The Phillips Six Pack

Although Drew and I were tired from our weekend we decided to take the kids to Santa Cruz for the day. As you can tell we had fun. The kids got to ride on some rides, eat corndogs and dip n dots, and of course the boys had to hit the " gnarlyest" skate park ever !!! The boys have become quite the "skaters". I think we have been to atleast 5 skateparks within 30 minutes of home. This was our first time heading over in the Santa Cruz/monterey direction since moving so we could not believe it only took us about 50 minutes!! All in all the day was good but we had a little drama at the beach. I told myself that I was not going to talk about it anymore, but with our recent ( and Im sure prompted by this ) trip to the temple I just cant keep my mind off of what happen and how thankful I am to have ALL my kids with me. We first started our day hangin out on the beach. Drew had boy patrol, the were skim and boogie boarding, and I had girl patrol, they were playing in the sand right in front of me. I was laying down watching the girls and trying to work on my horrible tan when a group of people walked by and blocked my view of the girls. I sat up a to see around the group when I noticed Ava was gone. My eyes were literally off of her for 5 seconds and she was gone. I immediatley got up and began calling her and looking around. I will save the horrible details of mine and Drews panic, but after about 10 minutes ( im not exaggerating ) the fire trucks, police, lifeguards, helicopter, and divers were all there getting ready to start a search for her when a mexican couple who were sitting by us and starting looking for her with us came walking up holding her hand. She said that she was looking for me and couldnt find me. She was standing by a lifeguard station crying when they saw her. some how, someway we ( ava and I ) must have passed each other in our search for each other. The other kids were just sitting on the beach crying and calling for her while Drew "dug" through the waves and I was running up and down the beach yelling for her. We were all emontionally drained and I think the kids may be permanetly scarred by this. We all spend about 20 minutes just crying and holding her on the beach then we began the talk about how thankful we were that Ava thought to go to the lifeguard station but we also went over other important things like dont walk off- stay with your siblings!!! It all happened so fast and I never want to relive or experience that again, but I cant help but thinking what I could of, should of done. There was one woman down about 2 lifeguard stations that when I asked her if she had seen my daughter she immediatley said that she would help me find her and that she would pray for her. After I held Ava for while I went to that woman and told her that Ava was safe. She immediatley thanked the Lord and hugged me. I know that she was not of the same faith, but that she had faith. Why didnt I think to pray? I was so lost and upset but I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I know that He would lead us to her and comfort her and us. I am so grateful for that woman who thought, who knew, to fall to her knees and pray to her Heavenly Father. Who knew that a fun trip to the beach would cause so many emontions in all of us and be a testimony builder for us. I can't begin to explain how thankful, grateful, blessed we are to be all together.