thndrdancr

I am applying for my stepson, My hubby is a permanent green card holder and we have been married three years now, and were married when his son was 13. His son is now 16 and we are applying for him to come here, with the approval of his mother.

We send off the I-130 in October, its been approved, and we just got the Affidavit of Support fee bill and the DS-3032 this month. Since mail takes so long, I doubt NVC has it yet.

But I just now paid the fee bill, what happens now, what paperwork do I need to have ready? I havent even finished our taxes for this year, and I believe I need to do all the paperwork that comes with AOS, or what? I have no idea, and I cant find anywhere that tells me the steps to go thru at this point. If I have to do a bunch of paperwork, that will be a mess, we are in the process of moving, yuck. Can anyone please help, I have read all the sites the "direct" you to steps, but it just has the steps for doing the I-130 and then doesnt really say what you need in the in between? We petitioned for my hubby AFTER he was here, we married while he was on a tourist visa so I didnt go thru some of these steps bringing him over here, so am totally lost.

So..any help or advice?

Thanks so much in advance and this site was invaluable when I petitioned for him way back when, thanks everyone!

Jill

Hi all,

Good luck to all going thru this. My hubby is Guyanese, from LaGrange, and we are just now petitioning for his stepchildren.

I am not sure at all what process they have to go thru over there. We filed in October, and since my hubby is not yet a citizen, I filed for them as my stepchildren. Hope they dont have to go thru a nightmarish procedure or anything. Sounds like the embassy people are sure power hungry at times.

Take care and nice to meet you all.

Jill

Hey

Didnt really mean to be a stranger, started posting last year when we were going thru that lifting conditions. We all need each other for all these crazy paperwork stresses, dont we? lol

Anyhow, then everything fell apart and I dropped out of here to do full time hospice care when mom was released.

Well we were getting this place fixed up, Yardie, and boy was it a hassle. Then, we got to looking at acreages in the country, I would love to have some critters running around, and we found a foreclosure.

So we went thru bidding on that for the last four months, we FINALLY got it, I mean they accepted our offer, and now our bank is holding us up, so thats a stress, darnit! We WERE due to close the 20th. Anyhow it will be so fun, and SO much work to do.

me and hubby wanted to rent this one out, but everyone is telling me we should sell, and sis wants to sell as well. So up in the air about it. We wouldnt live that far, 22 miles out of town, but we are not handy at fixing stuff up if it gets trashed, and we JUST put so much work into the darned thing! Isnt that the way it goes?

My health is much better, Jonesie, thanks for asking, and blood sugar seems to be in much better control too. Still tired all the time, doc did a full blood work up, I was thinking thyroid was off but it came back ok. But I feel pretty good as long as I dont overexert myself. I am hoping to have peacocks and some other birds at this new acreage so hopefully that will keep me fired up. In town here I have now have SIX pet chickens and they do keep me going, as I HAVE to get up to take care of them.

I used to love the Celestial Seasonings Antioxidant tea, and it would really give me a nice jolt of energy, but they changed the darned ingredients and its not effective at all now. Anyone have any other teas that are healthy and seem to fire them up? Tried Red Bull (not so sure thats so good for you tho, lol) and even IT didnt do a thing.

Well you all take care, we can file for Lake in Mid December. Sheesh, not sure I kept track of every trip out of the country, sheesh. And each job...ugh

Glad to see ya all.

Jill

Thanks all,

Yea it was an awful time. I had started to post timeline here as we started it, then everything just rather blew up and I have no idea of what day what happened except mom's death. We also had a car accident the day of her viewing at the hospital and gave Lake and myself whiplash and back probs, and almost missed the whole thing. Yea and they waited THREE months to send the stupid RFE...

All I know was it was a bit TOO much getting a darned RFE at that time and I just put it off up til the deadline of another three months, I just couldnt deal. I know exactly what it was tho, I hadnt sent in last years taxes, since it was January and I didnt have them done yet. So on top of all that, had to get the taxes done before I sent it in. Yea, it was a totally horrid year.

I think Rhonda and myself are about the same time line, real close. Been awhile since I seen Elizabeth, Rhonda, Mindy, and all our old friends. I found this thread and was totally thrilled!

