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It was a hot summer day, like any other. J was home. He was so excited about buying the kids a slide & couldn't wait to get in the backyard & set it up for them. He brought it around to the back as the 3 kids played outside while he worked. Sawyer was up in his swing because he was still only crawling but the other 2 were playing in the sand & riding the 4-wheeler.
I was inside doing something.....couldn't tell you what....I'm sure cleaning. I noticed Josh come in & go back to the bedroom to change clothes. Just minutes later he went back out but this time he went out front. It only took him a minute & he was back in, running to the backyard. As he comes back in the door he says "Oh crap" & rushes out front again. He ran out to the street looking around & yelling for Spencer, but got no answer.
By this time I am realizing what is going & am beginning to freak out. Josh tells me he is on the 4-wheeler but he doesn't see him. He starts to run down the street but when he gets to the end he still can't see him. At this time, I ran to the backyard to make sure Sam & Sawyer were OK & that Sam wasn't going anywhere. I ran out the front door & down the street in the opposite direction, screaming his name at the top of my lungs.
It was like something from the movies......that frantic screaming & crying, begging God for help! I got to the cross-street & didn't see him anywhere. I can't tell you the last time I ran anywhere.....much less, without any shoes on a burning blacktop. It was clear that I was worthless on foot so I ran back to the house. I got down in Sam's face & explained that Spencer was missing & Mommy & Daddy had to go look for him.....then I threatened her with her life & locked her inside.
I got my keys, jumped in the truck & immediately dialed 9-1-1.
I guess you could say I was hysterical at this point......every awful thing that could possibly happen to him, racing through my mind. I went down the street & around the next block while I am relaying info to the dispatcher. I never saw him. As I headed back up the street she asked if I was sure he wasn't at the house, just hiding or something.
By this time, I thought I ought to head back to the house to see if J had found him. As I rounded the corner I thought I saw the 4-wheeler in the front yard. As I got closer to the house I yelled, "the 4-wheeler is in the front yard.......it's by the front door......the 4-wheeler is here!!!!!!!!!!" The dispatcher asked, "Are you sure? Are you sure he is there?" I flew into the driveway, threw open the door & ran inside yelling, "is he here? is Spencer here?"
I have no idea where Josh was but Samara said, "yes, he's in his room."
Wow! A rush of relief & frustration!
I told the dispatcher but it wasn't 2 minutes later that the police were knocking on our front door asking to see him. I guess they can't just take your word for it. He was adamant that they see him. They talked to him for a bit, making sure he heard from someone besides his parents that he better not do anything like that ever again!
So, Josh found him at the far end of our street on the cross street in someones driveway. Thankfully a woman stopped him & kept him there in the driveway. She was truly an angel.....it could have been REALLY bad. Our dog went the whole way with him. I was totally impressed! I had blisters on the bottom of my feet from the burning street so I know that Maddie was hurting. She was limping when she got home, poor girl!
After the commotion settled I crashed in the rocking chair & just cried. I was exhausted & so grateful that God had spared our family a tragedy.
