dkmfan85

Just got back from Russia yesterday and mailed my petition today. I didn't think I'd be waiting for another NOA1 and NOA2 again, but here we go... Fate had other ideas I suppose.

2 hours ago, pajobra said:

Sorry I haven't been around much. Life is very emotional right now. My husband has been very sick lately and we are working on getting him to a healthy state through diet and meditation. So far maybe its working. However as for work he makes it 2-3 times a week and its getting stressful money wise. I really wish I could work but oh well waiting it is. I don't expect that until April.  I just hope that work does not fire him. He said they can't due to some law but honestly I don't believe it. So I am very stressed lately worried about my husband, money, and life in general. I have been staying strong for my husband. He has no idea that inside I am breaking down well until yesterday when I refused to get out of bed. I couldn't do it. I just wanted to cry and stay in bed all day which I nearly did til I forced myself to get dressed and go get groceries. My husband was home sick yesterday for the second day this week. Thankfully he went in today. He messaged me saying he got a 10 hour shift Saturday. I told him that is great but my insides are saying yeah like he will end up being able to go in.  I love him very much and I worry so much about him.

I am so sorry to hear this and hope and pray everything gets better! I know how awful it can be to feel completely helpless in a bad situation...

Great to see mostly everyone here progressing and sharing positive news! I've been lurking and stealing bits of advice here and there.

This upcoming week I'll be leaving for Moscow for two weeks, and if everything goes to plan, I'll be joining the Feb 2018 filing group. If you're feeling down on the process, just tell yourself you could be me and starting completely over from scratch again. Big hugs to all my friends here!

Received an e-mail from the IV section of the US embassy in Kyiv giving this former couple another 60 days from today to follow through with the petition though the NOA2 expired in November. I responded with a formal request to abandon the petition. I guess that finally puts me officially out of the race. I was curious to see what would happen to just let the petition go without any action. Now we know!

3 minutes ago, Kateryna_I said:

Thank you so much, Nicolas!  

I see you've changed the flag on your profile?!  

Sincerely hope you'll meet the one you deserve! 

Thank you! I hope the one I'm with is the one. There's a bit more security having her very best friend as my very close friend as well. We are all very similar and got along almost immediately. I feel much more comfortable and free to just be myself with her. That was one thing I realize looking back that I didn't have with Anna and should have taken more seriously. It's a breath of fresh air!

6 hours ago, Kateryna_I said:

Hi everyone! Greetings from newlyweds  

Marry Christmas to all who celebrated it and Happy Holidays! 

 

Well, we've got married last Friday!  

It was super quick ceremony (not like they are doing it in Ukraine :)) - about 10 minutes  and we've done, didn't even realize what happened  

Afterwards we had a nice dinner with our family (my parents arrived from Ukraine) and my best friend (the one from NY that also came to the airport when I arrived remember? ). Supper happy day overall. 

The wedding we are planning for autumn - church ceremony, white dress, restaurant and dances dances dances  

 

All the good pics are on my fathers camera still but here is the one taken on the phone

 

All the next steps with green card, etc hopefully to star in the early January. 

 

Hope everyone is doing fine!

So happy to hear this news! Congratulations! I wish you and your husband a happy and successful life together!

3 minutes ago, pajobra said:

Oooh congrats on the new relationship.  Glad you are being more careful. Is she from the US or somewhere else? I think once it happens to you, you are usually more careful the next time. Getting burnt that way hurts and I should know because I distinctly remember telling Chris I was not planning on being in a relationship again and he said the same to me and told me under no circumstances would he ever get married again. Next thing we knew we were meeting in person and the rest was history. LOL

Well, my life seems to one full of crazy coincidences that I wouldn't believe if I weren't living them myself. As you might remember, my former fiance was an acquaintance of my friend's wife, Anna who is from Russia. Her husband and I have been friends for a years and are very similar in personality, temperament, sense of humor etc. I became good friends with Anna as well, and she decided she wanted to help me find a "real woman that isn't a feminist," (gotta love the opinionated and blunt Russians ) and started introducing me to some of her friends. She introduced me to my former fiancee. She has really wanted to introduce me to her very best friend from Moscow because we are so similar in sense of humor and personality, but she'd been in a relationship. She finally broke up with her ex around the same time my fiancee and I broke up and I got my opportunity. Now we're all happy.

