Kym

I was trying to locate my very first post on here from 2006. However, I can only go back to 2007. Does anyone know if there is a limit on how far back the older posts are displayed?

Helloooooooooooooooooooo everyone!

I have been MIA bigtime! But busy busy busy trying to get Darryl settled in, wedding planning and trying to help out my parents with their move!

Hope everyone is doing well!!!! Seems I've missed a LOT of posts, trying to catch up but have run out of time this morning.

All is great here....it's so wonderful finally being together!!!!!! 3 weeks from tomorrow...we will be married!!!! Life is good.

Must run...work work work. I hope once things calm down around here I will be able to keep up with the posts a little better.

Oh yeah!~ I ordered some meat pies from the about australia website. Want to see what the fuss is all about....PLUS....Darryl will love the surprise. Anyone had meatpies from this company before? I ordered Traditional and Steak & Mushroom. Also ordered vegemite (since Darryl's was confiscated upon entry into USA), some Tim Tams (never had them) and some Arnotts something or the other.

Kelli - sorry I don't have an answser for you but wanted to say a great big CONGRATULATIONS on the wedding!!!!!!

Just popping in to say HI to all and hope everything is going smoothly. Looks as if everyone on here is happy and well from the recent posts!!

I had my bridal shower this past Saturday evening and we had a blast! Although we had an Italian theme and I think I had a little too much sangria. I was pretty useless the next day.

My better half arrives this Saturday...WOO HOO! I am so excited....can't wait! I have to pinch myself everyday just to make sure that this is REALLY happening!

Wishing EVERYONE well!!!!

Just making sure I understand all this correctly. Since Darryl does not have to worry about doing a name change after marriage....He can go get his SS card as soon as he arrives in the USA?

Lok - my condolences to you for your loss and wishing you a safe journey.

I got my daughter moved into her college dorm last weekend. We were exhausted by the end of Sunday, but they have their room fixed up really cute. I have my bridal shower this Saturday and the Saturday after that Darryl will arrive!!!! Absolutely can't wait! I seem to have a ton of things going on everyday to get ready for his arrival and our wedding. I think after such a long wait, I'm still in shock that this is finally happening....it sure is exciting though.

I don't get on here as often as I like but sure do love coming and reading that things are moving right along for others! Congratulations!!!!

I've been MIA....but better late than never!

Congratulations on getting your drivers license, Kath!!!!!

And one more big Congrats to Jess for your appt.

I'm moving my daughter to her college dorm (1st year) this weekend. It's a little sad!

GOOD LUCK KATH!!!!! I'm just sending all these good thoughts and positive vibes your way!!!

And as for the bacon dilema...I guess for every 1 piece of bacon the Aussie's eat, you will need to eat 3 here.

Do the Australian's have BLT sandwiches? OH YUM!!! That is one of my favs. I guess 1 big ol' slab of bacon and that covers your sandwich?

i have an australian drivers license.... that being said, am i allowed to drive in the US for a set period of time before i am forced to get a US one?

You may want to consider an international driver's license. Darryl checked on that in Sydney and he is going to get one for approx. $25 au. I called the DMV in Missouri and they couldn't help me and referred me to law enforcement. So I called the highway patrol and in Missouri, he can drive on the international license until he is able to get his permanent Missouri drivers license. I think there is a set time, which I didn't ask about because he plans on getting his as soon as he can. He already drives here when he comes (legal or not) so there is no problem with that, he will just need to pass the written.

Loke, glad to hear you are feeling a little better! Maybe it was because of all the vaccinations. Sometimes when I get a flu shot, it will make me a little ill but helps me in the long run.

I'm just popping in to try and catch up with the posts, say HI to everyone and seeing the progress everyone is making!

I have been super busy this last week trying to make all sorts of arrangements for our wedding and getting the house cleaned (and decluttered) for when Darryl arrives, all of that has been so exciting. But the bittersweet part of this is that my daughter leaves for college in a couple of weeks. This is a huge step for her and she is so excited so we have been doing lots of 'dorm room' shopping and starting to pack her up. I know the house it going to seem so empty when she is gone. But on the other hand, I am so happy and proud of her!

I will have 2 weeks alone and then Darryl arrives! Perfect timing, huh?

Wishing you all the absolute very best with whatever stage you are in right now.

Kym

4 MONTHS!! WOW! Congratulations on the speedy approval.

It does pay to not hire a lawyer...literally.

Some learn the hard way...(me for instance)

Thank you everyone for the well wishes, it really does mean so much. I feel like this huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders now. And it is awesome to actually be able to make some concrete plans for our wedding. We had planned one wedding before everything got screwed up with our I-129F petition and had to cancel so there was no way I was going to make all those plans again without knowing for sure he would be here on the designated day!

Jodee – just want to say enjoy your time with your hubby!!! We probably will not be hearing from you for 3 weeks. I can’t imagine how hard it would be going through those long deployments.

Jess – We do not have a Myers where I live, never even heard of it. So I googled it and I see it is an Aussie store…no wonder! lol But I must be retarded because I couldn’t even find a women’s clothing section for dresses. Is this the same store you are referring to? I plan on going out this weekend and looking around at Dillards, Nordstrom’s and Macy’s. I too want something casual but a little wedding like (if that makes any sense). I already have a formal wedding dress that I bought back at the beginning of the year for the first planned wedding. But now we are going much more casual and I do not want to wear it. I sure wish I could sell it to get some of my money back...UGH!!! As for your flowers, they are lilies. From what I can tell, I’d say they are trumpet lilies. That was such a nice surprise that your Mom (Mum) did for you. Lilies are one of my FAVS! Especially white. That is why when I saw your pics, I thought they were bea-u-ti-ful!

