Reverse 911

Apparently in our area - maybe in lots of places, I don't know - there is a system in place referred to as "reverse 911" where the local police can send out mass calls to people in case of an emergency.  We learned all about it Friday night...when our phone rang at 12:44 a.m. and a recording from the police told me that an armed and dangerous suspect was in our neighborhood (Clarke Farms) and to shut and lock all doors and windows immediately.

Holy. Moly.

So much for going to sleep.  Especially when, minutes later, we heard the helicopter circling overhead looking for the previously mentioned armed and dangerous suspect.  Around, and around, and around, while we lay there imagining a crazed, gun-wielding man smashing into our walk-out basement. 

Around 3:30 am we got another call - that the suspect was still at large, but the police needed us to go look out our windows and see if the car was still in the driveway (this was another mass call, not just to us personally); if the car was missing, please call the police.  And still keep all the doors and windows locked.

Holier. Moly.

We lay there, in and out of sleep.  I was just out of the shower a little after 7 am, when two more calls confirmed that all 3 suspects were in custody and it was now safe to enter/leave the area.  Whew, but WHAT?  3?!   Apparently there was a wanted man and two buddies trying to shake police after firing at them twice, and they got into our neighborhood, ditched their car and tried to escape on foot.   There were lights, and swat teams jumping fences into backyards, and police dogs, and all kinds of fun.

Crazy.

And we are SO grateful that they were caught and that they did not hurt anyone or get into anyone's house.  Here was the news blurb on it, if you are interested:
http://www.9news.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2185363264001

The rest of the week seems blessedly dull compared to that!  Monday was a holiday so the kids spent the whole day playing with friends; Tuesday was pre-school and basketball practice; Wednesday we had a little birthday party with friends for two of their kids, and cub scouts (Caleb's first week as a bear!); Thursday was piano lessons and library/pizza day (the kids' favorite little ritual of the week, new books to look at and a $5 pizza from Little Ceasar's, woo hoo!); Friday was relax at home day (my favorite ritual of the week) since the grocery shopping got done on Thursday and we had no where to rush.  Friday night was Caleb's weapon class, which he loved, then our scary police call night; Saturday was Caleb's basketball game, where he finally scored his first goal in a game (yay!) and then our stake conference meeting at night, at which Kip and I spoke.  Yup.  Now we can check that off our bucket list.  Speak at stake conference, check! (Stake conference is a meeting twice a year that everyone in our stake attends.  A stake is an organizational term for Mormons.  Every Mormon attends a congregation based on their location; each congregation is called a ward, a stake is a group of wards - 8 in our case - within the same geographical region.  Parker has two stakes, as does Grand Junction, as does Tulsa, I think.)  And I was a joking about the bucket list thing. :)

So, today was relaxing with our speaking assignment done - plus we've had about 8 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, so everything is covered in white and very peaceful.  Really... life is good.  Goodnight!