9 minutes ago, pajobra said:

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. I am just having a quiet day today. I had big plans but my husband is sick with diabetes troubles again so I will just clean and take care of him as I do not feel like baking or cooking. The baking he can't eat anyway and I am sending to work with him Tuesday but still just can't bring myself to do it. The only cooking I am doing is brown rice cooking to make chicken rice soup for my husband as that is all he feels like eating when he is like this. I might have to brave the stores today to pick up bouillon cubes. I did not know we were almost out or I would have had Chris pick them up last night when he went out for a few last minute groceries.

 

Anyway hope you are all having a better day and holiday. HUGS I am just happy Chris and I are together. He cried on me this morning about what a wreck he was and that he was so lucky to find me because no one else would ever think of taking on a horrible mess like him. I just looked at him and said hun you are my mess. He laughed and said ouch laughing hurts but thanks for giving me a smile. I wish I had a magic wand to make him better but alas I do not. He seems to be getting worse and with me not working until spring probably this might hurt our pocketbooks. I wonder if I can try to expedite my EAD on grounds of financial difficulties from medical issues?

Merry Christmas to you as well! I'm sorry to hear of all the health difficulties and hope they have the best resolutions possible. You're blessed to have each other and I wish you two the best always!

18 minutes ago, pajobra said:

Hugs. It is good to see you.  Thanks for the congrats! How are things going for you? We do miss seeing you around here but understandable. 

Things are going very well, thanks! I'm in a new relationship that is going well, which explains most of my absence, and I'm very happy! I've also been much more careful this go around trying not to blow past warning signs with the infatuation goggles on that will get me into trouble again.

It's awesome to see so many updates and new families since my last visit! Congratulations to all who have arrived and been married!

45 minutes ago, AnJ Co said:

Soooooooo busy anymore, no time to play on VJ   

We got our SSN in the mail on Thursday.  Noyce!  

Family flew in on Friday.  I worked a shift on Friday also, so after work, and some laundry, then to bed for 3 hrs just to get up early to run to the beach and decorate and hang electronics in palm trees for video to be seen by our family in the PH, rush home to get the bride, then back to the beach just as the eastern sky over the beach was showing first light.  Morning sunrise wedding was really a lot of fun!  The wind was so strong, destroyed my hair but Ann stayed gorgeous!  Beach goers stopping to take pictures and wish us well during the ceremony...... taking pictures and giving thumbs up LOL   It was so formally informal at the same time.  Ceremony was about an hour long as we wrote our own vows that took extra time, but the fact of the matter is on 11/11 at 0723EST, we said 'I DO!'  

 

This is the finish line in the truest sense.

 

Your absence is excused since you shared such beautiful and happy photos of your special moment. It's the dawn of a beautiful new life together after a lengthy and arduous bureaucratic hurdle. Congratulations! I wish you, Ann and your whole new family many happy, healthy and successful years together.

That's one silver lining from my experience. I blew a ton of money this year, but at least everything went south before all the bigger expenses. Then I work work worked like mad for nearly two months and earned it all back. Now the daily question is if I want to do it all over again.

For those stuck waiting at some point in the process, just remember, you could be me and starting all over with the *thick Jersey accent* "Howya doin?" part. Still here cheering from the sidelines!

11 hours ago, pajobra said:

Thank you so much.

 

Woohoo Welcome to the USA Ann!!!!

 

Well Chris and I made it back after fighting traffic on the I25 as there was an accident so we were pretty backed up. We finally got all my stuff inside. My kitty is bravely exploring her new home and Chris is off getting us pizza for supper because neither of us feels like cooking. lol I would do a picture but it doesn't allow me to add pictures anymore. Shrugs. I am too bothered to figure it out.

I wish you, Chris and the adventurous kitty long and happy lives together filled with many laughs and smiles!

15 hours ago, AnJ Co said:

................

 

I'll have to write a review for Newark POE here in VJ because the officers there made my fiance feel like a VIP the whole experience from start to finish.  They directed her to the first line and welcomed her to the USA, kidded around with her, asked when she was getting married then retorted with a big cheesy smile 'How will I know if you actually get married?'  Congratulated her for arriving safely, asked her where she was going to live in the US and said 'Oh!  You are going to love it there!'.  Escorted her to the secondary room, took her envelope to the desk for her and offered her a seat in the waiting area.  In 2 to 3 minutes she heard 'chunk, chunk' stamps and her name called and they handed her passport and again congratulated her and pointed the way out to the terminal for the connecting flight.  Lickity split and all the smiles and congratulations and friendly treatment on top.  I am so thankful for the courtesy of the CBP officers and staff for taking such good care of my Fiancee   To make it all the better........ They didn't scribble ANYTHING or stamp on the K1 visa!  It is still in new condition.  They stamped on the next page and initialed.  We worked and sacrificed like nothing else in our lives to get this to come to pass.  All the blood, sweat, tears, hours of working in the tropical heat doing construction jobs on days I wasn't working at the hospital, all of this over many many months, came down to a little sticker in a passport that means the world to the 2 of us.

