Lost and found

I am the self appointed queen of knowing where things are around the house. I hear, "Mom where's my shoe, puppy, cowboy pants (insert any other obscure item here)?" and chances are, I know where it is or can find it pretty darn quickly.

When my wedding ring turned out to be missing on Saturday, I wasn't too worried about it...at first. I tend to take it off and not wear it around the house because of my RA. I have a bad habit of not leaving it in the same place. Most of the time it gets left on the kitchen counter next to the computer. Other times I put it on the vanity in our bathroom, the dresser in the bedroom, my nightstand or if we were on a really long car trip- in the console of the passenger door of the car.

When it was not in any of the "usual" places I tore the house apart. Couches were overturned, tables were moved and I was a weeping mess. I couldn't believe how careless I had become with such an important possession. Instead being treasured like a valued symbol of eternal love, it was getting set aside like a bubble gum wrapper.

While I was scavenging through a toy bin I heard Jeremy ask Ben if he had seen mommy's ring. Ben responded that he saw it by the computer and Owen and he were playing with it in the pantry. When asked where it went after that he said he didn't know and the story changed and he said that he hadn't seen it. So I checked every inch of the pantry, opening boxes of cereal and goldfish to see if it got dropped inside to be discovered like a cracker jack prize. The search turned out to be a fruitless effort. It didn't turn up in there either.

Before long it was time to join our neighbors for Fourth of July fun in the cul-de-sac. I tried to relax and enjoy the evening but just kept praying that I'd find my ring. It was mentioned that it was replaceable and I'd get to pick out a new one but I didn't want a new ring- I wanted mine-the one that Jeremy proposed with and the band that was blessed during our wedding. I knew it was in our house somewhere!!! When the local fireworks display started I did loosen up a little. It was fun watching the kids ignoring the display in favor of setting off smoke bombs.

After topping off the night with pie at the Hooper's we headed back into the house and I continued the hunt where I'd left off earlier. I checked the pantry one last time, walked out and decided to open the drawer on the island next to the vegetable sink (the one and only drawer that had yet to be open) and there it was-laying on a cutting board waiting to be found. The last time I was that excited to see it was when Jeremy proposed. I'm pretty sure I jumped up and down then too.

I'm not quite off the hook with Jeremy yet. Even though I didn't misplace it I did leave it within reach of sticky little hands. He'll be happy to know that right now it's back in it's original box safely out of harms way.