Seattle and Gratitude....a life lesson

On the 28th of December we left for Seattle. My BIL Trevor was getting married. We were all excited to go and planned to stay a few extra days to see some of the sights. On the 30th Trevor was married and Shawn (another BIL) took a really nice pic of the fam at the temple with our digital camera. I also captured a few really adorable shots of Brig. Our kids were so well behaved on the trip that wherever we went we were complimented on them. This definitely made me feel pretty good. On the 31st we went to the Space Needle and Pacific Science center. I am extremely afraid of heights and decided not to pay to be tortured so I stayed on the ground with Brig while Tyler and the rest of the kids went up to the top. I took a few pics of the Space needle before we went in and when we came out I was really glad I had because it had started raining and it would have been hard to get a pic in the rain. On the 1st (New Years Day) we decided to take our kids out to Ocean Shore to see the beach. The day was stormy, but I figured that it rains a lot in Washington. Our kids have never been to the ocean and I was really looking forward to showing them the ocean and looking for shells. It took us around 2 hours to drive out to the beach and by the time we made it out there it was lunch time so we went to eat at a really delicious sea food restaurant before we went to the beach. After we finished eating we excitedly headed to the beach. We didn't really have a place in mind we just knew we were driving towards the ocean. Finally we found a spot....Tyler, the kids and I headed for the Ocean. There was a giant log up on the beach that we sat on, it was about 300 yards from where the tide was currently. A couple came walking by and I asked if they would take our picture. They said sure and we all sat on the log and posed, however I didn't realize that my camera was full. I told them thank you for the attempt and the tide came up to the log we were sitting on. All of us climbed up on the log and lifted our feet and we didn't get wet. The couple kept walking down the beach. I talked to Hailey about where we would go to pick up some shells. Suddenly the tide came up to where the log was again, Tyler the kids and I hopped up onto the log to avoid getting wet. What we didn't realize was that there was another wave behind it and we were hit with a big wave of water. It threw us all off of the log and covered us in water and as I scrambled up off of my back I began frantically searching for my children. Spencer saw the wave coming and ran up the beach and was able to avoid it. However the rest of us were hit, I saw that Tyler was still holding Brig, Austin was just beginning to stand next to me, and I began to frantically scan the water around me for Hailey and Ethan. I screamed “where is Ethan?” I saw Tyler grab Hailey as the ocean tide began to retreat taking her with it. I saw Ethan face down in the water about ten feet from me, I ran over and grabbed him by the back of the coat and picked him up. After I picked him up I looked up in time to see the tide carrying my camera out to the ocean. Tyler and Spencer tried to chase after it but I told them not to worry about it. That camera was NOTHING to me compared to almost losing my children. We headed back to the car covered in sand and soaking wet from head to toe (except Spencer who only got his feet wet when he ran back to help us). I carried Ethan and as I walked back to the car I passed another car and saw a guy sitting in the passenger seat. When he saw me he shook his head, I imagine he was thinking I was crazy risking my kids lives out there on the beach, however I didn't realize this at the time, he should have said something to me. I made it back to the car and began stripping Ethan's clothes off to put him in his car seat. Hailey, and the rest of the kids followed me back to the car as well. Hailey was the most traumatized and I believe we could have easily lost her since the ocean was retreating with her. Hailey was so sad and I wanted to comfort her but I needed to take care of Ethan also. When I finished taking Ethan's clothes off and loading him into his car seat I went around to the other side of the car to take care of Hailey. As I came around the other side I saw Spencer with his arm around Hailey comforting her, I was really touched that he would be so kind to her. I let Hailey sit on my lap for the first part of the ride so that I could comfort her, she was so scared and sad. She even had sand coming out of her nose. As I sat in the car for our 2 hour ride back to the hotel, I cried tears of gratitude for my family. I was so thankful for my father in Heaven and that we were safe. I felt so thankful for every one of my children, I really know what a blessing that they are in my life.