The Lounge

EDIT: Chris went missing September 3rd 2007, here is a link to his web site, please let everyone you know know about this. Thank you.

www.FindChris.org

I'm crying as I'm typing, so please overlook all typos...I'm really not all here.

Our son, who turned 18 last month, has been missing now for 76 hours. He went to work Monday, left work and no one has heard from him nor seen him since. He wasn't having any problems with us, Sunday we all were together and had a great time. He wasn't having any problems with his girlfriend. He did have a bad day at work and we are guessing he went off on a drive too cool down, but we really don't know. He didn't say anything to anybody about where he was going. He was in a hurry to get to work that day and left his wallet home. So he has no money on him nor any access to money. We were able to get into his bank account today and there hasn't been any unusual activity in the last month. We have called everyone he knows and no one knows anything. His girlfriend has called everyone she can think of too.

This is so out of character for him. He has never done anything like this before.

The police are involved and doing all they can. Two different aerial searches were done today and tomorrow there is a ground search going on with volunteers and the police department. He has been listed as a missing person in all 50 states along with a description of his blazer. The police department made up fliers for us to put around town. The top of it says "Missing Person, Suspicious Circumstances".

This is so unreal. This is something that happens on TV, not in real life. The roller coaster of emotions is beyond imagination. The possibilities of what has happened to him and where he might be are endless. To the East of us is a canyon, to the West is desert hills. He could be anywhere. Not knowing anything is the worst.

My husband and our other children are hitting their limits too. Our home is crazy is an understatement. We have had lots of friends and family offer love and support. Meals have been brought in for three days. Our phones are ringing off the hook with well wishers and everyone wondering what they can do.

I'm sorry for going on and on, I just want to cover all the bases, but I'm sure I've missed some things.

Prayers are definitely welcome.

Mostly I'm still in shock. I'm not sure I'll be back on the site for a while. I will post as soon as we know anything.

Please everyone take care, and go hug your kids...

EDIT: Here is a link to the news paper artical.

http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti cle?AID=/20070907/NEWS01/709070304

I tried uploading the flier but it didn't happen, I'm not sure why.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It does help to know that people care.

EDIT: I took a picture of the flier and added it to my pictures

EDIT: Here is a link to the web site  http://www.findchris.org/

I just lit another candle.
My 8 yr old also wanted to light one.
I have been keeping him posted. He said to give you a {{hug}} for him :)

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.c fm?l=eng&gi=cc

Sending the blessings of a calm, peaceful day surrounded by love today.

I hope you are doing ok Shannon.

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.c fm?l=eng&cid=4540476

We are thinking of you and your family.

Think of you and your family and pray for you every day Shannon.

I'm sorry I haven't been on for a couple of days. We have been busy, and still seem to be having good days. We still don't have any new news on Chris.

Two weeks ago tomorrow a 17 year old girl went missing from a town 30 miles south of us. I have been trying to work with their police department to see if the cases may be related. She was at work, went out to collect carts and never came back in. I've asked to have her parents contact us so we could let them know what we have done and be a support to them.

Dave and I are pretty much back to work as normal. I still don't sleep much so thinking is hard sometimes. I always want to go take a nap. Over all we honestly are doing well. We are joking around and lauging more. It is still unreal sometimes that we are still going through this. Our oldest son is here from Oregan for a few days. It has been good to see him.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Mcderin that is sweet of your son, please tell him I said thank you. We are feeling the blessing of the prayers.

~Shannon

Bump... re-lit my candle, and still praying.

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.c fm?l=eng&cid=4547084

ON bended knee waiting your return Chris. May your family be blessed!

Shannon it is good to see your life is begining to fill with smiles and laughter that realy is the best medicine. you are forever in my thoughts. God Bless

Bug in Alaska

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.c fm?l=eng&cid=4555876

Peace be upon you.

Original Post by shanfood:

 Mcderin that is sweet of your son, please tell him I said thank you. We are feeling the blessing of the prayers.

~Shannon

    I will do that :)
    I just wanted to make sure you knew that something like this resonates and it   touches not just us whom you hear from every day, but those who WE share it with.
So, the love and well wishes are boundless.

While it is sad to me as well, it makes me happy to know that you have found SOME peace...enough to be able to continue with your lives and try and make the most of each day that you are given.
Your other children need that normalcy (as do you) and I know it can't be easy, but it is healthy.

Stay strong and remember you are loved.

MC

you could start a missing persons facebook group for chris.  i don't know if chris was on facebook but some of his friends were surely.

I am still thinking of you and your family. I am really glad to hear about your "good days". I know it must be really hard to keep your faith, I am continually amazed at how you hold yourself together.

And for Chris: Get your butt home.

Shannon -
I can't believe Chris is still missing.  I worked Chris' disappearance into two lectures here at UCSB, and the students that heard the first lecture back in September still ask me about him when ever I see them on campus.  The new students who got the lecture on October 11th will likely write about his disappearance on their midterm because they have the option of writing about one of the GIS applications I talked about in the lecture.  GIS stands for geographic information systems, and I used Chris' disappearance as my last example of how GIS can be used to create a geographic footprint of a missing person.

You're in my prayers -

On bended knee awating your return Criss. Dear Lord please give them strength and a peacful heart.

Again you all lift me. Thank you. Today is one of those days I just want to cry. I went to the gym this morning and kept telling myself "you can't cry here, you can't cry here..." so I waited until I got in my car to come home.

Today it has been seven weeks since Chris went missing. Seven weeks!!! It seems so unreal that he could be gone this long and we don't even have a clue as to where he is at. My son is out there somewhere, why can't we find him?

As for progress on continued search efforts we now can sell the T-shirts on line on the website www.FindChris.org We have a wonderful friend who is doing the website for us on his own time and expense. It is still a work in progress as we keep trying to decide what we want on it.

We have also started the ball rolling for the pancake breakfast that we are doing on November 3rd. That will be the two month mark or when Chris went missing. We have some media that are willing to be there and keep the story going. We struggle to keep the media entertained. It really is a full time job just doing that.

We are having another little pow-wow with some close friends and Chris' other mom tomorrow. She is going to be here for a couple of days. We are trying to keep ourselves focused and make sure we aren't double doing things or skipping things. As long as we feel like we are doing something we feel better then the days that we just sit and wait.

Thank you again for everyone?s continued support and prayers. It is amazing to me how wonderful everyone is. pixyz thank you for helping spread the word. Thank you all for everything!

~Shannon

Still here hoping for you Shannon.  {{shannon}}

What courage you have as a mom, a woman, a HUMAN to be able to compose yourself as you do. Your Encouraging, and I respect you! I would NEVER want to endor what you have, and know that your are a magnificant woman to be able to deal with this! May the Good Lord give you the courage to still be a MOM to your others....

Still praying

Trisha

Continuing to pray for you!
God Bless you and your family!

And thank YOU, Shannon, for taking the time to update us.  I don't if you will ever know how YOUR life is impacting OUR lives on a daily basis.

I can say with every ounce of my being that everyone here at Calorie Count is behind you 100%.  You can cry, you can laugh, you can vent, you can say nothing, you can tell of a GOOD day and not feel guilty, you can say whatever the hell you want to, and we'll still be behind you 100%.

You are allowed to just *be* here.  No requirements necessary.  (((HUG)))

And, as always, many angels being tucked into your pockets...

I am still hanging in there at Jesus feet for you all!

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.c fm?l=eng&cid=4581455

Still praying for you and Chris!