As for Lake and I, we get along great, no probs, except the man still never talks much. OH, and he JUST passed that goshdarned GED I used to complain about for the last three years. I must say, he kept at it and tried and tried and studied. It was so heartbreaking, as he had to have a total of 450 between all the test scores and he was raising it from like 420 ...TWO points at a time. His graduation ceremony is December 18th and I am SO PROUD of him.

So tell your men to keep after it!

Jill

Hi all,

Its been so long and I am sooooo glad to see all my old friends from here!

We filed for lifting conditions in January, didnt hear anything til April, then got an RFE, just during the time my mom was in the hospital with a stroke.

Then my mom passed away, a week later Lakes dad passed away, so didnt get a chance to answer the RFE til almost the due date of the end of June. Finally got it all together, sent in MORE stuff, got approved and he got the permanent green card in July AFTER he got back from his dad's funeral. ALMOST didnt get to come home, guess they held him for couple hours with just the extension letter, sure didnt have time to get a stamp in passport.

So it all worked out, but WHEW!

Now...we are due to file for naturalization/citizenship in December. Am hoping to do that.

Oh and Together, if you are out there still reading, how is your application for the step child coming. We applied for Lakes son just last month, got the NOA but so far thats it.

We are getting ready to apply for my husband's son to come here. Hubby is now a permanent green card holder and I am the stepmom, citizen, so I will apply for his now 16 year old son.

We wish to plan this so his son gets here AFTER he graduates high school next June , so are wondering roughly about the timeline, (I know its normally anywhere from 6 months to about 14 months or so) but specifically, how long after he gets approval does he have before he HAS to come here? Is it 30 days, 60, 90? I cant seem to find that info anywhere. If its 90, we would go ahead and file the I-130 now, but if they go real fast, which with our luck they would when we want to plan for next summer, we want to know the window of time he has. We figure if we apply around October, that would work out probably more according to plan, as its no prob if he has to stay in his country for a bit longer, hubby just wants him to finish school.

Thanks much, I couldnt have done this whole thing without VJ!

Oh Kezzie

I am so glad to hear. I know we went thru the process at close to the same times, you a few months ahead of us. Way to go, girl!

Hugs

Jill

Thanks Jomo for the idea of the receipt of money sent back home, I did NOT include that and we do have a couple of receipts. Great Idea.

Sent off for tax transcripts AGAIN. I had ordered them before actually and that is why they were not included, they never came, even tho I ordered and reordered and I wanted to get the info IN already. I hope this time is better go round.

I also got a letter from the drivers insurance that he and I are both insured on the vehicle and that we both are at this address.

I will again send everything I sent before, as well except the pics. I am a bit saddened I sent the last copy of family portraits and it was for naught.

Oh and get this...does the immigration office do credit checks? Got my cc bill inthe mail today, and my interest rate DOUBLED. I called them hopping mad, asked about why this would happen since NONE of my bills have been late with ANY of my cards, no other cards raised rates, I have been paying double or more the min payments, and havent had any troubles except with this same card last year, that got resolved. They told me in that case it had to be negative feedback from credit report, which COULD be triggered by a credit check for car, new job, etc. Since I havent applied for any new cards, a car, or havent started a new job, nor has hubby, it HAD to be immigration the way I figure it. Was told to get ahold of the credit reporting agencies to contest the negative feedback due to a credit check, but other than that, they could not help me.

So, now my rate doubles becuz of them, and still not approved. Talk about sucking. Grrrr! ticked off here...

Ok thanks for listening to my rant...anyone not having all three years of taxes, learn from this....

Jill

You guys all have wonderful ideas. And yes, I sent everything in here mentioned, EXCEPT for we dont have any wills naming the other beneficiary.

We even sent copies of our fishing licenses. I have a list here somewhere of everything I DID send, but I bet its the 3 years tax stuff that held us up. Unfortunately, my sis has a tendency to put "important" tax stuff "away" in the basement. I looked for a month before I gave up on it, thought I would get the transcripts in the meantime.

