Wednesday, September 24, 2008

We`re In!

Can you believe it?

We´re in, we`re done, we made it!

Yesterday we had our long awaited interview at the consulate for Enmanuel`s Visa. We were ready. Asking each other every question that could come to our minds "Which are your favorite panties?", "what is your favorite meal?", "something personal that no one else would know about?", ect. All our paperwork in order, and we had a lot of suerte and blessings from our friends. We arrived early Tuesday morning, 6am, and put ourselves at the end of a line of over a hundred other dominicans waiting, hoping for their resident visa. Mothers and daughters, grandpas, kids, babies, couples, brothers, sisters all trying to get their family over to the other side. The line went faster than we expected. At 7:15 am we were in the doors. We sit and wait. Eat snacks. Check papers. Wait. 9am we were called up to one of the 20 windows.

"Your papers please."

Shuffle, check, rip, staple.

"Sign here."

Shuffle, check, rip, staple.

"Go pay and bring the receipt." That was a relief to hear, because we knew all our paper work was done correctly. Some people are handed a sheet that states all of the corrections they have to make or what papers they might be missing.

3 minutes and $400 later we changed our receipt for a number, 192.

We sit and wait some more. 191, 193, 368, 272. We decided there was no rhyme or reason to the numbers they were calling.

192 window 13, 192 window 13

They took his fingerprints with the green machine (very advanced) and then.... we sat and waited some more.

Enmanuel made friends with a few other dominicans waiting, waiting to hear their fate. Accepted or Denied. A life changing decision that most dominicans never get the opportunity to even hope for.

Finally, 192 to window 19. We swore in in spanish. They asked me about Enmanuel´s daughter, my family and when they met him, the peace corps, and his $ sponsor. They sat back pointed to the screen, conversed and minute, and then they said, "congratulations, your visa has been approved."

What, really, that quick and easy! We were ready for the attack. A million questions. We brought photos, letters, and affidavits- everything to prove that our relationship is legitimate.

We kissed and hugged and left to pay the messenger service. Everyone looking at us, knowing we were one of the lucky ones. Wow, que emoción.

"Enmanuel, How do you feel?"

"Happy but sad. This means I´m actually leaving. I´ll be leaving my home, my family, and my friends, everything I have ever known."

We called everyone we know back in the campo and shared the unimaginable good news. His mamà was crying.

This calls for a celebration. So what better way to celebrate than McDonalds. My first McDonalds visit in this country and Enmanuel´s first visit in his life. It was delicious, but boy did we have a gut ache later.

So now what. Wedding planning, wedding, then a trip to New Jersey at the end of October.
Felicítanos and Wish us luck.

We`re In!

Adios Tommy June 2008 - Sept. 21, 2008

Yes, lamentablamente, our puppy, our hijo, is gone. The disease that attacks many campo puppies attacked him. Dysentary, I believe. Thursday he was a fun and energenic puppy. Friday he was kind of depressed (we thought he was mad because we didn´t go for a walk that morning.) Then saturday hewoke with bloody diahrrea so we took him to the vet, but by sunday morning he was dead. Que triste. He was a good puppy. Loved his mami and papi. We had only been taking him out for walks with us for about a week, but he followed us wherever we went, no leash was necessary. He loved to run through the tall grass and feel the morning dew on his face. He played with the other puppies and kids that came to visit. We will miss him. That leaves us dogless. From 2 to 1 to none. Don´t know if I can handle the heartache of another.