July 30, 2011
I didn’t know that the day back from my ultimate bonding experience with my sister would be the last time I would see her for nearly two years. We just got back from an amazing time on a missions trip to Mexico. We were placed four hours south down on the Baja Peninsula in a town filled with poverty where we would be building houses (starting with a completely new foundation) for the families. We learned a lot of skills and made great friends and just grew closer throughout the whole thing. At the airport when we returned we were all very sad but were happy to continue seeing our new friends at youth group, which at that time I didn’t know I wouldn’t be seeing them either.

My dad broke the news to Jesi and I while in the car on our ride home. I thought I was just spending the week with my mom until we pulled up to the front of her house. My mom was enraged and took me out of the car and brought me inside immediately. In the midst of all my tears I noticed how dark the living room was to my left. My mom told me to come into the room with her and in there were her two best friends awaiting me. They immediately started being rude and jumping down my throat.

“Why do you hate your mom?”

“Why are you so mean to her?”

“You are such a mean girl now!”

At that point I wasn’t worried about disrespecting them for they had been yelling at me for no reason when they obviously could see I was hurting.

“Barb! You don’t know my family or what we have been dealing with! All you know is the tall tales you here from my mom talking s*** about the rest of the family!”

I didn’t bother to deal with her other friend. I was already way to pissed off on this little trap my mom set up for my return home.

May 30, 2012

I was at drama and theatre camp when my mom came to pick me up nearly ten to fifteen minutes early. I didn’t think anything of it for she was always early or always late for something. She pulled me out of the auditorium and into an empty hallway. She began to cry.

“Amanda (our social worker) and the police are at the house to take you away from me because they say you told them you don’t feel safe or happy with me.”

I didn’t know what to think. I was sad that my mom was hurting so much from this but I was relieved because for so long I had been trying to tell all of our social services workers that I was unhappy with her and didn’t feel safe with her do to past neglect and abuse.

Do to the circumstances she was forced to bring me back to the house and give me over to the police and social services. Amanda came to my room with me and explained what was going on. She told me to pack a few days’ worth of things because I would only be gone for two to three days until they had a court case about me. I said my goodbyes to my mom and younger sister Elizabeth and then I was off to the car where Amanda would be dropping me off with my soon to be first foster family.

May 30, 2012

I arrived at Mary Lou’s (my grandmother’s best friend). She was very welcoming and excited to have a young girl staying with her. I didn’t mean to be rude but I didn’t stay in a bedroom. You see, Mary Lou loved making porcelain dolls. They covered every inch of her home. They always watched me waiting for me to fall asleep then kill me. For three nights I slept with the lamp on in the living room and moved all the dolls to one bedroom.

The third day with her was my court date in which I was not allowed to attend. At about five o’clock my dad came to pick me up and tell me I was to be moved again, luckily to my best friend’s house.
June 3, 2012

Alexa was really excited to have me live with her, of course I was too. Who doesn’t want to live with their best friend? That feeling soon wore off. I lived with her for two and a half months and we shared the same room. We easily got irritated with each other constantly but we got along great most of the time. From guitar hero to mud fights to canyon hikes we were always having fun.

We did everything together including going to her condo in Keystone. I went with her before and we had a blast. It started with locking her in the dumpster room and ended with a horror movie fest. We had so much fun and I was so grateful that they let me live with them!
August 8, 2012

The third family I lived with was my old neighborhood friend Abi. Abi and I were really great friends when we were young and she always made me laugh more than anyone so living with her was going to be really fun. Also, I have always wanted a brother so when I moved in with Abi I got three brothers (which all have a crush on me). I felt very welcomed in their family. They even let me join in on family photographs. I lived with her from August eighth to mid December.
December xx, 2012
I finally returned home back with my dad and sister Jesi! I was super happy that I was finally in a safe, happy, comfortable place. Jesi and I had so much to do and talk about and so much to catch up on. I was finally with my true best friend forever! We did everything together when I came home, and I loved every second of it even though we had more appointments and therapy and social workers to deal with.
February 21, 2013
It finally ended! Everything was done! Everyone out of our lives! My dad finally had 100% custody of me and Jesi! We could finally live as a normal family again! Jesi and I poured tears of happiness that after two years of being torn apart and tossed around, we could finally have normal teenage lives!