Kath – Congrats on getting a job! That is one thing that Darryl is worried about but I have all the confidence in the world. He is smart, charming and a hard worker (yes, I’m partial). Do you mind me asking how long it took you to get your EAD card. Isn’t it about 3 months from the time you apply?

Rings/Loke – that was a great wedding pic..very romantic looking. Although I had already peeked into your photos and seen some of your wedding pics.

Did anyone come over with an international drivers license and drive (legally) before they got their American license? I know I have asked about this before so I apologize. I have tried looking on the Missouri DMV site and it sucks. I need to just call them but have been putting it off because you normally have to wait forever before getting through to anyone with answers.

Best wishes to EVERYONE, wherever you are at in your jouney. This is certainly some ride!!!

I'm so glad you finally have your approval. Hopefully his arrival date will come quickly for you. Congratulations!!

Thank you...and I wanted to say CONGRATS to you as well. Seems today is a very big day for you both and you will be reunited. That's wonderful!!!!!

Thanks for sharing the pics!

How crazy was those kids riding in the trunk of a car! Is that common over there?

I recognized french fries and ketchup...that was about it...

I hope you are not planning on mailing cash. And if you plan on seeing her in person and giving her cash....spring for the extra buck to get a money order (or something similar)! It would be worth it!!!

I've posted this in the Aussie section but decided that I wanted to scream this to everyone on VJ.....

WE ARE APPROVED!!!!!

There were many many days that I honestly doubted this day would ever arrive! As you can see by my timeline, this was a loooooooooooong looooooooooooooong time coming!!!!

I'm happy happy happy right now!

And I wanted to thank everyone that guided and helped me through some very gruelling times!!!

Thank you to both of you!!!

He has now had the interview and I am so very happy to say that he is approved.

I'm sooo happy.

CONGRATULATIONS and Good Luck to your fiance with her interview.

My fiance had his interview today in Sydney (July 30) and is now approved. It is VERY exciting.

It is good to hear that they got her in so quickly for the interview and before the big APEC thing. Some people are now getting their interviews scheduled for the end of October because of APEC.

Looking forward to reading about your approval!!!!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1guide

Welcome to VJ and good luck for a smooth journey.

I'm exhausted and heading to bed but wanted to drop in and share the very happy news.

APPROVED!!!!!!

He was heading to book flight tickets after the interview and then on to work and handing in his resignation.

I just can't hardly believe...I honestly thought this day would never get here.

g'nite

That is a great introduction and very nice pics.

Welcome to VJ!!!! I have found this place to be a lifesaver for me, I was so immigration naive when first joining. Sit back and enjoy the ride and hopefully it will move along smoothly for you. When you reach the near end of getting to be together, the anticipation and excitement is huge.

Best wishes to you both.

Good luck with the interview, Kym!

Thanks!!!!!!!! I figure in about 4 hours or so, I will be receiving the phone call! So I've been trying to keep myself busy today to pass time and not think about it. Getting ready now to try out a new zucchini/leek salad recipe. I tend to cook when I'm nervous...which would be fine except I eat it too!

OK here we are.

Absolutely Beautiful!!!!!! LOVE beach weddings! You are glowing and I'm sure have a long happy life in front of you.

Just wanted to wish you both luck with your interview on Monday!!! Let us know how you go......Will be thinking of you...

Regards,

Peta

THANK YOU Peta!!!!! I'm so nervous/excited....I'm sure everything will be fine, but I sure will be glad when he gives me a call to tell me he is approved!!!! It will still be a huge relief.

This was a great post!!! Thank you for all the suggestions and details. I just got off the phone with my fiance and I think we have decided upon San Antonio. Heard too many great things about it...romantic, fun, relaxing, good weather....just what we seem to be looking for. It's funny because way back we had talked about going to Italy for our honeymoon, of course, that was back before we realized all the 'rules' of this immigration process and didn't know that he would have to stay in the US for a while. Anyway, my point is that changing plans from Italy to Texas is quite a difference, but I am still very excited. Looking forward to getting away and putting USCIS thoughts/worries behind me...for a while anyway.

I've googled some of your suggestions and read them to my fiance as well. We love the ideas. I don't think we will make a day trip to Corpus Christie but definitely considering Fredericksburg. If you have any recommendations for the hotels in San Antonio, would LOVE to hear them. We want something on the RiverWalk and also would like someplace that offers suite rooms. I have found several that I like and they look very nice. But it is always good to hear recommendations from others.

Thanks again for your help.

BTW...just curious, how far of a drive would Corpus Christie be from San Antonio?

San Antonio hmmmmmm? B) As a native of San Antonio, I can tell you of some places to see. When my fiancee came to see me, I showed him around town. Here's a few places:

Alamo is fine. There are some nice spots to take pics that's true. Across the street, there are museums like Ripley's Believe it or Not and a Terror Tour. You take an elevator down and it's like the House of Horrors in any carnival. There are many shops around there too. I spent all day with my baby walking around town. The Riverwalk has many shops and good restaurants to choose from.

Tower of Americas is downtown as well. Great observation deck. So tall. There is also a 3d film/tour/ride that is fun and you can get your picture taken. Dan and I loved it.

Look out for horse carriage rides. We didn't get a chance to do that because we couldn't find it. Ask around and there are tourist information stops everywhere and they should tell you.

Natural Bridge Caverns and Wildlife Ranch is great to look at. We spent the whole day around there. Sea World is a good spot too. Near the airport is a museum about the railroads and you get to ride on a train.

There is Corpus Christi beach and Port Aransas. If you're interested, I can recommend a good hotel where I stayed with my fiancee.

If you can afford it I highly recommend Hawaii.

EDIT: OK you ruled it out.... sorry.

I do love Hawaii (for visiting anyway), but we have been there a couple of times and wanting someplace 'new'. That is the only reason we ruled out Hawaii.