A Dark Night Rises with many Super Heroes.

11:35 p.m. Nightline comes on and my daughter and I are glued to the boob tube.

Let me take you back to late Thursday night to early Friday morning.  I was in all my glory sitting and cruising the internet and watching several movies with my eight year old, waiting for my 21 year old to come home from "A Girls Night Out" for the first time since she turned 21 and now soon to be 22.  Of course my "spidey senses" go off all the time when my kids are not home, (especially now, my 13 year old has been gone for 2 weeks in Ohio) and I'm so ever TINGLING from head to toe.  Anyway, I have to stay on track here.  The night proceeded, she came home safe and sound, and chit-chatted about how fun her night was with her girl friends and the movie they saw "Magic Mike."  She talked about the types of appetizers and drinks they had and how they were going to play it safe and walk from the mall the movie theater to watch their show.  

Morning comes, I'm on my third cup of coffee and watching the end of "Live with Kelly" ready to watch "The Nate Show" and down comes my oldest daughter wide eyed and asking if I heard or watched the news this morning.  No, I had not yet and she filled me in on the shootings in Colorado.  At this time of the morning the news was over and all that was left was the internet.  Well, I caught bits and pieces here and there on the internet and really had to do my mommy duties so the full affect had not settled in yet, nor at the time was it important to me with all the things I wanted to get done for the day.  I had managed to get by through the weekend with tidbits here and there on what had happened with my busy weekend and lack of sleep with a teething baby, but still in the back of my mind all I could replay was Columbine.  I would shake my head and continue with what I was doing because the mere thought of the incident really put me off and something like this has always consumed me physically and mentally, especially since 9/11.   

Today (Monday)  was the first I was able to sit and catch what had happened when I watched Fox News http://video.foxnews.com/v/1750001061001/ and was rather stunned at what I was seeing.  I could not believe what was going on in James Holmes's mind.  You could say he was faking it, medicated or was so mentally out of it and reality finally caught up with him (what I mean is the demon left him to deal with the mess).  http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/james-holmes-red-haired-batman-movie-1156047

Now tonight on "Nightline" they talked about the four heroes that saved their loved ones lives. http://abcnews.go.com/watch/nightline/SH5584743/VD55221027/nightline-720-colorado-movie-theater-shooting-worst-in-us-history  As the interviews had ended and the next program proceeded I was left numb and confused. My daughter (tender hearted) was in tears and said, "I would not have wanted Erik to have done that for me, I don't know if I could live without him". Wow, is all I could think. My immediate reaction was, "I would have wanted him to do that, I could not live without you."  But, then again I think, what if that was my husband and I at the theater. He naturally would have jumped and took a bullet for me, his girls, or anyone that was in harms way, as would I. Then he would have stormed him like a ragging bull when the opportune time came. All I can say is when you listen to the stories and think of the lives that were taken how can you not be scared to do anything.  For instance Jessica Ghawi, last month was spared of a tragedy that happened in Toronto and wrote in her blog after that incident, "I saw the terror on bystanders' faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don't know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath." Wow, I get goose bumps every time I read that and think if only she knew what was coming.  You can go here to read the full article. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/07/20/157128444/the-tragedy-of-jessica-ghawi-spared-in-toronto-she-died-in-colorado-shooting

I have no answers for what has happened or why.  I don't know why James Holmes withdrew from school and decided to rig his apartment in booby traps and go on a crazy spree.  He obviously had planned this strategically to have emergency responders at his residence when his alarm was planned to go off and to then go on his shooting spree.  I THANK GOD, literally that this booby trap did not go off.  Stop and think for a minute, shhhh, stop and think and let this really sink in.  If that alarm would have gone off at that time of the evening, can you imagine, with all the explosives that where there and the damage he could have done to the innocent people there and the amount of police, fire and emergency responders.  Then fast forward to the movie theater, he knows his trapped worked and now he has the whole theater and other joining theaters to invade.  HOLY CRAP!!  Again I thank GOD for the intervention.  It was a pure miracle that the bombs did not go off.  This article goes into depth of what was in his apartment.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176934/James-Holmes-Detonation-possible-Dark-Knight-killers-booby-trapped-apartment-police-firefighters-prepare-enter.html

