Shawn and Lavinia and BABY!!! Land

28 weeks along

2009-07-16T07:10:00.003-04:00

more 4-d stuff here.

As promised, here is the update:

The pregnancy is going very, very well!!! AJ is still a mad kicking fool, and feeling him move is something that never gets old. Lavinia still likes it, but he kicks a LOT late at night, so it keeps her up sometimes...

The 28 week appt went well, all things considered... Lavinia doesn't have Gestational Diabetes, and AJ is growing quite nicely. The one heartstopping moment was Lavinia passing out in my arms. That was the longest 10 seconds of my life... It was the combination of the fasting for the diabetes test, and being on her back for the ultrasound. She's perfectly OK, though. Passing out apparently isn't all that uncommon... who knew?

To put everything in perspective on how truely amazing this process is I give you the following:

7 weeks

20 Weeks

And here we are are 28 Weeks:

It is humbling to me that I helped make this adorable little human being....

Alexandru James Horner

2009-05-22T12:45:00.005-04:00

ok, so I'm a mad slacker... it's been 3 months since the last post, and I'm sure people want more info...
It's a boy!!! So far it's been a text-book pregnancy, she was sick when she was supposed to be, and it stopped when it's supposed to stop. the size, heartbeat, well, EVERYTHING is in normal ranges. All the tests for birth-defects have comeback negative... it really is all good!!!
Although I was hoping for a baseball player, me'thinks, the european blood is taking over, as he's pretty much kicking Lavinia silly... I can live with a soccer hooligan, but, maybe there will be time to convert him... I actually felt the baby kicking a few days ago... THAT was a singular experience... another one of those things people tell you about, but nothing can prepare you for it...
There are some new scans of the ultrasounds if you click here... the 4D ultra sounds are especially cool!!!

Did I mention the baby is a boy? :o)

As promised...

2009-02-16T17:36:00.001-05:00

guess what you see if you click here?

Shawn and Lavinia +1

2009-02-16T14:34:00.005-05:00

for those that don't know... WE ARE PREGNANT!!!! well, one of us is, and it's not the one that looks it... Pictures to come, and maybe a video...

yea, I know

2007-10-24T18:02:00.001-04:00

I've been strangely quiet... It's just cause I'm so darn happy!!! :o)

SO, just what HAS happened since the last post?

well, on Oct 11, we celebrated our anniversary by me getting baptised, and having a vow renewal of sorts... In case you're reading this and thinking that you were somehow left out or lost you invitation, you didn't... we wanted both the baptism and the vows to be just us and the preacher... so that's what we did...

then on Oct 13, we had the formal welcome to the family cookout... it was a blast, Marius and Nichole came up from GA. for the event...

Other that that, we are getting settled in quite nicely and just doing married couple things... I make messes, and she cleans them up... :o)

but other than that we really just enjoying the fact we are in the same house at the same time... things that some couples take for granted we do our best to enjoy... even the simple pleasures of cooking together mean the world to us... I guess that year apart, as painful as it was, put a great many things in perspective...

so, there you go... you are now officially caught up!

s.

oh, here are the pitures from the 11th and 13th...

the day after...

2007-10-01T08:46:00.000-04:00

So, yesterday we went to church and out for lunch with the family.. the some quality time with dad, and then mom...

it was a great day, LOOOONG, but great!

thanks to all the family for making her feel welcome!

s.

just in case anyone was wondering....

2007-09-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

LAVINIA IS HERE!!!!!!!
:o)
s.

New Look

2007-09-27T11:22:00.000-04:00

Ok, we chose a new look for the site... ;o) And by we, I mean her...

right now, I'M going to go spend time with my WIFE, who is HERE, sitting BESIDE me....

why am I still here?...

later!
s&l

Say HI, Lavinia!!!

2007-09-27T10:54:00.000-04:00

so Shawn tells me to say Hi Lavinia:O)

this is my first blog on our site and i keep repeating everything that my husband says, which is not bad, it means i agree with everything he says ;o)

ok, well, i just got here last night after changing plane after plane, also, in spite of their worries, i made it to the Atlanta flight on time. And here i am !!!
cuddling on the couch with my husband while my brothers' dogs are bugging us as usual ;O)))

we'd love to have the chance really soon to says hello and thank you to all of you out there reading our blog, hoping for the best for us, praying for us...
So, thank you!!!

and most important of all thank You God for making our dream come true!

lavinia and shawn

so where is she?

