December Filers

[Christine + Blake 18]

Wendie, I have totally ignored that advice so far, haha. I'm going to Atlanta tonight (!!!!) for three weeks (!!!!) to do some wedding planning - we'll be putting deposits down on our dj, caterer, and photographer! oops. I know its risky, but we're really hoping for the best and relying on our own advance organization and the fact we gave ourselves some time past the estimated date.. It stresses me out and makes me nervous, but such is life!

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Hello everyone! My fiance and I files December 1st.. So, right now, we're just waiting for the notice for interview. Hope everyone updates so we know when they start on Decemeber filers. Best of luck to all of us!

Welcome Hope and Sun to the Thread!!!

Please fill in your timeline on your profile so we can accurately add you into our Dec 2010 K1 Timeline (Dizzylox does it).

Nice to have you here and happy to meet you!

Mari

PS: Be sure to check out our Thread Map to help you navigate around. You'll find much needed information for the NOA2 and even Wedding Links for your Big Day!

[hope.andsun 7]

notice for interview? you mean the NOA2?

Yup. The NOA2

Welcome Hope and Sun to the Thread!!!

Please fill in your timeline on your profile so we can accurately add you into our Dec 2010 K1 Timeline (Dizzylox does it).

Nice to have you here and happy to meet you!

Mari

PS: Be sure to check out our Thread Map to help you navigate around. You'll find much needed information for the NOA2 and even Wedding Links for your Big Day!

Wow! Everyone's so nice here. Hahaha... But, how do I this timeline? Is it just in the profile settings? Will update it tomorrow because it's quite late here already. Thanks a lot Mari & Kadir!!!

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Hi Mari,

Took me time to read the whole thread.. and all are very helpful thanks for this!!

Kindly add me to the December Timeline...please...

Thank you,

Cici

Morning Cici [& Jay],

I thought you were already on there? Yes, definitely will have our Timeline updated when Dizzylox comes home from UK.

Good to see you!

Mari

[Mariye & Ky 172]

(F) Welcome Home Mrs.DizzyLoxxxxxxy! (F)

The Following New Deceberite 2010 K1 Filers request to be added to our Timeline:

1. Neko
2. Gsummit
3. Dianarang_17
4. Jay & CiCi
5. Militarygf
6. MyWenie
7. Lena and Igor
8. Hope.and Sun

If you are a new Dec 2010 K1'er please let us know so we can add you to the "family thread"

A HUGE GIANT THANK YOU to DizzzyLoxx (and Mr Loxxxy too) for the Timeline updates!

[Marcia&Danny 5]

Hi allWe are also December filers ))

We filed on 17 dec and received hard copy of NOA1 on 20 Dec, sent to VSC.

Good luck to everyone

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Here Comes The Bride .. We're not Bridezilla

Part 1 in a Series by Mari

Hi Dec 2010 K-1 Brides!

Working in healthcare, I thought it might be nice to write a post on "Chillaxing" for once. This whole time we've been in VJ, we have been working on our Petitions, our Bene's NOA2 documents, we still have to put together Packet 3 and Packet 4 (yes, there is more), etc. Between this, our life also happens (work, school, kids,pets,To Do lists), and of course the day we look forward to, The Wedding!!! Let's face it, it's a whole other ballgame when we're talking non-immigrant Visa. We make notes for uscis stuff, wedding, travel, moving to another country, newlyweds adjusting to our marriages and our bene's adjusting to America.

Indeed, there are underlying elements of anxiety, fear, waiting pains, loneliness, financial stress, and reality of Government Rules and Regulations that make us jump through hoops to get to the final outcome of being with our Sweethearts! Intellectually and deep in our hearts we know it is all worth it. But how do we destress and not become the New Day Bridezilla during this entire process?

May I suggest the following to keep you ladies sane and healthy?

