Flashbacking to 1994...Have you been following?

Photo taken in 1994: Ken & Sue Allen, Heidi M Allen's parents, Investigator Dean Goodsell, and Rick Benningfield (Search and Rescue Expert from the Heidi Search Center in San Antonio, Texas -http://heidisearchcenter.com/ )

We're doing things differently this year as the weeks turn into days, leading up to the anniversary of Heidi's kidnapping. Instead of a blog series, I'm sharing photographs on the Where's Heidi? Facebook page. With each picture is a little post to share a memory, thought, or seek your input. I've spent hours scanning over 300 pictures in the past weeks. My goal and hope is to put together a slide show to have running during the social hour at the "Community Gathering of Hope" on April third when we join our friends, family, neighbors, and community.

This scanning, cropping, editing, and posting of pictures from the initial days and weeks after Heidi's kidnapping have brought an array of emotions, grief, and memories to the surface. I've shed many tears, laughed out loud, and asked "Who is this?" more times than I can count. Rather than waiting until the third to share the photos, one or two are appearing on Facebook each day. Your comments of encouragement for the family are such a blessing, thank you.

We, my parents, husband, and I look forward to seeing anyone who can make it on April third. There is a part of me that wants to call in sick and not leave the house all day yet there is a much larger part of me that is excited and anticipates spending time with the very people who sacrificed on this very day, twenty years ago. We also have new friends and neighbors joining us that will experience the "family" New Haven is, for the first time.

This is a public event - the Oswego County Sheriff's Department will be there to do finger printing kits with the kiddos. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is joining us to share about their "Take 25" campaign and share the many amazing things they do to keep our children safe. We'll have balloons, refreshments, and close with a candle light vigil. Remember to bring a candle.

We'll have light refreshments too - friends, family, fellowship, and food! It doesn't get much better. The best part, is ending our time together lighting candles of hope for Heidi ~ 7:42 p.m., in memory of Heidi's last transaction at 7:42 a.m., twenty years ago.

Do you have any pictures or memories to share from 1994?