2007-09-26T10:13:00.000-04:00

Click here... :o)

So far the flight is still showing it's going to land on time...

from there she has two hours to get processed and on the flight to Atlanta...

to track that one, click here... (of course the flight info will be available once she's in the air)

And if you look left, only a few more hours!

s.

Less than 24 hours...

2007-09-25T18:49:00.000-04:00

till her plane is supposed to land!!!!

WOOT!!!!!

s.

nothing new...

2007-09-24T23:36:00.000-04:00

Everything is still looking good... No craziness that I'm aware of... Everything is still good... She'll still scheduled to be here at 6:35PM Wednesday...

She is mostly packed and ready to come!!!! :O)

so, everything is still good, as far as I know!!!

OH, today was my Dad's Birthday... So, Happy Birthday Dad!!!

And if you are curious as to how much time is left until she's here? Look left...
s.

Note the counter to the left...

2007-09-21T09:40:00.000-04:00

Yep, I decided to add a little something new to the site... ;o) in case anyone was wondering how much longer it is till she gets here...

s.

6 Days...

2007-09-20T07:27:00.000-04:00

and counting!!!! :o)

Everything is still on. Plane tickets still confirmed. Lavinia still wants to come...

Laviniawatch continues!
s.

Nothing at all...

2007-09-19T06:52:00.000-04:00

Has changed since the last time I posted about Lavinia coming here...

The ticket is confirmed, she has all her paperwork... The T's have all been dotted, and my I's are firmly crossed... All those uncounted eggs look like they are ready to hatch... the Fat Lady is out back warming up her voice... AND, all the scattered little duckies have been organized, put in a row, and are ready to march their little webbed feet off...

So, what am I trying to say???

She flies out of Timisoara on the 26th at about 6am, and lands in at Atlanta at 635pm, where yours truly will be waiting...

She will be flying From Timisoara to Milan to Newark to Atlanta. As her point of entry to the US is Newark, there shouldn't be a long wait in Atlanta.

We will be staying in Atlanta the 26th, 27th, and driving home the night of the 28th. Saturday is pretty much unpacking and being lazy. Sunday the 30th, we intend to go to church in Talbott, and then maybe go to lunch after... Then Drop by Mom's that night... and then Mon, Tue, and Wed, we'll finish getting settled in and just be for a few days... then for me it's back to work, and for Lavinia, well, I guess she will explore her options...

I have pretty much confirmed that I'll be taking off from work 9/26-10/3 so we can get her settled in here at Shawn and Lavinia Land...

Should be crazy, should be fun... but what it WON'T be is boring!!!

So there ya go, more details than you wanted, I'm sure, but you can't say you aren't in the know...

s.

Immigration Stuff

2007-09-16T10:53:00.000-04:00

I added some new links over to the left... Basically, just so people can inform themselves of immigration stuff, both good and bad...

OBVIOUSLY, I am for immigration, done legally and within the the confines of the law. I am in no way a xenophobe, and I don't think that we should build 100ft tall razor wire walls around this country. I love this country, and the ideals on which it was built. But I'm not blind, and there are certain realities that give me pause. There are some things in this country that are broken and desperately need to be fixed.

Immigration is just one of them... and having gone through what I've gone through the last year, I've been given insight on they way things are where immigration is concerned. And trust me when I say the immigration process IS broken. But I don't think it's beyond repair. Nothing is beyond repair if enough people want it fixed...

s.

Visa

2007-09-16T10:03:00.000-04:00

and here is the thing we've fought a year for...

If you want to see the other stuff Lavinia got, you can find it here...

S.

Again, because...

2007-09-15T09:12:00.000-04:00

NOTHING ever goes to plan, Lavinia will be arriving on September 26th. So all that stuff I said in the last post? Move it out one week...

