My World has been Rocked

I usually sleep with earplugs, to help drown out my husbands snoring and other noises. I usually pull them out sometime in the early hours of the morning to wake to my alarm.

This morning however, I pulled one out at around 3am because it was bothering my ear. Just a few short minutes later I heard some noise. I thought it was the wind pushing the big swing on my deck, then I heard other movement downstairs like the cabinet door closing and footsteps on my deck. I got up to look outside and couldn't really see much. So I went outside my room to the landing area at the top of the stairs to listen. I didn't really hear anything, but turned and saw someone coming up the stairs. They were dressed completely in black from head to toe. I yelled "What are you doing, get out of my house." They turned and ran out. My husband woke up during this and I yelled "There's someone in the house!" He ran down and out the back door that was wide open.

My 7 year old son woke up too. I was standing outside his door as I was yelling. I went downstairs to find a door to a little cabinet where I keep cookbooks and bowls open and my wallet open and on the floor.

I called the police. It took them about 7 or 8 minutes, or so it seemed, for them to get here. They brought the canine unit. There were three patrol cars. They searched the back yard and tried to pick up a scent. It ended across the street from my house where their getaway car was parked.

I sat on the couch with my husband and son while they did their investigation/search. My insides were all tied up and adrenaline pumped through my body. My husband kept apologizing. My son was upset too. I am thankful my daughter slept through it. We've tried not to let her know.

I think all that is gone is my driver's license, debit and credit cards, a lot of cash that I was going to put in my check book to pay for a couple of marathons I recently registered for. My cell phone, both sets of keys to our truck(with house keys) and my digital camera. Just stuff. Oh, and my sense of security. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight. I didn't go back to sleep this morning.

I'm waiting for the locksmith to come and change our locks and reset the car locks and give us new keys.

I don't understand the mindset of a person who would choose a home with two cars parked out front, go around the back and see children's play things, come inside rummage around downstairs and then have the nerve to come upstairs where it was obvious that people were home, where precious children were sleeping.

A very arrogant person. A cold-hearted person. A person who is lacking love in their life, that they have to steal from others.

I am very shaken up. I know that what is most valuable is safe. I can replace the other things and be inconvenienced for a while. I hope I can regain a sense of security and trust in people I don't know.

I know that God was protecting me and that I have some lessons to learn from this that will make me a better, stronger person. I know this won't happen overnight. I know I have a process to go through. It may take a while. I was jumpy still later on while making toast for my daughter. I jumped a mile when the toaster popped up. I heard something on TV and thought someone was jiggling my front doorknob.

I've been a passenger in enough serious car accidents to know that traumatizing events take time and talking to get over. Here is my start.

I was comforted some when after my run this morning, my crime scene investigator friend came over just to check and see if things were secure. He gave my husband some pointers about how to reinforce the locks on our french doors.

I've made all the cancellation calls and scheduled the locks to be changed. What is in my control is done. The rest is out of my control and I've given it up through prayer. Keep my family and I in your thoughts and prayers as we try to make sense and recover from this senseless action.

Grace and peace to you.
And, hug and kiss your kids, and lock up tight.

I'm pretty ti