The first sign of progress

[maplestar 2]

In some ways, it's felt like a long road. And in a way, we haven't really set out yet. But today is a big step. My fiancee's divorce hearing was this morning and she's now single again! As I understand it, the divorce is official as of today, but it will take two to three weeks to get the paperwork back from the court.

We've had our eye on the K-1 requirements for a long time now (I found VJ just over a year ago, a month or two before I officially proposed), but now we'll get serious about assembling the package for the petition. I'll be going down for a 10-day post-Christmas visit and we're aiming to be able to submit the petition about the time I come back home.

The original "plan" had been for me to move sometime around Victoria Day/Memorial Day, but given that the divorce process took a few months longer than I was expecting, at this point, I've adjusted my expectations to a move any time between then and Labo(u)r Day.

I'm sort of feeling that "I've got to study" feeling, since it's been so long since I've looked into the paperwork requirements. I know where to find the information, but for tonight, I'm going to relax and enjoy the moment. Tomorrow, time to pull out the book and click on the links around this site to really start getting our forms and evidence in order.

[BH45 0]

Welcome. You'll find many here to help through the various steps of the process. VJ is a great place for questions and getting answers. I hope your journey is a smooth one.

[maplestar 2]

Welcome. You'll find many here to help through the various steps of the process. VJ is a great place for questions and getting answers. I hope your journey is a smooth one.

Thanks! I've really enjoyed reading here over the last year, but since I'm not yet in the process, I haven't had a whole lot to say. I expect I'll be more active in the next few weeks, though

[SapphireDreams 71]

Welcome! I totally remember what you're feeling and i found this place before we filed too.

Hope you have a smooth journey

[Carlawarla 1]

Welcome to the Canada forum maplestar! Please introduce yourself! Where are you from? Your fiance from? I know you can't fill out your timeline yet, but please do so as soon as you file.

We'll be looking forward to helping you each step of the way, and look forward to your future posting.

Enjoy the moment...may your journey move swiftly!

[maplestar 2]

Welcome to the Canada forum maplestar! Please introduce yourself! Where are you from? Your fiance from? I know you can't fill out your timeline yet, but please do so as soon as you file.

Thanks for the welcome, Carla...

I'm from a small town just west of Ottawa, where I work as a church organist, piano teacher and accompanist. She's from Virginia Beach and works in software development for a government contractor. We met through church-related e-mail lists that we were both members of, and had become good friends offlist, because we shared some common experiences and because we were similar in age compared to the rest of the list. We've been fortunate that we manage to see each other about every two or three months. There's a group that leads music at my church one Sunday of the month for most of the year, which means I have that chance to get away a little more easily, without using up all my holiday time (and I was able to use all three weeks of my holidays plus a week of continuing education time this past summer to spend an extended visit in what will be our home there). She has two teenage kids, a fourteen-year-old son (who mostly lives with his dad) and a thirteen-year-old daughter (who splits her time evenly between her two parents).

And yes, definitely filling out the timeline as soon as I have a date to fit in it. I've looked at dates on this site so often, trying to figure out what the timeline will be for us. We've been smart, though. We want to have a larger ceremony than "the process" would easily allow, so we plan to split it in two parts. Almost as soon as I go down, we plan to have a civil ceremony, with probably just our parents and her kids there, and then a few months later to have a church blessing, which we'll invite the families to and have as our main celebration of our marriage. (uh-oh...am I setting myself up for having to remember two different anniversary dates? :-D )