Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	QUOTE (Cecile and Bryan @ Mar 16 2008, 08:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Alex & Rachel @ Mar 16 2008, 07:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Alex is currently taking classes (or, a class) although he's not at university full time yet (that comes later, when I have a job and can support *him* ). When I was referring to school half-term I meant for my youngest brother and sister. Same here, he's waiting for me and my money to go back to school Glad to know I'm not the only one! QUOTE (Cecile and Bryan @ Mar 16 2008, 08:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I just spent 3 hours talking with Bryan online, and we talked about the wedding. First, what we wanted to do was go to the court house when I arrive (well, sometime during the first month), go to a restaurant with friends to celebrate it, and then, next Spring, we would have a more formal ceremony. That formal ceremony would not have to be a big one, with awesome dinner and everything, but it would still be a nice wedding ceremony, and that way we would have more time to prepare it and to give more time to people to make all the arrangements. That was the original idea. I've thought about it a lot, and I'm not really comfortable with that idea anymore. Maybe we're going to have so many things to deal with that in the end we won't have time to think of that ceremony and we won't do it. You know how it's like sometimes, you plan things and then the longer you wait, the harder it is to take care of things. And the second reason is that it sounds kind of strange to have two wedding dates. He says the second one (the formal one) will be our real wedding. But we will already be married. As soon as I'm going to become Mrs. Young, I will feel like I am his wife. It just sounds strange. He also said that it can be considered as if we renew our vows but usually when people renew their vows, that's not 6 months after the wedding! So I'm all confused. I don't know what to do or what to think anymore. I'd rather have everything at once: have our nice formal ceremony when I first get there. But of course, that will be harder to plan, and that means some people might not be able to come. And it all depends when we're approved. We can't plan the same thing if it's the summer or the winter! I don't know... Maybe I should stop thinking about it for a while. Maybe it would be good to know what other people think/plan to do. For everybody reading this topic: What are you planning for your wedding, guys? Well, if it helps, I completely agree with the bolded statements! My mother feels the same way, which is why she and my dad are going to do their best to attend my wedding, no matter how small or cheap it is! But yes, it is harder to plan, hence me doing my best to give six months' notice. If I have to delay my entry into the states so be it; after some deliberation, I've decided I'd rather do this than hurry to be in the US and thus cause everyone to miss the legal ceremony.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-16 16:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	QUOTE (Cecile and Bryan @ Mar 16 2008, 09:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Bryan has a friend who is a seamstress and she prefered to buy her dress. It's probably very time consuming and stressful to make your own dress, even though you are a good seamstress. I think what she ended up doing is that she bought her dress on ebay (cheap dress from China) and then made a few changes on it to make it "her own dress". That's a good idea! And yes...I don't really have the time or experience to make an entire dress. QUOTE Is Alex still at the university? Waiting until January seems quite long (though some in the past had to wait longer than that) I hope you will receive NOA2 before the end of May. I don't know how long it takes between NOA2 and the interview in England, but it seems to me that if you have your NOA2 at the end of June, you might still be able to go back there early enough to marry in October. Alex is currently taking classes (or, a class) although he's not at university full time yet (that comes later, when I have a job and can support *him* ). When I was referring to school half-term I meant for my youngest brother and sister. The main reason for waiting is a matter of timing and money. I'd like to give people 6 months notice for the wedding so that travel arrangements and plans can be made in plenty of time. My two tentative wedding dates, depending on the NoA2 date, are the autumn half-term (last week of October) and the spring half-term (sometime in February). I'd coincide the wedding with a school holiday so that my parents and siblings could fly over and not miss too much school. (Half-term = a week's holiday.) The other option would be to have the wedding over Christmas, but flights are likely to be more expensive then, plus my parents would probably like to spend time with my grandparents. October and February should be reasonably cheap months to fly in. Getting the NoA2 in June would normally give me plenty of time still to make an October wedding, but it wouldn't give our guests much time, so assuming that I had my interview in late July or August I could afford to wait 5-6 months and fly out in December or January instead. Blake - as I understand it's much cheaper to buy a dress in a store here, and having a seamstress make it for you is the expensive/luxurious option! It'd be amazing to have a dress handmade to your specifications, though! Today's been quiet...started reading a new book (finished the other) and cleaned my bedroom/the bathroom. Also made that soup - it's pretty spicy, I think I overdid the chilli/garam masala. Still, good for the cold weather!