The reason for delay is that, apparently, if a foreign national is flying into the states, the government needs time to do a background check before hand. And if she flew in on the 19th, the Dept of Homeland Security wouldn't have time to do that check...

SO...

I only really want to know one thing, and one thing only... Who is in charge of the back ground checks on the Mexicans flooding across the border?

hmmmm? anyone have the answer for that?

S.

Because...

2007-09-14T07:21:00.000-04:00

people say I don't ever update (and that's fair), here is whats going on...

Lavinia is on a train back from Bucharest to Arad. She will likely arrive back home 11pm local time... She will spend her weekend washing clothes and packing. A friend of her brothers is donating some sky miles for her ticket here, so hopefully by the end of the day we'll have the plane ticket secured, and I'll be able to tell everyone exactly what time she's supposed to be landing in the states.

If everything goes to plan, she'll be arriving next Wednesday, and we'll spend some time with Marius and Nichole in Atl. But we both want to be back here by the weekend to have some alone time, and to just un-pack and settle in. Sunday we are planning on going visiting and officially introducing Lavinia to the family, and to prove once and for all the youngest generation that, YES, Aunt Lavinia does in fact truly exist!

I, of course, am taking about 6 days off from work so we can spend all this quality time together. And so we can manage to go everywhere we need to go... Fun, Fun, Fun! So, after that first week is done, and we get settled in life obtains a certain level of normalcy, everyone who wishes to corrupt her to the American way of life may certainly feel free to do so... But good luck, she's terribly stubborn... ;o)

This has been a crazy year, all the steps it's taken to get to this point, if I think too hard about it, is pretty mind numbing. I know I said yesterday that we wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and support, but I want to do it again... THANK YOU!

Everyone has been amazing. We are blessed, and we know it....

So, thanks again!

S&L

Who's got a visa?

2007-09-13T07:57:00.000-04:00

Yep, that's right: Lavinia has a visa!!!!!! YEA!!!!

I just talked with her, and we are both crazy happy and relieved...

So it this point assuming everything goes good with the plane ticket, Lavinia will be here next Wednesday! GO US!!!!

We want to thank everyone for their support. It WAS and IS and WILL ALWAYS BE appreciated...

s.

Criminal past???

2007-09-12T06:48:00.000-04:00

Nope, no criminal past and she now has the paperwork that proves it! One more thing down... She'll take that piece of paper to the embassy tomorrow, and get her visa...

And how cool is that?

s.

the big plan

2007-09-10T20:22:00.000-04:00

So, as it stands right now, Lavinia should be in the country on September 19th or 20th. This is assuming she gets the Criminal Record on Wednesday (which she assures me is blank) and gets it to her interview OK on Thursday... And I have no reason to believe any of this will NOT come to pass...

So there ya go... I will of course update Wednesday and Thursday respectively... but for now, that's all the news there is to share...

s.

and the verdict is...

2007-09-07T06:06:00.000-04:00

Almost there...

Let me just say, right up front, that immigration is crazy confusing... they request paperwork, and they send you things that they require for immigration to be successful... But as an example of this let me explain...

On the US Immigration Website there is a list of things you need for your interview. Some various forms, proof of support and whatever, proof of relationship, and most importantly Criminal Background check...

When the Embassy has the paperwork from the US Government forwarded to them, they send out a letter to the person who is waiting for the Visa Interview. And IN this letter is list of requirements for the interview. And one would think they would match... One would be mistaken...

When my lovely wife received her letter and it was discovered that the requirements listed within did not match what was on the website, she thought it would be a good idea to call the embassy to inquire about this discrepancy. She was told NOT to worry about it, bring what was on the paper they sent her, and not to worry, whats the big deal?

Well, here would be the proverbial "Big Deal"...

Lavinia went to the interview and everything went great except for one thing, she didn't take the criminal record, because it wasn't in the mentioned in the paperwork the US Embassy sent to her... So...

Soooooooo........

where are we now?

WELL, let me explain the process of getting ones Criminal Record in Romania, as well as a brief lesson on Romanian Geography and Economics.

Romanian Geography: My lovely wife is from Arad. The US Embassy is in Bucharest. Arad and Bucharest are 11 hours apart by train...

