Jury Duty

I was picked to serve on a jury last week. It was a sexual assault case. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I realize what a huge responsibility it is to serve on a jury and have a say in the future of another person's life. I went in with an open mind ready to listen to all the facts. After the first day of testimony, I could have gone either way. After the second, I knew the guy was guilty. After the third day and the judgement phase of the trial I knew he should be locked up for several years. He showed no remorse for his actions and even tried to blame as many other people as he could for all his run ins with the law. He was portraying himself as the victim. We ended up finding him guilty (obviously) and sentencing him to 6 years in prison. I really wanted him to serve 9-10 years, but we had to agree on a term. Everyone ended up having to compromise (some more than others) so we settled on 6.
Young people (not all, of course) seem to think they can do whatever pleases them a the moment without thinking about the consequences and long term effects of their actions. (I guess I shouldn't just say young people, but some people. These people just happened to be relatively young.)  When you combine alcohol, drugs and sex the outcome is never going to be positive. One of the character witnesses for the defendant while explaining their night of partying said, "You know, everyone does it." I wanted to stand up and say, "No, not everyone does it!" Some people justify their behavior by saying that everyone does it so it must be okay. It's not okay to drink until you can't remember, use illegal drugs and think you can have sex with someone just because you are in their apartment and they are passed out in their bedroom. IT IS NOT OKAY!!!
This was not considered a "violent" crime. There were no weapons used. No one was physically injured. Those were the reasons we could only choose a sentence between 2 and 20 years.
I keep thinking about the people involved in this case (victim, witnesses, defendant, parents, family members) and what 6 years seems like to them now. For some it is not long enough. For others it is too long. Yes, six years will pass and the guy will be out of prison. My hope and prayer (yes, I have prayed for him and all involved) is that he will receive the treatment he needs and will come out a reformed man. I know the odds are against him, but there is always hope. My hope and prayer for the victim is that she will be able to pick herself up and change her lifestyle so it doesn't include the things mentioned above. She has a daughter who deserves to grow up with a sense of right and wrong. I pray she will get the counseling she so desperately needs to move on with her life in a positive and productive way.
This case was emotionally draining, but I'm so glad and thankful that I got to be a part of it. I learned a lot about the judicial system and the order of things in a court room. I also learned a lot about my stance on things relating to this case. I am, however, ready to get back to my little life of work, kids, football games, family and spending time at home. I am extremely blessed and thankful for my quiet, undramatic little piece of this world!

Bullet point update

• We have finished two weeks of school. Reality has set in that this is an every day thing! My body is trying to get used to the routine. I go through this every year, but it never gets easier.
• Drew is back in action! The doctor said he can go back to driving and most of his normal activities, but he can't lift, push or pull with his right arm. I guess he forgot about this when he decided to trim the bushes and trees yesterday~on a ladder! It is amazing to me that just six short weeks ago our lives could have turned out so differently. I am thankful every day that his accident wasn't worse than it was. He will probably always have some range of motion or strength limitations and the nerve in his leg bothers him daily, but I am thankful he is still alive and didn't have a serious head injury.
• Jackson is training for a 5k in October. He runs at school during the week and he and I run on Sunday mornings. I enjoy spending that time with him and he seems to like it, too. We ran 1.25 miles today and he didn't stop. Our goal is to not walk on the Sunday runs.
• I am training for a half marathon again. I will run one in October and another one in December. We ran 7 miles on Saturday. The temperature was awesome, but is was very windy. I am looking forward to running, but with the way my knee has been feeling it may be my last year to run long distances. I know I've said that before, but I have really been in a lot of pain daily. I may have to stick to shorter distances or mud runs.
• Bryson has started playing football at school. His first game is next Monday. I am looking forward to having a son in athletics. Hopefully he will get some playing time since his daddy is one of the coaches! 
• Addison LOVES kindergarten! She has a great teacher and is excited to go to school each morning! 
• Drew made bacon wrapped jalapeños and hamburgers for dinner. They were good!
• Addison had her first soccer game yesterday. She got embarrassed, started crying and ran off the field. She did tell me after the game that she gets it now and will do better next week! We'll see!
• Drew started running again last Thursday! I almost forgot to mention this! He wakes up at 4 when I do and goes for about 45 minutes. He says it's slow going right now, but I didn't think he would even be able to run this soon.  He is trying really hard to get in shape and I am very proud of him!
• 38 more weeks until summer! These are total weeks, not school weeks! You know I like to count down.
• I'll be back with more later!