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-16 13:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	I've considered making my own dress, but I am not an experienced seamstress (I've only recently managed to lay hands on my sewing machine again; haven't used it in several years) and besides, I'm not sure what style would suit. Feeling better after yesterday! Porridge for breakfast and watercress and tuna sandwiches for lunch. I'm also making broth from the lamb as there was a lot of fat and skin and marrow left on the bones. I'll soak a lentil/bean mix overnight and use that and the broth to make a vegetable soup tomorrow. I like soup for lunch but store-made soups either have dairy products in (which I'm trying to avoid) or too much salt. I'm not a science-fiction fan normally, but as part of a Secret Santa present I received two books by Connie Willis and they are really good. So that's what I've been reading this weekend. I do the Secret Santa every year with the forums that Alex & I met on, and it's surprising how generous strange internet people can be! The average price of a gift is somewhere around $100 - although the only rule is that you give what you can afford. Some people have even received TVs and DSes in the past! You do get the occasional person who doesn't send anything, but they are swiftly banned from the forums, and usually someone chips in to buy the person who was stiffed another present. Now, to be more on-topic, I've decided that should we receive the NoA2 before the end of May, then we'll marry in the last week of October and I'll probably fly out at the beginning of September. If we receive the NoA2 in June or later, then we'll marry the third or fourth week of February (depending when the school half-term is) and I'll fly out at the beginning of January. Of course, this is barring unforeseen delays - i.e. being placed in extended review, or NVC losing our petition or something.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-15 13:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Oh - I know there's a hideously huge mark-up and that you're paying almost entirely for the label...but I still think it'd be fun to do just once in a lifetime! I wouldn't go too crazy and I've certainly not overindulged before, but I can understand the appeal. I could only do it guilt-free if I didn't desperately need anything else, or if the money was only to be allocated to me for a particular extravagance. For example, my mother would like to help me buy a decent quality wedding dress - if I do receive financial assistance from her it will be for a dress only, I couldn't ask that she spend the money on something else instead. In the same way I wish I could be able to afford an expensive haircut, or to have a massage or have my nails done before I die - have a taste of what it is like to be a rich person for a day.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-14 10:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Some of those dresses are fabulous! I think if I were to spend a lot of money on a dress it'd have to be a crazy couture dress for sure - going over the top once in a rare while with something utterly outrageous is definitely something I'd do if the funds allowed for it!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-14 09:30:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	QUOTE (BlakeandOlha @ Mar 14 2008, 01:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As the old saying goes, Fat & happy! I like the gym or rec center idea because it is a place you two can go to together, making exercise a family activity. A lot of rec centers have aerobic classes, or swiming or matial arts - which can be a shared hobby as well. the YMCA is good, not expensive, and not a fashion show like some private health clubs. I'm often quite shy about joining classes and I prefer to have someone to go with - so hopefully Alex and I can go to classes together. I'd love to attend a dance class. QUOTE (Cecile and Bryan @ Mar 14 2008, 01:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Alex & Rachel @ Mar 14 2008, 02:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> So I ate all the chocolates that came with the Easter egg so that I could be rid of them more quickly and thus start my dieting sooner only now I feel sick from too much sugar try to drink a lot of water, maybe that's going to make you feel better... that's what I do when I eat too much chocolate or candies. Thanks - I shall! QUOTE (Saffyre @ Mar 14 2008, 01:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You are all making me hungry!! Sorry - I know, it's terrible, people talk about food and I feel my stomach rumbling - I guess I just really love my food.