Wow I have really slacked on this blogging thing. Lots has changed, I have grown, Payton has grown, and it is about time for an update.
Lets start off with the most important.....Payton. This little spit-fire is headed to the terrible twos, and fast. I can't take my eyes off of her for 10 seconds or she has drawn on the furniture, climbed up to the tv, or dumped all her toys out on the floor and then ran them over with her power ATV. I was able to have her for Christmas this year, and what a little nut she was. She has the most exaggerated expressions I have ever seen. Her reaction to her gifts (and everyone elses) was priceless. She looks and acts just like me when I was a toddler, and I am loving all of the time I get to spend with her. She is turning two on January 28th, and be prepared for a party of epic proportions :)
Now on to the never-ending divorce. Seriously, I am pretty sure we are going for some kind of record here. We have settled on custody (joint legal custody, but I have the final say and sole physical custody) but are still not seeing eye-to-eye on a few other things, mainly the house. We recently went to court and Josh lost even more time with Payton because he thinks he writes the rules and that I am going to allow him to do that like I did for the years we were married. I wish we could just be divorced and have everything final so that I can move on as he
says he has. One would think he would want this divorce over even more than I do, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
As far as my feelings towards them, I am honestly at a point where I can say I wish them the best. I went through the grieving process, the hatred, the name calling, the tears, and the pain. They clearly wanted so bad to be with each other, and now they can be without lying or cheating. Trust me, I did not feel like this a few months ago, but I am so much happier now and can finally be myself. While I certainly do not promote divorce, it was truly the best option for us. I am so much better off without him dragging me down, and I never would have been as happy as I am now. So really, I have to thank Josh and Christine, because I would have never considered divorce on my own. I was not strong enough. I have learned so much in the past year about myself that I would not have learned, and I will be a better wife to my next prince charming when that time comes.
Speaking of prince charming......I am having a fantastic time in the dating world. Quite a lot has changed since I was 16! Because I met Josh at 16, and wasted 2 years waiting for him while he was on a mission, I have missed out on a lot. While I would much rather just be a wife and a mother, this has been a whole new experience. My time is limited (see paragraph 3,) but I have met some great guys and have learned from each of them.
I have the most amazing friends. It's funny who you keep in touch with, even when your lives turn out nothing like you thought. I love my friends who I have known since potty-training, and those I have met, or re-met, this year. I have such a fun bunco group that I look forward to partying with every month, and it is so fun to see Payton playing with kiddos of my friends I knew at her age.
I am so excited for 2011. While the unknown scares me a little, I figure it can only get better from here right?
**UPDATE** spoke with my attorney today and the divorce was signed on the 27th so I am officially single!! BOO YA!