I dont have this years done yet, have to file an extension as my mom is dying, in home hospice and we are doing 24/7 caretaking right now. So will get on it asap, and also get those stupid transcrips.

Since we were short on evidence, I tried to be SO thorough. Man I hate to copy all this ####### to send again. You think I need to resend ALL of it, or just what I come up with now.

I DID send all the original cards, letters addressed to both of us and so we dont have THOSE any more. Also sent about 6 pieces of junk mail with both our names. Copies of both our fishing licenses. 10 pages of pictures showing me and hubby at various events, fam reunions, xmas, thanksgiving, birthdays over the last 3 years. Sent the originals of those too, so they are gone, also sent fam portraits yearly, and since my nephew has a new baby (2 years now) they could see over the course of time she has grown, hubby babysitting her too, etc.

Copies of 3 pay stubs for each year, showing direct deposit, his address, me as beneficiary, etc. Also my pay stubs showing same address, going into same account. And a 3 page per year list of phone calls back to his country from our phone, with the bills showing our address from each year.

We didnt GO on any trips, except to Iowa (drove) to a fam reunion of his, I included receipts from the gas in Iowa, but we didnt stay at hotel, just a day trip, also pics of that. Copies of driving licenses, copies of CPR class we took together showing address and that we went at same time, etc.

Like you all said, they didnt want to bother to look, I think. What a bunch of #######. Well 2008 has been a stellar year. And I just got a call from my job this afternoon, they not sure they want to keep me, since I have been caretaking for Mom, my work has slipped and they think I need "retraining" on how to do it. Actually I KNOW how to do it, its just I have been doing the rudimentary important stuff and leaving the unimportant stuff to fix later. Phoooey! Well just venting, you all. Thanks for the ideas. I do appreciate it, their really isnt much you all have mentioned I didnt include except we dont have a will. And those stupid tax transcripts, aghhhhh!

Thanks all for letting me vent!

Yea,

I showed a history with our bank account, I I sent 2 statement from each year showing we opened it in June of 2006 and that its still current and also a copy of our check which has both of our names on it, as well as direct deposit of both of our checks spanning a time frame.

I also sent copies showing that I was HIS beneficiary on his life insurance policy thru his workplace, but I dont have a job with insurance so none there.

On the RFE is just said more evidence such as ...and listed quite a few things. I did NOT send 3 years tax forms, as I couldnt find them anywhere and I sent off for transcripts and never received them. I did send a copy of 2006 taxes and I had GIVEN them 2005 taxes in our interview so I figured they already had the darned thing, so it wasnt quite so important. But hopefully the last three years transcripts will satisfy them, will reorder them again, not sure why IRS never sent them to me. I imagine that is the biggie.

It also said on the list "name on mortgage, etc" but Mom wrote a letter explaining that one. My mom was not ABOUT to put someone's name on the house that was almost paid off that she was 1/2 owner of, I would think that would be understandable. I wouldnt do that with anyone, whether they be American or from Mars. Now mom is lying near death so she cannot even sign her name now, let alone write a letter.

I was very careful showing the HISTORY part, but like I said, hopefully those tax forms and putting him on the car insurance will do the trick, but thats not gonna show history if we just now do it. The tax forms will, but nothing else. This is really hard to deal with right now.

I tried to very complete in other things with history as I knew we were very short on things like bills in both our names, and the mortgage or rent in both names. My packet was about 55 to 60 pages. sigh...

Well, we sent our paperwork in back in January to NSC for lifting conditions and I had posted I was a bit worried since my mom and I owned our house together, and so dh's name is not on it, nor really on the bills. Also been driving Mom's car, and so his name is not on THAT either. Mom wrote a letter explaining this, that we live together so no rent, etc.

I sent in every possible piece of paperwork possible that we DID have, but still got that good ol RFE today in the mail. I put together a collage of pics as well, showing time frames and him being with us every holiday, etc. Guess it wasnt good enuff.

The ONLY thing I can think of is to get more letters (we sent 4 but were not notarized), and to open an IRA in both our names. Possibly put dh on car insurance as a driver as my Mom has had a stroke and so he is now going to be driving. I am wondering if that would be enuff? And this years taxes, but I dont have those finished yet, was going to get an extension since I have been at the hospital 24/7 and now Mom is in hospice its even worse. Just dont have TIME to want to fool with this #######.

