Bunny MIA

He has been misplaced for a few minutes, forgotten at Grandpa's house, survived numerous separations to make it through a quick cycle in the washing machine, even escaped out the car window while driving, but Bunny has never truly been LOST!  That is, until yesterday.  Here is the story of Bunny's 22 hours MIA.
Sunday morning (C shift, of course) the girls and I headed to church and Sunday School.  It was "Love Sunday" at our church so the girls had made homemade Valentines for their Sunday School teachers and we decided to pick up Shipleys donuts for them as well. We got our donuts and Mamaw and headed to church, Bunny and Zeebee in tow. After church service, Mamaw and I went to pick up the girls.  We always get Emma first and then Ryan.  My hands were full holding Emma and Zeebee and all of Emma's Love Sunday goodies, so when we picked up Ryan I was already overwhelmed.  Ms. Doris (Ryan's favorite Sunday School teacher) started telling me what a great morning they had and also handed me all of Ryan's Love Sunday goodies.  Now, my hands were really full and at this point Emma was wrestling me to get down.  We headed out to ride the bus to our car.  Emma sat with me and Ry sat with Mamaw. The car ride to drop Mamaw off is where we decided our plan for the day.  Emma would stay with Mamaw and Pa and nap and Ryan and I would venture out to the craw fish boil.  Ryan and I rushed home and changed clothes, I fed Ryan lunch, packed us a bag and we headed to Oak Cliff.  Ten minutes into our drive I looked in my rear view mirror at Ryan (moments before she fell asleep) and noticed that Bunny was nowhere to be seen.  I then realized that I did not remember seeing him when I loaded Ryan into the car. I asked Ryan where Bunny was and she replied she didn't know and looked around the car.  I started to get concerned but then I realized that it was probably a good thing that Bunny wasn't coming to the party.  This way I wouldn't have to keep up with him and he wouldn't come home stinking like craw fish. I figured Ryan must have set him down in her room when we changed clothes.  He'd be waiting for us when we got home.
Four hours later we were on our way home and I hadn't thought about Bunny at all.  Ryan didn't seen to have either.  She had been too busy having fun!  We went to Mamaw and Pa's to pick up Pea and joined them for dinner.  Finally at dark, we headed home.  This is when Ryan asked for Bunny.  After searching the house for 20 minutes when we got home I started to get worried.  I text my Mom to see if she had seen Bunny.  She had not and she couldn't remember whether or not Ryan had him after Sunday School and on the bus.  I decided I needed to go up to the church ASAP (praying I could get in) and look for Bunny in Ryan's classroom.  I loaded the girls up and rushed up there.  Thankfully, our church is one mile away and it was open.  A young high school aged girl unlocked the classroom hallway and escorted us back to Ryan's classroom.  The room was clean and all the cubbies empty.  I was devastated.  Ryan started crying for Bunny.  Emma started running down the hallway.  The girl told me to call Monday to ask if it was found on the bus. I asked if there was a lost in found I could check and she told me that anything found in the classroom would have been turned into her. I felt helpless and hopeless! So, after chasing down Emma and trying to reassure Ryan that Bunny was okay and we would find him, we headed back home.  I felt sick to my stomach.  In 3.5 years Ryan had never had to go to bed without Bunny. I wasn't sure what I was going to do.  I called my parents to tell them the terrible news.  My sweet Dad headed out to drive the church parking lot to make sure Bunny hadn't accidentally been dropped when getting on or off the bus.  He called thirty minutes later to say he had no luck in his search. I got Emma to bed and then laid down with Ryan.  She was asking where he was and telling me how much she missed him. We started praying for Bunny and I started making up a story about how silly Bunny must have stayed on the bus and that he was joy riding in the church bus all night while we slept but that he would be home in the morning.  That story (lie) seemed to help a little and after a few more precious prayers by Ryan for Bunny's safety and a few sweet songs to him, Ryan fell asleep.  I held her little hand and listened to her snore while I  freaked out all night.  I don't think I slept more than thirty minutes at a time and every time I woke up I felt sick when I remembered that Bunny was missing. I had horrible anxiety worrying that Bunny was lost forever and how would I ever explain it to Ryan.  I kept waiting her her to wake up in the night and look for Bunny in her bed and freak out.  She never did. I was the only one freaking out over Bunny at 4:00 a.m. Ryan was so exhausted from the Mardi Gras party and all of the crying for Bunny that she slept all night.  I got up at 4:30 (because I had been lying awake for most the night anyways) and went outside to the driveway to make sure that Bunny hadn't fallen in the driveway while getting Ryan in or out of the car.  I used the flashlight and looked up and down the driveway and in the yard.  No Bunny.  Since I had to go to work I stayed up and said a few more prayers for Bunny and got ready for work.  I considered calling in so that I could go up to the church and look in every inch of her classroom and the bus.  Chris got home from his shift and assured me that he would take the girls to school and then do everything he could to find Bunny.  I took a deep breath and headed to work.  I hated to think that Ryan was going to wake up and expect bunny to be there and he wouldn't be.  And, then she would have to go to school without him.  My heart was broken for her.  I literally felt sick on my way into work.  I started calling the church administration and leaving voice mails for them to call me as soon as they arrived at the office.  The night before I had already e-mailed and left a voice mail for the head of the children's ministry.  At 7:55 as I was sitting at my desk reading about my patients for the day my cell phone started to ring.  It was my Dad.  I answered and he said "Jess, I found Bunny!" My Dad had gone up to the church and waited until an ECC teacher arrived so he could be let in to start his search of all the classrooms!  He went one by one looking in each classroom and finally got to Ryan's preschool classroom (which is coincidentally also her Sunday School classroom this year, Dad was unaware).  When he got to Ryan's classroom Mrs. Harris was there.  She started helping Dad look and found Bunny in the corner mixed in with all the dolls!  Dad was able to deliver Bunny to our house before Chris woke up Ryan for school!  I have never been more relieved.  Pa saved the day!  Bunny is home safe and sound!