Neave,
I'm sorry you've been dealing with so much, though I do think you're doing all of the right things for yourself.  <3  Family will screw you faster than anyone else, unfortunately.  (Been there, done that way too many times.)  It sounds to me like you've found a very healthy way of dealing with them (though I'm sure they'd disagree).  And trying to split you two up...grrrrrrrrrr, that's horrible too. 
I think you were smart not to have them at your wedding.  Your wedding was the day for the two of you to enjoy, not have to put up with family tension and BS.
Sometimes it's best to cut people like that out of your life altogether than to try and keep a bad relationship going.  There are people who talk about how "great" family is, but those are people who have never had family that backstabbed them.
So keep up the good, healthy work!  <3  Better to make up a family of your own from non-blood relations than to be leeched off of by blood-related parasites.
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

mom knows i will never forgive her ever for it and my relationship with dad is just as bad as it is with mom he tried to split nicky and i up when we first got together when we were 10 and he tried setting me up with a guy that he's been friends with the guy's family for years i wasn't having none of that and told dad to go to hell and fry i won't even let mom and dad into our house or speak to them if they are at shay's when we go up to sligo to see shay,charlie and their kids i walk out i wouldn't even have them at mine and nicky's wedding i told them straight if they turned up at the church i'd have the cops arrest them it was shay who gave me away when nicky and i married on 21st june last year after 26 years together we've been together since nicky's birthday 9th october 88 he's a day older than shay and i lol

Neave,
I'm so sorry...that sounds absolutely awful.    And it's so unfair to you for them to have made you do it, instead of letting you make whatever choice you wanted.  That's very wrong.
Sadly, some parents do that...I used to know a guy who had become an accountant because his parents discouraged him from his dream, which was to join the navy.  Ultimately, he quit his accounting job, but I think he may have been too old for the armed forces at that time.  He was very, very resentful of what his parents had done.
It truly is unforgivable.
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

good luck with your mission the discipline wasn't the problem for me i hated army life because i never wanted it i had it forced upon me by mom because her dad and grandfather had both served and none of my siblings had choosen to so unlucky for me i got the short straw and was forced in and i've never forgave mom for that and i never will

Neave,
I'm so sorry...that must have been rough to be in the British Army.  I think any kind of armed forces would be rough.  Some people do like the discipline (my friend's ex-boyfriend joined the navy to "grow up" - even though he never did grow up), but I think more people have trouble with it.
Thanks for all of those fantastic links!  <3  Oooh, that Alpha Loom at the rainbow loom site looks amazing!  I WANT! 
The two closest places to us are Target and Walmart.  I never knew they carried so many loom band products!  I'll look for what they have in the stores...it's easier to get things that way than to order them online.    It's especially good when they have a clearance sale on an item.  They can be very inexpensive that way.
Thanks again!  <3  Can't wait to get out there!  LOL, I'm a woman on a very important mission. 
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

melanie i've looked online for you to see where does loom bands and the kits 
http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=loom+bands&category=0%7CAll%7Cmatchallpartial%7Call+categories&lnk=snav_sbox_loom+bands
 http://www.justinstoys.com/
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=loom%20bands
https://www.rainbowloom.com/
http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=loom&keywords=loom&origkw=loom+bands&sr=1
http://cra-z-artshop.com/shimmer-n-sparkle/
hope this helps u in your search for the looms and bands
 
 

yeah we'll stay in dublin it's nicky's home town he's lived in dublin all his life apart from the 2 years he was in england at leeds on his soccer apprenticeship as a goalkeeper he loved it which is more than i can say for the 8 years i spent in the british army i hated every minute of the 8 years

Neave,
Wow, glad it all finally worked out for both of you!  <3  Distance like that is sooooo difficult.  You both deserve a lot of credit for making it through everything!  <3
Do you feel like you're going to stay in Dublin, or do you think there's another place where you'd like to live?  One of my friends lived in Ireland for a few years.  She fell in love with a guy from there, but the relationship didn't work out, sadly.  In addition to the guy, she also fell in love with Ireland, so it was very hard for her to return to the US, but when the relationship ended, she couldn't stay.
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

nope i moved to dublin at 15 by then nicky and i had been together for 5 years and i wanted to be nearer to him  a year later i went in the british army and he went on a soccer apprenticeship also in england in a city called leeds where he remained for 2 years before returning to dublin i remained in the army until 09/09/01 i bought myself out and returned to dublin because by then calum was almost 9 months old

it's a huge and very beautiful city massive shopping centres breautiful parks lots of churches,museums

Neave,
Go on, it sounds amazing already!  What kinds of things do you enjoy doing for fun in such a wonderful city? 
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

i attend a lot of soccer matches both nicky and cal are soccer nuts and they both play for a saturday and sunday team we go to our local beach quite a lot as well

Neave,
Sounds wonderful!    I admit to being a bit jealous of you having beach access...we haven't gone to a beach in years.  We're too landlocked for that.
Have you lived in Dublin all your life?  Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

Neave,
Thanks!    I'm guessing they'd be found in one of the two stores here, Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics.  Only problem is JoAnn Fabrics is closing, so very soon now that won't be an option.
Aside from craft stores, there is a Walmart locally and it's got a craft section.  I'm guessing Walmart does sell the bands.
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

you can them in most art and craft stores not sure where in the world you are but they are fairly easily for us to get in dublin where i live

Neave,
Thanks for posting these...which would you suggest for a beginner?
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

the 2 middle ones are ideal for a beginner and they come with bands included and hooks and 'c' clips or 's' clips

i would assume so i know michaels and toys are us do i guess your in america 

Neave,
Thanks!  I'll keep my eyes open for that type.    Shouldn't be hard to find, since the craft is only getting more popular. 
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

Neave,
Oops, sorry, I forgot to say! Yes, you're correct, I'm in the US.   And I want to hear about Dublin!  One of the places on my list to visit someday. 
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=