This week has been a bit different than our typical weeks. Jon had a ton of vacation days that he needed to use before the new year which meant he got to take this week off! On Tuesday I thought it would be fun to go to the mall after Hudson got out of school. Our mall has been getting re done and we have a fancy new food court. Hudson has been asking to go see Santa and my sister needed to wrap up some Christmas shopping. So, I thought it would be fun to head to the mall and enjoy the holiday season with a visit to Santa, a bit to eat and a little shopping.

{Beautiful Christmas gift that Hudson made for me at school. I opened it in the parking lot before we went into the mall. }

We did a little shopping and then decided to try out the new food court. With so many different options we all split up and ordered our food. Even though the mall was crowded we got found a table and sat down to eat. I think we had been eating for at most 5 mins when it happened.

BAM, BAM, BAM! All of a sudden we saw a sea of people charging towards us and someone screaming about a shooter. We had no idea what was happening. I grabbed Asher, Jon grabbed Hudson and my sister ran as well. We lost the stroller in the chaos, people were getting trampled and everyone was crying. My sister ran right behind me trying to protect me and Asher from people that were trying to shove out us out of the way. My sister and I plus Asher made it to the parking lot only to turn around and see that we had lost sight of Jon and Hudson. Scariest second of life as I tried scanning the mob of people still pouring out of the mall and finally saw Jon’s hat and Hudson’s lime green shirt.

At this point everyone was crying all around us and you could hire sirens approaching. No one knew what had happened. Everyone immediately went to their phones to see if anyone was reporting what had happened. Nothing. Soon people started telling what happened to them. Many heard their was a shooter at the other end of the mall and they got locked down into stores and then lead out by their back entrances. The parking lot was a stand still and roads surrounding the mall were being closed.

In the pouring rain we put Asher in the stroller, Jon put Hudson on his shoulders and we left our car behind and walked to my parents house.

When we got home we heard more details. There was an attempted robbery at the Rolex store in the mall. The robber had a gun and 10 shots were fired. One person was injured and was already on their way to the hospital.

Throughout the day more information came out on the story and we found out that the store security guard and police office that just happened to be shopping that day took down the robber and during the struggle that took place in the concourse of the mall all of those shots were fired.

It was one of the scariest moments of our lives. With all of these shootings going on now a days we had no idea what was happening when we started to run. We thought the gunman was in the food court and didn’t know what to expect. Finding out that it was a failed robbery instead of a terrorist or a random mass shooting was a bit of a relief, but it didn’t make anything that happened to us that day any better.

Poor Hudson has been telling everyone about it and was in tears when he got to my parents house and told them what had happened. I had to go into a couple of stores yesterday and I found myself giving everyone another look and being totally aware of my surroundings and wanting to get what a needed quickly so that I could just get back home.

So sorry for the long story today, but it’s been on my mind and I had to share it with you. I’m signing off for the week to enjoy some much needed family time.

If you celebrate Christmas than a Merry Christmas to you and your family. Make sure you hold them a little tighter today.

xoxo,

Camila