Today we went to church together, this time on THIS side of the world.  Yeah, this is what it all was for, and so worth it......   Welcome to Miami, ANN!

 

Great to hear that everything went well in NJ and you two are finally together after such a long and winding road. I send my best wishes and prayers to your happy family!

1 hour ago, Eric&Olya said:

Well, here is our POE pic. Stuck at La Guardia, exhausted but happy to finally be together

 

Despite the exhaustion, I know there is a great happiness in your hearts! Congratulations on POE, and may you, Eric and the kiddos enjoy a very happy and fulfilling life together! I wish you a relatively painless and enjoyable transition into this new world.

13 hours ago, TearsOfBabylon said:

Hellooooo fellow Whiners! 

A quick sign of life from the desert. We’re on he way back to Utah, and I’m very happy to be able to post the next wedding photo into our thread! 

 

Last night we said “Yes, I do!” above the lights of Las Vegas, surrounded by family! 

And funnywise... our minister was lovely - and German  

 

My K-1 journey is really over now; we’ll go back to Virginia on Sunday, and then the next paperwork marathon starts with AOS!

 

To everyone still on the way: Hang in there, it’s so worth it!  

 

What a great photo! Glad everything has gone to plan and you are now married to your love! Enjoy your weekend here in Utah. It's a bit on the cool side, but at least the sun is shining brightly!

Did anyone in our group go through the Warsaw, Poland embassy? I've just been curious and checking into the process for Belarusians, and no I'm not planning anything. I just like to play around with ideas like a cat with a ball of yarn. I find it odd that those from Belarus go through the Warsaw embassy even though Kiev, Ukraine is closer to most cities in the country.

20 hours ago, Eric&Olya said:

Yay, finished my last working day in Ukraine!

Eric is on his way here.

I can see the light at the end of the packing and decluttering tunnel, but still there's so much to do - and still hard to believe that I am actually moving

 

Just 5 short days away! So exciting!!!

5 hours ago, Kateryna_I said:

Thank you so much, Nicolas! 

Can't wait till that day!

But actually next step is to receive passport with visa in it to buy one way ticket 

CEAC still shows "ready" status though the case last updated date changed to Oct 18th. A little bit of another waiting 

 

I vote for no more waiting. You've waited enough!! Hopefully this part will be expedited.

5 hours ago, Kateryna_I said:

WE ARE APPROVED!!!!!! 

 

Had my interview today at 8 am. 

Arrived at 7:15, was the first in the line and by 8.30 finished. 

Interview itself took about 5 minutes, 5 quick questions and done. 

 

This is such a relief! Still can't believe in it! Looking at approval notice paper received after interview, you know, just in case, from time to time 

Thank you guys for being such a great support! 

 

Wish everyone else who's waiting to get their approvals as soonest and reunite with beloveds! 

 

P.S. POE is planned on mid November, hopefully! 

Hurrah! Congratulations!! Next step is to be in the arms of your love happily ever after!!! Just in time for the holidays!!

8 hours ago, pajobra said:

I have my visa in hand. Well ok I don't have it in hand as I am at work but my Mum has it in hand. HA if that counts.  

Awesome!!! And it seems like just yesterday we were all waiting for that darned NOA2 to show up. You're almost there or here or somewhere!!

2 hours ago, Eric&Olya said:

While I'm glad that you have some pleasant distraction from sad thoughts, my unsolicited advice would be to hold your horses. That beautiful girl from Belarus might be the best person in the world for you, but do take time to get to know her properly before making any life-changing decisions. We the March Whiners family would hate to have you broken-hearted again.

Oh, believe me, I'm not in any hurry to do this all over again. Ideally, I would rather meet and marry someone from the US and not have to add all the extra complexities of a LDR back into my life. I'm just thinking long term potentialities. Is it possible I might have to go through the K1 process again? Yes. What's the probability of that happening? I don't know. I just try to play the hand I'm dealt the best way I can.

24 minutes ago, pajobra said:

Ha soooo you either need new friends or its a good thing your friends don't listen.  

True. Only time will tell.  It was a time sensitive issue since the young lady in question is only visiting from Belarus for a few weeks. If things go well, I may have to go through all this over again.