Romanian Economics: the avg salary of a Romanian citizen is $200 US a month... A train ticket one way between Arad and Bucharest is $50 per person.

Obtaining one's Criminal Record: Go to the police station in your city of residence and request it...

Currently Lavinia is in Bucharest with her mother...

So if a train traveling from Arad to Bucherest is traveling at 50 mph... you know what? Bottom line is the situation sucks....

Fortunately for Lavinia, Romanian Police have these things called computers, and occasionally someone is willing to help... So after going to the police station in Bucharest, she was able to convince someone to do their job, she has managed to secure a way to get the Criminal Record without traveling back to Arad. This, judging from what I understand about the local Bureaucracy, or Government as it's sometimes called, was quite a trail...

SO, and so, and so....

Next Wednesday, she will go to the Police station in Bucharest and pick up the criminal record, which as far as I know is blank. She will then go BACK to the US Embassy on next Thursday, to complete all processing and receive the visa...

in the immortal words of Yogi Berra: "It's deja vu all over again..."

on a side note, another piece on Romanian Education... The prevailing Romanian philosophy on doing your job, and doing it well is this: doing is optional, doing it well is a miracle... Granted, there are pockets of competency all over Romania. And if you are lucky enough find one, you shoulda played the lottery that day too...

s.

Belgium Pics are up

2007-08-30T17:53:00.000-04:00

Ok, also, Pictures from the Belgium trip are up... Yes, it was beyond amazing to see her again after 6 months!!!! We also took a day trip to Brugge, which is a pretty little tourist trap with lots of cool things... Because I have the pictures I took as well as the ones Lavinia took, there are two seperate albums... Brussels is here, and Brugge can be found here... Or just click here to see all the albums...

s.

ok, so what IS going on????

2007-08-30T17:45:00.000-04:00

Yea... I've been a slacker, I totally admit it... And for those that actually STILL come to this to figure out whats going on: sorry!

so anyway, Form-watch was officially over on Aug 13th... Lavinia got the forms she needed... and as of 11:30 this morning local time, she passed her physical. So at least we know she's physically sound... Mentally? well, to answer that I'll just say she's married to me and happy about it, make your own decisions from that...

She has her interview on Sep 6th. Yep, that is in fact a week from today... Assuming all goes well there (and I can't foresee a reason that it won't) She should get her visa that day or the next...

After that she is free to come whenever she wants, which will probably be pretty fast... :o)

SO, there you go, updates all around and good news too... How fun is that?

s.

Other Happy News!

2007-07-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

So, I'm going on a business trip to Brussels, Belgium in August, and guess who's flying in to meet me!!!! Yep Lavinia is coming in, and while I do have to work, I'll get to spend the nights with her!!!, and well as two full days!!!! YEA!!!!!!

yea, I'm happy!
S.

Form Watch, Day 49

2007-07-18T16:17:00.001-04:00

SO!!!!! All the forms are in.. I sent the last one yesterday... overnighted it, so they should actually have it today... I'll track it when I eventually get home tonight... So this is the LAST piece of paperwork I have to send in!

NOW, we have to wait for the Visa Dept to release the info to the US Embassy in Bucharest. They will send Lavinia the date of her interview, and a list of the documents she will require...

We are SO almost done!!!!

s.

Form-Watch, day 25

2007-06-22T18:03:00.001-04:00

So... against what I want to do, which is rant and rave and scream and say all kinds of witty, snotty little things about the Immigration Bureaucracy at large, I will say this. I got a packet in the mail. One that I believed to be the last thing I needed to send in...
It was NOT said packet.
It was a packet telling me that they haven't received my last payment... and they needed it before they could proceed further. You know the packet I overnighted?
OH, really....
So I call the number and wait on hold, not a terribly long time, BUT, when you dealing with possible delays in seeing your wife, ANY hold time is too long... But anyway someone finally answers...
Seems they processed it a little late and I can ignore the request for additional information... I should get the REAL packet in a 2 weeks....
So, there ya go...
hmmm, wish I could take this attitude about filing my tax returns... Maybe next year I'll do that, file 3 or 4 weeks late and when they call, just say, oh sorry, we had a delay, you'll get it in two to four weeks.... Fair is fair, right? (and while I said I would say anything snotty about the Immigration people, I didn't... clearly that was aimed at the IRS... Wish me luck in my coming audit!)
s.

