Immigration Process Started.

Yesterday I mailed the first of our immigration forms, the I-130 Petition for Alien Spouse and Children. Now the waiting game begins. Once this form is approved, we'll do another. I'm already gathering paperwork for that one. It would be nice to hear something by the New Year, but according to the online statistics, that could be pushing it.
Anyway, we don't know the actual date that we'll be moving, but plus or minus a week (or there abouts):

The Package Has Landed.

After weeks of waiting, our package has arrived. I was advised yesterday that it had a scheduled delivery date of Nov 6. I was all excited because we'd been waiting to go to town until it arrived. Then I thought, what if they were wrong and we were not here, after days of sitting and waiting for it. So we stayed home. I had actually gone upstairs to take a nap and Nid came and woke me up... with a picture on his cell phone of the box on our couch. What a relief! More than anything towards the end, I just didn't want it to be lost in the mail for all eternity. But now it is here. We unpacked and unpacked and unpacked. It seemed never ending. Then we lay it all out on the dining table. But we didn't want to eat anything until the children got home so we could do a photo op to send my mom. It was a long few hours, I'll tell you that! But they both finally got home.

The whole lot of photos are on my photo site.

Various And Sundry.

On immigration news, the passport applications are off. We had to wait until we could get a "professional" person to verify Nid and the children's identity because of their ages. It was still easier than in the US, where for the first passport (no matter how old) you have to go in person and wait in line and it's only open certain days for certain hours... Am I hostile? Not really... not anymore... it was just a pain when I did it last summer. So they were sent of yesterday. We upgraded to special delivery, because supposedly that means they won't be affected by our current postal strike... it's confusing to me since we don't watch TV news. The postal union is striking certain days of certain weeks, and only some of them on some days and the others on the other days. I'm not really that bothered with it.

EXCEPT that I don't want the birth certificates to get lost in the mail. AND we are waiting on a package from my mom. It was sent 11 days ago today. It can take as little as 6 days (4 business days) for mail and packages to arrive. So now we're at 7 business days (I think). It's not that we're greedy and want the package, though we do want it... it's just that we can't leave the house at the same time while we are expecting it. It's 21 pounds. If we are not here when the delivery people come, they will leave us a slip that says it can be retrieved in 24 or 48 hours (we've had both in the past). But the place we have to go pick it up is about 2 miles away. I don't fancy carrying a 21 pound box home 2 miles. At least getting there is uphill, so coming home is downhill... I guess. So, because of this Nid and I are taking turns leaving the house. Yesterday he went to Sainsbury's to pump up my bike tire. Then I went to Sainsbury's for groceries. When I got home, he went to the post office (other direction) to mail the passport applications. Today I had to stay home while he went to his meeting in town. I was really looking forward to going into town. We had to cancel our last trip because of my bike wreck. And yesterday I was told by our friend David that something else was in the mail to us. It's like Christmas come early!

Speaking of Christmas, I got a new bike. Another new bike, technically. We are making arrangements with the bike place to return the one I got before. It's just not working for me. The height of the frame or something combined with my short little legs is just too much for me. So I'm going to return that. We contacted them over a month ago and they said they'd keep their eyes out for a smaller one, but we haven't heard from them. It was a really nice bike, and I'm a little sad to part with it. It was an event for Nid and me to get them. And on my Birthday even. But it just wasn't working. Our friend Jacqui was recently returned a bike she bought years ago, and hadn't ridden very much. She offered it to us for a bargain. It's a Trek 4300 Alpha. It's a NICE bike! Mine was a Raleigh, and really nice. But this is NICE! It's got front suspension and gears like I've never seen before. One of the tires was low, so Nid walked it up to Sainsbury's yesterday for air. He rode it home, and said it was amazing. I still haven't ridden it because the air is going out again. Hopefully he's going to get a replacement one in town today, as they didn't have any at the grocery store. I did do a bit of PT on my bad arm though. I sat on the bike and squeezed the brake with my left had repeatedly. At first it really hurt, but the more I did it, the less it hurt. I imagine it will be a bit painful initially, but I have found that the more I move my arm (even though it hurts) the less it hurts the next time. I really need to get riding again. I feel myself getting less and less healthy again.

What else is there to say... Oh, our first immigration form, the I-130 will be mailed off by the end of the week. Then the waiting game begins. That is my petition to allow Nid and the children to apply for permanent residency. I guess the point of this form is to verify that they have the right to enter the US, based on my qualifications. After this there will be another form that will be their application for permanent US residency, followed by a trip to London for an interview and medical exams.