• Drink: Water that is. You must hydrate yourselves at least 2 quarts (64ozs) of H2O per day. That's four 16 oz bottles of water each day. Studies show the importance of water for ten good reasons!

1. Healthy Skin: You can look glamourous on your wedding day. Water is important for cellular integrity as it moisturizes from the inside-out. It maintains elasticity and suppleness, keeps you from dryness of skin.

2. Toxicity Flushing: Particularly in the GI/GU (digestive tract). The kidneys are a filtering system and are dependent on H2O to keep them working. Water helps to get rid of urea, nitrogen and ketones. Water is also important in the large intestines for absorption of water during the process of elimination.

3. Reduce the risk of heart attack. Research at Loma Linda University-- California, has shown that drinking at least 5 glasses (8ozs each) of water per day reduces the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and dying from heart attack, than those who drank less than, or fewer than 2 glasses a day. This study included for both men and women.

4. Hydrate your joints and muscles. Water lubricates and will cushion the soft tissue areas and joints. Drinking water before, during and after exercise will help to reduce cramps, and premature fatigue. Adequate water intake maintains hydration and will help in performance and optimal benefits for regular exercise.

5. Alert, attentive and energy! Most adults lose 10 cups of water per day via sweating, urination, bowel movements, and expiration (breathing out). If you are mildly dehydrated, decreased water intake can cause lack of concentration, headache, irritability and fatigue. All of which makes a FINE BRIDEZILLA! Hydration by water is essential for proper circulation in the body, which by bringing more blood to the brain, increases the Oxygen (O2 levels), helping you to think more clearly and on point! Incidently, the more O2 the body has readily available the more fat it will burn for energy!

6. STAY REGULAR: To me this is one of the most important and I cannot stress how important it is for my patients to keep a healthy intake of water and FIBER in their diets! *(I'll write more next time about the importance of Fiber in our diets in another part of this series. But let's stick to the importance of water for now). As I briefly stated in #2 above, water helps prevent constipation as it plays a major role in adding fluid to the colon and will add bulk to stools. It encourages elimination and softens waste matter. In brief, it is essential for proper nutritional absorption, and biochemical reactions that take place during digestion. While the foods we eat consists primarily of carbohydrates and proteins, water helps metabolize them in the bloodstream, as well as help with elimination of wastes from our bodies!

7. Reduce your risk of disease and infection. When you're dehydrated, your body systems must work harder. At the cellular level when your cells require water, they draw from your bloodstream. Thus, making the blood "sludgy" and the heart muscle must work harder. I've talked about the digetive processes and nutrtional values and let's not forget about our joints and soft tissues, our central nervous system (brain work), etc. One point that comes to mind is when we do not drink enough water consistently; be aware of Chronic Cellular Dehydration and its symptoms. The good news is that we can prevent this by being consistent and always having water on hand!

8. Regulate your body temperature. Water is the body's cooling system. Did you know that during exercise, if you drink 12 ozs of plain water, your body will absorb 8ozs. within 15 minutes? But Mari, how about Sport Drinks (water with 10% sugar solutions)? Typically, researchers found that less than 2ozs. will be absorbed in that same 15 minutes of fluid intake. It's a big difference when rehydrating our bodies!

9. Burn more fat and build more muscle. Dehydration decreases protein synthesis in our bodies due to the energy it requires of us. Protein synthesis is what we require to build and tone our muscles. Think like this: Proteins either get burned for energy, or they get stored for FAT! Ach!! If we are dehydrated our protein synthesis stalls. Therefore, fewer calories which are required to build proteins, instead get stored as fat.

10. Get Well, Stay Well! How many times have you heard, "Drink plenty of fluids" when you're sick? Believe it or not, this is a very real remedy! Because of the things are listed above, you can see why the importance of water would help maintain your health. When you're feeling sick, water helps your body control your temperture, thin out mucus, and replace fluids (remember? sweating, exhaling, urination and elimination).

