Yesterday, Tuesday, December 20, 2012 I picked the girls up after work as always! We headed to Wal-mart to pick up a few things I needed for my class party the next day. As we walked the aisles of Wal-mart, we crossed paths with a neighbor. The stopped me and said, "Hey, I drove past your house about an hour ago and your garage door was open. Did you leave your garage open today?" With my no response, she followed up with, "The garage door was open, and the door leading into your home from the garage was propped open too. I could see straight into your laundry room." My thought was, "my dad probably stopped by, and she didn't notice his car parked." So, I called my parents. My dad responded that he had not been to my house that day. Maybe it was a hope, but I do live in a cookie cutter development, maybe, just maybe she had the wrong house! I decided I would call a close friend in the neighborhood to drive by and see if it was infact my house. A few minutes later, I received a call back, confirming my worst fears. Sure enough, it was my home. I hung up and called the police.
I arrived at the home and could tell I had been robbed! The garage was open, the propped open door to the garage, the drawers in a dresser pulled open, a power cord , and a slipper from bedroom stood out like sore thumbs and not correct. I felt like I was looking at one of those picture where you try to find what is out of place. Now, it was wait time for the police to arrive, and give me an all clear to enter my home. I sat praying . . . praying the didn't touch so many things! The police did arrive about 20 minutes later, he waited for back up, they entered the home, and excited a few minutes later. Upon exiting, he said, "All clear, you aren't going to like what you find inside." I entered . . . my daughters rooms were left seemingly completely untouched. Then, I rounded the corner to find, all my kitchen drawers and cupboards gone thru. My t.v. gone. All the Christmas present placed under the tree GONE! I went to the formal living area . . . led by a path of knives . . . like the bread crumbs Hansel and Gretel left strewn about. My silver given to me by my mom GONE, save the knives that fell from the holder and were now strewn across the floor. A drawer of my silver holder left. I went to my room, to discover my drawers all pulled open, everything pulled out. Anything of worth, gone. My armoire opened and my jewelry box gone! Christmas presents still waiting to be wrapped GONE! My closet revealed a treasured sterling silver jewelry box with my initials monogramed given to me by my dear cousin Ashley GONE. My heart just kept sinking. A few presents, yet to make it under the tree had been unwrapped and tossed to the side, apparently not worthy enough to be taken! Everything gone thru!! Soon, I notice pillow cases are missing off my pillows, these creeps have taken my pillow cases and used them to take my things from my home!!
I spent the next few hours with police in my home, asking me for serial numbers, receipts, what is missing, trying to collect finger prints, and all the other gammet of life after a crime. My girls were with their grandparents as I tried to come to grips with what has happened to my home, my possessions, my treasures, my Christmas that I had worked, saved, shopped, prepped, and planned for months to be abel to provide. I stood around a lot in SHOCK - DISBELIEF - and ANGER! How, how does someone do this to someone else, especially at this time of year!?!? How do you enter a home, see obvious signs of children, and robb from them the gifts under their tree!?!? I was numb!
In this moment of grief, neighbors . . . neighbors I had never met soon mingled on my driveway. Each extending any information they could and offers of help. Other entering my home, and helping me to refold, straighten up, put away, secure unsecurable things, and just be there while all I could really do is sit and stare!!
Later, I spent the remainder of the night in a room at my parents . . . going thru where I could have hidden certain things that would have preserved them. How could I find other things! Christmas! Christmas! How, how can I provide a Christmas for my girls that I take months to provide in a matter of days!! How, how do I redo all that I had done! How, with what means! Couldn't these people, if you can call them people, couldn't they see, see how I plot and plan to do things! And what in the world coudl they want with the gifts I had purchased! What?? My stomach becoming more and more sick at the thought that they would open them, realize they were of no real value . . . and soon, soon they would be tossed to the garbage! My gifts, my hard earned money, my saving, my ad watching, my efforts . . . how dare they! How dare they take Christmas from two little girls!! I can deal with the rest but to take Christmas from my kids!!! How dare they!!
This morning the shock, disbelief, and shock wore off! I stopped by the house to pick a few things up . . . I found myself bawling in my living room, and finally shouting, "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU COME IN MY HOME and TAKE CHRISTMAS! HOW COULD YOU!" I cried the entire way to work!! The entire way!!!
I arrived at the home and could tell I had been robbed! The garage was open, the propped open door to the garage, the drawers in a dresser pulled open, a power cord , and a slipper from bedroom stood out like sore thumbs and not correct. I felt like I was looking at one of those picture where you try to find what is out of place. Now, it was wait time for the police to arrive, and give me an all clear to enter my home. I sat praying . . . praying the didn't touch so many things! The police did arrive about 20 minutes later, he waited for back up, they entered the home, and excited a few minutes later. Upon exiting, he said, "All clear, you aren't going to like what you find inside." I entered . . . my daughters rooms were left seemingly completely untouched. Then, I rounded the corner to find, all my kitchen drawers and cupboards gone thru. My t.v. gone. All the Christmas present placed under the tree GONE! I went to the formal living area . . . led by a path of knives . . . like the bread crumbs Hansel and Gretel left strewn about. My silver given to me by my mom GONE, save the knives that fell from the holder and were now strewn across the floor. A drawer of my silver holder left. I went to my room, to discover my drawers all pulled open, everything pulled out. Anything of worth, gone. My armoire opened and my jewelry box gone! Christmas presents still waiting to be wrapped GONE! My closet revealed a treasured sterling silver jewelry box with my initials monogramed given to me by my dear cousin Ashley GONE. My heart just kept sinking. A few presents, yet to make it under the tree had been unwrapped and tossed to the side, apparently not worthy enough to be taken! Everything gone thru!! Soon, I notice pillow cases are missing off my pillows, these creeps have taken my pillow cases and used them to take my things from my home!!
I spent the next few hours with police in my home, asking me for serial numbers, receipts, what is missing, trying to collect finger prints, and all the other gammet of life after a crime. My girls were with their grandparents as I tried to come to grips with what has happened to my home, my possessions, my treasures, my Christmas that I had worked, saved, shopped, prepped, and planned for months to be abel to provide. I stood around a lot in SHOCK - DISBELIEF - and ANGER! How, how does someone do this to someone else, especially at this time of year!?!? How do you enter a home, see obvious signs of children, and robb from them the gifts under their tree!?!? I was numb!
In this moment of grief, neighbors . . . neighbors I had never met soon mingled on my driveway. Each extending any information they could and offers of help. Other entering my home, and helping me to refold, straighten up, put away, secure unsecurable things, and just be there while all I could really do is sit and stare!!
Later, I spent the remainder of the night in a room at my parents . . . going thru where I could have hidden certain things that would have preserved them. How could I find other things! Christmas! Christmas! How, how can I provide a Christmas for my girls that I take months to provide in a matter of days!! How, how do I redo all that I had done! How, with what means! Couldn't these people, if you can call them people, couldn't they see, see how I plot and plan to do things! And what in the world coudl they want with the gifts I had purchased! What?? My stomach becoming more and more sick at the thought that they would open them, realize they were of no real value . . . and soon, soon they would be tossed to the garbage! My gifts, my hard earned money, my saving, my ad watching, my efforts . . . how dare they! How dare they take Christmas from two little girls!! I can deal with the rest but to take Christmas from my kids!!! How dare they!!
This morning the shock, disbelief, and shock wore off! I stopped by the house to pick a few things up . . . I found myself bawling in my living room, and finally shouting, "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU COME IN MY HOME and TAKE CHRISTMAS! HOW COULD YOU!" I cried the entire way to work!! The entire way!!!