Father's Day

2007-06-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

Today was father's day of course... and I took tons of pictures, which can be found here.

So for all you fatherly types out there: Happy Your Day!

s.

Form-Watch, day 17

2007-06-14T07:01:00.001-04:00

No packet yet... but honestly, I don't have any reason to expect it till the end of next week... So...
I won't be posting daily updates again on the wait till the middle of next week...Unless of course I get it sooner...

s.

Next Steps revisited

2007-06-14T06:47:00.000-04:00

ok, so, yea... I've been remiss in the updating process... So when we last left, I was awaiting the bill...

I RECEIVED the bill on 6/8 and sent it overnight 6/9... The DS-230 forms were filled out with Lavinia on 6/9 and scanned in and emailed to her on 6/10. She signed the forms, and mailed a copy to me, which should be here next week.

Hopefully, her signed copy of the forms and the request for said forms from the NVC should both be here next week, at which time I will send them in...

so the process is still chugging right along...

s.

Form-Watch, day 10

2007-06-08T17:35:00.000-04:00

okies... got the bill... gonna overnight it tomorrow so that it will be there Monday. I've already talked to Lavinia about what we'll do in the mean time... While we wait for the Visa Center to process the payment, we'll get the paperwork we need filled out, I'll mail it to her, so she can sign it and she'll mail it back... So the DAY I get the remaining paper work request from the Visa Center, I can send it back in... that way we don't loose any time from this point on... I can't control how fast they do things, but I CAN control how fast I do things...

Looks like things are speeding up here at the end... So, I'm still not positive on a TRUE time line, I can say we appear to be nearing the end of this process...

I would also say "YIPPEEEEEE!!!!!" if I were prone to say such things... but I'm not... ;o)

Next Steps in the process

2007-06-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

Okie-dokies, After some extensive research, here is the deal:

currently:
I am awaiting a bill for processing of ANOTHER form(DS-230) wich they mailed on May 28th... So it SHOULD be here anyday now...

Future:
Once I get the bill and pay it and they receive it and acknowledge it, THEN they send the package. What is in this package? Basically what I need to fill out the DS-230 and send it back. Once the NVC processes that, they will forward the approval on to the the Consulate in Bucharest, RO. The consulate will notify Lavinia by mail, and give her a medical form (she will have to have an exam. I'm STILL not certain whether or not this is done by her doctor or an assigned Dr), and instructions on what she needs to bring with her:

........
Birth Certificate
Court and Prison Records
Deportation Documentation
Marriage Certificate
Marriage Termination Documentation
Military Records
Police Certificate(s)

........

She will then show up for the appointment. Where she will be processed. There will be an interview, but how in depth seems to depend on the interviewer... there seems to be some stock questions and they look at pictures, or not, again depending on the interviewer. Review the documentation submitted, and then approve or don't approve the visa.

Once the visa is approved, they will mail it to her in roughly 2 weeks... and from there she can enter freely into the US... and all is mostly done... At some future point we have to interview again in Memphis to prove that the marriage is still legitimate and not a fake...

So what is the time line for all this? I really don't know what to expect, honestly...

I'd think at least a minimum of a 1-2 months, beyond that is any ones guess...

I'll post more as I learn more...

Form-Watch, day 9

2007-06-07T23:58:00.000-04:00

well, I opened the mail box and there was nothing there, not even junk mail... But Lavinia sent an email and it is a fact the have they form she had to send in... so it's just more waiting game type of stuff...

ah well

s.

Random thought of the day

2007-06-06T16:19:00.000-04:00

That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.
William J. H. Boetcker

Tracking the Support Forms

2007-06-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

from the USPS website:

Label/Receipt Number: EB38 4808 490U S
Status: Delivered

Your item was delivered at 11:26 AM on June 6, 2007 in PORTSMOUTH, NH 03801 to VISA . The item was signed for by R AUSTIN.

so, at least we know they got it!

s.

