Back to Florida

So, we after our long and exhausting trip back from Utah and Illinois, you would think we would need a little time to recuperate.  Well we did NEED some time, but we didn't get any.  Elisabeth had just 2 or 3 days to get ready for her first Girls Camp for church.  So we were shopping for bug repellent, flash lights, and other camping stuff.   And before we knew it she was off.  Poor kid, she really was exhausted before she ever got started.  But I think she still managed to have a pretty good time.

So here she is the parking lot with her friends.  Sarah was sooooo sad!  It brought  a tear to my eye.  She cried all the way home.  She really loves her big sister.  But when we got home I was able to cheer her up.

We had no idea of the tumult that was headed our way.  I don't remember now if it was the very next day or two days later.  We were still  in our pajamas when the phone rang.  My dear friend Courtney was on the line, and she was very upset.   She said she needed to to come over right away.  I told her I would head out right now, then she told me why.  I couldn't believe what I heard.

Courtney is the beautiful and wonderful mother of 5 amazing kids. The oldest is 5 and the last two are twins...Ruby and Addy. They were just 3 months old at this time.  She said Ruby was gone.  I didn't understand...did she mean Ruby had been stolen...kidnapped, she couldn't mean that...but she couldn't possibly mean the alternative, my brain was desperately searching for another answer....Then she made it clear. Ruby was no longer with us.  She found her in her bed that morning.  And she needed me to come and be with her.

I gathered up the 3 kids who were home, and we were off.  It's 30 minutes or more to get to her house.  So I had plenty of time to try to grasp the reality of the situation and explain to the kids.  I knew they could help by keeping Courtney's 3 oldest kids occupied while I helped Courtney in any way I could.

I didn't really know what to expect.  She was at the house across the street from hers, and there were police everywhere.  They escorted me in.  And I saw grief like I've never seen before. Half of the time She was in another room being questioned.  This was of course very hard on her.  And the kids who were still in their PJ's wanted to go home and get dressed. But they weren't allowed in the house.  

Sarah, had cried a bit on the way there.  But now she jumped right in and played with the kids and kept them happily distracted.  Adam and Nicholas were not comfortable, it was pretty upsetting, so my good friend Lisa came to pick them up and kept them for me the rest of the day.  

Eventually they allowed me to take the kids back over to their house, while their parents had to talk to more police and family services workers.  Once they were done with all the questioning, they too came home. 

The rest of the day was spent alternating between crying, and busily working to get them packed and prepared to leave for Missouri where they would have the funeral and burial.  They had so many decisions to make, and so many details to think about. Jon came out after work, bringing some things they needed with him.  We finally got them all packed up and on the road by about 12:30 or 1:00 am.  

That was mid June.  I'm just now able to write and publish this to my blog.  It was such a sad and painful experience.  I hurt for my dear friend.  I'm happy to say that while we miss them terribly (They are living in Missouri), I hear from Courtney often and she is such a trooper.  She's a wonderful mom and all her kids are lucky to have her.