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-14 08:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Yes and no. I mean, I am always trying to maintain my weight at a sensible level. I do fluctuate. I don't do crash dieting, I guess I just have periods where my diet is a little healthier than before (I have a very sweet tooth and I have to really work hard at making sure I don't have too much refined sugar in my diet). I always mean to be healthy first and foremost, so I wouldn't eat fewer than 1200 calories a day (that'd send my body rocketing into starvation mode) and I always try and get some exercise out of doors (even if it's just a short walk) and I always try and have a balanced diet (so, fruit and veg and protein). However even going just 100-200 calories over your daily limit can pile on the pounds over a few months and cakes and desserts are terribly calorie-laden, and I'm not perfect and there are some months where I've said, 'sod it'. Thus over a period of 5-6 years I've piled on 30 lbs in total which was a little alarming when I finally realised! I've only really gone up one dress size but certain parts of my body look really ugly to me - for example I have huge upper arms which I absolutely detest! I've been finding it really hard to lose the weight. I've managed to prevent myself from gaining any more, but the weight I already gained? It's tough! When I have periods (I managed 6 months last year) where I go to the gym and cut out sugar from my diet and pay really close attention to how many calories I am consuming and I still don't lose weight it's really hard to stay motivated. Before I've just avoided having my photo (well, a photo that doesn't include just my face!) taken, but obviously people are going to be taking photos at my wedding, and so I'm using that as a motivator - but it's not the sole reason Edited by Alex & Rachel, 14 March 2008 - 08:32 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-14 08:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	So I ate all the chocolates that came with the Easter egg so that I could be rid of them more quickly and thus start my dieting sooner only now I feel sick from too much sugar	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-14 08:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Well, we are all getting married!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-14 08:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Good morning all! QUOTE (dbears @ Mar 13 2008, 11:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> .. don't worry chocolate are made from cocoa beans so that will probably qualify it as fiber, along with mangos, raspberries, etc. And there's always tomorrow to start dieting again.... me, I'll start dieting on Monday... i'm just not sure yet which month it will be as long as it will be Monday I like your way of thinking QUOTE (jego ryu @ Mar 14 2008, 12:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> {{me, I'll start dieting on Monday... i'm just not sure yet which month it will be as long as it will be Monday }}]]]]]]]]]]I JUST START DIETING LAST MONDAY,,,,,IM DOIN AFTER 6PM......ITS FUN COZ I CAN EAT WANT I WANT ALLDAY,EXCEPT EVENING..... Good luck! QUOTE (BlakeandOlha @ Mar 14 2008, 03:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sounds like a great meal--- that is one of the things I'll be excited about when Olga comes. I love to cook, and was a cook in a number of restaurants in the Chicago area when in college and graduate school. I love to cook for people, but really do not have much interest in cooking for myself. The first time I was out with Olga and her family I made a 7 course Mexican dinner with desert - which actually was the first time any of them had ever eaten mexican cooking. They all loved it. It was a little interesting finding the ingredients in a southern Ukrainian supermarket. Of course I packed the spices, tortillas, and peppers in my luggage for the trip over. I'm glad they never searched my bags. If you look at my photos you'll also see Olga and me having dinner in the city's only chinese rest. and that in a city of close to a million. I've got 7 here in a town of 40,000. I love food, and so does Olga - so it looks like the family membership at the health club for us, or we'll both blow up like balloons. Ooh, the Mexican dinner sounds amazing! I'll bet that made you immensely popular with her family! My sister's boyfriend is a chef (for a two-rosetted restaurant no less) and all he eats himself is pizza and diet coke! My mother was appalled! I think Alex and I are going to have to join a gym...I can just about get away with not always attending the gym here because I walk a couple of miles uphill to work, so I'm kept pretty active as it is. And Alex gets away with not attending a gym only because he eats the most minute portions (and not very healthy portions, either). I can see myself being a lot more inactive and us eating healthy and hearty meals so I'm hoping I don't balloon up as a result either! Uh oh...my boss just gave me a huge Easter egg! Well...it has now been two months since USCIS received our petition (their website says 14th Jan). Time is slowly slipping by! The next month should go by fairly quickly and then I'm really hoping we see our first approval in May!