So, as you may have guessed, we got MARRIED in April!!!! YAY!!!! It was a beautiful day, and I am so happy Robin is here now. We have filed for adjustment of status and waiting for our Green Card interview on September 1st. I can't believe how much paperwork we need to have ready for them. I'm worried that we displaced some in the move to our apartment. Need to search high and low for days ahead of time I think.

Robin seems to be adjusting well. We went to maui for our Honeymoon, and loved it. We also have spent a lot of time in Los Olivos and the surrounding area wine tasting. Now planning a trip to Napa and then Boston the next month! He's now looking for a job now that he has his work permit. He also got a chance to go home with advanced parole (parole....hmmmm nice name). So he will be home on Monday afternoon and I can't wait to see him. It feels weird, now that we have been here together for 5months, I'm not used to being apart anymore. I really miss him and can't wait till he gets home. For my birthday, he bought me a one evening class at Williams Sonoma with Celeste, and it was AWESOME!!! So am planning on making the dinner I learned to make for him. It was goats cheese stuffed cherry tomatos, fettichinni portabello mushroom and asparagus and a necatarine tart for pudding. UMM MMM MMM. I will make more than that lady made, it was seriously just a taste. Some of the people there said "that was a perfect portion", umm for a squirrel. Celeste and I went back to her house, and her husband had made a great dinner, so we ate a little more. :)

hmmm, now waiting for my first loaf of bread, that I've made since I was kid, to bake. The last time I made bread from scratch, I was with my grandma on the farm. It was the best bread I've ever eaten. So hoping the talent has rubbed off on me.

Next move for us will be to get our Green card and maybe in the next year, a house. I keep looking on MLS, and I just see houses come and go. I hope one of those will be ours soon. will keep you all posted.

WOW!

Visa process complete! Moving date is now set for the 23rd of February and Robin will be here!

I can't believe that this day had finally come. I mean, 8 months ago, it seemed like there was so much to do and like it would never be done in time. At one point, we got a "request for further evidence" form, and it seemed like time was going to run out before our wedding day. I was thinking of ways that we could work around it, but wasn't sure how we were going to do that.

Now, all the plans are falling into place. We have a new apartment, and pretty much all the big things are done. I'm looking forward to being in one place, not having to be sad that we can't do things together. Being able to cook together, have a lie in together, walk to a local coffee shop together hanging out and reading a paper together. It seems like a long lost dream that we finally get to fulfill.

Now, I'm sure that we are going to have our moments. Don't get me wrong, I'm an optimist, not a novice. I know that we are going to have fights, disagree on things, not want to hang out sometimes, and all of that. But it's the part obout having a partner. Someone to go through life and enjoy the everyday little things together.

Our new apartment....well, it's funny, it's Valerie and Josh's 1st apartment as a married couple!!! I will say this, I loved that apartment when they lived there. It was also different from regular places that are out there to rent. The landlord actually takes pride in her rentals, not like others that leave them in disrepair most of the time. This one is freshly painted white, with recessed lighting, and tiled floors in the bathroom. The fixtures in the bathroom are newer and something one would actually pick for their home when redecorating. Not something that is so apartment standard, that you find in every apartment that gets eaten away by hard water. The other great thing is that it's MONTH-TO-MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know what that means....freedom to leave whenever we want. No trying to get out of a lease where you would get in trouble for getting out early. Only major bad things are the lack of A/C and no place to sit outside. That has been the hardest thing to find. There was always something bad about the places that were back houses. Can you believe that one person had a back house, converted their garage into a studio, and a family of 4 living in the main house. It was so high volume all around that place. So, that was a no. One other place was probably close to perfect, but I didn't feel safe since I come home so late. It was so poorly lit, and felt depressing. Plus the 80 year old woman living in the front house. So was looking for like 2 months. Finally, a great apartment!

So, the next few steps. Parties, moving, party favors, wine tasting, skiing, family and friends arriving, rehearsal, wedding, HONEYMOON!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting excited!!!

Things are starting to get under way for the Wedding. It's really fun when people are already starting to tell you that they bought their plane ticket and making plans!!! How fun, I'm really looking forward to all this. It should be a really fun time. I, as well as Robin, are looking forward to more than just the wedding, we're getting really excited to be living and breathing in the same place. It's so nice to be able to talk about making dinner together, having a garden together, relaxing with each other, and just living. I can't wait. I'm so excited to have our families, and friends will be here to celebrate with us too. It's kind of like we're having half a destination wedding. It's a destination for about half the guests, but still feels like that for us. I love hearing about everyone's plans to come and where they are going to go, and what they're going to see. I like thinking up things for people to do and see. I'm really excited that all of you guys can be here, and I really hope everyone has a good time.

I will be adding information about the hotel and different things to do and see to our website on the knot. WOO HOO

First blog for us

I wanted to create a page that both our families and friends could come to, to see how we're doing and what is new and interesting in our lives. Currently we're going through the Fiancee Visa process. I know what you're thinking, ???Fiancee...Visa??? Yes, that IS what it's called. I knew that when my mom and dad got married, that that's how dad arrived in the US, but I only now realize what they went through back then. What a stressful thing to have to worry about. I don't know if the time frame was the same back in the 70's, but it is SLIGHTLY worrying that you will have to have this visa before the wedding date that we have already planned. Now, we're thinking that we'll have the visa before February or at the latest that month, but I'm a little worried that something will go wrong. I don't know what we'll plan if that happens, so I'm not thinking about it.

During the past year, we've been doing this long distance thing, and it has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. To miss someone this way, no one should have to go through. We've done this because we knew that it is worth it. The love and connection that we have has hit both of us from out of nowhere, and I'm so happy it did. We've spent many days on the computer, and I think others have thought it was crazy to always be talking to each other. My explanation for it is this... In a normal relationship, you have so many days and evenings where you are spending time together, we haven't been able to have that. The time that you can sit and just BE together, we don't have. I don't say this so you feel bad for us, it's just so you understand us. We don't take our time together for granted. We make the most of every second we have together in person. There are so many times that we wish the other could have been there as we have fun with our friends and family. The times when we are with our friends and their signifigant other, and wish we could be doing the same. So now, we are planning those times that we get to share together, and it is so exciting!!!

So, we only have a few months left until we are FINALLY in the same place, I can't wait!!! We found a great place for our ceremony and reception, and we're hoping the food is as good as they boast (Robin is especially worried about this). The other new and exciting thing is a possible house. To explain what we're going through, is way to difficult. Just know that we are in that process, and it's slightly added stress. But if we could get a house, and have a place to live, oh, that would be wonderful.

Here is the site for our wedding: Calamigos Equestrian Center