I am just out of ideas. I sent everything, I mean everything that we had. I just dont know what to do, and we cant afford to buy a car together right now, to have it put in both our names.

I guess I am just ranting, but if anyone has any ideas on new things we can do together, ??? We have a joint checking, I am beneficiary on his work life insurance policy, all that. This would have to be something we could create I guess.

Sad and exhausted...

Jill

Tried to add what I DO have, which I think is light...

This is what I do have

2005 and 2006 taxes filed

His 2006 and 2007 fishing license, as well as mine, both showing same address

Two joint credit cards

One joint banking checking account, opened in May 06

My name as beneficiary on his life insurance thru work

My name on vision insurance thru his work

Both of our driver's licenses showing same address

various junk mail/address labels showing this address

Various pics spanning relationship/attending family events

Two affidavits from family and one personal letter from my mother (who lives with us)

A few xmas cards addressed to both of us

Thats about it, all I can think of are small little things. Mom's name is on the house and bills, no changing that, also been using her car, so no changing that, either. So can anyone think of "other" small things to round it out?

I was just wondering how other people got theirs, as I know I have seen them included. I want to show everything I can, since we do not have names on house/bills/car/insurance. Like I said, evidence is thin. sigh...

Well, I am so frustrated, I see others have used their joint blockbuster account to show evidence as a couple for lifting conditions.

My blockbuster only has MY name on BOTH cards we were issued, they can NOT write a letter showing he is on my account, the printout only shows the main (first) account holder.

How did anyone else get something from them, may I ask? I asked them a week ago and they said it has to come from corporate, etc, has anyone else had this problem? How in the world do you SHOW you HAVE a mutual account? We have SO little evidence I really wanted this piece, we have had membership since August 06, for pity sake, you would think it wouldnt be hard to get one little thing done there.

Thanks much

Frustrated...

Jill

Good mornin, all. Thanks for the joke, Gill, nice to smile first thing in the mornin.

You know, I was reading thru all the guys acting up when they got here, and I must say, Lake has been a real jewel as far as not ever acting up. We do have our arguments, well...I argue and he I THINK listens, lol, but I dont think any of your men have had to deal with what poor Lake has to deal with and still be sane. We live with my mother, who is 81 and she is a bit territorial. Mom and I had bought the house together 20 years ago, so its partly mine too (one reason we didnt move out) and as she gets older, she is getting crankier and crankier. Sometimes she gets mad at Lake just becuz he is cooking in the kitchen when SHE wants to cook, or for no reason at all. Luckily he is Indian, and its common for families to all live together, but she sure does NOT make it easy, even now after over 2 years. And then we also live with my older sister, her hubby died 5 years ago and we had her move in at that time.

Not only that, but we dont have a car, and mom will NOT let Lake drive her 25 year old car. So the poor guy has absolutely NO independence whatsoever. I dont think I would still be here if I were him. I have to drive him everwhere. He DOES have a bicycle, and I think that IS a release when things get bad he goes for a ride, but Mom makes it hard, becuz sometimes, darnit it would be nice to have him be able to run to the store to get stuff, or if I dont feel well he could take himself to work. Even when i have been really really sick with the flu, she wouldnt relent and I still had to take him last winter, had to drag myself out with a fever an all. So she can be quite obstinate.

I love her to pieces and when she was younger, she was a different woman than she is now. Sometimes I lament and really really miss my old mom, the woman I had so many laughs with over the years and I don't always know who this woman is that replaced my real mom.

Well, didnt mean to get on a roll, but you can always tell your hubby's, well...it COULD be worse...we could be livin with my family and they could not approve of you and we could be without a vehicle you could drive and...etc. lol

Tonya, my heart went out to you at your post. Hang in there, its so hard when a part of your heart is gone like that, it leaves such a gaping hole. Hugs to you, girl.

Jill

Man oh man, doesnt anyone chat on this forum anymore? I remember when we would could fill at least five to ten pages worth in one day. Now you have to wait forever and a day for responses?

