9/11...sad & happy day...

The night of 9/11 Derrick & I were driving home. As we were on I-285 I told Derrick that it was weird to know that every single person that we were surrounded by on the expressway was thinking & talking about the same thing. Everybody has their stories. This is my story.

I was 8 months pregnant with our firstborn. Derrick was working at Pettett & Sons Printing, which at the time was in the Pettett's basement. One half of the basement was the office and the other half was a finished family room. I was on bedrest. Since we didn't really know when I would go into labor, I went with Derrick to work everyday and took up all 3 cushions on their couch.

I was watching "Real Genius", an old, Val Kilmer flick. Randall, owner of the house, TV & business, came in to the family room and asked if he could change the channel. It was his house and I gladly abliged. He turns it to CNN or Fox (I don't remember which) and we find the ugly images that I'm sure we all wish that we wouldn't have seen. Derrick & Aaron were out getting breakfast and were quickly returning. As Randall and I sat talking we turned our heads back to the TV to see that a tower was missing. About that time Derrick returned. Eventually it turned into all of us (Randall, Robbie, Aaron, Andrew, Jon, Derrick & myself) in the family room watching the news until about 8 p.m. that night. I think we even ordered pizza because we didn't want to leave the TV. The shock & horror of it all. I'm still speechless over it.

Fast forward 5 years. We had been in Mexico for about 9 months. We were taking our first trip home. It was 9/11/2006. When I arrived at baggage claim my dad-in-law told me to call Becky. I asked him "why" and he just said to call her. I did and she informed me that My Anne, who was pregnant with twins, was in labor at that very moment! Needless to say I was driven straight to the hospital.

I think that Kara was the only one that knew that I was coming. When I arrived I had the guys drop me off outside of the parking lot so that they didn't have to worry about driving through the parking lot. I was in such a hurry that I ran, up a hill and up the stairs into the waiting room. When I ran in everyone jumped up and yelled, "VALARIE!!!" I could hardly breathe. But I was giving tons of hugs. I was also starving but all I had was pesos. I had to borrow some money from Glen Smith to get something delicious from the vending machine.

About 30 minutes or so later, we heard that Elijah was here and we were waiting for Elissa. Then we heard of Elissa's arrival. I was so thrilled. I was even more thrilled to see Sarah. Kara & I left at about 2 a.m. to get Sarah, Keith, and ourselves some YUMMY food from Steak n Shake. I think that I stayed up there until about 3 a.m. or maybe later.

These are pics of my twins today. Yes, I know that Sarah birthed them and she takes care of them. But since I don't have any twins of my own, they are my twins. :-)










By the way, those are fake tattoos on Elijah's face. Aren't Elijah & Elissa the sweetest things?!?

Here's to a day that had a sad memory but, later, also gained a happy memory. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH & ELISSA!!!