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-14 04:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Another evening gone by...cooked a three course meal for friends, the middle course consisting of the two organic lamb shoulders my mother sent me home with (she has a wonderful butcher). First course was fresh melon, mango and raspberries, main course was the lamb and honey roast parsnip, sweet potato and carrot, and dessert was a chocolate cheesecake...diet, what diet?	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-13 17:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Definitely! I'm actually going to be away four out of the next seven weekends so hopefully time will pass quickly! Having good Google-fu can help...for the Austria question I think I searched for 'strange blob building Austria' and that found it.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-13 09:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Thank you Blake! I had an excellent weekend and trust that you all had the same. I hope the question in that thread isn't too difficult...I didn't think it was gaging by some of the other questions asked but there are more clues I can offer if it remains unanswered. All three buildings were multi-million pound projects and at least two are major tourist attractions for the city although I'm probably misjudging the popularity of the city in the first place.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-13 09:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Oh, thank you! I checked that thread Monday morning but I forgot to check it today. I've posted a couple of hints now.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-13 08:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Thank you, Cecile Hello shes! Of course you can post in this thread as well. I also hang round the VSC thread despite not having filed there. dbears - I did indeed compliment my grandfather's eyebrows on behalf of you! I've decided that after a rather indulgent long weekend I'm going to make good use of these remaining months before my wedding to get cracking on with the dieting again. I always seem to visit my parents and have my grandmother and mother go on about my weight (while feeding me cakes and pies - not exactly helping!) On the other hand everyone commented on how well and happy I looked which was really nice; they all said I was obviously with the right person and that I'd looked comparatively miserable with my ex. I've also been trying very hard to get my five portions of fruit and veg and to eat good proteins and fish oils so I'm glad that the effects of that are showing, too.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-13 07:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Hello folks! I missed you all! Must admit that it was great having a few days' distraction, though. Congratulations BigCityDave! It's fantastic seeing a December filer approved already. I wish you a speedy reunion with your fiancée. dbears - GOOD LUCK to you, too! I was really, really hoping to return to these forums to find you had been approved, but alas. I will give you such a huuuuuge cheer when you finally are! Ah...work tomorrow. I've had a few hectic days of rough seas, storms, baby bunnies, dog-walking, hail and grandparent-visiting. Great fun - I'm visiting my parents a lot more often than I normally would this year; feel like I have to say all my lengthy goodbyes! It's a pity I couldn't stay longer but 5 days is about all my allergies will allow me.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-12 17:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Ouch - train fare increases are above inflation rates again (and we've been asked as a population to refuse pay rises above 2% - if we get offered one in the first place!). £76 to travel four hours on a train that I expect will be extremely crowded and pretty dirty...	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-07 11:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Face paints are so much fun when you're young! She does have a very expressive face EDIT: Hello Kitty! I admit, I'm a fan...a bit of a sucker for the cutesy stuff. Edited by Alex & Rachel, 07 March 2008 - 10:58 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-07 10:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	She's so cute! She has a beautiful heart-shaped face	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-07 10:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Blake - true - but the vaccinations themselves only need to be done once. I'm still expecting to have the medical in London/at AOS. I'm actually really looking forward to seeing my family! It's also an opportunity to see all my grandparents and old friends. (My grandparents moved to the same town to retire). Plus I'll get to groom the dogs and pet the cat (and sneeze a lot - darn allergies). It's my dad's 50th birthday and he's having a huge party. I've bought clothes for my youngest two siblings - I love buying children's clothes! There are some