Rhonda, you were SO lucky you had the previous fees. I wasnt on in forever and a day, so had sort of budgeted for about $275 to $300, which is what the fees WERE. Now...man I just dont know. Its DOUBLE, and from what I am reading, the times havent gotten any speedier either. Doesnt seem fair to anyone.

How can couple just starting out afford this, doing the AOS, I sure feel for them and then not being able to get their EAD right away either so the guy (or gal) can help out? What is our stupid government thinking?

If Lake could have worked right off the bat, we wouldnt have been in this ridiculous in debt over our head mess, and I am thinking he would have been a whole lot healthier as well. Sitting around for almost a year was hard on him, on me, awful on our budget, and I really blame the government for him being prediabetic to some degree, with "sitting around phase". He was fired up to work two jobs when he first came, and couldnt do any. Ok, enuff ranting.... I sure wished there had been under the table work here so he could have kept busy.

I am up to page 155 in yardies4. Where is Dee, (denden?). She change her screen name as well? I think so but not 100%?

Jill

Just now found this thread, ooooeeee, hubby makes some MEAN roti, I LOVE it. I have to live with burrito wraps at the store most of the time, what a poooooooor substitute!

He is from Guyana, but has an uncle that lives in Trini and quite a few cousins, and he has been there many many times himself.

Jill

Oh Jengles, that is awful. Even if you get the car fixed up doesnt sound like any income will ever come in from it with the brother. So sorry to hear that.

Jamie, I knew you been on here forever but was havin a hard time figurin out just who you were! lol Even in the OLD posts, it changed your screen name over. I think there are a few that have changed screen names, but I am sure I will get it figured out after those 770 posts. Sorry so many have dropped out.

Yea the debt thing is easy to get into. I started charging when Lake wasnt working (dadblasted government) and it just got deeper and deeper. I am very good with money, but its a bit overwhelming right now.

We are trying to sell the cabin by the lake but economy is bad right now up in that area and so not even any offers. I love the place, but Lake thinks its too far to go to, and it really is, since he only has off the weekend, and is on 2nd shift so if we go up, we dont leave til after midnight Friday and come home Sunday. The wuss wont brook coming home on Monday, says he will be too tired.

I have a question, do any of you all that have guys over here that were a fireball when they came and now they are tired all the time. I swear Lake wore me out when he got here, he was CONSTANTLY on the move, Wanting to go here,there, everywhere, and even around the house he was cleaning, doing the yard and now he is just achy and tired a lot. ts just like America wore him down or somethin. He is cold all the time which doesnt help, and he hurt his back last year at that darned temp job and it never has recovered, then he hurt his hip badly when we were out fishing, wrestling a turtle, etc, etc. Poor guy. He is SO accident prone. Has that happened with anyone else after a couple of years.

Jamie, that skin problem we had we never got over, we dont talk bout it much anymore, just a fact of life. Since you asked, I will say it eased up, or we would have all committed suicide by now, but its one of those weird puzzling things. Essential oils help a lot, cleaning the house constantly DIDNT help. The doc gave me anti depressants and it made me so so goofed up I made out a $300 bill as $30 and thought it good. lol So I stopped that (after only a week). I think the docs thought it was all in a persons head to begin with, but now they have told me they are doing studies, so maybe they will find somethin, who knows. The closest thing I could come to it was something they call Morgellons, but then some of those people are way out there, and I never felt 1/2 the things they did, and when THAT support group started talking about creeping designs on their linoleum floor, well let me say, this ####### is out there, I mean WAY out there, but not THAT out there like aliens, menothinks. I really believe it has more to do with the genetically modified food, as some of the research I have done leads very strongly back to it. Its enough to scare the bejeebers out of you, let me tell ya.

Well off to do more research on this liftin conditions, it sounds pretty easy, its just all we have as joint is a bank account and a blockbuster card. lol

Hugs

Jill

Thanks Yardiewife, I sure miss everyone. Where are all the old timers? Not to dis the newcomers but I kinda feel like I am in a room full of strangers. Fine and good as long as my buddies are here too, so...WHERE IS everyone I KNOW???? I KNOW I saw Elizabeth post at the first of this thread and that wasnt THAT long ago, cmon girl!

