Thankful for good friends...

You know...along with a divorce comes SO many other things that you really don't think about when it's just the two of you, not getting along for a long period of time, deciding that you should no longer be together...thinking life will be better if you don't have to share it with each other.

Then...reality hits....YES...life CAN be and IS much better...but there are so many other aspects of life that divorce affects.

There are little things like going to use the body wash in the shower after he moved out and realizing that HE TOOK it!! Dammit! Or that he took one end table and now there is an empty space in the living room...these little things are the "first" things that bother you...and then the "REAL" stuff sets in...

You KNOW that it will affect the kids...but you don't realize HOW MUCH it affects them....and truly we will never know because they were so young, but they will grow up to be totally different people than they would have been had we stayed together. James and I just KNOW that Cash actually has a fighting chance of not being moody like his dad since he's with us 85% of the time, but Chasey...she was already moody when we left...so she's got his "Moody Gene"! It's ok...I dealt with his for over 13 years...I can deal with hers...she came out of me! I will deal with pretty much anything she throws my way! :)

You KNOW that it will affect your living situation and financial sitution....in my case, I had to move out of our house and living alone for a year and a half was a VERY strange thing. At first it was so nice to not have to answer to anyone and the kids and I did whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted...but then it got lonely...We are very happy where we are now...

You KNOW it will affect parts of your life, but I never dreamed how much it would affect my "family"....The family that I spent EVERY holiday with...from Christmas to the 4th of July...was HIS family....now, officially, they are no longer MY family! I still love them dearly, and I still talk to them all the time, but we no longer spend holidays together and that ONE thing has been the hardest part of this divorce for me....I honestly thought we would still be able to spend holidays at his families houses and it would still be the same....but when you add in new boyfriends and girlfriends...its just not possible. I think "the ex" and I would be fine around each other...its how uncomfortable it makes everyone else. It's just weird now...so I kind of feel like I lost my FAMILY!

Then....the title of this post steps in...I am SO thankful for great friends...Friends that really weren't your best friends before the divorce, but stepped in when you needed them the most and are there for you! There for you, your kids, your new boyfriend...your visiting mom...whoever comes into my life is welcome in theirs! That's how MY family is...(My family in the midwest)...but as we all know...I am WAY too far from my family and I miss them all dearly. I had "HIS" family....and now I don't even have that 365 days a year...(I have them still...except not on the holidays...which to me...are some of the most important).

These are the girls I'm talking about...I spend Thanksgiving, New Years, Christmas Eve, Easter, birthdays......Friday nights......and many other times with their families! They are sister-in-laws and their family has welcomed my family...just as it is...with open arms! I love them dearly and can't thank them enough!


Here are a few...(I mean LOTS) pics from our super fun Easter Sunday...Lots of wine was consumed, lots of shattered eggs from our "egg races" and just a super fun day all around for the adults and the kids!