Now, from what I understand, next weeks court hearing will tell more on the future of James Holmes and if the Prosecuting Attorney will be pursing the death penalty or life in prison without parole.  Phew, as a christian woman I have mixed feelings about the death penalty and life in prison.  First, I would want an eye for an eye, but then I know God will filter this all out in the end.  As a parent, I again, would want revenge.  I don't think that is wrong to want or have that feeling, but when do you let go and learn to live with that feeling of not getting back at the one who stole your loved ones or about killed you?  Second, do we want our tax money going to a support a crazy person, where, lets face it in some cases some prisoners get an education, free cable (which I don't have), meals (rather it is bread and water, some of our struggling US citizens don't even get that) and so forth?  I hate to say it but maybe it is better that he does serve life in prison under solitary confinement because rumor has it that people want him dead in prison for killing a six year old.

I have to put a good note in here to make me sleep better tonight.  Katie and Caleb Medley had a beautiful baby boy named Hugo.  Prayers goes to this family as the father is still fighting for his life and mom is still recovering from being shot and giving birth.  Again, thank God for his many blessings.  Please go to Caleb's website and support the family however you can.  http://calebmedley.com/help

The Victims of Aurora, Colorado shooting: 

Jessica Ghawi, 24

Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6

John T. Larimer, 27

Alexander J. Boik, 18

Jesse E. Childress, 29

Jonathan T. Blunk, 26

Rebecca Ann Wingo, 32

Alex M. Sullivan, 27

Gordon W. Cowdon, 52

Micayla C. Medek, 23

Alexander C. Teves, 24

Matthew R. McQuinn, 27

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/07/colorado-shooting-victims-identified-president-obama-visits-auro/#ixzz21W8Wntov

When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5, 6ESV) 

Hot and Lazy Brown Summer

Well this month has been relentless to say the least as far as heat and the ending desert look to my yard.  I have been able to break out some of the babies clothes before my youngest grew out of them.

I keep forgetting we live in Indiana.  I walk out in my yard and think do we live in the west with all the dead grass and dust blowing around when ever the (little bit of) wind we get.  It is almost like winter so depressing.  It has been so hot here that the kids really can not enjoy the summer vacation.  My second youngest keeps asking when will school start and it is only July.  WOW.  Great surprise though this week we actually had rain for a couple of days.  The grass is starting to get that almost green look back again which leads me to a news report here in Indiana where a local painter's business was running a little slow and he decided to paint his lawn green.  Here is the link-http://www.theindychannel.com/news/31278860/detail.html
I thought that was so funny and how ingenious.

Earlier this year when the weather was beautiful my daughter and husband went on a fishing trip in the small lake behind our house and caught a turtle.  Here he is in all his glory.  This little turtle seemed a little miffed at us for bugging him so he turned his head away (a little camera shy).

 

Here is another quick look at him face to face. 

We put him down to see if he would come out of his shell and boy I will tell you he had some speed to him.  He booked it across the deck in a quick hurry.  The kids and dad took him back down to the shore of the lake and they stated that this guy took off like lightening.

I will have to say I love it when we go out and find little critters like this.  We find a lot but there are times I don't have my camera with me.  Bad, bad, bad for someone who loves to take pictures.

Another fishing trip with the same daughter and her dad caught a fresh water clam in our little lake/pond.

 Now from what I have heard it that they can produce actual pearls, but they are worth nothing and that they are protected here in Indiana.  Rumor has it that Indiana is putting water back in the waterways via fire hydrant to so as to not lose the beds.  What! not now they are not with the drought going on.  I would be a little miffed if so since I can not water my desert in my back yard.  I mean look at the picture above, that is some brown, crunchy grass.

Well that is it for now.  Hope to post more critter and creepy bug pictures later.