Sunday, November 25, 2012

"Black" Friday

Black Friday:



....................last year. 
We neglected pictures this year.  Drama and 32 weeks pregnant could have been factors!

Here is an excerpt from the Omaha World Herold regarding black Friday in Omaha:

About 1 a.m. Friday, two men got into a fight at Westroads and knocked over some signs, Omaha police said. The noise prompted the shots-fired rumor. Officers arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of disorderly conduct.
About 2:40 a.m. at Oak View, a 21-year-old woman suspected of shoplifting sprayed pepper spray into the faces of two security guards and a store employee in a loud disturbance that resulted in her arrest, police said.
The trouble disturbed few shoppers.
 
Here is how "the trouble disturbed few shoppers" looked like from our perspective!
Shortly after 1 I get a phone call: Jen where you shopping? 
Me: Yonkers
Which mall?
Me: Kim we're at Oakview right? Oakview. Why?
There was maybe a shooting at Westroads.
Freaky.
 
Fast forward an hour or so and we are still at oakview  checking out at bath and body works and I hear this loud rumbling noise...and I make eye contact with Kim like hmmmm. We both shrug our shoulders and self talk like it's nothing.
 
Well it just gets louder like elephants and while she hands the lady money I turn around and see out in the mall and people are RUNNING, like sprinting out of the mall, hence the rumbling sound, it was tons of people running out of the mall......
 
We make eye contact with the sales associate who immediately says follow me and we head back to their storage room. The associates continue to file all customers into the storage room, as I am pondering where is the best corner to stand in a storage room if a shooter enters. Will I remember to play dead? Holy Crap. Is this happening?!
 
Both Kim and I try calling Linda because we know she is in the mall but there is no reception in the back storage room.
 
I just kept thinking...........yes yes please more people cram in please so I am further back...hidden.
 
I am sure it didn't last long. 5 minutes or so. Maybe longer. Maybe shorter.
 
Ends up it wasn't a shooting. Some lady shoplifted and then maced the security guard who tried to stop her and he tazed her causing a commotion hence a noise others may have thought were gunshots and the herd of running. 
 
We knew Linda was in the mall too so once they opened the door to let us back out she called right away. She said they were up by the escalator and a guy with a pistol in his hand at his hip grabbed her side and said ....get out of the mall there is going to be a shooting. (Yes a Man with a gun!)She said she was running down the escalator probably while we were in the storage room and couldn't see anything but apparently they closed all the gates on the store fronts so like if you were out in the hall you were just out.  Although I do remember asking Kim....is there a lock on the store room?!  Someone better lock the store room!  
*Linda saw this guy shortly after and they are thinking he was a undercover cop maybe
 
When they let us out. We walked straight out of the mall and straight out to the car and just sat there. I think it took an hour for my heart rate to come to normal.
I am not sure Kim's bladder ever recovered! *smile!* Sorry Kimmy!
so the whole "shoppers were not disturbed"
 isn't really all that accurate from, oh a shoppers point of view!
 
Sad what is reality now.
Probably 5 years ago...maybe less...
if there was a fight,
a brawl
a cop that tazes a shoplifter
we would have all tried to get a little closer
try to see what is happening!
Let's watch the fight, from a short safe distance of course!
 
Not anymore.
Not in today's society.
The reality that things can go horribly wrong is so real to people today.
 
I just realized this weekend how sad our reality is now.
 
Definitely a black Friday that will go down in the books.
32 weeks pregnant.
Up 24 hours.
First shooting scare.
 
....and yet my Christmas shopping is almost done!
Whoop!
The silver lining!
 
*the kids are hilarious this year.
They wrapped presents yesterday all by themselves and it was too cute.
Kadence told Mark
"Dad, we did NOT buy you a TV. It's nothing."
 
I cannot wait to take them each shopping alone next weekend
and watch them pick out the perfect present for each other!
 
Just a reality, I would like to establish in them,
to take root in who they are....
the joy in giving to others!
Balancing society's reality
with the gift of living....
a new parenting role in our world today.
 
Game on.
Society: 1
Jen: 1
 
Bring on next weekend!
smilefrowntonguegringaspwinkpacman
grumpyunsurecrykikiglassessunglassesheart
devilangelsquintconfusedupsetcolonthreelike
 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The eye of the storm

Life is a whirlwind.
 
This much is true.

Sometimes I am feel like I am clinging on for dear life
being whipping around, out of control.

Then it comes.
 
The calm.


Seeing the beauty of the chaos around you....
 
The eye of the storm.

Sometimes I find myself stuck
 in that trap,
wishing for a quiet,
calm,
imaginary
 "put together", life.
 
*whatever that is*
 
 
 
 
but I think I am slowly coming to realize,
many things,
which add up to the fact that it is time
to stop wishing
and keep remembering
the wonder,
the beauty, 
that exists in the whirlwind life in front of me.

Life is crazy beautiful. Right?
Sometimes more one over the other but both parts necessary
*crazy & beautiful*
 
There is always something to be thankful for and I am sure I could make you a top ten list tonight
of the things that I and many others are thankful for today and every day.... but I am not sure that it should matter or would matter to anyone else....things like....
 
I do have 2 healthy beautiful children and I am beyond thankful for them
(and yet there are days I need time away)
I have a great husband, who thankfully balances out my tendencies to over react/add too much emotion, with calm and reason 
(and yet there are days.....)
 
Yes I have a list.
But right now I just share this:
 
I am thankful that my life has allowed me to be realistic....
 
To understand that I can be thankful....
AND yet not perfect.
 
The eye of the storm.....*if you will*
 
Trying to find and see the beauty of the chaos around me.
*most of the time*
 
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie