Well that's a toughy. I don't know what to tell you about that one. Since me and my ex didn't have kids, I haven't had to deal with that situation. Maybe you could start putting some things in boxes with the reason of wanting to get rid of some of it. That's all I've got right now. Maybe someone else will have a suggestion. Hey, look, this has changed from the Charity Melissa thread, to the Charity and Elvia thread.

Until Melissa comes to disrupt the flow!!

No Fair.... you party poooper.....

hey Melissa... what's up??? Busy at work?



Thats an excellent idea.... that way when I actually ship the stuff to dad's house I could just tell him it's for charity... well not you but like a non profit org. I thinks that what I will end up doing...

Hey and I wanted to share with you guys that week after next I will be going to Houston with my brother. I think he won some Toby Keith tickets and it translates into me being the designated driver... I'm sure we'll have fun.

Yes, it's been pretty busy. I need to get all caught up for going on vacation next week. Plus I have to teach my coworker how to do my job.

I really was hoping to hear about the Advisory Opinion today...

I'm starting to think we will never hear about it.

Give it some time... you will hear something
Recuerda no hay mal que dure cien a~os ni persona que lo aguante

Well, I tried to call them and that accomplished nothing. He says to wait on Legal Net.

Well how long to they want you to wait? It's been over 30 days. I thought that is how long Laurel thought it would take. I wonder why Legal Net hasn't emailed you back yet?

OH MY GOD111
I E-MAILED CDJ AND GOT A RESPONSE BACK!!!!1
THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS
"THIS CASE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR AN APPOINTMENT FOR NEX 27-MARCH-2006 @ 7:30 A.M. A NEW APPOINTMENT SHEET WILL GET TO YOU SHORTLY
IV SECTION GEN"
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN HAVE WE BEEN APPROVED? PLZ ANSWER BACK ASAP

It sounds like you have been approved. Yeah!!!! Congratulations!!!!

On another note, we got Javier's greencard today. I was so happy to finally get it in the mail. I am not sure where they dug up that picture because it is not the same one that was on the visa. It's really old. Whatever though, at least it came.

*SHOUTING VERY VERY VERY LOUDLY* so you can hear it all the way to SanAnton' CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Yep...

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH....YOU ARE APPROVED!

Best Wishes..

Nigel....

CONGRATS MARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And YAY you already know when the second date is to pick up the visa so you can start counting down the days until you are all together again!!!! WHOOO ---- HOOOOO GIRL!!!

My friend was just approved through Juarez too, she found out yesterday. Very happy day.

YAY Charity on the green card. How exciting!! Now you just have to get that dang SS card. Good luck!!

So much good news after I left yesterday.

Marta---CONGRATULATIONS. I know you are thrilled to death. Bet your toes are still tingeling.

Charity & Javier----YEAH, I am so glad that you now have the official card in your little hands.

I just wanted to add something the lawyer said. He said that if Alex wanted to go on and work that he could. That if he found someone that would hire him without papers that was fine. That if he was caught it would not be a big deal, because he was married to an American. I hate that he told us that. Now I am worried that Alex will want to work without authorization.

Do you think he knows what he is talking about? Surly he would not jeprodize Alex's papers at this point.

I've actually heard that before somewhere but I cant remember what part of this forum but I myself would not till i have my ss #

Marta, CONGRATS on the approval!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And at least you already know the second interview date...that's always good!

Benita, I would advise Alex to NOT work until you all receive the EAD. The point of the EAD is that it authorizes employment. I'm not sure if he is authorized to work until then. That whole excuse of "being married to an American citizen" is not going to fly if he were caught. Take it from me.

Charity, congrats again on receiving the green card!

It's snowing here. Flurrying a bit like crazy this morning. Luckily, I am leaving work early to be home for the man to come put my cable in!!

Thanks girls! I think Marta's news is a little more exciting than mine. I am so happy for her. I know what it was like for us, seeing as it hasn't been that long ago. Yeah for her!!!!!

Benita: I wouldn't advise Alex to work until he gets his EAD. I always understood that is what the EAD is for. I also don't think the "married to an American thing" would fly either. I think it would be best to wait for the EAD. Sorry, I know you want him to work but I wouldn't test it out. You would hate for something bad to happen after you have come so far.

Stephanie: We are going to the mobile SS office next Wednesday. I hope we don't have any problems. I am almost considering going to the real office just in case. We also need to get Javier's license renewed on that day. I hope he can pass the sign test and we don't have any problems with that either.

What do you all think, should we do the mobile office or should we go to the real office?

I am not pushing Alex to work. Him watching Emily is giving us enough of a break. I still have her in daycare 2 days a week so that he does not get burned out. I would rather him just not work, let us save a little money with him watching Emily and be available to help us move when the time comes. We are still waiting to see what the 2 bedroom looks like before we make that decision. I think once he gets working it will be impossible to have him take off to get all this paperwork done and help with the move anyway.

Has anyone looked "FAR" down the road to the citizenship part of this process???? I know it is 5 years from the time they get their green card, but I am positive that Alex will absolutely hate taking a citizenship test. Again anything to do with school...he hates.

I agree that is very odd and would be mad if an immigration lawyer told my husband he could work without his EAD. It is my understanding that no, you absolutely cannot work without the EAD, and it would be very risky to do so, married to a US citizen or not. We all know that being married to a US citizen is not a magic card or "get out of jail free" card, nor does it make illegal things legal, and I am pretty sure working without an EAD while on a K3 visa is working illegally. Even if it were questionable or unlikely to cause you problems if they caught him, I'd say after all you've been through to get to this point, it is definitely not worth risking just for the relatively small amount of money one can earn in a few months while waiting for the EAD. I'd worry about a lawyer that is advising illegal things as well.

For us it only took less than 3 months to get the EAD once we submitted the AOS paperwork, which is relatively short compared to the rest of the waits we've had with immigration. I think and hope yours will be just as quick, if not quicker!

I called Edgar all day yesterday and I couldn't get him because he was at work , I stayed up til 2:30 a.m. and he didn't return my call til this a.m.@7.He sounded so sleepy.I finally told him the news.And all I got was a long silence........ then he asked me are you sure,,and I told him that I couldn't believe it either so I called dhs all day too and finally got through.The man who answered was really nice but when he told me that he didn't have anything in his syst.I started to panic.He asked me for the case # again and said"Usted tenia razon,si aqui esta la fecha para que venga a levantar sus documentos y su visa para que se vaya para alla"
I almost passed out!!I thought that there had been a mistake.
I started to worry about Edgars lack of excitement but thats the way he is.He is a very quiet man anyway I am extremely excited for the 3 of us.
I told Joshua"Daddy is coming home!"
And he turned around and looked at his daddy's picture and said "Daddy"
Why can't 14 month olds have an adult conversation?



To you all I want to say ......THANK YOU......You have been so good to me.
comforting me..giving me advice...keeping me from going bezerk and for keeping my head above water when I thought that my world was crashing down on me.There is no way I could ever begin to repay you'll for what you have given me.All my blessing to you'll and may your happiness last a lifetime ..
You will always and forever be in my thoughts and prayers.I hope I can be as much an inspiration to someone else as you have been to me.GOD BLESS......

Marta Prestegu

Benita: I have already looked at the citizenship stuff. Actually, they can do it in 3 years since they are married to a US citizen. Javier has already started learning some of the stuff he will need to know. It's pretty neat, the guy he works with is a history major, so he is teaching Javier lots of stuff. I don't know if he will remember it for 3 years but at least it won't all be new to him when the time comes. Also, you may want to check out the form N-400. It's what you have to file in order to take the test and everything. It has some really out there questions. Some of which I probably wouldn't have known the answers to had I not seen the form and know we will need to know those things when the time comes. Javier is really anxious to become a citizen so I don't think the test part is bothering him. He is just excited to be learning all this new stuff about the US. It's really fun! I am glad he is so excited about it. It makes it easier for me. He still needs to learn to read and write a little better. We will have to work on that still but if this guy can teach him the history, then I am all for it. I don't even know about some of the stuff he will need to know. Maybe Alex will warm up to the idea before it comes time for him to take the test and everything.

So Marta….you did get through to DHS yesterday?! How awesome!!! What day did they tell you were approved?? Only 4.5 weeks girl till he is home. WAY COOL!!

I am so happy for you and little Joshua.

WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO MARTA..........SOOO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS

i FORGOT TO ASK WHEN WE WERE APPROVED!!!
I COULDN'T HEAR ANTHING BEYOND ..PICK UP DOCS.,AND VISA,AND GO HOME !!!
I WENT TO CHECK AT P.O. TO SEE IF THERE WAS A LETTER BUT THERE WASN'T SO I GUESS IT WAS JUST APPROVED THESE PAST FEW DAYS.I WILL GIVE IT A WEEK FOR IT TO GET HERE THAT WAY I CAN SLAP MYSELF IN THE FACE AND BELIEVE IT!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT THROUGH TO DHS SO FAST WHEN OTHER TIMES IT TOOK ALMOST A WHOLE WEEK!!!
5 WEEKS!!!! OMG

I NEED TO GO ON A CRASH DIET!!!
GOTTA GO DO SOME MAJOR JOGGING

Way to go Marta. I am so excited for you guys. It will be a huge relief to have your husband back home.

