I phoned the DOS number in Wash DC today and was informed that we have a K-3 interview date and that packet 4 was mailed. The interview is October 15th. What a terrific milestone to have in this process. It feels great. The timeline now looks quite predictable and we know when we can begin to build our lives together - at least within a month of the actual date. This hazy horizon of a future now looks clearer and brighter than ever. It does look like my wife and son will need to make 2 trips to Moscow instead of just one given that the interview is scheduled for a Monday. We were kind of hoping for an interview late in the week so she could schedule the medical earlier in the week and only have the one trip. But this works too. We are relieved to have made it this far and the "beginning" is in sight for us. Onward!!!

Feels good, huh?

Now you can finally quit putting every, single, little, "Touched" in your signature block and checking for updates three times a day.

Good luck on the next step.

Good luck catching up. Maybe you wife will get to the States first. (We will stay in the slow lane for awhile.)

Congratulations and Good Luck

Congratulations and good luck

Congratulations:)I am sure from now on You will feel much better and everything is going to be Great!US Embassy in Moscow is great!You will realize soon it woth to wait that long!

congrats and good luck on the journey

Congratulations! This is great news! I have to agree with Kotenochek. The US Embassy in Moscow is great! the guy who interviewed Sergey was very nice and polite, as well as professional. Good luck in the rest of the journey, looking forward to your, "approved" post

Thanks for all the kind wishes. Yes, the attitude really changes at this point. With a definite timeline it all of a sudden doesn't look like enough time - pretty ironic. My wife and step-son have paperwork to complete, at least one (maybe two) trips to Moscow to plan and all the activity that goes with closing out life on one side of the world and preparing to transport it to the other. On this end, I have a pile of not so small projects around the house to finish up before they get here. It isn't that all this has laid stagnant for 8 months. We have worked ahead insomuch as we could. But when you see there is only 2 to 3 months left to finish up it creates a completely different dynamic in your life than the indefinite wait. It's all good and it all leads to a great beginning.

I would be interested in hearing about people's first month together after the long wait to re-unite (if you went that route). What do you remember most about it? What was the best experience? What surprised you? What was difficult and how did you overcome it?

Mine was pretty regular. I was excited to be on my own in a totally new place with the man I loved but I don't recall any kind of entertainment like sightseeing or traveling. We just started a family life together. I remember waking up next morning after the official engagement (which happened a week prior to the wedding) and trying to figure out if the family budget was gonna become tight after we had bought a pair of Tiffany wedding bands (his idea - I didn't want any at all, I believe he was still showing off a little) and my engagement ring. No wedding of any kind (court house and business corporate dinner/party we had to attend to that day) no honey moon, no family of his involved in any ways (they live too far away) We were on our own.
Culture shock? Don't remember any.
It took me about a week to figure out that my dearest really doesn't care how the house looked, was it clean or not, what's for dinner and other stuff that a Russian girl is taught are very important for marriage, so I relaxed fairly quickly on the issue of nesting (we don't roll in dirt, it's just not the primary point of my life, we eat out and I am thinking of getting a maid) and got tons of time to do whatever I wanted with my new life.
Just to remind - me and my dearest are both relatively young, we are career junkies, so no kids now or in future, we are not typical. But for what it's worth, that was my tuppence.

It was exciting and nice and wonderful..... and then it was over. The first month is the easiest. Then, it's gets more difficult. The first month is the easy part. You're willing to overlook all the things you don't like about your S/O because they're new and exciting, but then the reality of living together, 24/7 with this "person" that you don't really know too well sets in. After that..... it's a test. Daily.

As CityCat already mentioned, your "training" as a Russian housewife/mother/etc. is going to be severely challenged by your (speaking from my wife's point of view here) "bumzh" of an American husband. You're also going to have an enormous amount of time to do nothing. You won't be able to work or go anywhere, so you should probably find a hobby, and find one quick. (And changing every part of your new husband's life doesn't count as a hobby.)

And maybe the biggest adjustment of all will be paying bills. Lots of bills. ALL THE TIME. You husband can be Papa Karlo and you're still not going to have a lot of "extra" money to do stuff. I could type on this topic all day, but I'll leave it alone. Just understand, the financial situation is vastly different in the U.S. than it is in Russia.

There will be lots of good things as well, but just be prepared that it's not all sunshine and puppy dogs.