Form-Watch, Day 8

2007-06-06T06:06:00.000-04:00

Didn't get the packet for Lavinia yet, but, didn't really expect to honestly... Still happy that I got the other stuff and got it back out...

I'll keep everyone posted...

s.

Support Forms Mailed!

2007-06-05T18:13:00.000-04:00

I just got back to the office from mailing the support forms off... I over-nighted them so they should have the tomorrow... you can track it here should you want to...

the tracking number is : EB384808490US ...

They should have the stuff tomorrow by noon, but sometimes their site is slow to update, so if anyone DOES try try to track it and it comes up blank, give about 24 hours before panicking... :0)

s.

Funniest "quote" I've read in a while

2007-06-05T00:03:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I ask myself:
"Why is that Frisbee getting bigger?"
Then it hits me....

s.

Form-Watch, Day 7

2007-06-04T23:31:00.000-04:00

Got the approval letter for the I-864 form... Woot!!!

this means I'm now allowed to fill it out and send it in, which I will happily do tomorrow when I'm supposed to be working (and for those of you that I work with that read this daily, I thank you to keep that piece of information to yourself! and you KNOW who you are!!!!)... There are some things I have to get from work anyway, sooo.....

I'll get it all together and overnight the packet tomorrow afternoon, so that the Visa Center will have by noon Wednesday... where it will hopefully not sit for a month or more...

SO, "what now" you ask?

well, there is still some paperwork for Lavinia to do, and a medical test she has to pass before they will issue the much anticipated Visa, and I'm still awaiting the information packet with those particulars... so Form-Watch will continue... But I believe the I-864 is the final step for me, the rest is in the Government's hands and depends entirely on their schedule...

So after seven days of junk mail, I finally have good news...

Hopefully, I'll have more good news soon...

And to everyone who is keeping us in their thoughts and prayers, I say a big fat THANK YOU!

s.

Form-Watch, Days 5 & 6

2007-06-03T10:37:00.000-04:00

not even junk mail... sigh...

But, it's a new week next week, SO....

so.... we wait....

S.

So let me just say this...

2007-06-01T18:09:00.000-04:00

First and foremost, I don't mind people coming to America to live and work... I am a proud American... And to me that means I stand behind what it says on the Statue of Liberty. I think that is something to be proud of. One of the reasons we are where we are as a country is BECAUSE of that particular philosophy/mission statement/ideal. So, when I throw the word Mexican around, I truly mean no disrespect to anyone of Mexican heritage.

It's not personal, it's just to relieve my own frustrations regarding my own situation, and to give the average tax-paying, voting, concerned, non-head-in-the-sand, Amercan reader a point of reference to understand how I feel ... But if you have read it, and you were offended, welcome to your first lesson in freedom: you are free to be offended, just as I am free to offend... Freedom of speech, ain't it cute? You don't have to like it, and you don't have to read it. And even if you COULD stop me from saying it, you wouldn't and couldn't stop me from thinking it.

I understand why they come, I even understand why they choose the methods they choose to get here. If they chose the legal methods of gaining entry into the US most would die of old age several times over before they made it in...

I understand it, and I even respect it... But what I can't do is condone it...

I'm not sure if many people know this, because without the current situation I'm in with Lavinia, I wouldn't have, but, now immigration is a function of the Dept of Homeland Security. And honestly even this makes sense to me given the current political climate in the world at large.

But how does it make sense that if immigration is such serious business that Homeland Security must oversee and run it, that the US government continues to do nothing in the way of seriously protecting our border to the south? All this while I wait for yet MORE paperwork to get my wife here to the U.S. Imagine how that makes me feel

One of the things I had to prove that I can support her, so that she will not be a burden financially U.S. tax payers, through welfare programs and what-not. Take a moment to re-read and comprehend. Don't worry, I'll wait...

Ok, waiting is over...

The point is this, I'm doing everything I can to legally get my wife here so that we can carve out a little niche to call our own, raise some kids and, God willing, live a long and happy life together.

Once all the paperwork is done of course....

