[SWAT evacuation]

Well yesterday was a day much like any other. I spent an hour reading my favorite blogs while drinking my chai latte on the porch swing. I then wrote my blog post for the day, cleaned the refrigerator, did the dishes and made my bed. I ate lunch and watched an episode of Monk on Netflix. Following these little projects I embarked on the hour long process of making potato soup.

Aside: While making potato soup at 4:00 I heard what I believed to be three little pops of fireworks. I thought to myself "well someone is a little too overanxious for the Fourth" but thought nothing else of it.

I did some other cleaning and cooking for the next half hour until my sister came to me and said "There is a police officer trying to climb over our fence." "Huh?" I went to the kitchen window, and sure enough a cop with a shotgun is trying to hop our fence. Uh hellooo we have a gate... I went outside onto our porch, since he's hopping into our backyard, and ask if I can help him with anything. He told me "everything's fine, just get back in your house."

Okay either everything is fine and dandy OR I should get back in my house because those don't really mesh. But I went back into the house and my sister and I made rounds of all of the windows in the house trying to see what was happening from every possible angle. Being that I'm living with my folks until I move in with fiance in September, I called my mom and told her that our road was likely blocked off and she would have a hard time getting in if she came home. Fortunately she was able to park in the neighborhood across from ours and she was standing with a group of officers at the end of the road.

I was told that there were shots fired and that one had penetrated my next door neighbor's front door. Creepy! I sent my sister down to the laundry room which is all brick and doesn't have any windows and I kept watch from the upstairs window. My mom then called back saying to get our stuff because we were about to be evacuated. We were to stay low until they got us out of there. I yelled at Hollyn to put some shoes on, threw on my own Toms, grabbed my purse, contemplated grabbing my camera, turned off the stove and waited, crouched, by the back door.

Thirty excruciating seconds later two SWAT officers approach our dining room window off of our porch with rifles strapped to their chests. They motion for us to come out together. I lock the door and we duck behind the carport closet. They tell us to stay there until it's clear. We are then ushered down into our yard and behind the bushes below our porch, each of us told to hang very near to each officer. They led us back to our garden, over our fence, through the neighbor's yard (the ones who had been shot at & called it in), over their fence, through bushes and to the street across from ours.

At this point we had no clue what was happening. My mom had been able to give us little information over the phone before we evacuated but when we approached she told us as much as she knew. The woman across the street had fired shots and was now holed up in her home.

For the next 4 1/2 hours we waited in the yard that overlooked our road, wondering if she would come out of her own accord or if they would be dragging her out in a body bag. They of course, had to wait so long to get warrants, search warrants, etc. It was excruciating. We sent my sister to a friend's house and my mom and I waited and waited and waited. At 9:00pm she surrendered to the SWAT team. She was then frisked and questioned on scene before being transported.

I tell you, it was quite eventful, and I feel pretty badarse right now, to say the least, but it is not something I'm wanting to endure again anytime soon.

I kicked myself for those 4.5 hours for not having my camera, but of course I couldn't resist taking a few on my phone.