And Rhonda, darnit, what happened? Oh, thats right, I keep thinkin ya just now preggers and ya probably almost in labor already. ROFL And last I read Mindy said she was leavin.

Does anyone know if I need tax forms? I read that its best to have actual tax transcripts from the IRS, but gosh, I am not sure I have time to wait for them and not sure what they cost. I have 0 bux and its gonna be about $600 and we are also supposed to send $600 to Guyana, and I have no idea what tree I am gonna shake to get an extra $1200 this month. EEEEKS!

Lakes and my paycheck JUST covers the bills, and then on top of that, I went over on my credit card limit, so they raised the rate to 32! I got it back down, but it was an extra 550 finance charge that just killed me. I always used to puy them as I went, but with that trip back home he took last year, then I took a mad cruise (wasnt gonna be left home alone twiddling MY thumbs) well that kinda did it for our budget. Man, I really dont know how I got so deep. It just happens I guess.

Well on top of everything, silly hubby doesnt want anyone at work to write a letter confirming our relationship. He doesnt want them to know our biz! Oh boy! Like they would care. He is thinking of asking his GED teacher, now she is a sweetheart but has never been to our house, etc. So how does SHE know we are actually married? LOL Crazy man. I guess family will do, or maybe go ahead and have her write something...sigh. Two of his workmates have been to the house, we have been to one of theirs, they SEE me every single day dropping him off and picking him up for work...it would be FAR better to have one of his work buddies write it. I just wanna shake that boy sometimes. Well enuff ranting, gotta go take the boy to work an then off to the store to make some copies of stuffs.

Hugs to all

Jill

Oh, Jengles...sorry. I am in Nebraska. The good old midwest...ugh. Lake likes it here tho, he didnt care for New York, too busy and too many people he says. Altho there is not any action here, I think he misses that a bit.

I had to laugh, Jomo's girl. I used to go with this guy, who was VERY cheap. He made really nice money too, full time job, mechanic, still lived at home at the time so had plenty of moola, etc. It was Christmas and he raved about this present beforehand. Well, I opened it up and it was a watch from..guess where...KMart. He told me it was a VERY expensive watch! I asked HOW expensive????? It came to all of 19.95!!! To him that was expensive. This was a guy that never wanted to spend money on ME, but would drop 2 grand in a heartbeat on fancy car parts (they used to call them gearheads, now sure the jargon now)! Yea, I am old. lol I never forgot that, and believe it or not, I went with the stupid guy for almost 7 years. BLECHT! What a waste of my youth!

Well, trying to gather some stuff here. We are pitiful on showing we are a couple, I swear. We DO have a joint bank account. And I am on his life insurance thru work, two mutual credit cards but had that at AOS, so not sure it counts.

No car, no bills in his name tho. Its a tuff situation. He was lamenting other day, said not even sure why he got drivers license anyhow. Mom wont let him drive her car, and we cant afford a new one. Its 26 years old, for pity sake, but she is a stinker about it. We had the cell phone changed over, but the silly people left my sisters name on the bill instead of using his, to keep the account the same. sigh...

No trips, except one to Iowa this summer to meet some of his distant relatives for a reunion. Now THAT was fun, and he got to SEE a mixed household, unlike when we are in New York, and I am the only white amongst all Indians. Thats reminds me, how is ElizabethHenry, I have read like 200 pages up to May and havent seen her! Goodness! How are ya, girl? I dont know. Also that trip he took back in January to Guyana was just a killer, I think u remember I took a loan so he could go. Yikes. Now he wants to go again next summer, and I cant seem to make him understand that it really takes about 3 years to get ESTABLISHED, so you can afford trips, extras, cars, etc.

It doesnt help that I am not working but part time. I just dont think I can do full time, I sure wished I had the energy of most of you on here. So that has made us fall behind. AND I only just started working in June. And thanks to..who WAS it that mentioned the NARMS website, I cant remember, one of our guys here, and thank you so much. That is how I got my job. Thank you, thank you!