Is the process slow? Of course it is. Is it fair? Of course it isn't. Do the laws need to be changed so that the process is faster and more efficient? Absolutely, yes! No question about it. But until those laws are changed, we will work with what we have to work with.

We are talking about OUR lives, and OUR happiness.

And we spent almost a year awaiting paperwork. Can you imagine how frustrating this is yet?

As I said in the beginning of this, I believe in what it says on Lady Liberty... so in case you don't remember, or didn't follow the link earlier, or just don't know, let me put it here for you:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

So I welcome all that come to take advatage of the opportunities living in America provides... So long as they do it legally...

after all, fair is fair...

Shawn

Form-Watch, Day 4

2007-06-01T18:06:00.000-04:00

I've been selected to receive 2 small flip phones!!!!!

yea, that was pretty much all that was there... But at least at the condo there is a BIG trashcan right next to the mail boxes so I don't have to carry the mail very far to throw it away...

It's the little things in life...

s.

comments now active and other cleanup news...

2007-06-01T15:58:00.001-04:00

So, yea... you can leave comments now... I somehow managed to turn off the ability to leave comments... This was completely unintentional and accomplished in a fit of mad-clicking glory... Such is the way we do things here Shawn and Lavinia Land!!!

Anywho, feel free to leave your comments!!!

Also, since the side over there is getting cluttered, I'm gonna take some of the subjects away... the pics are easy to get to now, anyway... So, most of those seem a bit redundant now... that and I can't leave anything alone for more than 5 minutes at a time...

s.

Form-Watch, Day 3

2007-05-31T23:49:00.000-04:00

nope, nada, not there... still getting junk mail that I have no desire for... But as the old saying goes, watched mail is never delivered... And if you think that isn't an old saying, you've obviously never tried to get your foreign, non-Mexican wife into the US...

And it will probably come tomorrow, so that when I fill it out and send it back it will be NEXT week before I can send it in a wait for some more for the next stage... But, you know what, I would be happy if it came tomorrow... So lets hope it does!

I'm like a kid at Christmas looking at a package wrapped in unbreakable glass... I SEE my new toy, but I can't touch it... assuming Christmas was some random day when Santa decided to show up, unannounced in the middle of diner, singing "Santa Clause is coming to town in 2 to 4000 months..."

When I close my eyes and envision the National Visa Center, I imagine a group of people blindfolded and drunk playing "Pin the Visa on the Immigrant"... they have all these names scattered hap-hazardly on the wall... And the stagger forward, the much cherished visa held in their sweaty hands, and poke it in some lucky, non-Mexican's name...

And people STILL think the Government should be bigger and take more care of us...

eeeef....

s.

PS. maybe I shouldn't write these late at night anymore...

Form-Watch, day 2

2007-05-30T19:54:00.000-04:00

still not here... very annoyed... But I have high hopes for tomorrow... Everything I've ever gotten from them tends to be delivered on a Thursday, or Friday... so I can hope, and I can dream... and if it continues to be not there, I'll continue to be very annoyed...

It's what I do...

s.

More Pics...

2007-05-30T07:36:00.001-04:00

there are a few more pics in the Trip 3 album, which is HERE. Captions are still coming along... eventually they'll all be done, but until then, if you see a picture without a caption, just use your imagination... It's the Spongebob way...

s.

Still awaiting the forms...

2007-05-30T06:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I checked the mail yesterday, and guess what? The forms I need to fill out still aren't there... Junk mail, yes, useful forms to get my wife here, no... so I will check again today, and every day till the forms are here...

Gonna create a new section called "Form-Watch"... which I will update daily to let everyone know the forms are still not here... once the forms are here... I'll start posting again in Immigration News regarding where we are and so on...

I will of course post more as I know more...

s.

more pictures are out there

2007-05-29T06:29:00.000-04:00

I've put pictures from my third trip out there for everyone to see and enjoy and make fun of, or whatever... I'm slowly putting captions on the pictures explaining what they are and what was happening while they were taken... some of the captions are probably going to get me beat up by my sweet wife... so all captions are subject to change, pending what my wonderful, smart, funny, charming, wife has to say about it... (eh, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission, anyway...)

So send comments, or tease us, or whatever floats your particular boat...

s.

