Any February 2012 filers?

[Darkmoonfaerie 19]

Hiya! I'm really happy to meet so many others who are filing around the same time as we are. I just sent off my I-129F yesterday. They said it should get to Dallas tomorrow and actually received when they're open on Monday.

A Little bit about us I'm Meg, the petitioner. I'm 34 and a Chiropractor/ College instructor from Massachusetts. My fiance is Alan, who is also 34 and a secondary school science teacher in England. He's got two gorgeous boys, ages 4 and 6 and is the custodial parent so they will be coming with him. We met while playing the silly games on Facebook in 2009 and instantly became friends. He was getting out of a bad marriage and I had just gotten out of a bad long term (and partially long distance, though both in the US) relationship so neither was looking for more than a friend at that time. We spent a lot of time just talking and getting to know each other and realized that we are so incredibly similar. Once his divorce was finalized, we started talking about taking things beyond friendship. We told our families and met each other's parents via skype/oovoo. He and his boys came to stay with me and my parents in Dec of 2010 and we immediately knew we needed to be together. We've both traveled back and forth a few times and adore the other's country and family. I feel so lucky to have met my gorgeous geeky boy hehe. Due to an ongoing investigation into his ex's alleged abuse and need for limited supervised visitation of the boys, we had been waiting to file our visa application until his solicitor advised us that we could. We were ecstatic when he said that it would be good to have it filed before their next court hearing. In addition to being nervous and excited about the visa, we're hoping that she will agree to the boys' move and that we won't have to seek a judge's permission. Please cross your fingers and send good thoughts to us - court date is Monday!

Looking forward to getting to know everyone here

And oh yeah..They've stayed with me and my family 5 times now, and one visit was for the entire month of August. They're pretty familiar with the Boston, Providence and Cape Cod areas and love it here. I'm looking forward to taking them to my Chiropractic School's reunion in Iowa this summer. Hoping to drive there so they can experience more of the USA cause they're having a hard time grasping the size of the country LOL

[MrsDNuma2013 0]

Greetings everyone! I also recently filed our I-129 petition and received the NOA1 yesterday. Best wishes to everyone for smooth, quick journey! :-)

[MrsDNuma2013 0]

Welcome, annrenee: good to see another Uganda case! Are you the beneficiary or the petitioner?

I just got my NOA1: hooray! Okay, it's not much, but at least it is something. What are they doing sending text messages and emails at 1:53 AM, though? I noticed that Mariya and Timmy also got theirs: congrats!

LOL - yes, the 1:53am email and text message on 2/24 was EXTRA random. :-)

[MrsDNuma2013 0]

Yes, that's kind of the approach I have in mind, but I also don't have a backyard. I'm thinking of games, a sort of modified international potluck (assign a small group of friends to make different things: not everyone bringing food), and lots of music, kids, and general cacophony. For the reception, that is.

* * *

Hey, since we're going to be here for a while, can everyone introduce him/herself? Maybe tell your name, whether you're the beneficiary or petitioner, where you live, and...hmmm, the first thing you want to show your fiancé (or see) once he/she/you get(s) to the U.S.

I guess I should start! I'm Joy, and I'm the petitioner. I live in Boston. We have a restaurant at the top of one of the tallest buildings here (52 floors up, which is nothing in NYC but very high here) where you can sit and enjoy the view over tea and cookies: I think Aaron would enjoy that! There is also a really beautiful reservoir near my apartment that has a walking path around it. I've mentioned it to him but mistakenly used the word "lake," which was hilarious because of course he lives on the edge of Lake Victoria and a 2-mile-circumference lake isn't quite the same thing: chances are we'll probably end up there first (unless it's February or something!).

Anyone else?

Joy, your wedding idea is good. I am also thinking of having ours at my church, but I hadn't really thought that far ahead. Once we get the NOA2 I am sure I will get in high gear with wedding planning. :-)

So a little about me: I'm Vanessa and I'm the petitioner. I currently live and work in MD within the D.C metro area. My fiance Edward is Ugandan but works for the East African Community Secretariat in Arusha, TZ. Very interesting organization. Arusha is quite lovely...I spent a few weeks there in Dec 2011/Jan 2012 and Edward took me to just about every TZ national park near Arusha, which was amazing. Edward is a history buff, so he will love seeing all of the monuments and museums in the D.C. area. A drive/weekend trip to NYC will probably be second on the list.

Me and Edward were introduced through my best friend who did an internship where Edward works. We connected immediately, and here we are! :-)

[Z&A 2]

We mailed our I-129F on the 18th of February 2012, too. And today we received an e-mail telling that our case has been forwarded to the California Cervice Center for processing. Hope we all have a safe and smooth "journey"

[Z&A 2]

Yes, that's kind of the approach I have in mind, but I also don't have a backyard. I'm thinking of games, a sort of modified international potluck (assign a small group of friends to make different things: not everyone bringing food), and lots of music, kids, and general cacophony. For the reception, that is.

* * *

Hey, since we're going to be here for a while, can everyone introduce him/herself? Maybe tell your name, whether you're the beneficiary or petitioner, where you live, and...hmmm, the first thing you want to show your fiancé (or see) once he/she/you get(s) to the U.S.

