My Little Sweetheart is Gone

My sweet little kindergartner next door has been evicted, along with her family. To say that my heart feels like it has been ripped out of my chest is putting it mildly.  Somehow I feel the need to say that I did everything I knew how to do to prevent this without enabling harmful behavior.  Not only did I do everything I could, but an entire neighborhood tried to help, including the landlord.

What could I do when she knocked on the door with 45 minutes available, but take her for cake pops at a favorite place, watch her wiggle her loose front tooth, and listen to what Miss Kinchlow told them all at school today?

I hope that during the year we had this sweet little girl with us, along with her three other siblings, we were able to pour in all the love we possibly could.  I cannot explain the desolation which swept through me to hear her say matter-of-factly, "I guess we are going to a shelter tonight."  No child should ever have to say that, never mind experience it.  What do you do but hold her close and remind her that you will pray for her every day?  You remind her how amazing she is and that God has a special plan for her.

How do I walk in the love that Christ wants us to having for a hurting world when I want to strangle the adults in her life for putting her in this position? What would Jesus do?  The shortest verse in the Bible says, "Jesus wept" when he learned that his friend Lazarus had died.  So I guess Jesus will understand that I sit here crying and second-guessing myself, but most of all praying that He will suffer these little children to come unto Him and find a place for them and healing for their mother.

When I came inside just now they were running barefoot in the grass between our two houses,catching lightning bugs, and waiting for a ride to God-knows-where. I pray that they will stay carefree and untouched by this adult chaos. My heart is broken.

Walks

I've taken some amazing walks lately.  While traveling through North Carolina, I stopped to walk the dog in a little park in Zebulon, NC. The woods were cool and green - all you could smell was springtime.

 The little play house below was along my walk in the Ghent section of Norfolk, in the backyard of a stately house.  Some treasured little girl must play there.

Despicable Me

To say that my husband has an unusual job is putting it mildly.  Sometimes he sends me pics or quips during his work day.  I sometimes wonder if he's kidding around or being serious.  I got a pic via a smart phone which was entitled, "Despicable Me" yesterday.

When I first saw the title of the message, I wasn't sure whether he was trying to tell me that he forgot to take the garbage out to the street, he was having one of those days (as we all do) when he was REALLY doubting his self image, or he was thinking of the movie of the same name.

As it happens, it was none of the above.  Who knew that there was a Despicable Me blimp promoting the next Despicable Me movie (Despicable Me 2) and that it needed a little TLC?  That's what the company he works for does and so, here it is in the hanger.  You can get a good idea of the scale by checking out the white pick up underneath.  It is one of those big pick ups with a "back seat" before the truck bed.

I should add that the company he works for does a lot of things other than fixing "ole Despicable" including military and communication applications.  Bruce works on that side of the house.

Sometimes it is embarrassing to admit that your husband plays with balloons for a living. - and he he isn't even a clown!