Good news, bad memories.

This morning I awakened to discover the Amber alert on the little boy taken by his father has been lifted. The father and son were found at a motel. The little four year old boy is now back with his mother. The father had history of violence so they issued the Amber alert. Watching the news and listening to what the family went through sure brings back bitter memories. Back to the days when my Jenny was just a seven month old baby. Ken and I had split in November. I had moved back to my parents' house. It was the day after Christmas. My lawyer had advised me not to let Ken see Jenny until we had a custody order in place. I thought it was wrong not to let a father be with his child at Christmas. So, I went against my lawyer's advice and told Ken he could see Jenny but it had to be at my parents' home. I put her on a blanket in the living room and went to the kitchen to leave him, his sister and her boyfriend spend time with her. Shortly after Ken comes walking into the kitchen carrying Jenny. I asked him what he needed, thinking he needed a bottle or a diaper. He said, "I need my daughter." Then he, his sister and her boyfriend started to leave WITH Jenny. I reached for my baby. That's when I felt his sister hit me in the head. Then she started pulling my hair. I pretty much ignored her and kept trying to get my baby. Then my mother saw what was happening and started to pull his sister by the hair. His sister's boyfriend was already in the car with it running. Then I let go of my baby out of fear that she would be hurt. Ken ran out the door with my sweet baby girl. My mother and Ken's sister fell to the floor on the stairway. My mother had ripped Melanie's earring out. JJ (the boyfriend) came running back in the house and hitting my mother in the face. My mother bit him on one of his slaps across her face. I was on the phone with the police. Then they all ran out of the house and into the jeep and drove off with my little baby. I don't know if they had a car seat, but I do know Jenny had no coat or even blanket. I ran out into the snow in my bare feet, crying and screaming for my baby. The police came. The Pennsylvania turnpike was closed down and helicopters began to search for him. A friend of the family who is a fireman and had heard the description on the scanner spotted them heading out of town. He alerted the police and they stopped them. I was called to the police station and told they had my baby. I spent most of the day there because there was no custody order. They did not know who was supposed to have her. Ken had a history of drug abuse and alcoholism. They were about to put her into foster care because there was no custody order. Finally, a police officer came to me with what Ken said. He said that I could take her IF I didn't press charges against him. I told the officer to tell him this, "I will not press charges today." So he told him that and the next time I saw that police officer he was carrying my little Jenny. I cried and cried and cried when I took her back into my arms. I took her to the hospital at the suggestion of the officer just to be sure she was fine. The first thing the next morning I pressed charges. I only said I wouldn't press charges that day. He only got a $200 fine out of it. Years later the state police came to our church to take dna and pictures of the children for use if they should ever be kidnapped. I had been helping the officer by organizing the children and getting thier paperwork in order. When Jenny walked up to the officer I heard her say, "I have already been kidnapped. My Dad did it." I saw the surprise register on his face. He then asked her if she was back with her mother now. She said, "Yeah. My mom is that lady helping you." He turned to me and said, "I see this is very important to you then." I told him it definately was and that I will never forget the moment an officer handed my baby girl back to me. That is one reason it has always been very hard for me when Jenny had to go visit her father. The court ordered a visitation every year for Christmas to start on December 26, the very anniversary of the whole ordeal. This past year was the first year she did not have to go. Of course she spent it sick in bed and so did I, but we were together anyway. I am glad Ken and Jenny are building a better relationship now, but I will never, ever trust the man.