Washington Trip-Where's Mikayla?

Another experience that we had in Washington that still makes my heart race and eyes tear up. Those emotions are out of pain, fear but most of all gratitude. About the fourth day we were there, on Tuesday. Kimball had gone to work. Marianne and Reece left to take two of Marianne's children to a Xylophone summer camp. Scott and I were home and the children were all playing outside and I was inside withe Lexi and Kaylee. I saw Scott put Keira in the stroller to go for a short walk and Mikayla got on a bike and followed Scott out. Later I saw Scott on the back porch and the children all running around playing. It started to rain so we gathered all the children under the patio and Scott and I were holding Kaylee and Lexi. As the children gathered under the shelter of the patio, Mikayla never came in and I looked at Scott and asked where Mikayla was. He said she had come in after their walk. I jerked my head towards him and said firmly, "no, she never came back in the house." Immediately, fear, anxiety and heartache came over me. One of my biggest fears was staring me in the face. My heart raced and I tried not to cry. I gathered the children and brought them all into the house. I asked each one to check their rooms and closets and the rest to check the other rooms in the house, giving them each a room and making sure all the rooms were thoroughly checked. Scott immediately grabbed the keys and ran out the door, jumped in the car and sped off. I hesitantly walked out to the garage, fearing what I would see, the bike was still gone. I took a deep breath and went back into the house and gave the two babies (who were screaming after sensing the tension in the air) to the older children and said everyone sit right here. I need to go look for Mikayla. I walked out the door, headed up the driveway while I called Scott on my cell phone. He answered and I prayed I would hear him say he had found her. He did not, he said he hasn't seen her or the bike anywhere. I felt the lump in my throat and my eyes start to tear up. I held my breath and told Scott, "I can't do this! I can't lose my baby!" I overhear him talking to a woman asking her if he had seen a little girl. She responded no and said she would help go look. In the mean time, I start walking the streets and yelling for her. I begin to think she has been gone way to long and we don't have the man power. Thoughts and fears poured through my mind, how scared she must be and it has been raining and she is on a bike, how I have not prepared her for this situation, how I will self destruct if we don't find her, how could I be a mother to my other children? How could I not blame my husband? How could I ever go back to Texas without her? My heart raced faster and faster and my tears started to well up in my eyes. I told Scott, "I think we need to call the police." So I called 911 and reported her missing, something I never in a million years I would have to do. The dispatcher just kept telling me to check the house, that 90% of the time the child is in the house. In the mean time, Marianne had returned home and I told her Mikayla was missing and her and Reece were in their car out looking as well. I explained to the dispatcher that she was gone and several people had checked the house. They insisted she was probably in the house. I could hardly keep myself calm, knowing she was out there by herself, scared and alone and knows nothing about the area, knows no one. What seemed like an eternity went by, filled with questions from the dispatcher and finally I hear the sirens coming. The police get there and I come out of the house with my hand over my mouth, trying to swallow the lump in my throat and not fall apart crying. I started to breath heavily, like a child before they are going to wail. The police officer told me to take a deep breath. He started to ask me questions, my cell phone rings and my husband was calling. I answered it and he said, "I have her, I found her!" I apologized profusely to the police officer who was very kind and told me it was okay. Scott pulls up and goes around to get Mikayla out of the car. He opens the door and she wraps her arms and legs around him tightly and buries her head sobbing uncontrollably. He carried her to me and I just sat down on the stairs leading up to the front door. I held her as she cried and I stroked her hair. I immediately said a prayer of gratitude as I held my sweet baby girl. I love her so much and could never imagine life without her. I am so grateful for these dear, sweet children Heavenly Father has allowed me to have and am so grateful I could be their mother. They are amazing and the sweetest spirits and I hope to cherish everyday I have with them.