Jury Duty.

 This may have been the craziest week of my life!?!

When I received my summons to go into the city on May 4, I was not excited.  I have never done this before and I knew I could find the parking garage but walking through the city is not my thing alone!!!!

Mike took the kids to school that morning because I needed to be in at the courthouse by 8 AM.  I found my way.  Stood in line with my summons paper and hoped this wouldn't take too long!  I walked up to the elevator hoping to be on my way home again soon!  I also took a screenshot of the verses I read that morning!

Well, the journey began.  I sat down in a large room with people I never met before and a few prizes were handed out because it was jury appreciation week.  Go figure!  I needed to fill out a form paper.  So numbers were dismissed but I was #27 and needed to stay.  Hopefully not for too much longer.

My number was called to join around seventy other people in another court room where the judge asked specific questions and this was the time to maybe be excused.  A brief overview of the case was given along with a list of names involved.  Obviously if you knew any of these names, you would be dismissed to keep a fair trial.

It took some time but finally a jury group was picked and we sat anxiously waiting to hear which numbers would be called off.  Number 27 was read off first.  My heart sank.  What was I about to get into?  I never did this before.  What does this all mean?  We didn't have our phones as they were turned off and collected before going into the courtroom.  There I sat, ready for a trial to soon begin.

We were given a few instructions and then given back our phones before being excused for lunch.  

I was given a pin to wear that said "jury."  I then walked out the courthouse and had no idea where to go for lunch.  An older lady was also on the jury and we walked out together.  We asked if we should do lunch together and we walked down the street looking for something to eat.  We saw New Holland Coffee and walked in.  I ordered my food.  She ordered hers.  I found a table and she sat with me.  I said, "Hi. My name is Lori."  She said, "Hi. My name is Kim."  I was now having lunch with a complete stranger now serving on jury duty together.

We ate fast and got back to the courthouse by 1:00.  I did give a quick text out to Mike and the kids telling them that I'm on the case and to say a prayer for me.  Mike was picking up the kids at school again and bringing them home.  I would be home later.  I walked back into the courthouse and handed my phone in and got prepared to hear this trial story.

Things were heavy to hear.  I tried making some notes.  We were told that this was going to me at least a three day trial and we needed to make the arrangements to accommodate that.  I was out of the parking garage and driving back home at 5 PM.  I called Mike and said that I was going to swing by Costco and grab some easy dinner foods for this week because I didn't know what was all going to take place.  I came home so tired.  My head was full.  I couldn't tell any of the story to anyone.  I went to bed exhausted and we made quick plans for the kids pick up and drop off for school.  

TUESDAY: The next day was another day in the city in the courthouse.  

It was lovely outside and one of the first things I thought of when I received my summons was Dave's auction.  I wanted to be at the auction and watch his things being sold but I didn't make it till right before the property was sold.  Dave was a single man that we rented his house in Florida for many years while on vacation and we knew him for years.  He passed away last fall and all his things were being sold.

Tuesday was a long day of hearing much drama.  Testimony after testimony.  Hearing from both sides.

WEDNESDAY:  Mike and the kids are doing fine but we are all feeling the effects of change in routine and schedule.  I am not used to being away all day and what is usually one of my favorite parts of the day (when Mike comes home from work) is now the most stressful part of the day.  Dinner isn't made.  Mike is taking the kids to practices.  I'm having Austin work on his book report.  Laundry is folded.  My head is again so full of details of the day and I'm tired!  Hadassah texted me earlier and said that she is bringing dinner and the kids were coming over to help finish up the mulch pile.  It made me cry when I saw her text because I knew it would be a good idea to "work" after sitting all day but mentally I was tired.  We did get the mulch done!  We ate together as a family and after working, I showered and went to bed!!!!

THURSDAY:  This is normally my cleaning day but I needed to be back in the city first thing hoping this would be the last day???  Hadassah's cleaning crew came and cleaned my house while I was hearing more details of this case.  Nothing about this is easy to hear.  By now, all fourteen of us jurors know the drill of parking at the garage, entering the courthouse through security, writing down a drink order of soda or water for later, handing in our phones and all gathering behind locked doors to start another day in the courtroom.  The folks that were complete strangers on Monday are now becoming familiar faces.  We each have our assigned seats.  We all file in the same order into the courtroom and out.  We know the drill by now on day four.

