Am I Floating Yet?

Ever known what it was like to live years under the stress and weight of some huge boulder? I have, and today I woke up and thought I might even float away because that weight has finally been lifted off of me. I had to even run and check the papers first thing when I woke up to make sure that it was not all just a great dream? Papers you ask? YES MY DIVORCE PAPERS!!!!!!!!! AUGH!!!!! Halla-freaking-luia it is about dang time!!!! So first and foremost thank you to all of my loving friends and family who have not only struggled along with me and helped me and the kids out in so many ways but, also had to put up with my emotional roller coaster! Thank you I wish I could think of a way to re-pay all of you. I wish that I could just take everyone on a cruise or a great trip to celebrate this huge momentous occasion but, sorry can't afford it. So just know I love you all and would have not made it through this hell with out you all.

So now for the details because I have received a bunch of text messages and a bunch phone calls and I have chattered a million miles a minute since yesterday afternoon so I figure I will type it all up and you can read the great day that I had yesterday. Bare with me for the Novel but, I promise it is so much fun and so freaking Liberating!!!! OK for starters for those of you who do not know 8 weeks ago we had a hearing and the Judge told Paul that he needed to see the kids he gave him 6 weeks of reunification and then after the 6 weeks he would get standard visitation rights. After the 6 weeks we were then ordered to go to Mediation again before we went to trial, which was so suppose to happen on May 15th. So of course I fell apart thinking of the kids being scared to go with him, blah, blah, blah... Those of you who handled those tearful phone calls THANK YOU! Anyways in typical Paul style the mediation was cancelled and moved back to June 5th. And he never showed for any visitation with the kids, prayers were answered!!! Only this time around my attorney chose the mediator and it was at his office don't know but, something about being on your own turf gave me a little more confidence going into this one. So I arrive and my attorney says lets go to my office, last night Paul's attorney faxed over a settlement proposal which was pretty good except for a few things which don't you all worry I got my way and tweaked some. You have to know what HIS proposal was though because you will laugh and see just how much of an idiot the guy truly was about this whole thing. So instead of the 6 weeks reunification time that he was previously awarded he, himself wants to change that to 9 months reunification time and about 1/4 of the time hour wise????? And instead of agreeing on a supervisor for his supervised visits he wants to use the court appointed program which he has to pay 100% of and it will cost him $50 an hour!!!! So Chances of that happening are probably slim to none seeing as we all know $ is more important to him.

Now the funniest parts so then the attorney's and mediator decide to meet upstairs and kick me out I walk down stairs and Paul is sitting there on the love seat (yes there is no other place to sit but one tiny freaking little love seat, ugh!) He smiles and tells me Hi and Happy Birthday (like we are friends or something???) I slowly sit down and he then begins to try and talk to me like no big deal we are buddies now? I'm thinking HELP ME get me out of her but, you all know me I can fake it with the best of them and I of course wanted to be sweet so that I could get my way and get this thing over with. He then continues on and ask about my Grandma, Mom, Brothers, Sis-in-laws, nieces, nephews, Aunt, cousins, and even my best friends, after all of that he then says "how is Mason?" however not once did he ever ask how is daughter was never even mentioned her name??? I wonder if he even knows what her name is? Then he says "This is nice, I wish we could just sit and talk like this more often." (ewe) in typical Jen fashion I smart off with this response: "I tried to sit and talk about this you were the one that ran away." Ha Ha Ha I kill me. He just rolled his eyes and got quite. Then I said can we please just end this thing and sign some dang papers today I don't know about you but, I'm so sick and tired of this crap, I'm tired of having to pay these stupid legal fee's, how about we get this done today and you move on and live your life and I can move on and live mine? He responds with "It is not my fault that we are here." Errr you all know FIREWORKS are coming right? So I say "REEEAAALLLYYY you do not think you did any of this? You do not think you made any mistakes? He says "Yeah I know I made mistakes, we all make mistakes." I say "You are right we do all make mistakes but it is how we choose to handle and respond to those mistakes that shows us what type of person we truly are." (Have to admit I'm proud of myself for that one!) Then I sat there for a little while longer and then my favorite part yet. I looked at him and said "I need to tell you something, I am so happy." He looks all confused, I continue and say "I can honestly look at you and no longer want to rip your face off, instead I want to tell you Thank You, Thank you because I am so much better off without you!" Does anybody else hear angels singing I have to say probably one of my proudest moments of my life! It has been a long road but, I have finally truly gotten there! Luckily the Mediator walks down just then and says we are ready to go to the conference room (Whew I was saved after that little comment) then I go sit down thinking dude go sit on the other side of the table instead he walks around the table and sits next to me. Ewwww get away from me you freak!!!!

Ok so now the settlement part which still has me baffled and cracking up. Already told you the visitation thing. Then the only things he really wanted were his Guns (big shocker) idiot we have been through this how many times they are GONE sold for diapers and food right when you left??? Then he says he wants all of the shares of Eye Catchers??? Ummm hello been through this one also there is no Business. He says but, it is a good name, (laughing in my head thinking once upon a time it was before you got your hands on it!) So he fought (ha, ha,) for the business and assumed all the debts and I am held unaccountable for any of it. So I walk away with Child support Plus a back settlement of support for 9k and they tell him it will be garnished threw ORS and that because I have 2 kids they can garnish up to 50% of his wages until I have my back support. Now we just pray that he goes and lives his life and I will move on and live mine.

Now for the out of the mouths of babes funny of the story I drove from the Attorneys office and picked the kids up at school and of course was hyper and bouncing off of the walls Mason says "Mom why are so hyper today?" so I say "Because guess what Mommy finally got her divorce today." He yells "HALLELUJAH, so have you found a new husband yet?" I laugh and say "NO" he then says so you mean "I don't get a new step dad yet?" I say no buddy I have to date before I can find a new husband and he responds with "Well what are you sitting around here for then? Get out there and start dating!" Too funny that kid cracks me up!