On a lighter note, my "fan club" has been entertaining the heck out of us! If you are new here, you can read about my fan club here. So, the day that I broke the news that I had a fan club was a funny day for us. Nid has this software that prevents people from hiding their IPs from us. Two of these programs are Hide My Ass and Hide My IP. Only, there is software out there that prevents people from hiding their IPs when they visit our sites. So not only have IPs not been hidden, but I know when they are trying to be hidden. If you could see this list of visits, it's so funny, the frequency with which they come. Actually, I just checked, and they've been on it since I started typing this. Now, I certainly don't want to discourage visitors. The exact opposite, I want visitors. I want my family and friends to know what is going on with us. I want to share my experiences with others. HOWEVER, I do not want sneaky mean people to think they are getting away with anything. I know every single time you come to my blog. I know when you don't come. I know when you come 3+ times per day. And every time we see you've been there we laugh at your lack of having anything better going on in your life than to snoop on our lives. You are not going to find anything here to make you feel better. To those of you who are not evil, I'd like you to know that the only reason I started tracking visitors was because it was cool to see where different visitors came from, not because I want to be nosy about it.

Alrighty, well I think that about concludes this longer than intended blog today.

Halloween.

I'm not missing Halloween. With a crazy dog and nervous cats, I never got into it even when I lived in Richmond and there were lots of kids about. Plus, with decorating for Fall and Christmas, I couldn't be bothered to decorate for another holiday so close. But what we are missing tonight is the wedding of our friend Ashley back in Virginia. She is a great friend and an amazingly creative person. She owns Fly Away Cakes, and she made both our wedding cake and the groom's cake, which I surprised Nid with. She is so talented! You can see our cakes on her website. They are the three tiered butter cream with fresh strawberries and the football/soccer cake with the fox logo. Anyway, she's getting married today. And my niece, Caitlin (2 1/2 years old) is her flower girl. And she's going to walk down the aisle dressed as a PUMPKIN! I haven't seen the outfit yet, but I am hoping there will be photos on the internet by tomorrow. I can't wait!!!! We wish we could be there with you guys Ashley!

On another note.... yesterday we went to Sainsburys and got the children's photos taken for their first passports. I'll mail those applications off on Monday. As soon as we (I) finish filling out the I-130 forms, we'll mail those off to the US Embassy in London.Then the waiting game begins. Nothing will happen until they write to us to tell us when our interviews in London are. I am going to go ahead and make appointments for everyone (but me, yay!) to get vaccines updated at our GP. It is good to have the process actually begun.

I have also started writing lists. Everyone that knows me knows I am a list girl. I have lists for everything!

Here is a list of the lists I have started:
THINGS TO TAKE ON THE PLANE - DIVIDED INTO CHECKED AND CARRY ON SUB-LISTS
THINGS TO PACK FOR SHIPPING
THINGS I HAVE TO DO BEFORE WE MOVE
THINGS TO DO AS SOON AS WE ARRIVE
THINGS I ALREADY OWN AND AM STORING IN VIRGINIA
THINGS WE NEED TO FURNISH THE HOUSE

This last list is broken down by room. It includes things I already own (marked with *) and things we'll need to buy. Every day I think of new things to put on it. My theory is, when we get there we're starting over. We'll need all the staples that everyone has. But if we go to Walmart, buy tons of stuff and get home and realize we've missed something, it's not a 5 minute walk to the corner shop and back. So if I have a list, things will go much smoother. Plus, it will cut down on getting things I don't need but think I do in the moment. It's a daunting list! But it makes me feel accomplished. Anyway, that's what I've been up to!

Big News!

Nid and I have very exciting news to share with you all. We are moving to Virginia! Most people know that we originally had a Four Year Plan. After much thought and discussion, we have decided to move that up to a One Year Plan!

We have already started the process. Forms are filled out, plans are already in the works. It is similar to what I had to go through to get into England. On one hand easier, as we no longer have to prove anything about our relationship. What is different is that everything else is in triplicate. Nid, Briony and Cale all have applications to fill out. It is a multi-stepped process that will take us to London at least once, but potentially twice to get things done at the US Embassy.

When we get to Virginia, we will be living in Greenwood. My cousin Barbara has a family home very close to my parents' home. She lives in West Virginia, and needs a new caretaker for her property. As of next summer, we will be her caretakers. We will be living in a cozy little cottage with a large deck and 25 acres of land surrounding us. It is so peaceful there, we are really excited for the children to have free reign over the property. And they are a bike ride away from Grandma Vickey and Grandad Purcell.

We're deep in planning mode right now. Nid has already started planning where to put his football pitch. And once we get settled, if we want to we can raise chickens in the chicken house in the backyard of the cottage. I'll get to have my Smudge back with me. Bearette has bonded really well with her sister Angel, so at least for now, it will be best if she stays with my parents. I don't know whether it will be better or worse to be so close to her and not have her with me.

The children are very excited about the house and the property and getting to know the rest of the family.