Labor Day Weekend

We had a pretty good Labor Day weekend that began with Jon taking Jonathan to the Gator football game on Saturday. I don't think I've ever seen a happier kid than Jonathan when he got home. After being gone for about 11 hours he arrived smiling and full of excitement about his special day with Daddy, Granpa, Granny, and Uncle Jordan. Jon met up with his family in Gainesville and after the game they all came to visit us for the weekend here in Jacksonville.

Monday we went to the beach with the Jacksons and had a great day with the exception of temporarily loosing Landon. Oh yeah! My sweet, beautiful Landon wandered off without being noticed and I was terrified! I quickly scanned the beach and he was no where in sight; I scanned the surf, but knew that if he was out there I wouldn't be able to see him because he wasn't wearing his floaties and couldn't swim; but I'm getting ahead of myself, it all began with a thirsty little boy.

I was playing with the kids building a sand castle when Landon told me he was "sirsty." I looked up toward our umbrella and saw Granny and Granpa there taking care of Jayden and told Landon to go ask Granpa for something to drink. I pointed him in the right direction and then got distracted by one of the big kids and didn't check to see if he had made it. A couple of minutes later Granpa came and asked if I knew where Landon was, my response was heart-failure and, "I thought he was with you." So Granpa began walking down the beach looking for him. I quickly began scanning the beach and the terror I was feeling must have been obvious because Marissa quickly asked what was wrong and she and Jeff began searching, as did some guys on the beach who I'd never seen before. I quickly went to the lifeguard nearby and was somewhat reassured when she said that the next tower down the beach had just radioed that they had found a lost little boy. Still, I didn' t feel better until I saw him walking between Marissa and Granpa and knew that he was safe.

Thankfully, another mother noticed him walking down the beach alone, playing as the waves came in and went and got him. She gave him a toy (a Star Wars bobble-head which is now his favorite) to play with and led him to the lifeguard tower. He never cried or seemed scared . . . I don't think he even realized that he was lost, but I do know that I lost a few years of my life when I realized he was missing; I don't know what I would do without my little "Lubi." I am so thankful for the help of everyone who looked for him and for the stranger who found him, and am especially grateful for a Heavenly Father who watched over my little boy and kept him safe from harm.