10/3/10

Our family headed to Big Bear on October 2nd to see Audrey's Aunt Sandi and cousin Naomi. We had never been to Big Bear as a family. We had a fun visit, took long walks, laughed and played. It was a great trip! This all changed on our way home. We stopped in Murrieta for a bite to eat and a potty break. It was a hot day and we needed to let Ivory, our dog get some water too. We ate and decided to get back on the road and head home. After a few minutes on the freeway, a large SUV came into our lane swerving out of control. Scott tried hard to get us away from them, but it was impossible. They hit us and sent us over the side of the freeway. We rolled at high speed and landed upside down. When we stopped, the car was quiet and I immediately looked back at Audrey. She was just sitting quietly in her seat, albeit upside down. I got out of my seat belt and went to her. I couldn't believe she was ok. She started to cry and I did too. I was so happy she was unharmed. I called for Scott to help us out of the car and to look for Ivory. He found Ivory, but she had already passed. She was not belted in and she ended up underneath our car. It was so horrible and sad. She was always protective of us and it saddened us that we couldn't protect her.

It was a tragic event and we lost an amazing dog who truly was the sweetest one I have ever known. The rest of us were able to walk away. Scott and I had some injuries but we are so thankful that we all survived. We are doing our best to move on and stay positive for Audrey. She still asks about Ivory daily and she says she misses her. We were happy that Ivory got a chance to run around, chase squirrels and be a dog. She will be remembered as part of our family.