Lost and Found!

Yesterday was a nice day and I had errands to run in the morning and mid afternoon. Then by the time we got home Tula'i and Lavea'i had fallen asleep and it was time to get Kalena and Maika some lunch. By the time I had cleaned up lunch, it was time to teach piano lessons. After piano lessons, I had to finish making dinner to take it to one of the ladies in our ward who had just had her baby (or else it would have been another night of cereal or something easy). With Cliff not being home, I got the kids bikes out and loaded the food in the stroller. Off we went to deliver the food across the street and onto the park for a bike ride for family home evening.

Just to describe our park: it goes around in an odd shaped circle, but pretty much wherever I was at any given point, I could see the kids. The park is enclosed with many peoples backyards leading into the park. There are 3 exits out of the park and one of them is right in front of our house.

While Kalena and Maika are a bit faster on there bikes, I figured this would be an excellent place to take a bike ride because I would be able to see them the WHOLE time no matter where I was in the park. Both, Kalena and Maika met a couple of other kids that were riding their bikes while their parents were walking around the park. Kalena and Maika decided that they would keep riding around with the kids. The parents had caught up with Tula'i, Lavea'i and myself (due to the sluggishness of Tula'i) and continued on to catch up to their children. Little did I know they were on their way home. Kalena had kept up with the other kids and Maika was quite a ways behind the rest of the gang because he had fallen off his bike into the grass. It took him a little bit of time to get up and back onto his bike. By the time he had gotten back onto his bike, we were not too far behind him. But once he began to ride again, he had made it to the other side of the park in no time leaving us behind once again. Kalena had taken off with the other kids and their parents. Maika saw Kalena leave and decided he would follow her. I couldn't leave my other two boys to take off and go get him. I never considered the fact "What if...my kids decide to leave the park?" But about 30 seconds later, I see Kalena ride back into the park. Once she saw me, she booked it towards me. Little did she know how ANGRY I was at this point.

I had to idea where Maika was at this point. By the time Kalena got to me, who knows where he was riding. He never re-entered the park as far as I could see. I made Kalena get off her bike and I yelled at her for leaving the park in the first place. I know Kalena can find her way home due to a previous experience, but still IT IS NOT OKAY TO JUST LEAVE.

We were by the park entrance near our house. I made Kalena take hers and Tula'i's bikes home and just leave them. I put Tula'i on top of the stroller and Kalena ran behind me. We took off down the street to try and find him. I was panicking and yelling his name at the top of my lungs. After about 10 VERY LONG minutes of searching and tears beginning to flow from my eyes. I HAD LOST MY SON! The most horrible thoughts began racing through my mind. I couldn't imagine life without one of my children. I finally called our Relief Society president, Sister Smith, because her number is one of the only ones that I have in my cell phone. I knew she would pick up. She immediately got her family and they all began looking. She called me back within a few minutes and had told me he had been found. Our neighbors across the street had him. He had made his way home and began knocking on the door. Luckily, our neighbors were getting ready to take their dog for a walk and found him crying on our front porch. They said they felt bad because they didn't even recognize him. Why should they feel bad? I am the one that lost him.

Let me tell you, I have never been SO scared sick to my stomach. Kalena was sobbing and her world had been turned upside down to lose her brother. When we made it inside the house, Sister Smith and her husband came by to see how I was doing. Cliff called in the middle of talking to them, so we ended our conversation so I could answer his call. After everything had settled a little bit, there was a lesson learned by all, except the two that had no clue what was going on. I am very thankful for living in a GREAT neighborhood where we know most of the people that live here.

Lessons I Learned:

1. I am not Super Mom and shouldn't be overconfident that I can handle everything.
2. I shouldn't have made Kalena leave her bike at home and run along side me. Of course, I realized this about halfway into the searching. (She ended up throwing up right before bed)
3. Heavenly Father has created a plan where families can be together forever...not only in this life, but in the next. I knew this already and Cliff always pushes being with the family, but it made it even more real last night that every minute should be cherished.