Then you can start the AOS and EAD paperwork . GOOD LUCK.

HERE IS JOSHUA

He's a cutie alright!! Many, Many congrats!

Marta: He is the cutest! I just love me some little Mexican babies. I can't wait to have one of my own. Very cute!

With all the laundry you are doing I expect the news anytime soon!!!

Yeah I am waiting to see what happens this month. I can't imagine it would happen the first month he was home but you never know. We have certainly been trying though. I would love to be able to post the news soon.

That would be exciting Charity!! The best part is the trying part!!

THANKS FOR BUMPING ME UP ON THE 601 TIMELINE

I WAS TOO SHY TO ASK

YEAH RIGHT!!
ISN'T IT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING?

Yeah Step! waiting to hear some news from you too!!!! C'mon ladies...We need a baby....

I am going to be an aunt again tomorrow......does that count???

I would have to agree that the trying to have a baby is pretty enjoyable.

I really love the trying, I just wish it would work already. After my miscarriage, I am really ready to get pregnant again. Javier and I talk about it all the time. I think he is ready for it to happen too.

Benita: Congrats on being an aunt!

Tacho and I are going to adopt. the problem is he wants to wait a little more and im seriously ready because if we wait until we are ready will be passed away!

your crazy!
you still have plenty of time .
did you see in the news where a 62 year old gave birth a few days ago?she had 12 kid 20 grandkids and i believe 3 great grandkids.


i wish i could have one more.

congrats marta!!!! hey i was just reading esperanza got approved too . maybe that means Diane has or will soon also !

okay guys i cya

Have you guys heard of this website: http://www.freecycle.org/

It is a recycle site, that after you join you can ask for or donate items to be recycled rather than thrown away.

I am looking for a bed frame for Emily. Heck if someone is going to throw away a perfectly good bed or take it to goodwill them I will gladly go pick it up at their house.

Never heard of it but i just went to their website and they have one here in my county. heck im gonna join.

does anyone know what the requirements are for cubans in the us to become legal.

Ashley: I always thought once they were here they were legal. I don't know what kind of paper work they have to do but it is different for them because of the state of their country. I know I have never seen anyone on here from there. I really don't know where you would find anything about it. Maybe someone else knows some information

well i know thats what i had thought. I was wondering though because i have a family member who is friends w/ a cuban and she has been here 20 years and doesnt have papers.

I would think they would have the same requirements as anyone else.

no they dont ive heard that as long as they hit us soil they are citizens

we are going to mex in december too.

That's what I have always heard too. I am sure there are some kind of papers they need to fill out. I just don't know what. I mean, the government has to know they are here before they become legal or whatever. They don't just get papers because they set foot on US soil. She still needs to contact someone to find out what she needs to do to become "legal".

We need to go ahead and get our tickets. I just hate doing anything that far in advance. Last year when I was looking at tickets in Dec. they were around $600. I just checked them and they are only $300. I know it will keep going up and up the closer we get to Dec. Especially since we are going so close to the holidays. We aren't leaving until the 15th and coming home on the 24th.

im worried about my family member cause if this persons been here 20 years and not legal yet somethings wrong. and this person is so mean to my aunt.

Holy cow Charity….are you already planning to buy tickets to go to Mexico in December?? You guys sure plan in advance. Though we should probably do that too….since it is true prices jump so high over the holidays no matter where you go.

But that is about 9 months away……you might have a little present to bring with you!! I am crossing my fingers for you and Javier!

FYI:

Have all of your guys registered with Selective Service. I know most of our guys are under 26 and therefore they have to be registed to become US citizens. I made Alex do this when I found out that even though he was here illegally he had to register. "Failure to register may violate the Military Selective Service Act. Conviction for such a violation may result in imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of not more than $250,000." We definately did not have that kind of money sitting around.

It asks on the N-400 Naturalization form for the SSS information, see attached photo from the document:

Here is the Selective Service website that lets you register online. The only thing is you have to have a valid Social Security Number to register on-line, other wise you have to mail it in.
Selective Service Website

USCIS - RE Selective Service

Benita: Javier registered when he got his DL. In NC, if you are a man, you have to register or they won't give you your DL. I wonder what we need to do because it would have his ITIN number instead of his SS#.

Stephanie: I know it is really in advance but I also know the tickets will be sky high in no time. I just don't want to have to pay so much for them. I already have the time off from work so unless something happens I know we will be going. The only thing I am not sure about is getting pregnant. If it is close to my due date, I wouldn't be able to go. I will probably wait a few more months before I actually buy tickets. I was just bored yesterday and didn't have anything else to do so I thought I would see how much they were.