy area. Nothing.
I ran back inside and told Ashby and Paige to get their shoes, jackets, and scooters quickly because we had to form a search party to find Cody and Levi. I jumped on my bike (since I don't have a car) and we split up. Paige and Ashby were sent to knock on neighbors' doors that Levi may have ventured to, and I went riding around the neighborhood.
Around 4:50pm
I wished that I had thought to pull the big kids aside and take a moment to pray together before we frantically left the house. I tried to say a silent prayer while I sped around the block behind my house.
I wanted to call out their names, "Levi! Cody!" but every time I tried, I just started crying. I didn't know how long they had been missing already. It'd been at least a half hour since the house was quiet. I wasn't really worried about them being kidnapped, but Cody is only 2 and Levi is only 4 and walking for that long could get them very lost. But I also was pretty sure they wouldn't have crossed any big roads, so I focused my search just around the square block.
I saw a mom (Emily) I know only a little at the small playground. She waved and I pulled up closer, trying (unsuccessfully) not to cry. She asked if everything was okay and I said I couldn't find my boys. She grabbed her kids and said they would go look at the big park and I continued my loop around the block.
Sometime after 5:00pm
Arriving back at home I saw my friend (Amy) walking down our driveway and I hoped for the best. But she didn't have them. Panic! She got in her car to broaden the search and I continued on my bike.
I was sweating and crying and my quads were burning (I didn't know I could ride my bike so fast - but it turns out its much easier when you're not hauling any kids).
I made another loop around the block focusing on areas behind homes and the back way to the park. Ran into Emily again, but she hadn't found them. I stopped by another friend's home (Jennifer) and asked. She gave me a cell phone so I could call if I found them and they got on their jackets to join the search.
I stopped by my house again and saw Ashby on the corner. He said that Amy found them and were in her car somewhere. Really?! I hustled back to Jennifer's to return the phone and tell her the news. I still hadn't seen my boys yet, but I felt fairly confident Ashby knew what he was talking about.
I went back home and Ashby said, "Bad news." My heart sank. "She has Cody and Levi but now they're trying to find you." Oh! That's okay! So I sat on the curb waiting for their return.
5:15ish
Amy's black minivan pulls up with my two little boys inside! No jackets, no shoes, just a sippy cup and a ball.
I don't really know the timeline of their adventures or where all they went, but they were found headed toward the school.
Later I heard a phone message from a mom on another street informing me that Cody and Levi were outside her house saying they were lost. (One more reason I need a cell phone!) And another mom seeing if she should call the police.
I'm so grateful for all the people that were totally willing to drop whatever they were doing and help out a frantic mom. I'm grateful for Ashby who said his own prayer for help. I'm grateful for Paige who got everyone worried for me. I'm grateful that Cody and Levi were protected and watched over by their much more attentive parent, their Heavenly Father.
And now, I'm going to start using our front door security latch.
3 comments:
OH man - this has me in tears. What a scary story. So glad everything worked out. We need a head cam on those two so we can see what they actually did during all that free time.
Oh my goodness!! That is heart wrenching. I'm so sorry that happened. I'm so grateful that they were safe and you had so many wonderful friends on your side helping you look.
wow, the scariest 30 minutes of your life!!! I'm so glad it had a happy ending and that the boys stayed together through it all. Thank goodness for a safe neighborhood and friends!
Post a Comment