OK, too many pictures!!!!!

2007-05-28T21:24:00.001-04:00

OK, so we have too many pictures for this blog to stay organized, I think... SO, being that I enjoy everything Google, I downloaded their free picture management program called Picasa... It's pretty nifty, and free, and makes in AMAZINGLY easy to upload pictures to the web and store them in web based albums so that anyone interested can go see them, and/or download to their computer, or even buy prints of said pictures, should that be their desire...

Also, it's free... I like free, that way if I don't like it, it's easy to get a refund... But so far I have to say, I've really gotten my money's worth out of it... :O)

So I have included a link on the main page to the picture albums... click that, and see everything there is to see!

If I have it, that's where I'll put it from now on...

Also, Lavinia is sending me more pictures from my last trip there, so Pictures from my third trip will be up soonish, in the next day or so, give or take a week to a month... I've decided if the government can take forever, why can't I? :oP

And to everyone praying for us during all this: THANK YOU!!!! Your prayers have been much appreciated...

what can we say?

2007-05-28T19:11:00.000-04:00

That this picture doesn't say for us...

Trains are fun...

2007-05-28T18:58:00.000-04:00

This was taken on the way back from Cluj, RO. There was an American consulate there where there was much paperwork to be done... fun huh.... I look happy, because it was a successful trip... I got the paperwork needed to legally make my favorite person my wife!!!

Lavinia. shawn, and her phone...

2007-05-28T18:54:00.000-04:00

A picture of us (me) relaxing on the couch on my third trip top Arad, RO... Lavinia is talking on the phone, but it's ok, the doctors say the phone will actually come off her ear by itself if we just leave it alone... :o)

Yep, she's mine... the paperwork says so...

2007-05-28T18:50:00.000-04:00

this was of course taken after I forced Lavinia to legally become my wife... and by "forced" I mean asked nicely and then begged for a bit...

I love that couch!!!

2007-05-28T18:45:00.000-04:00

This is us in the apartment I stayed my first trip to Romania... It was small, but it was just perfect...

My other Mother...

2007-05-28T18:37:00.000-04:00

Lavinia, Shawn, and Maria (Lavinia's mom, my Mami doi)

This was taken in Arad, Ro a day or two after we got married in my new Romanian home. She took such good care of me it wasn't funny, but then again, Mami doi (mom 2) always does...

Just Lavinia, being Lavinia again...

2007-05-28T14:41:00.000-04:00

This was taken in a pension in Beirtan, RO... Nice place, nice people, GREAT trip!!!

Just Lavinia, being Lavinia

2007-05-28T14:37:00.001-04:00

Taken in a pension in Arad, RO... We spent a week there just hanging out and being together... best week EVER!!!!

More Hitchin' fun!!!

2007-05-28T14:33:00.000-04:00

Although one should NEVER hitchhike in the US, in Romania it's not so bad... they'll even take picture of you if you ask! And if you get hungry, just eat what you are sitting on!

:o)

Hitchin' a ride

2007-05-28T13:26:00.000-04:00

us hitchhiking in the back of a produce van!!! I love Romania!!!!

Us and my translator... I had to have one!

2007-05-28T13:24:00.000-04:00

The Girl with us is Anca Luca. We had to have a translator to marry us legally in Romania, since I don't speak Romanian.. sweet girl, this was her first translation job and I think she was as nervous as we were... lol

After the legal Cerimony in Arad

2007-05-28T13:21:00.000-04:00

HELP!!! I'm being attacked!!!!!!

2007-05-28T12:49:00.000-04:00

There seems to be a Monkey on my back...

it's ok, though, I like Monkeys...

:O)

and how bad are we????

2007-05-28T12:38:00.000-04:00

So where are we now?

2007-05-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

Currently the situation is this: I'm waiting for some MORE forms to fill out... I have to prove that I can support my lovely wife, and that she will not be a burden on American Society. Also we await the forms for her to get a medical test to prove that she is not carrying some form of plague that will wipe out all of North America...

All of this of course is needed because she is not Mexican... But that is another story...

Will be posting pictures soon so everyone can see how good we look together!!!!

:O)