On Christmas evening, we were invited over to my friend's home for cocktails. Her twin boys and my 2 older boys have become very good friends over the summer and we have really enjoyed getting to know them. Even though they go to a different high school, they have remained best buds through the school year. We were happy for the invite and enjoyed the evening sitting by the fireplace and chatting and this is where the offer to go to back to para*dise was presented to me. Recently I posted about the drama from our past neighborhood and had said just one week before that I have no desire to go back. In fact my words were, "I have no idea when I will go back or even IF I would." I am so hurt by what has taken place that I let it
spoil my 17 kickass years in para*dise.
Needless to say, the offer was presented to take the kids down and stay in her adorable beach bungalow on an island about 40 minutes south of my old home, just us Moms and 6 kids. The house was a purchase they had made a year or so ago & she had never been and was curious as to what she was the proud owner of. So the next day we packed up and left before I could even fill up the gas tank...cause that's just how we roll.
We arrived to the most adorable bungalow I've ever seen.
It was spectacularly private, to the point where I had no idea this place existed and neither did my 'born bread and buttered' para*dise peeps.
On the way down, I had decided to claim the items that belonged to our company. It wasn't items of any value, but it came down to principle for me. Since I was going to be there before New Years, I had full access to my item before Jan 1 and I thought I'd go ahead and take back what was rightfully mine. Not because I wanted it, but because I didn't want the people suing us to have them. Period.
My DH made a few phone calls and the time was set for me to swoop into my old neighborhood, meet with the president and a witness and remove the items before anyone could say BOO.
I went to my neighbors home and was greeted by the old neighbors that I loved and the kids had a blast playing outside together. W has really missed his old cul-de-sac buds and he ended up staying all night with them, which was a really good pick-me-upper for his recent sad mood.
So under the cover of cocktails and good friends, I met at the clubhouse where I gathered my
items and immediately passed them out to my old neighborhood peeps, because again, it wasn't because I wanted them, I just didn't want the "others" to have them.
I had my moment of tears with the President and his 'witness' which happened to be the older widow in my old cul-de-sac that loves my family. She was crying and very saddened as to all the ugly that went down and the President hugged me and that was that. I left in tears and shortly after the Presidents wife came looking for me at my old neighbors home and had told me of the threats they were living with, even fearing someone in the neighborhood was going to set their house on fire. These people are bat shit crazy and we have officially closed the door on that past, except for this stupid ass lawsuit that needs to be addressed.
While I was down there, the DH had his phone mediation with the court and the trial has been set for Feb. Of all days of the year, it'll be on my birthday. I just can't stand the excitement. I'm so done. Stick a fork in me done. Clearly, I'm more hurt by the people I once shared so much with and why they've chosen this route is beyond any understanding of life as I know it.
It was a trip filled with much emotions for me as I traveled back to my old stomping grounds and dealt with the BOD issues. Hanging out in my old cul-de-sac with so many of my old peeps was good therapy for my hurting heart. I was reminded all over again as to why I love para*dise.
W loved seeing his old buddies. He has really
missed them.
The old ah la
cul-
de-sac of heaven kids, including
Ms. Mali....gosh I love these kids and can't believe how much they've grown since we've been gone
Mali & W
They are still just as adorable together as the day they met some 4+ years ago.
My lovely new neighbor and me on her perfect island para*
dise.
This picture just cracks me up.
After we spent time in my old
cul-
de-sac, we hopped over to my sweet friends house for dinner so the big kids could hang with their best buds and we Mama's could catch up.
If you are a long time blog follower, then you know that these are 'the boating island buds'...
My gosh, they've all hit puberty! Lots of teenagers now....sigh...
I love these kids. Good good kids.
G with his best buds. They really enjoyed reconnecting again and the gags just continued as if they'd never been apart. They do keep in touch through F*B and x-b0x live, but it's cool to see them make that friendship work from afar and then pick it up as if G never left. It means the world to me, considering G is a para*
dise born baby and will probably always consider that his 'home', though he loves Georgia life.
My
bestest Princess A*
nn & Mrs. Ta-Ta...yeah, we renamed her years ago, she's good with that.
The next day, the gals all had to come check out the perfectly hidden island para*
dise, because again, they had no idea it existed. When I say island, I mean island. You are water taxied to the island where there are only a handful of homes and your vehicle stays on land. I LOVE it!
We ate, we drank, we laughed, we cried & we gabbed while our children played.
I have so missed my Princess A*nn, she is someone the world should know, just sayin'...
The last time we popped back into para*dise was for her 50th birthday bash, she is my good time girl for sure!
The kids played Head*
banz & spoons.
Spoons is a vicious game with this gang!
& then...we climbed aboard the boat to where my friends DH played captain for
the day. He
schlept my cold
keyster out to my favorite island, my peace of serenity, my tranquil healing island so I could
waller in the sand and plant another peace of my soul.
Cold or not in SWFL, my ass was heading towards island time. Though I hadn't
driven a boat in years, because well...why would I take on that 'responsible' job and not just
take on the job of sipping & sitting? Really.
My friends were supposed to meet us there on their boat, I'm guessing he was scared of my
gulf water abilities and decided to captain me out instead. I'm sure I could have
done it if left to my own abilities, but it was so nice that he humored me and drove my butt to the coast of s0mewhere beautiful.
This trip was
therapeutic for me in so many different ways.
It healed a few wounds for me.
It showed me the beauty of the dear friends that didn't go
off the deep end of sanity.
It helped my kids know that home is only a road trip away.
It reminded me that my heart still belongs to para*dise and my soul will forever remain on island time.
I am thankful to have shared such a lovely week with my new neighbor here and my old friends there.
She has a home there, where she's never been
& I have a life there, where I've always lived.
she makes me smile
she makes me smile
the 4 cherubs of my world
These 2 have gotten so close since our move to Ga, W lost many culdesac buddies and has spent more time playing inside and hanging out with his sister. He will play dolls, trains, wii, kitchen, playdoh or anything else she so desires...yeah, she's spoiled.
Check out the hawk we found just sitting there in the tree while we were looking for some hidden treasures.
C found our first family Geo Cache treasure. It was fun looking for it and we'll have to do it more. J&I went on a hunt for one in Beij*ng on our first night with our traveling pediatrician. We found it and certainly had a good time doing it, but naturally we both felt like it was probably a bad idea running around the dark alley streets of Beij*ng on the first night in the city with lots of money strapped to us... but we did have a good time interacting with the people of China.
the same creek that runs through my backyard
the 4 cherubs of my world
These 2 have gotten so close since our move to Ga, W lost many culdesac buddies and has spent more time playing inside and hanging out with his sister. He will play dolls, trains, wii, kitchen, playdoh or anything else she so desires...yeah, she's spoiled.
Check out the hawk we found just sitting there in the tree while we were looking for some hidden treasures.
C found our first family Geo Cache treasure. It was fun looking for it and we'll have to do it more. J&I went on a hunt for one in Beij*ng on our first night with our traveling pediatrician. We found it and certainly had a good time doing it, but naturally we both felt like it was probably a bad idea running around the dark alley streets of Beij*ng on the first night in the city with lots of money strapped to us... but we did have a good time interacting with the people of China.
the same creek that runs through my backyard
