Moving on with life

Well.....that is what I've done. Moved on, and very happily so! There have been some large changes to our lives since the post in July, and frankly since the early spring. I am going to attempt to catch up on everything, but as most of you know I'm a complete scatter brain and who know's if I will remember everything or if half of it will even make sense to anyone other than myself,...haha. ......Warning to any and all readers........... GRAMMAR IS OPTIONAL in ALL my blogs...



During my divorce, which was fun fun fun let me tell you all what! lol.. I don't care who you are or how nice you were in the beginning....every one (myself excluded of course, because I have no issues with temper, bad manners and always fight fair........oh crap I think my sarcasm may be giving me away) turns into an ass during divorce at some point or another. However, it's over, done with and we can hopefully move back into being friends again. In our defense though, trying to divorce from another continent can get tricky and only add to the stress.....this is my excuse..lol The issues began a long time ago and we fell apart by October, so we've both had a long time to move on, so no,..none of this or both our new relationships are quiet as QUICK as they may seem. So .......scratch that off the list of updates...divorce..over....done. Phew.



Next, school was over...summer was in, and I got my 1st adult vacation as just "Rachael"!!!! I of course had ulterior motives. I met a wonderful man (yes online... GASP....oh wait..none of you are gasping anymore seeing as we ALL know this is how Rachael meets men....nothing new here). His name is Matthew, he's younger (ahem cough cough) and well...pretty darn fantastic if I do say so. Fortunately for me he's flawed and owns it just as I do, it makes it easier to accept someone who isn't perfect when you yourself have at least tread their quirky little path once or twice. He's handsome and hard working, ambitious, loving, and just over all one heck of a man (don't be scared of the tattoos kiddies...he won't bite) lol. He lived in California, as it happened very close to Napa, where the cooking school of my dreams just so happens to be!! So I snagged up one of my best friends Amanda and we took off for a weeks vacation to San Francisco/Napa/and a cabin in the middle of NO WHERE scary land Middletown. Yes.......that really IS the name of the town..lol..jk. We had so much fun! I got to see and do things I've always dreamed of. I've now gotten to see Alcatraz, pier 39, the cool sea lions!, the Aquarium, SHOPPINGGGGG, the pitiful little geyser they named "old faithful" which evidently you can do, so long as it goes off in regular intervals (sad sad pitiful, shameful display of water....lol..then again..not much compares to Yellowstone now does it), the petrified forest, the BEACH....ahhhhhhhh, swimming in a private lake..ooooooooo, the wax museum, walking up the steepest road of my LIFE! Only that can ever truly tell you how out of shape you really are....lol . I got to drive down Lombard street, one of the curviest roads ever, soooooo cool! The general fantasticness that is San Francisco, and NAPA!!!! mMMMM wine country! Gorgeous!!! I got to go to two separate vineyards and go on wine tastings, learn all sorts of things, walk through amazing caves where they store the wine to age, more window shopping (as 99% of everything there would have cost me my 1st born and left kidney) and general site seeing. Not to mention absolutely falling for Matt! YAY me...vacation!!!



Later in the summer the kids and I went back to California and they got to experience some really cool things as well. Mikey for one. I set up a meeting (finally) with his biological Father Freddie. They have never met. Some of freddie's family has met Mikey and myself on a previous trip to sea world in 04, Freddie however was unable to attend that time. So Myself, the boys and Matt drove almost 4 hours to meet Freddie and his family at the half way point, in Santa Cruz. It was a mad house! The day after the 4th of July, the boardwalk was packed! But we got to see Freddie, his gf and thier 2 girls ( Mikey's half sisters) freddie's Mom and Dad, his sister Cami whom I have met before, and her 2 girls, and a family friend. We spent the day at the beach and going on rides/shopping at the boardwalk. It was a really cool experience. We also got to go to the Winchester Mansion (really cool supposed to be haunted, but soooo rich in history), went back to San fran a few times and took the boys on trolley rides, shopping, and on a carriage ride around wharf area, we spent most afternoons and evenings swimming in the lake and just hanging out, it was a great summer.