Summary: Water is an essential to our well-being and general health overall. It plays important roles in our body systems. Hydrating our bodies shows in our skin (beautiful brides). It can help us build and tone our muscles and burn fat. To know how much water you need to drink a simple way to remember is to drink "half your weight". Thus,an example to simplify: If you weigh 120 lbs, then you drink 60 ounces a day. Water is not only important for brides to be, but also for GROOMS TO BE! (lol, we want them thinking clearly during all these processes and plans we must endure).

And I leave you with this quote by: Henry David Thoreau. "Water is the only drink for a wise man"

I wish you Brides the Best during our time together in this Visa Journey!

Love you all,

Mari

Edited February 26, 2011 by Mari & Kadir

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Hi allWe are also December filers ))

We filed on 17 dec and received hard copy of NOA1 on 20 Dec, sent to VSC.

Good luck to everyone

Welcome Marcia & Danny to the Thread!!!

Please be sure to fill in your timeline on your profile so we can accurately add you into our Dec 2010 K-1 Family Thread Timeline.

I'm happy to meet you!

Mari

PS: Check out our Thread Map to help you navigate around here! See page and post #'s for important information for Packet 2 for our NOA2 & Wedding links!

[Mariye & Ky 172]

HEY DEC K1 2010 THREAD!! GET UPDATED ON THE NEWS AROUND HERE!!

*** You're going to see this message with updates around in future posts so ALL OF US can get ready for each step of the Visa Journey! !***

Here are the previous post that will give you Thread Map for the USCIS links & information Currently, we're working on preparation of Packet #2, Request to be Added to Timeline, Wedding planning and staying healthy so we won't stress out! Please join us and say hello to everyone.

• Page 17 ...............................Post # 251................................Packet #2 List ** PLEASE DO NOT MISS THIS**
• Page 7................................. Post # 98.................................. Your NOA1 Date
• Page 23 .............................. Post # 331 ...............................Timeline By DizzyLox with Dec Filer's Daily Updated List (Updated M-F, No weekends)
• Page 23............................... Post # 331............................... ADD ME to TIMELINE (Hit Reply for Dizzylox to Request Dizzy to Add you)
• Page 10 ...............................Post # 142............................... Dec K1 2010 Thread's GAME PLAN
• Page 11............................... Post #151.................................USCIS Service Center's EMAIL ADDRESSES & HEADQUARTER's SERVICE CENTER OPERATIONS
• Page 17................................Post #251.................................CSC & VSC Processing Time (not a promise or a guarantee)
• Page 20................................Post #294 ................................Igor's List CSC & VSC (Your place in line = approximation)
• Page 22................................Post #316 &329......................Preparation for Medical Examination // Amendment post# 329
• Page 23 .............................. Post# 341.................................CDC & Immigration Criteria for required vaccinations (record & history review for beneficiary)
• Page 23................................Post #345.................................Best Wedding links by Wendie
• Page 25................................Post#361..................................The Most Overlooked Tax Deductions Article by Kiplinger.com
• Page 25................................Post # 362.................................Nesting for our Fiance's new home! Clean, Declutter and Organize before they get here.
• Page 32................................Post # 468................................ Bec_Dipu's example of why we do not wait to gather our NOA2 packet documents.
• Page 33................................Post # 490.................................Required Documents for NOA2 (Post is duplicate so members can find easily)
• Page 37................................Post # 547.................................Stay Healthy! No Bridezilla's here. Part 1 of Series on health matters

Thanks Everybody You Are Drop Dead Stunning!

Mari

[bubpce 6]

Auh, thank you Mari You are the best!!!! I plan to write down the pages on the thread in my notebook so i can navigate more easily. Since Terry is working nights, i have more time on my hands to spend here with you guys. And tnx for that post about how to keep up our health. We do have a medical to attend soon LOL

Well, i planned to go to the gym anyhow, and this stressing process might be the motive. I need to work-out the stress.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend

Ouh and does anyone know where they will start working on December cases? I still read that they are working on august and september ...