really pretty designs in stores, especially for girls. And so long as a child is about average weight/height you can pretty much pick the right age off the shelf and it'll fit. If only it worked that way for adults. Edited by Alex & Rachel, 07 March 2008 - 10:37 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-07 10:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	So confusing. From hanging out in the UK forum, it seems that at the medical they only offer you tetanus/MMR vaccinations - all you need for the initial entry into the US. But from what others have said Human papillonomavirus will be required (for women my age) at AOS. If different country's embassies are all saying different things then I wonder how we're supposed to know what will be required and what not?!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-07 10:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	A huge controversy in the US or France? Hmm, from the printout I got from the US Embassy's London page it says you don't require the Hep B shot if you're over 18... EDIT: I just noticed you're a CSC filer too, Miss Yoko! For some reason I thought you had filed in Vermont Edited by Alex & Rachel, 07 March 2008 - 10:01 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-07 09:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Good to hear, Blake The talk of vaccinations is reminding me that there is one thing I should do - go and get all of mine from the doctor before the medical, as it'll be cheaper. I also fall into the age-group (11-26 females) for the Human papillonomavirus which looks to be required for AOS, so I'll need to ask for that, too. I'm off to visit my parents for a few days! Blake, Cecile - I'm relying on you guys to keep this thread well and alive.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-07 09:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	I usually fly from Manchester - I really like Manchester, it's not nearly as busy and dirty as Heathrow. But on that return journey I did have to use Heathrow - I flew: San Jose - Chicago - Manchester - five hour train journey to Heathrow - Frankfurt - Florence. I have no idea how people can travel regularly for business purposes - they must grow so tired of it all! I could fly direct to San Francisco but San Jose is much more convenient for Alex. He's not been driving very long and it usually works out that I arrive late at night - when we're both more interested in getting to bed as soon as possible! I saw many people with laptops at Chicago - a little one would be perfect for those times! I also take a few books; long journeys are prime reading time. I think the one thing I am really not looking forward to is when we have young children and have to fly back to England for the holidays. By the way, good luck to you, Miss Yoko - and to anyone else reading this thread, please don't be intimidated by our posting Edited by Alex & Rachel, 06 March 2008 - 11:34 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-06 11:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	QUOTE (BlakeandOlha @ Mar 6 2008, 03:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What each of us would do, given the chance to be in someone else's shoes, is kinda irrelevant. We all have our own realities to deal with, and if we look back to when we filed - we each probably had an expectation that this process would take a certain number of days or months. If the VSC has stepped up the approval process, great, does that change the expectation that I had when I entered this process, no it does not. Honestly, I am sometimes envious of the rapid approvals of some of the VSC filers, but that still doesn't change the rules of the game I signed up for. Rachel - those are the most amazing eyebrows I've ever seen! Can you get those bronzed? You'll also be happy to know we do have cities and neighborhood pubs I agree whole-heartedly with the paragraph quoted above. I still do have expectations - I'd love to be approved in time to move to the US in early September - but if it takes longer, c'est la vie and I shall be married in February or perhaps spring instead. When I was little I used to think that having luxurious, thick facial hair was a requirement of growing old - my other grandfather has the most enormous beard I'll be living in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US - the Bay Area - but Alex's family live in the suburbs, and it's a mile and a half to the nearest shops. Still, we'll have to move soon after I arrive, so who knows where we may end up! Perhaps I'll get inner city living after all! It's 20 hours for me to travel to see Alex, too. Only 12 of those hours are spent in the air, but when you factor in waiting at airports in-between flights and checking-in times it's of course a lot longer. I always try to leave plenty of time between flights after the first visit I made to California. On the way there I had a 1 1/2 hour layover at Chicago and although my flight was on time I only just made the connecting flight. On the way back tornadoes delayed my flight by 5 hours - we had to emergency touch down in Des Moines and I missed my flight back home. The next available flight was 24 hours later - and