A big, hot mess

My weekend SUCKED! I know most people only post about the good things that happen in their life, but not me, not today. I read several blogs and have many Facebook friends and I often find myself comparing my life to theirs. I usually end up feeling horrible about myself. How can they cook a wonderful meal, spend quality time with their children, finish their crafts, have a perfectly clean house and manicured yard, lose __ # of pounds and fit in a weekly date night with their husband??? My life is just not that perfect. I am a hot mess, have a HORRIBLE temper, get stressed easily, take things out on the people closest to me and retreat when I feel like I can't take it any more. I won't go into details, but just know that I may be in need of some prayers. Prayers for patience, tolerance, energy, and for my family and friends to be able to love me at my worst. We start work again tomorrow and I will be honest in taying that I haven't even thought about school, yet. So, yeah, I feel like a complete and total loser right now. I know things will get better. They always do. It's just hard to see how things will work out for good when you are in the middle of the mess.

As for Drew, he is doing better and is able to do most things that don't involve raising his hand above his head, lifting or pushing and pulling. He still can't drive, but hopefully that will change in a few more weeks. Then he will start physical therapy. That will just add one more thing to our wonderful schedule. (Sarcasm is a wonderful thing.)

Oh, and just because I know some people expect it: only 287 more days until Summer 2013!

Update...

We've had a few uneventful days and that's just the way I like it! Drew is feeling better and is able to do much of his self care. I still have to help with showers and baths and shaving. He can do just about everything else. Of course, he can't cook, clean, do dishes, do laundry, vacuum, etc., but that's why we have kids! Seriously, the kids have been great and are helping out willingly around the house. I know that could change quickly, but I'll count my blessings while I can! We go back to work on Monday, so things may be a little hairy for a while until we get a schedule and routine that works for us. It's all a learning process.

I registered Addie for school today. I can't believe it's time for her to be in school, but she's ready. I can't wait to see how much she learns this year!

There's not a lot to report today. We are still waiting to hear from the doctor about scheduling Drew's EMG. His leg still bothers him all day and is worse at night. We need to find out what is going on with that. His shoulder pain is getting better. He has at least 4 and 1/2 more weeks before he can drive. He will also start physical therapy then. We are hopeful that he will regain full strength and range of motion in his right shoulder. I am still thankful each day that the accident wasn't worse.

We have 6 more days of summer and we are going to try to enjoy them to the fullest!

Friday

Drew had a pretty good day today. He is starting to move around more and his shoulder isn't as sore as it was. I am thankful. I took the kids bowling today then we went by Ms. Linda's for a while so they could play. I say a while, but I ended up staying for three hours! I love talking with her and I could have stayed much longer. I hope I didn't wear her out!

I made BLTs for dinner tonight and they were good! I had a loaf of tomato basil bread from Panera and some Wright's bacon. Wright's is the only way to go. I was a short order cook tonight and everyone got to choose what they wanted on their sandwich. I had pepper jack cheese, bacon (of course!), mayo, tomato and arugula. I ate every last crumb! The kids ate all of theirs, too.

Tomorrow I am planning on going to the gym for kickboxing and body pump.  Then I am going to have a little selfish time at the pool by myself listening to my audiobook. Drew wants me to do this, so who am I to argue?!? Some of his friends are coming over to visit with him, so I need to get out of the way. The kids may end up at the pool with me, but I will still be relaxing. I need a little relaxation after the last two weeks! I don't think I will even feel guilty this time!

