I have enjoyed reading the posts here over the past several months! I haven't felt like I have had time to start blogging my own story. But today the utter stress and tiredness of the holiday preparation has finally set in, and I don't feel like doing anything else.

My husband and I have been together for three years. He has two boys from his first marriage. We met on an internet dating site just a few weeks after he divorced. We fell in love very fast! Then we had a baby together very fast...I only carried her for 7 months before medical problems brought her early. The boys are with us every other weekend, every Wed. night, and every holiday per our guidelines. My husband fights for as much time with them as he can get.

We are currently awaiting the results of a child support modification that has us both very nervous. My husband originally signed off on a divorce decree that had him paying a huge amount, since BM had said that if he agreed to it, she would give him more time w/ the boys. Since that didn't work, DH has gone to court for the modification to set the amount per the child support guidelines. We are hoping that the change will reduce his obligation by about 60%. It is a huge unknown for us right now, b/c with the holidays approaching we have no idea when the court will rule on this. Every day is so stressful, and then disappointing when the order is not in the mailbox.

Finances are tight, as I'm sure they are for everyone right now. We have found some great bargains for Christmas and got the boys a couple of gifts and lots of fun things planned. The boys are under a lot of stress right now, and I hope we can have a nice holiday. SS9 is having lots of issues w/ BM's husband and new baby. And SS11 has started exposing himself to women in our home over the last couple of months. That is a horribly scary issue to me, and I'm anxious for us to get some help with it.

That is sort of where we are right now. Lots of background info edited out...but my friends and family have taken the weight of my venting over the last couple of years. Anyway, just wanted to start sharing my story here, since others' stories have been so valuable to me!