I was due in Italy the day after that! I had an uncomfortable (and cold) night attempting to sleep on Chicago airport's floor and I didn't have a shower for three days - yuck! Oh, and my luggage was lost along the way and I spent my time in Italy having to share my sister's clothes. This Christmas I left 5 hours between flights - everything ended up being on time but I am still glad I did it as I never really want to go through that experience again! I just made sure I brought along my PSP and plenty of Futurama episodes to pass the time. Sorry - rambling again. This must be the most verbose thread I've seen on these forums. Edited by Alex & Rachel, 06 March 2008 - 11:12 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-06 11:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	I don't believe that I bashed Susan - and if she thinks I did, then I am very sorry - I just said I was glad that dbears was not allowing anyone to pull down her sunny disposition. Susan's post was specifically aimed at dbears and I think dbears was right to say what she did; perhaps we read the posts a little differently from each other. There is plenty I love about the US and there is also plenty that I won't miss about the UK - if I thought that I could not bear to leave the UK I would have asked Alex to move here, instead. I don't think there is anything wrong with acknowledging what you may miss, though - it helps to be realistic; life is not always a bed of roses and I don't expect my life to suddenly turn perfect once I am in the US. QUOTE (dbears @ Mar 6 2008, 02:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Are you serious? including his mental growth? You cracked me up with that one The peak district is simply AMAZING! It's sooo beautiful! How could you leave such a place? Ahh, LOVE Your brothers and sisters are all good looking and the kids are soo cute... are they all your siblings or cousins? it seems there are so many of you in the family... and your granpa, are those eyebrows real???? I'm serious - I can't think of the condition he had, but it was related to a growth on his head - he needed an operation to turn his eyelids the right way out when he was a kitten, and he has a very domed head. My dad is a vet and the one who operated on him and after that decided to adopt him. He's a bit vacant and not very cat-like - my mother cheered when he first killed a bird because it showed that he was developing better than they'd hoped for. He has the cutest, tiniest meow and he'll allow anyone to pick him up. I know - I shall miss the Peak District, but California has some lovely forests and parks, too, and I must admit it will be nice to have a little more sunshine - England's not nearly as warm or as sunny as my photos would have you believe! The last three times I have visited the Peak District it has been all foggy and grey. I joke that I'm the short, ugly one of the family - seriously, though, the twins will probably grow up to be taller than me and my sisters are very, very good-looking. I'm 5'7 - the women are all 5'8 or taller, and the men are all above 6' in my family. I'm taller than most of Alex's relatives, however The kids in the photos are all my siblings - three brothers, two sisters. My grandfather's eyebrows are very real, and a bit of a family legend. Edited by Alex & Rachel, 06 March 2008 - 09:52 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-06 09:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	There is nothing wrong with venting frustration but I don't see why you have to bash others at the same time. Susan made assertions and assumptions of her own - dbears is not living the perfect VSC life - she has not been approved yet - and to suggest to any of us that we are wrong to not want to be with our other halves immediately is very hurtful.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-06 09:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Your children are beautiful! And I love the crazy mom page - that's made me giggle. I do love the UK. Here's what I'll miss: The Peak District (just outside of Sheffield. I never tire of the views!) There are many photos in that directory - most of them were taken by me - I couldn't possible choose a favourite! England is lovely and green; there's no other country that quite comes close to the same shade of green that you'll find in fields and gardens here. My family - of course! I don't actually see them all that often (3-4 times a year) but we're still quite close-knit. On the other hand, sometimes my family is best kept at a bit of a distance - I love chatting to them on the phone but visiting them can grow tiring after a while! I look forward to taking my parents on trips around the US, too. The convenience of living in an inner city - England is a little too cramped, sometimes - but it's not always a bad thing! America doesn't quite get the concept of 'local' shops and a pub! It's great being able to walk into the city centre and the big entertainment complex is easily reached via the city trams. I've never needed a car here. My friends - it's taken me years to form some very solid friendships, and I know it's going to be hard to start afresh! I have a wonderful housemate and