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!!!!!!!!!!!