Countdown to 30: Day 4

The days are rolling along... thanks for sticking with me!

The year was 2009/2010.  I had just turned 26 years old.  The world was about to change in a big way for me and my little girl!

We kept up our daily lives and duties... one foot in front of the other, every day.

Christmas 2009

Around February 2010, I made the decision to uproot me and Olivia from Oklahoma to Texas.  My Mom and Dad knew it was what I needed to do to better support Olivia and myself financially and to also raise the cousins close together.  There obviously wasn't another child in my future and Olivia needed to know her Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin!  Ex husband was not around and had not been.  We saw him occasionally around holidays when he would visit Olivia via his mom, Grandma Karen.

I started taking the Texas Certification Exams and spending a lot of teary-eyed days know I was going to be leaving the ONLY place I had never known and to leave my Mom and Dad.  (I'm still tearing up even four years later!)

I wish she would still wear one piece jammies!

I'm sure someone snuck up on me here... man, I looked rough!

In March 2010, the inevitable FINALLY happened.  I was FINALLY divorced!

 If you have been keeping track, we separated in September of 2007.   It was a very long and drawn out divorce.  He was to begin paying child support and had "seasonal and reasonable" visitation.  This just solidified that fact that I had to move us to Texas.  The income was so much higher and I was about to drop significantly in support from the ex.

But, we kept on going on...

Astoria turned 1 in April and Olivia turned 2 in May.  Our lives were busy and we were all silently awaiting the next steps.

One of my all time favorites!

 

I said goodbye to my final group of students in Oklahoma.  They (and many of their parents) had become part of our lives and it was so sad to say goodbye.

The empty classroom..

That summer was filled with a trip to Vegas with my very best friends.  We were celebrating divorce, as well as new beginnings.  Once again, the tears still flow when I think about how much I miss them.  I really miss Oklahoma in general, but this group right here... they were and still are my support group.  Doesn't matter how often we don't talk, we can always pick up right where we left off.

They were determined to find me a hubby in Vegas!

The summer months were upon us and it was time for me and Olivia to start packing.  I had landed a 3rd Grade teaching position at Andrea's school in Garland, Texas.  It was the most EMOTIONAL month of my life.  Leaving my Granny, my Mom and Dad, my security blankets.  It was just so hard.  But, it had to be done.  I remember calling my mom and telling her about my new job like it was yesterday.  She held it together so well... until we hung up.

It took two trucks, a 27' Budget truck, and my SUV completely PACKED to get us out of Oklahoma.  I was attempting to take with me a 2000sq ft. house that only two people occupied.  I sold a lot before we moved because 1. it wouldn't fit in the moving truck 2. the new house was tiny.

August, September, and October flew by.  There were new kids to learn, new standards to meet, and new scenery to see.  I believe we drove to Oklahoma every other weekend for a verrry long time.  Most people thought I still had a house there because I was there so much.  (The house is another story... it was still on the market.. almost 18 months later ..)

Olivia's BFF, T.J.

Because I've had a few people ask; I had to notify ex husband of our across-state-lines move 90 days before move date.  I didn't know of the job 90 days before, so it was as close as we could.  The letter had to be mailed with delivery confirmation/signature to prove that it was received.  It was received.  And it was never mentioned again.  He didn't fight to our faces, but caused quite a stir behind our backs.  Nonetheless, he didn't stop her from leaving nor did he try to make any additional contact.

In 2011, our lives were about to change once again!