I left the parking garage that evening at 5 PM in just started crying.  So much is happening with all the details of this case and it just drains me.  Austin had a ballgame that night but I stayed home and watched it online.  I needed to go back again tomorrow to continue this case.  

FRIDAY:  Mike is really ready for his normal routine to work but he is doing a good job at helping me out with the school transportation!  The kids are doing OK.  I was back in the city for day five in a row.  The market was open again today so us three juror ladies got lunch there.  We heard many more details and were told we had to come back again on Monday.  You got to be kidding me!!!!  Well, here goes!  This is crazy!  I did love the juice I got at the market today!

Kim and I ate at Cilantro twice.  It's a restaurant just down the street from the courthouse.  It's great food!

The garden is not getting my attention at all this week.  The radishes are ready to be picked!

The kids here to help mulch!  Watching the Phillies play is always relaxing for me!

I missed not being home in the morning!  Not walking at the park.  Not hearing the birds chirping during the day.  But there were two nice ducks on the front yard to my surprise!

Walking these city streets is becoming familiar.  Another food option from market!

There's an Italian bakery across from the courthouse and I treated myself one day.

Mike and I wrote each other a note on Friday night.  Austin was in a baseball tournament that Mike was going to help coach.  I was going with Ashlyn to a volleyball all weekend to watch her play.  Why is this life so crazy right now?  By the time I got back home Friday night, Mike and Austin were already left for his ballgame.  I talked to Austin Friday morning before he was off to school and told him that I was going with Ashlyn all weekend to the volleyball tournament.  He was not happy when I said I won't be back home till Sunday.  "You are going to miss Mother's Day?"  He asked.  I told him we would be back some time Sunday and we will celebrate!!!!

I could not decide what to do?  Should I go along to the volleyball tournament?  Sari had gotten an AirBNB for her and Meleah, Esther and Zoe and Ashlyn and I.  Esther said we could ride along with them to Wildwood, NJ, if we could meet them at 6:30 PM.  I said we would try!  I decided to go along because I still couldn't say anything about the trial details with Mike or the kids.  I may as well be highly entertained by volleyball and I was happy to think something else!

I got back from the city at 5:30.  Ashlyn folded some laundry and I threw some clothes in a suitcase, grabbed some snacks and we were off an hour later.  The house work, the outside work, the garden .... it will all wait for me.

We grabbed some dinner at Panera on our way down to the beach!  It did feel good to let Esther drive and me just ride along.

I told Austin he needs to call me after his game and tell me all about it!  

We got to a clean, nice AirBNB at 9:45 PM Friday night.  We were all tired and ready to settle in!

Saturday morning the girls had to be at the volleyball gym by 7:15 AM, meaning they needed to get up and running early!  Sari took the girls while Esther and I met up a bit later.  We stopped at a cute coffee shop and grabbed some pastries next door!  I loved this!

The girls played well and didn't have any loses until the very end of the day when Bailey hurt her ankle.  

They were having so much fun together!

This is how my life feels like right now!!!! 🤣

Sari and I went out that afternoon to a local farmers market type place.  I told the ladies that I would love to get out a bit if they were into it!  We found this cute market and strolled around!  I got a chocolate mint drink before heading back to the volleyball games.

The team all met for dinner that night and the girls dressed up!  We had great food and I was brave to try a jalapeño and pineapple mocktail!  

We were not far at all from the beach and the girls all wanted to go walk the boardwalk.  The weather was cold but we all got ice cream!

We didn't stay out too late for the girls need to be back to the gym again early Sunday morning.

Esther took the girls early Sunday morning to meet up with the team.  Sari and I packed up our belongings and checked out from our AirBNB!  It was such a beautiful day in NJ!  Between games, I sat outside to get some vitamin D!!!!

The girls finished up the tournament and really had a fun time!

We stopped for a bite to eat on the way home and it sure was good to be back home that night!!!!

I don't usually do laundry on Sunday but the washer was going before I needed to head back for day six in court tomorrow.  The kids all came over to celebrate Mother's Day with me.  I loved that!  We ended up going to Mod Pizza and eating and laughing and just being a family!