We have ONE more week of summer break. I don't know how things are going to work out once school starts, but I know we will manage. We have had AMAZING support from family and friends so far and I KNOW I have people I can call on if I (we) get into a bind. I know we are allowed to experience hardships for different reasons. I just hope and pray God will be glorified through all of this and we will grow in our faith as we travel this journey. Thanks for checking in!

Thursday

Today was a fairly normal summer day for us. I woke up early this morning and couldn't go back to sleep so I went to the gym for an hour. When I got home I took a shower and ate breakfast with Addison. All the boys in the house were still sleeping so we had some quality girl time. She talked my ear off and I loved every minute of it! When she gets started she doesn't stop! Addie and I went to Academy to exchange some shorts I had bought the day before, went to the pediatricians office to pick up a copy so her shot records so I can register her for kindergarten next week then we went to Kroger to get some groceries. When we got home Drew had the boys vacuuming and doing laundry. He was using them as his hands. They were pretty good sports about it, too, so I am thankful for that. After all that was done I took 2 benedryls. I was stung by a bee a couple of days ago and the sting site was pretty angry! Oh, my, goodness I got so sleepy! I ended up taking a THREE hour nap this afternoon. Seriously, three hours and I could have slept longer but I had to take Addie to soccer practice. While we were at practice one of our friends dropped off some BBQ for dinner. It was so yummy and we are thankful for people who care about us. This has been such a blessing through all of this. After dinner Drew and I watched the season finale of Dallas. I am thankful for an uneventful day. Tomorrow I plan on taking the kids out for a little while to do something fun.

Drew's shoulder seems to be healing well and the pain has subsided a lot. He still cant use that arm so I am still taking care of most of his personal needs, but he can use his hand a little bit. His main complaint right now is his left leg. That is the side the truck struck. He has been experiencing numbness, a buzzing feeling and shooting pains in that leg. He is going to have an EMG done sometime in the near future to see if there is some nerve damage. Hopefully it is nothing that can't be reversed or fixed. His leg really gives him trouble at night and last night he said he was almost in tears. Drew does not cry~ever, so I know it really hurts. If you feel led would you pray for comfort for him and for the doctors to be able to find the cause of his pain? Thank you so much for checking in with us and for lifting us up in prayer.

Not Fun Times

Drew has had a rough couple of days. I thought it would be a good idea to get out of the house a little yesterday. We went to lunch (Addie tagged along) and ventured out to Walmart. I know, I know, even when ou are fully healthy Walmart is a beating! I needed some things and we needed some groceries, so I was trying to get it all in one place. Drew can't really eat very well because of his left hand not working properly and he really wasn't very hungry, but he was a good sport and went along. At the store I could tell he was losing energy quickly. When it was time to check out I thought he was going to have to go sit down. It just really wiped him out. Less than two weeks ago he was jogging three miles a few times a week and now he can't walk around Walmart for 45 minutes without getting exhausted. It's really sad. He hasn't been sleeping very well at night, either. He falls asleep for 30 minutes or so and wakes up because he is uncomfortable. His left thigh is really starting to bother him. It feels numb when he touches it, but it has a burning sensation on the inside. That's the side the truck hit, so I'm sure there is some nerve damage. His left knee is still swollen and sore, too. Today he is running a low grade temperature. We go back to the doctor tomorrow afternoon for his post-op appointment. This whole ordeal is really wearing him down emotionally and physically. He is starting to wonder how he will be able to work in a couple of weeks. If you feel lead, please pray for him and all that is going on right now. This is hard on him, me, the kids and our family as a whole. My friends have tried to lessen the burden by sending food and gift cards to restaurants. Drew's family has taken the kids several times, too. That has helped SO MUCH! I am so appreciative of the help we have been given and feel blessed to have giving people in our lives. Now if we could just get Drew to heal really fast we would be in business!