April 28.

Today is April 28, 2007

The anniversary of the day that changed our lives.

6 years ago today we had no idea that we would wake up to one less family member.

We had no idea that tonight would be the last night we tucked our sister in.

We didn't know it would be the last day we drank "Bwu koowaid" with her.

and the last night of playing dora on the trampoline, chad being "swifer".

We didn't expect this, she was only 2 she had her whole life to live with us.

None of us could die, not until we got old.

or so we thought.

Previously on this day 6 years ago My friend Rebekah and I had gone to our friend Kelcee's birthday party at the Y.

She came over afterwards and we had been playing with olivia, McQuaid, and chad on the trampoline.

we had a cookout, and played with some toys I had.

She was planning on spending the night which I was excited about because, she hadn't spent the

night in a long time.

at about 10:15 she decided that she wanted to go home because she wanted to see her dad.

(He always worked until really late)

I was dissapointed but I wasn't going to force her to stay.

Me and my dad took her home and when we got back I decided I wanted to sleep downstairs.

I went in my room and got my pillow, blanket, and got the stuffed lion Bekah had given me for my birthday.

My dad was tucking Olivia in her bed while I went downstairs.

Me, Chad, and McQuaid were all downstairs watching threes company.

I fell asleep,

at 11:32 I woke up to a sharp pain in my right arm.

But when I opened my eyes I didnt look at my arm, I noticed the Hot orange flames by my head.

I jumped up hit chad on the head and yelled for him to go upstairs.

Me and Him ran upstairs to get my mom and dad.

My dad came running out of his room while I told my mom and he looked down the stairs and saw the flames.
"GET THE KIDS!"

is all I heard him say.

My mom grabbed Caroline out of her crib in my parents room,

and My mom, chad, and I all ran outside across the street.

My dad went outside around the back door to get to McQuaid,

He was in the apartment section of our house.

he was on the floor yelling help when my dad found him.

My dad grabbed him and ran him up to where we were at on our neighbors porch dialing 911.

My parents both stopped suddenly and looked at eachother with fear in their faces and muttered "OLIVIA"

My dad went running up to the front door but he couldnt go that way because the flames had come up from the basement. He ran down to the shed as fast as he could and grabbed a ladder and put it against her bedroom window.

The firetrucks arrived and all you could hear was the roar of the fire and the sound of my dad breaking the glass on olivias window.

The fire marshalls tried to stop him from going in the house unprotected but he didnt listen.

He finally got into the house and grabbed my sister. He passed her sleeping body to the fire marshall and they rushed her to an ambulence.

Me and Chad were sitting on my Neighbors couch when I felt that sharp pain in my arm again.

I looked at my arm and there was ash all over it, along with singed arm hairs.

It hurt really bad.

I told my neighbor and she brought the fire marshall up to look at it.

they decided that I needed to go to the Hospital to have it looked at.

My dad and I got into a police car and they took us to General Hospital.

It turned out my whole arm had a second degree burn.

They put this stuff on it and wrapped it up, and told me how to take care of it and stuff.

They then told my dad and I to go into this room.

This blank, room.

with 2 couches, a coffee table with parental magazines, and a picture of some flowers on the wall.

We sat in there together he was hugging me looking at my arm telling me he was glad I was alright when the doctor came in.

He had a clip board infront of his face, he moved the clipboard and put it by his side.

he took a deep breath.

"We put Olivia on an Oxygen tank when we put her into the ambulence, She has alot of smoke on her lungs, I'm sorry to say that your daughter didn't make it."

My dad grabbed me harder than he had ever grabbed me in my life, he started crying harder then I had ever seen anybody cry. I cried with him.

It was impossible, the doctor was crazy, olivia was fine they just made a mistake.

We cried and cried for what seemed like forever, the nurse then took me into a room to get something else done to my arm. about 10 minutes later my parents come in with me and I will never forget my moms face.

She was happy but sad at the same time.

She was happy that I was okay, but sad at the loss of her daughter.

She hugged me, we all said a prayer, and went to our neighbors house to stay the night.

It hadn't really hit us until the next day.

It was so hard to believe that one minute we had everything and she was there,

and the next shes gone.

We went to my grandparents house to stay until we found a house.

Bekah came over, We sat in my van and cried and cried.

She had left an hour before the fire.

I was so thankful at that point that she had.

Today is a day we will always remember as the day Olivia left us.

It is also the day a year later that we moved back into our house.

I was talking to my mom about it this morning.

"Today's the day olivia died 6 years ago mom"

She sat there on the couch staring blankly,

Her reply surprised me.

"Shes not dead. Shes just not living with us anymore. She is very much alive, just somewhere else, today is the day she moved on, and grew up, not the day she died."

We miss her terribly,

but I'm glad I have faith enough to believe that yes she is somewhere better.

She is always with us.

Her memories remain.

Olivia Mae Beaumont