I guess I should start! I'm Joy, and I'm the petitioner. I live in Boston. We have a restaurant at the top of one of the tallest buildings here (52 floors up, which is nothing in NYC but very high here) where you can sit and enjoy the view over tea and cookies: I think Aaron would enjoy that! There is also a really beautiful reservoir near my apartment that has a walking path around it. I've mentioned it to him but mistakenly used the word "lake," which was hilarious because of course he lives on the edge of Lake Victoria and a 2-mile-circumference lake isn't quite the same thing: chances are we'll probably end up there first (unless it's February or something!).

Anyone else

Hi, I am Zaruhi, the beneficiary, but this account belongs to both me and Aaron, so it can be either one of us :)I am from Armenia, and I met my fiance Aaron when I was an international exchange student in the States. We started dating but I had to leave for my home counrty in June 2010. On December 2011 he visited me in Armenia, met my family and friends and proposed )) He stayed for a month and a half. He sent our I-129f on the 18th of February 2012 and now we are hoping this won't take too long. We are very much in love and every day spent apart seems like forever (I am sure you guys know what it feels like).

[afoyoswa 178]

Yay, another Aaron! I'm a little biased toward that name.

So, speaking of wedding planning: I (quite unexpectedly) found (and bought) my wedding dress today! It is perfect. I'm just not sure where I'm actually going to store it for the next however-many months. My apartment really *is* that small. But it was just the right price, and just the right everything, and deeply discounted, and discontinued so there was only one left in my size, so...I couldn't resist. Makes it all seem so real, somehow. (And makes me feel extra-superstitious, of course, like I'm taking for granted that he's actually going to get here at some point. Anyone else have these crazy superstitions?)

[StarGirl 13]

Yay, another Aaron! I'm a little biased toward that name.

So, speaking of wedding planning: I (quite unexpectedly) found (and bought) my wedding dress today! It is perfect. I'm just not sure where I'm actually going to store it for the next however-many months. My apartment really *is* that small. But it was just the right price, and just the right everything, and deeply discounted, and discontinued so there was only one left in my size, so...I couldn't resist. Makes it all seem so real, somehow. (And makes me feel extra-superstitious, of course, like I'm taking for granted that he's actually going to get here at some point. Anyone else have these crazy superstitions?)

I have my mind set on this particular dress on Davidsbridal. It's perfect.. BUT .. I guess I am superstitious, so we are buying this dress not a minute before I cross POE. My fiancé laughs at me and calls me silly, but I just don't want to jinx it ))))

Edited February 26, 2012 by StarGirl

[afoyoswa 178]

I have my mind set on this particular dress on Davidsbridal. It's perfect.. BUT .. I guess I am superstitious, so we are buying this dress not a minute before I cross POE. My fiancé laughs at me and calls me silly, but I just don't want to jinx it ))))   

Have you tried it on yet? (I'm guessing not, since it doesn't appear that there is David's Bridal in Russia.) If not, definitely make a trip there once you get here and try on everything in sight. I had my heart set on one particular dress myself, and when I tried it on, it was horrible. I really cannot express how much I hated that dress! Nothing else that was on my list looked too wonderful, either. The one I ended up loving was a random dress I grabbed from the rack while I was wandering around waiting for the consultant to bring me something. People insisted that I'd be really surprised by what I ended up with, and I so completely was. (And besides, trying on dresses is SO much fun.)

Which dress is it?

[Mariya and Tim 5]

I think I will never find a dress that i like

[afoyoswa 178]

I think I will never find a dress that i like

Oh, you will! I expected it to be really difficult and it wasn't that bad. Too easy, almost!

What is not easy is communication between here and Uganda with time zone differences and mobile network issues and internet issues and electricity issues. I feel really silly right now having bought a wedding dress and not having been able to reach my fiancé to tell him about it, despite trying since yesterday morning. I am so sad and frustrated right now.

Anyone else with technological barriers to communication? (I am choosing to believe that is all it is. No reason to think otherwise.)

Edited February 26, 2012 by afoyoswa

[Mariya and Tim 5]

I am so sorry. You will find a way to contact him (hug)

Our 7 hr time difference sucks too =/ and with his sleep schedule feels more like 12 hr :X i hate this..

[Tbakke125125 3]

Yeah, 12 hr time difference for me...But sacrifices will be made! Just have to learn how to sleep less . My fiancee is going crazy about her dress too but the right dress is out there for every woman!

[MrsDNuma2013 0]

Oh, you will! I expected it to be really difficult and it wasn't that bad. Too easy, almost!

What is not easy is communication between here and Uganda with time zone differences and mobile network issues and internet issues and electricity issues. I feel really silly right now having bought a wedding dress and not having been able to reach my fiancé to tell him about it, despite trying since yesterday morning. I am so sad and frustrated right now.

Anyone else with technological barriers to communication? (I am choosing to believe that is all it is. No reason to think otherwise.)

It can be very frustrating...not sure of the time difference you are working with, but for me it is an 8 hour time difference between DC and Arusha. I find that calling while it is early morning TZ time (which means around 10-11pm my time) is best for optimum clarity. Also, for some reason, calls through Skype are clearer than calls from my landline using phonecards. Skype in general is a lifesaver. Text messages through Skype are cheap for me, and texts to the US are cheap for my fiance, so that is how we work that.

[MaggieT 4]

This sucks!!!

I mailed my I-129F February 17 and still no NOA1 - no text, no email, no check cashed, but it was delivered Febrary 22nd.

Why is this happening???