Hey Gwen, sorry to have been away from your posts lately, like you I've been trying to stop going around in circles and figure out which direction to walk in which is not backwards!
This is such a long process isn't it, its sometimes easy to chastise oneself for not being done already, but Gwen, seriously, you were in a very long and loving relationship and you were completely blindsided by what your h has done. You have dealt with your situation amazingly well; you could have sat in a pool of misery and despair, but no, you got up and put one foot in front of the other and kept going. I am so so proud of you Gwen and so pleased to hear that you are making peace with yourself, its an odd feeling huh.
I don't know what to say about your h and the rings/church greeter sitch. There is no point guessing as that is all it is with a MLC'er. Right now, this makes sense to him and feels right to him - 6 months from now it may possibly be a different story and he will look back and think "what was I thinking??" then do something else just as bizarre and repeat the process. My h has said this to me - he did something/said something and at the time it made perfect sense to him, it did not matter if others questioned it, to him he was right ..... until he wasn't. He can't explain why he acted this way, he looks back and sees the decisions he made hurt people and this has caused him great sadness and guilt. I suspect this will eventually catch up with your h and he will feel the same way too.
Your h sounds so lost and caught up in his new world, it is so sad he had all but destroyed his relationship with your daughters, they do not deserve this, however you are doing a fantastic job raising them Gwen and your relationships will only continue to grow stronger through the years. This is what they will remember when they are older, mum, the strong women who is always there for them no matter what.
Your trip sounds so exciting!! And what a great way to fund it lol. You continue to amaze and inspire me Gwen, I am so thankful we have found ourselves on this journey together (although not that we found ourselves on this journey in the first place !!), I wish you nothing but happiness and peace in your heart, I hope you find the joy in your life that you so deserve.