another friend here in Sheffield I see nearly every day and I'm not looking forward to leaving them behind. NHS - it's always been good to me, and I'll miss my free birth control and being able to get a doctor's appointment almost immediately with no additional costs incurred. Alex made an appointment the other day at his doctor's and not only does he have to wait a month for a free slot, he has to pay $75. Food - Jaffa Cakes, decent chocolate, so many curry houses, my mother's Sunday Roasts...the list is endless! On the other hand California has eggnog and Trader Joe's. Easy access to the rest of Europe - thanks to plenty of holiday time and cheap flights I've had plenty of opportunities to visit other European countries. My dad often takes one of us on a weekend break to a European city. Now for some photos! My current house. My housemate owns it, and has decorated it very nicely! It has new windows now and she's also done a tremendous amount of work in the garden. My parents' house in my home town. They live by the sea. My dad and three of my brothers and sisters walking the dogs in the local woods. I love those dogs - they're so utterly stupid and completely adorable. A clearer photo of my sister and one of my grandfathers with his legendary eyebrows. My littlest brother and sister - they're twins, and they're so cute. My sister and the family cat. That's as big as he'll grow - he has a disability that restricted both his physical and mental growth - he's not quite all there. But he's as adorable as the dogs - very affectionate.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-06 08:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	QUOTE (dbears @ Mar 6 2008, 05:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Why? Do you expect me to tell you all our personal reasons why we have to leave by August and not earlier? Do you honestly believe that we would intentionally wait till august without a valid reason? I would give my arms and legs to be with him again even for just one day.. how much more a lifetime?! It's not all "bask" and "stuff" dear, we have deeper and more serious reasons which you are not entitled to know. And if you think your negative and hateful comment can turn me into a negative person like you. I'm sorry to disappoint you, I have been through a lot in my life already and the only reason I am still surviving is because I chose to stay positive and not let my trials get me down, and you definitely won't be a reason for me to start loving misery now. Being negative won't help anybody, that will only foster frustration more, and I believe Blake wanted to help other's combat those frustrations in a positive way by positive interaction with others on the same boat. And if having a positive outlook is really hard for you, pls do give blakes thread the respect it deserves because so far, Blake and other wonderful people in this thread have managed to keep it as positive as possible, in case you haven't noticed. Goood luck on your journey. dbears, I like you a little bit more with every post you make! You are completely right, and I am in a similar situation - if I were approved tomorrow, I'd also be delaying my entry into the US until late August/September. For me this is because both Alex and I need to save up as much money as possible, and because we have given late October as a tentative wedding date to our friends and family. That does not, however, mean that I don't miss Alex terribly and it's a little insulting to have it insinuated that I don't love Alex as much as I could just because I am trying to be practical about the whole visa situation. I am glad that you are not allowing yourself to be beaten down by anyone; I really appreciate your positive outlook on this forum and you've been a tremendous help to so many of us. I have no doubt that you're an amazing mother to your children.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-06 04:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	QUOTE (BlakeandOlha @ Mar 5 2008, 05:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hoooraaay! We're starting to see some more movement out of CSC, it's good to know they are not entirely on vacation. CSC seems to be solidly in October so perhaps we are no more than three months away from approval. My estimated date for adjudication dropped another two days to July 20, which is 17 days from where I started. Hopefully this trend will continue and I can look for an approval mid to end of May. We just need a few big weeks to clean up all the old July, Aug, and Sep filers - I feel bad for them. Is everyone smiling today? Whole heartedly agreed! The fastidious organiser in me wants to march up to CSC and search through all the piles for the July/Aug/Sept filers and get people to approve them there and then. The fact that things are out of order is worse for me than the length of time we have to wait. QUOTE (Cecile and Bryan @ Mar 5 2008, 06:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Not really smiling... the day at work was a hard one. nothing wanted to work the way it was supposed to work. I'm still there, I have to finish a few things before I can go back home (it's 7:50pm in France). The last four approvals of CSC enlightened my day. they seem so slow that it is upsetting, but at least they did approve some people Yeah I'm waiting for big weeks with around 40 approvals, like they did at the end of January! that would be so nice! Sorry to hear about your day at work! Days like that suck Hope things improve for you tomorrow.