Where it all started Part 3

In November 2009 we started to see things a little clearer as to why things have been the way they have been for so many years. At this time, Faith got caught doing thing's she should not have been doing. So instead of her mother being a mother and supporting her she tossed her out on the street like garbage. The ex (on a recorded phone call) told Mike she did not want Faith, she was a disgrace, she was a whore and a slut, she couldn't and wouldn't ever trust her again and that she didn't love her. So Faith came to live with me. We enrolled her in Fayette Middle and she was doing good. She was on the softball team, had made lots of friends and was evolved in Beauty pageants etc. Through this time. The ex never showed up to softball games, school functions etc even though Faith told her on numerous occasions and invited her with plenty of notice. Faith was in her first "real" beauty pageant in 8th grade and she couldn't even bother to show up and support her. This would just be the start to missing things. During this time, Faith was smart mouth and distant, we couldn't figure out why..... Until later ...... As Christmas time is approaching, the ex and her husband, Mikey and their daughter Lacy was here visiting Faith when it "accidentally" came out that The whole family was living in a house with NO power IN THE WINTER! and had been living like that for a long time. Wow, just where was our child support going? Her husband wasn't working, again, I'm sure her family was tired of paying all their bills? So again, where was this child support going .... Wow, how pathetic! First thing we should have done was run to DHR, but for some reason we didn't ... Stupid us huh? As Faiths 8th grade was coming to an end, she was excited about her trip to Alabama Adventure with her classmates, to bad she never got to go. The Ex all of a sudden wanted to be a mother, or so we thought at the time and Faith moved back with her. (again we would soon learn why she was adamant on going back) So because nothing was "legal" we couldn't fight it. Things from here begin to bother us and we started investigating. We talked to people that knew people that knew people. You know how that works, haha. and things started to become so much clearer. We had known for years that the kids were living in a drug infested house, but proving it to the courts would be a hard thing to do, and believe me, it was!

  In May of 2011 we had hired an attorney, AGAIN! To file for custody, This time, the court case was different. The Judge had hired a Guardian at litemn (A lawyer basically for kids) So, we thought, yes things will finally change....Boy were we wrong. The lawyer for the kids DID NOT do her job at all, so that was a let down. Then when in court and we had to go for drug tests, she failed YET had prescription to vouch for her addiction. **A little lesson on Fayette's drug testing. they only run a 3-5 panel test, which will tell the tester if a person is doing opiates ...However it will NOT tell you what exactly this person is doing. In other words, a cheap, get by drug test. Then Fayette wonders why we have so many addicts?? So in the Exs case, she had a prescription for one opiate but was actually taking another (A long with tons of other stuff) so needless to say court didn't go well for us ...yet .... This is when we vowed to not spend one more penny on a lawyer, it was pointless. No matter what. No more money. Heck, with the money spent on lawyers and child support to support heir drug habit we could have a huge new house and a car ... Ugh! Even though we were hurt and longed for things to change, we went on about our life. Still investigating and still collecting what we needed for any future court dates. On November 30 2011 we were heading back from family movie night and we got a call that the exs name had just went across the scanner and she was being arrested for possession of pills (10 loratbas and a snorting straw) that she had NO prescription for. Finally, our prayers have been answered. We can finally prove to the courts their addicts and even though the kids are 14 and 10 we can still give them some kind of life and turn them around.

  The very next morning, we got the boys off to school and headed straight to Berry Alabama to check the kids out of school and file for emergency custody. The school had to of known it was coming. Faith begged please no Daddy, Mikey was just "there" but after talks with counselor and her having no choice, Faith came with us. We had taken the kids to Mikes Moms house so we could go deal with this matter with the Judge. The minute Mike walked in the Judges office, he didnt even get out why he was there and the Judge called us back. (Mind you, this Judge KNOWS us all to well, we have vacated his courtroom for 12 years now on a regular bases.) When Mike started to explain why he was there, the Judge stated I know, and I am sorry. (FINALLY, the courts believed what we have been saying for YEARS, but sad it took her getting arrested for them to listen) We gained temporary custody of the kids and he wanted to know if we needed a police escort to go get them and Mike stated no, we have them already. So, now a new emotional journey is beginning ... and man, what a ride it will be ....


Much love
Lori