I didn't get to see my mother or mother-in-law this year on Mother's Day but I do really appreciate them and love them and have so much respect for all they taught me in life!!!!  

MONDAY:  I was back in the same parking garage for day six now of this trial case.  By now the jury complete strangers are becoming more like friends in just being together for six days.  It was another day of heavy information but we knew things were winding down!!!  Looks like maybe tomorrow will be the last of this trial!!!!!  

I called my mom on my way into the city that morning just to see if she could give Ashlyn and Austin a ride to school if I needed to be in the city on Tuesday.  Mike and Matthew had a golf outing on Tuesday and he could not take the kids to school.  She said she could but I would let her know for sure on my way home Monday.  Maybe Monday would be the last jury day for me??? 

Well, I left the city on Monday knowing I would need to go back again Tuesday for another jury day.  I called my mom to let her know.  When she answered the phone she sounded terrible.  "Mom are you OK?"   She said she was in the hospital because of high blood pressure.  Now, I did know she was dealing with this all last week and she went to her nutritionist and had blood work done.  Over the weekend she kept taking her blood pressure but it was so high.  Finally, Monday afternoon my dad ended up taking her to the hospital for help!  She finally got her pressure lowered but needed to spend the night there to be monitored.  OK, now mom can't help me for Tuesday morning but I was so glad to hear that she's being cared for and doing OK.  

I got home to these beautiful planters on the kitchen counter.  Mike gave them to me and said they were for Mother's Day and for my birthday.  They are so pretty!

Monday night I did more laundry.  Hung out with Mike and the kids and went to bed so tired.  

TUESDAY: May 12 ... I would have never said that I would be spending my 45th birthday in a courtroom, serving on jury duty, now for seven days!!!!  This is a crazy chapter in my life.  I woke up early.  Read my devotions.  Mike and the kids wished me happy birthday before I was out the door once again for the last jury duty day!!!!  We heard instructions on how the deliberation process works.  How we need to have a verdict and by 4:00 that afternoon, the trial was coming to a close!!!!!  We couldn't go out for lunch on this last day because the case was now being discussed amongst us jurors.  Mike, our bailiff, ordered pizza for us and we ate in our conference room inside the courthouse.  What a journey this has all been!

Here are all my parking garage tickets from the past seven days and a birthday card from my new friend Kim!

I was so happy to drive out of the city with this now behind me.  I was also so blessed to have new friends wish me happy birthday that day on jury.  Even after hearing so much sin and terrible things in this jury story, there are lots of good people in our world.  I left there saying, "People need Jesus!!!!"  I don't take this lightly!!!!  The people involved in this case will have their lives forever changed by the jury's decision.  I pray that I was a light on this case!!!

It felt so good to drive around my little town once again the next day and grab some groceries and see all the fresh foods!  Looks like we are in strawberry season now!!!!

God is so good to me!  Even though this was a small chapter in my life that was challenging to me ... we are all in good health!  We have many blessings and freedom!!!!  Thank you Jesus!!!!

Hello May.

May ... this is one of my favorite months of the year!  The weather is now warmer, the skies are so brilliant blue and the grass is very green!  Flowers are in full bloom everywhere!  School winds down but that means there are a lot of end of school events like field trips and track and field and programs!  The mulch pile gets tackled and the garden gives us those first radishes and lettuce leaves!  I love May!

 

Last June, before Matt and Daisy's wedding, we borrowed tables and chairs from Matt and Marlene's wedding venue and instead of paying them money, they said to take them out to eat somewhere!  Fast forward almost a year later and we finally get it accomplished!  We ate at a delicious steak house and walked around the mall afterwards.  We stumbled upon the arcade and decided to play a few games.  We laughed!  We had some fun but it's a COMPLETE WAIST OF MONEY! 🤣

We had a blast!!!!!

These are the flowers I bought the other day at a greenhouse and it's time to plant them!

Mike and I were off to Ashlyn's volleyball tournament and it's been so fun to watch her be a setter and play so well!  

May is a packed full month!  I'll try to take you along on our memories as we go!