Within a week of being home from vacation the Army ( had to set it up through the nearest military installation which happened to be hill a.f base) set up our move. I made an offer/promise to Jon in the beginning of the divorce that because of his career keeping him from being able to see the boys as often as he would like I would make it as easy as I could. I offered to follow him for 3-4 years to where ever he was stationed so he could see them on weekends. Yes I am aware that not everyone would do this. Most of the advice I got was "move on with your life" and so on but despite his lapses in judgement in our marriage, he is a great Father to these boys and both he and they deserve to see each other. So with barely a week to prepare we said our goodbyes and headed down to Arizona. Now THAT was a fun trip tell you what. Because of some.......frustration with a certain someone, we didn't have the finances available at the time to get hotel rooms, or really take our time at all. We drove from idaho to utah, stayed the night at the ex Mother in laws ( AKKWWWARRRDDDDDDD....lol) so she could see the kids one more time before the move, and then drove from Utah to Arizona in one day. Supposed to be 18 hours driving but in MOM land where I happen to reside with 3 kids, it was closer to 22 hours. ooooooo fun! I'd like to thank the makers of Mountain Dew...and moon cakes for the ability to make it through that trip without duct tapeing my children to thier seats ...lol. Once at the hotel two had fever and coughs, and Matthew ralphed 4 times ALL over BOTH hotel beds so we all ended up sleeping on the floors. RIGHT ON! The apartment we had reserved, upon inspection was horribly frigthening and even beggars can be choosers up to a point, so I had a mini meltdown in the van with the kids and we ran to the only apartment complex I knew for certain wasn't "cracks-ville". When looking for a place prior to moving the apartment complex we are in now, had no 3 bedroom places open in the time frame we needed, some how a miracle happened and as we walked into the office they had a cancellation called in and literally had the perfect apartment open up!!! Thank God for small miracles! We moved in that moment and spent almost two whole weeks with nothing but 4 sleeping bags, an air mattress, my lap top, a cell phone and paper plates...lol...fun fun fun....it was like camping without any of the perks, and my metal spine loved me for it! However we are all moved in now and rather comfortable with our little home! By little I mean.. LITTLE! It's rather cramped but it's home! We have a pool, hot tub,club house and little park literally right out the front door, and are located 2 blocks from EVERYTHING! YAY for great location!



Once here, all the kids got sick, what a lovely little cycle happens when the whole family gets it in turns, I got Pneumonia, that was bueno! I spent nearly 5 weeks hacking my lungs up, fevers and what not, nearly hospitalized a few times and spending a good deal of time in the ER getting breathing treatments, the Lord really watched over me though, there was no way I could have gone into the hospital, knowing no one here, and being all alone with 3 kids......it just couldn't happen. As I was on the tail end of recouping , oh happy day, Matt moved here! YAY!!!!!!! He drove almost 24 hours by himself to move here, and really helped out a lot while I was sick, and good thing too! Mikey....got pneumonia...lol.. then Matthew got a nasty version of bronchitis and now Cody is sick but it's on it's way down. Lucky for us Matt has an actual immune system and hasn't gotten really sick, just.....normal cough and cold due to being around the sickies! A good thing two seeing as only last week I passed a kidney stone and thought I would die..lol..die die die...wooo now that was fun times...lol. Who knew something so small could cause such loverly pain..lol (yes, I am 80, and yes I am made out spare parts...but I'm cute dog gone it!)..lol , so luckily for me I had a man around who fed the kids and cleaned up and helped with homework when I was doubling over in bed. AWWWW....what a sweet heart!



I've been so lucky to have him here! He's so helpful around the house and is great with my boys! For the first time in a really long time he's taking a few weeks vacation before starting work again and it's been so nice to just sit and get into a normal swing of things while he settles into life with 3 rambuncious kids!



Other than that, the only other news is that the boys Dad will be coming home from Iraq at some point in Late Oct, early Nov and will be living in the same apartment complex we are ( ooooo this is gonna be...interesting! lol) and the boys will get to see their Dad, they are so excited! As he won't have anywhere to stay immediately upon returning home he may or may not be crashing on our couch.....hmmmmmmm...we shall see about that.... so to wrap things up.................................





Divorce sucks, yay it's done, I got vacation, I moved, we were sick...a lot..and then some more, I'm in love! YAY ME, the ex is coming home....awkward but YAY the kids are happy, and we are settling into life! lol



Above are slide shows of the new apartment ( as unpacked as set up as it was when I got antsy and took pictures of it) and of our summer and move and so on. Enjoy!





At least no one can say my life is boring! lol