Good luck to us all

[Marcia&Danny 5]

Welcome Marcia & Danny to the Thread!!!

Please be sure to fill in your timeline on your profile so we can accurately add you into our Dec 2010 K-1 Family Thread Timeline.

I'm happy to meet you!

Mari

PS: Check out our Thread Map to help you navigate around here! See page and post #'s for important information for Packet 2 for our NOA2 & Wedding links!

Thank You Mari

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Ok this will have to be my major contribution to the this thread…

Since everyone needs some distraction from waiting for our NOA2, check out Wendie's "Best of the Internet Wedding Planning Websites"…. I hope you guys can all benefit from my hours of internet searching to keep me occupied from checking VJ all day.

Best wedding overall sites for ideas, planning, tools, discounts, etc:

http://www.theknot.com/

http://www.weddingbee.com/

http://www.weddingwire.com/

http://www.projectwedding.com/

Wedding Venue finders:

http://www.herecomestheguide.com/

http://www.gatheringguide.com/

(southern California) http://www.weddingcompass.com/

(Find reviews on your venue) http://www.yelp.com

Free wedding websites:

http://www.weddingwi...g-websites.html

http://www.mywedding...g_websites.html

http://www.ewedding.com/

http://www.projectwe....com/ourwedding

Invitations & Save the dates (cheap!)

http://www.magnetstreet.com/ (check out the color finder to find the right colors for your wedding!)

http://www.minted.com/

https://www.invitesite.com (for the DIY bride- cheap ready to print invites)

Favors, decorations, etc.:

http://www.etsy.com

http://www.treebeginnings.com

For the eco-conscious bride:

http://www.greenbrideguide.com/

http://www.amazon.co...g/dp/140221345X

For the DIY bride:

http://www.weddingwi...ects-and-ideas/

http://www.diywedding.org/

http://diy.wed-central.com/

For the budget conscious bride (because USCIS took all our money!):

http://www.thebrokeassbride.com/

For the fitness conscious bride:

http://www.fitnessma.../fitnesstracker

http://mashable.com/...android-health/ (Best Android apps for fitness)

http://diettogo.com/blog/top-10-iphone-fitness-workout-apps-50-bonus-apps (Iphone fitness apps)

Wendie, can you please add this to your wonderful Wedding link lists? Google has come out with a new site to help simplify wedding planning! Here's the link: http://www.google.com/weddings/index.html

Love ya!

Mari

[bubpce 6]

Eh, i just read guys ... someone got approved their Noa2 in just 25 days after the noa1 ... january filers, makes me wonder if they take cases as they are sent or randomly?

I wish those guys good luck

We sure could use some of it when it comes to the noa2 ,

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Eh, i just read guys ... someone got approved their Noa2 in just 25 days after the noa1 ... january filers, makes me wonder if they take cases as they are sent or randomly?

I wish those guys good luck

We sure could use some of it when it comes to the noa2 ,

I saw 3 January Filer's that got their NOA2 from CSC. I did not see any from VSC. But the good news is that they're mostly finished with July/ August filers, and started on Sept/ Oct filers! That means we're not too far from our turn if they keep moving at this pace! This is really good!

Only thing we can do is keep doing life and be prayerful we're closer to being with our Sweethearts

Mari

[Lise+Michael 13]

Hi everyone,

Michael and I were just talking about healthcare and the need for insurance here in the USA.

I have a link to share http://www.immigrationhealth.com/InboundImmigrant_1567.pdf which can

be a starting point to understand the system. I understand that no matter what insurance your

future spouse has you will need your own insurance until you are married. In my case unless Michael

gets called back to work I am not insured, he is also a VA but I am not insured under his benefits.

I will be consulting with a friend of Michael's who sells insurance to get his input.

Anyone out there have experience with this?

Have a wonderful night,

Lise