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-05 14:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	It's okay - no need to worry Anything I do sell now will be stuff I definitely don't mind parting with - a goodly amount of DVDs, books and games will still be shipped to the US after my interview. None of the furniture is mine anyway, so that's going to be staying here no matter what I do! At least we're all aware that CSC is slower and can plan for that!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-04 16:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Well, I've already ordered and received spare copies of my birth certificate (long form). I've not sent off for my police certificate yet, but then the new ones are only valid for 6 months, so I'd rather do it nearer the time. However, I ordered a bank statement and a provisional driving license (I need to book actual lessons) to prove where I currently live. My next step is to start selling off/giving away my possessions!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-04 11:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Yes - that's it! Only it's more like 4-8 weeks of nothing to do and then 1-2 weeks of work. Good luck with your work.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-04 08:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	I am a lowly administrator for a small office (7 employees, including myself). My two bosses don't use computers, so I am here to do all their typing, reply to their e-mails, answer the phones, make photocopies, etc. - usual office stuff. Apart from the above, my main job is to type up the Builders Quantities we receive - I do this for everyone in the office. However, because of the small number of staff, the number of projects we receive is small - so there are sometimes weeks when there is no project requiring Builders Quantities to be typed. Plus today neither of my bosses are in the office, so I don't even have any random letters or e-mails to type! Most of the time they could probably do without me - but occasionally a big project will come in and then I'll be very, very busy.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-04 07:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	We're glad to have you, too! I'm sure in six months' time we'll all be laughing at how quickly time has flown - in the meantime, pull up a chair and join us in random chat. (Can you tell it's another boring day at work here? )	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-04 05:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Thank you!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-03 11:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	House MD is a great show! That reminds me, I have A bit of Fry and Laurie to finish watching. Wasn't so keen on season three, however. I need to catch up on season four. The first two seasons were amazing! Cecile - this is the thread; you'll want to read the last two pages Edited by Alex & Rachel, 03 March 2008 - 11:32 AM.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-03 11:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	I'm cycling through the emotions - first of all there was initial hope: 'We've submitted our petition! Hey, that was easy!' Then there was optimism: 'The wait isn't so bad after all.' Then I started to despair a little: 'Will I get my interview in good time?' and now a little panic is setting in: 'Ack! There's so much to think about/do!' Staying busy is definitely the best thing to do. Solo viewings of movies at the cinema are usually what I do at the weekend, too! Pity there's nothing good available at the moment that I haven't all ready seen. Getting to go out for a meal or to watch a film with Alex this Christmas was amazing; having done it as a singleton for so long I really appreciate having a date. Work is so quiet that I'm online rather a lot - sometimes this is good, at other times it is aggravating - there's only so much you can do online, and I haven't yet learned to ignore an argument.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-03 10:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	Welcome to this thread, DaMa! We have a fantastic group of January filers and I'm always glad to see more join us!	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-03 07:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?	QUOTE (BlakeandOlha @ Mar 2 2008, 03:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Rachel - like the new avitar, but the hamster was pretty good too. Hehe, thanks! It was a tough decision to make, but I'm a little addicted to the game my current avatar is from at the moment (hey, it passes the time, right?) It's from the fourth Ace Attorney game for the DS. Well...another weekend has passed! I baked a buckwheat and almond cake and generally tidied the house.	Alex & Rachel	Female	England	2008-03-02 16:09:00