So June 2011 was my last post, huh?? YIKES! Well, so much has happened since 2011.
RECAP:
2011 Sam and I separated and in October 2012 our divorce was officially final. He remarried in March of 2013 and the kids now have a great stepmom in their lives who loves them very much. It took a long time for me to say "great stepmom" and we still don't always agree on everything, but at the end of the day, she loves and takes care of my kids when I can't be there, so that makes her pretty great. We've both moved a couple times since the separation, however, just TODAY (February 28th, 2016) - the six of us (Sam, Jen, Me and the three kids) all moved to Mechanicsburg, PA. (No, silly, not TOGETHER as in we're all going to live together like some crazy Mormon family ...we just all relocated here at the same time.) Unfortunately, Sam was laid off from the job that he and I moved here for after almost 8 years and in his search he found a great opportunity in Mechanicsburg. I knew the area was great - Sam and I had stayed at the Hotel Hershey for a Leaders Retreat several years ago and we LOVED the area (seriously though, how could ANYONE not love the Hotel Hershey - hands down one of the top 5 places I've ever stayed.) So when this opportunity came up, I agreed to go with them so that we could continue to co-parent and share custody of our kids. We move into our new houses on Tuesday - which, believe it or not are on the same street. If you would have asked me 4 years ago if I would have ever thought I'd live 6 houses down from Sam - it would have been no way in hedoublehockeysticks .... but we've come a long way so you should be proud of us :) Most importantly, though, the kids are BEYOND thrilled to have us both so close - they can walk between houses and that makes things so much easier and I think the kids will have much more consistency in their lives!
I think when Facebook because so popular it was easier to share everything quickly from my phone or my tablet or computer and I could reach so many more people --- so I stopped using my blog to document our lives, and I regret that because this is something I truly enjoy ..it's therapeutic for me even if no one reads it! :) I had started a new blog at one point, but today I decided to go back to my original one because, well, it documents our lives for years and I hope that someday my kids can print this out and have a journal of all the great memories we made . If Sam and I did nothing else right together as a couple, we have raised 3 wonderful, loving, smart kids and they KNOW they're loved.
It's funny because I've either been told I'm crazy for relocating with my ex and his wife or that it's admirable. I feel - it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks - I did what I thought was right for our family. It's not about full custody and more child support. Our kids need BOTH of us in their lives because (I feel, anyway) that they get the best of both of us. I'm much more loving in both words and gestures so I think they feel I'm easier to talk to and they get all the snuggles and hugs and kisses that dads don't usually give. Sam is much more practical and he's super smart and very athletic so they get that from him. If we've done nothing right, I think we've raised three children who know they are VERY loved.
Anyway ....... it's late and it's my first night in Pennsylvania. I won't promise anything but I'm going to try to get back in the swing of things and pick blogging back up. There are so many things I want to tell my kids - things they do or say that just crack me up, and how the things they do to show their unconditional love gets me through every.single.day. Being a single parent is by far the hardest job out there - even when you have an ex who is active in their lives, pays his child support on time every time - it's just HARD work.
I've missed journaling my thoughts, and I look forward to getting back to my loyal audience. Of like, one. :)
xoxo,
Rachel