So thats a little update, I know..long posts, I am soooo bad for that even still it looks like!

Hugs to all and welcome to all the newcomers!

Jill and Lake

WOW! Jonesie and Rhonda got preggers at the same time! Congrats girls!

Yes, Jengles, I found purely by accident and couldnt afford it, a Toshiba laptop computer at Walmart for $388. It was one of their online secret specials so they had it back behind the counter where layaway used to be. I asked, it was like five minutes to 5 am, so figured there was no chance. Well apparently a lot of folks didnt know about their secret online specials. They told me I might try to head back there, wasnt a big line at all. So I wondered back, there were maybe 20 people in line, but for various things. When they handed me one, I just stood there all surprised like, as two years ago I had tried to get one when they had over 60 of them, (but it was an advertised one) and it was a mob. where several people ended up in the hospital. I think I wrote about it here even, I was so mad I wrote corporate a letter but never heard from them. So, I had a computer, but couldnt afford it (both credit cards are maxed) but sis so kindly bought it for me. What a sweetheart. That was our biggest score! I hope its better than the Walmart stuff we got last year, bought a DVD and a printer for elcheapo and they are both junk. But already have stuff to take back that doesnt work properly.

Jill

Whew! I have been trying to catch up, 770 posts, wow! Been reading and reading, thru arguments, travails, trials and tribulations, and some good news too. Now, I think I would have given up by now, except I am trying to read about Rhonda's gathering of her paperwork, etc to lift conditions. Hmm, I am up to a week before she files...tired out! lol

Oh and thanks for mentioning you guys missed me. Made me happy.

My silly chickies really kept and keep me busy. No one would ever believe how much fun they can be or how much personality they have. You think of them boring and just pecking around in a farm setting, but I have had soooo much fun with the stupid lil critters. I had one lil one that followed me everywhere and cried if I wasnt within sight. She passed on, and I still miss the silly thing, and that was back in June. She was quite a character tho, and would burrow down in my shirt.

I keep them outside all day and bring them in at night, they sleep in a box. One got so cold the other day she actually cried, with a runny nose and everything! Poor lil girl, I felt so bad. She was whining and whimpering and hiccuping and sobbing, just like a little kid, if you can believe that. Its crazy. I guess its cuz they dont think they are chickens.

Anyhow, Rhonda...any advice, news, suggestions or anything you can give me regarding this would be great. If any of the vets are still around (and I HOPE they are), I am thinking we are all getting about to that stage, hmm? I, like Rhonda, dont really want to think about it, and am NOT in a paperwork mode, blecht! We are due to send the stuff in tho in about a week, so I HAVE to think about it.

Things are going well here, we get along great, but poor guy, he is depressed about this whole adjusting thing. Says its a load of ####### and he is homesick and is tired of all "the rules". Part of its the money, we are soooo in debt. Man, I dont know how we got so behind, been trying to pay off the credit cards but it is eating us alive. These new fees arent gonna help either. Eeeeks! I am not sure yet just how much it is now, but off to research a bit!

Love and hugs to all!

Jill

Well, hello all. Its been awhile! You all have been seriously chatty, been meaning to catch up and I think I give up!

Its bout time to be lifting conditions here, in another month, time goes so fast. Woke up yesterday morning to SNOW! Its cold, and for those of you with pets, you wont believe this, but my Mom wont let me keep my chickens outside when it gets too cold. It dipped to 16 yesterday and she told me we better get those babies IN. lol Then they proceeded to jump out of their box after about 3 hours, they got stir crazy, and wandered thru the house, lookin for trouble. I ordered some chicken diapers, believe it or not! Yep, I AM crazy.

Lake is still working at the school, and STILL trying to pass his GED. Poor guy, he has taken so many tests, I think about 9 now, and his average is 438, 12 points short!!! This last test got him up to 440. Its the time thingie that kills him, he never quite finishes. He KNOWS the material, just doesnt finish in time. I am so frustrated, he even asked if he could get a time extension and they wont let him have one. I think as long as you know the stuff, it should be enuff, geez already. Well anyhow, thats the news in our world!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Jill