We lived in Las Vegas at the time, and as I usually do, I turned on the TV in our bedroom, to have some background noise before I got the kids up and running for school. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the screen! I remember having to sit down on the side of my bed because everything I was watching and hearing was just too surreal. I must have turned on the TV just before the second plane hit the tower because I saw it in "real time" even with time difference (3 hours).
It wasn't but a few minutes later that Dave called. He had been in Texas for a few days, teaching classes but he was at the airport with his teaching partner Mike. When they heard that the FAA had shut down ALL air traffic, they knew that there was no chance of catching their flight so they ended up renting a car and driving. Both of them just wanted to get home so they took turns driving 24/7 for almost 3 days straight. Texas is a BIG state!
While we were talking on the phone, he told me that he wanted me to keep the kids home from school that day. We had no idea what was happening in the world or if we, as a country, were going to get hit again. Emergency, is what he does so he immediately went into that mode of thinking. Within minutes we had our "plan". He told me that if something were to happen in Vegas or California that I was to gather the kids, food, water, clothes, guns, and gas and start heading out of town to our "meeting spot" and he would meet me there when he could. Our safe place was at my grandparents farm in central Utah. It is no where close to anything that would attract terrorists. It is not highly populated, it's not the hub of financial prosperity, there is no airport to speak of, etc. Also, there is plenty of food (deer) to find, there is fresh water and family around. There is only one way into and out of Vegas (I-15) and if something happened, thousands, possibly millions of people would head our direction, so he wanted us to be in front of the crowd.
I remember feeling like I just wanted my family gathered together. I let the kids sleep in and when they woke up, I tried to explain to them what had happened. I'm sure they must have thought I had lost my mind because I was glued to the TV for hours and I didn't leave the house for a couple of days. My whole body felt numb and my brain was over thinking what I saw and heard. Dave called a few times during his travels and when he finally made it home, I was extremely relieved to have us all together again.
Ironically, Dave was back down in Texas (for a BYU football game) over this 10th anniversary of 911. I'm just grateful that he made it home...on a plane this time.
Sarah was 9, Amanda was 7, Jeffrey was 5 & Becca was 2 1/2. That is really young to understand something of such magnitude, but I didn't feel like I should shield them from the truth of it. They had quite a few questions but mostly, they just knew that something was really wrong and that I was really sad.
I remember feeling so proud to be an American in the following weeks and months. Proud that the greatest scenes of humanity were unfolding before our eyes. Proud that we would rebuild, bigger and stronger. And I felt great pride when I watched as Pres. Bush stood on top of the rubble and said, "I hear you. America hears you, and soon the people that took these buildings down will hear from ALL of us!"
The passion and conviction of that day has dimmed a little over the years and we've had our ups and downs as a country, but the fact remains that we are a blessed country. There is no other place that offers the freedoms, the beauty, the promise, the hope or the history that we have right here. I believe it is no mistake that we have been given this birthright. Where much is given, much is expected.
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