After 2 years of corresponding through phone/emails I finally had an appointment on Saturday around 11am to meet with our immigration lawyer for the first time. His office is in center city Philadelphia, but his father is also a lawyer and has an office around the corner from my house so we decided to meet there for our initial meeting.

It was really great after talking for 2 years to finally begin our immigration process. I brought all of the copies he asked me to bring to the meeting; copy of our marriage certificate, birth certificates, passport copies, passport style photographs. We started working on the I-864 so we can also file the I-130. If you remember, F.B. and I wanted to do a longer immigration process, because when F.B. steps off the plane he will be a permanent resident.

There was still some information I needed to gather before we could finish our initial application. I have to gather my income tax information from the past 3 years, I need a letter from work verifying I've worked there. I need to get some personal information about F.B.'s parents, places of birth, etc.

When I came back from the Philippines I also brought back with me all the letters I've sent F.B. over the past 5 years (Just the 1st page & envelope- we organized them at his house.) I've already made copies of the letter's he's sent to me. I have to make copies of the last two trip journals F.B.'s kept. (He documents what we do on each day of my trips.) I've made copies of all of my plane stubs, e-tickets. The lawyer also wants me to gather photographs of me with F.B.'s family members. All of that will be used as evidence of our relationship the past 5 1/2 years! Especially since we met online 6 years ago, US immigration will want evidence our relationship is legitmate.

My lawyer was genuinely excited to hear I was finally married, we've been talking almost 2 years now. He was excited for F.B. & I to finally begin our immigration process. In fact, he thinks the process will go faster than initially thought. He said to me he thinks there is a real possibility F.B. could be in the USA by the Xmas 2010! He said not to get my hopes up, but he does think it is going to go a lot faster than the estimated 1-2 years.

He also said, because F.B. & I are now married, it will be nearly impossible for F.B. to be granted a visitors visa to the USA. (The US doesn't like to give visitors visas to an immigrant with a spouse in the USA.) He will probably not be able to visit me around Sept 2011. But the lawyer thinks, F.B. will be in the USA before that time period anyhow and that I won't have to go back to the Philippines to see him instead.

Very exciting! I'm so glad we are finally getting our immigration process started! We've been saving money and gathering evidence, etc; for the past 2 years before we were married in preparation for this!

I have a phone appointment with our lawyer Tuesday around 4pm. He is also going to email me some paperwork and I have to email him some more information so we can complete our initial applications. I will keep you updated on our immigration process!

NOTE: Our lawyers Peter J. Gonzales & Shanna Stanton have changed firms. They are no longer with Kahiga Tiagha. They are now with Green and Spiegel LLC, but still located in Philadelphia. 

Sunday F.B. and I checked into the 5 star, Manila Hotel. We had a coupon for a free overnight & a coupon for a 2 night stay at a discounted rate, so we decided to stay 4 days 3 nights for our 1st monthiversary of being married.

Our Room:

The chocolates left for us after housekeeping made up our room:

We had another TV in the bathroom in our room. The one night F.B. had to call the front desk though because the remote died. They thought it was just the batteries, but it turned out they had to replace the whole remote control.

F.B. happy the TV in the bathroom was working again!

We also had a coupon for free buffet for two at one of the café’s in the hotel. Normally it costs about P1,000 per person. ($20). They had a lot of good food there, dessert was especially good. F.B. had mango cheese cake (We got one to take home to his parents from the bakery- its amazing!) I had mocha cake and a fruit tart, cream puff, etc. Yummy!

Picture of the dessert:

On the 18th we hung out at the hotel all day and relaxed. For dinner F.B. went out and picked up Yellow Cab pizza. We tried the Barbeque Chicken Pizza, yum! I just checked out the website & there's now a Yellow Cab in the USA in Ohio! If they can just come a little further to Philadelphia, I'll be in heaven! Maybe someday soon!

December 19th, was our monthiversary so we went to Saisaki Buffet at Mega Mall for dinner. When you order an iced tea there they give you a stuffed animal. Here’s our animals!

Dragon:

Dog-a-pillar?! LOL!

We checked out of the Manila Hotel on the 20th and spent the day at Robinson’s Manila in the afternoon. We tried Pancake House for lunch. It reminds me of IHOP. If you want you can get meals with pancakes and fried chicken, etc, lol! But they also have breakfast stuff too. I ordered a ham & cheese omelet and pancakes. (Everything was so good, we actually ate lunch again there today, lol!)

Taking billboard pictures while in traffic on Wednesday:

We spent the evening at Mall of Asia on the 20th and had dinner at Chow King. We also decided to have ice-cream at ‘Haagen Dazs’. They have actual ice cream parlors over here. At home Haagen Dazs is just always in the freezer at the supermarket. It happened to be the most expensive ice cream we ever ate too, lol! I know a pint costs like $4-5 at home but how about it cost us P700 ($14) for each of us to get 2 scoops of ice-cream with one topping and a cup of coffee! Yikes! That’s like what we spend when we go out to dinner around here!

We stayed close to Manila all day on Wednesday because we wanted to pick up the mango cheesecake for my in-laws as a thank you gift and we didn’t want it to melt! When we got home that evening F’s room was decorated with streamers and the mirror said “Happy 1st Monthsary”.

My cute mouse jewelry box from Robinson’s Manila. F.B. got it for me!

One of F.B.’s aunts got me this glass rat from Bangkok, Thailand! I’ve gotten sooo much mouse/rat stuff on this trip in the Philippines!

Pictures from Pancake House on Jan 21st:

Today (Jan 21) we went out to Market Market for lunch and also checked out some stores. F.B. got me a copy of Photoshop, now I have to figure out how to use it, lol! (I already use Fireworks & Paintshop Pro.)

When we got home I did most of my packing. Friday we’re just going to hang out at home and relax before I leave on Saturday. We will probably leave for the airport around 8am. My first flight to Shanghai China from Manila is around 12:20pm. I’ll arrive home around 12am on Sunday in Philadelphia. It’s going to be long days of traveling… wish someone would just invent a teleporting machine! I'm trying not to think about leaving just yet... trying to enjoy my last few days with my husband before I have to go home...

F.B. & I are getting married December 19, 2009 in the Philippines. I will be coming back to the USA after the wedding & F.B. will be staying in the Philippines while we work with our lawyer. Our immigration process is estimated to take at least 2 years. We are doing a longer immigration process on purpose because in the long run it will save us some money and also because when F.B. finally does come to the USA, he will be a permanent resident as soon as he steps off the plane and be able to apply for a job right away.

We do not have a wedding registry and we are not asking for any household items, gifts, etc like most married couples do, because we won't be living together for at least two years. So this is kind of cheesy, but if any of our friends or family would like to send us a wedding gift, we will be accepting donations through Paypal. Whatever amount you wish to donate is appreciated and will be used towards our lawyer & immigration fees and after that towards household items (appliances, furniture, etc.) once F.B. moves to the USA. Or you can email me & let me know what you would like your "gift" used for.

There will be a button on the sidebar of my blog (below the visitor map) if you would like to donate. It is through Paypal so it will be secure. And I believe overseas donations can be accepted also. You can also click the button below to be taken to Paypal. Thanks so much!

Happy 30th Birthday Baby, I love you! I wish I could be with you on your birthday this year, like I was last year. (I'm sure you'll appreciate me sharing all these pictures of you being dorky too, haha!) It was nice talking on the phone with you. *MWAH* I love you.

Saturday night I was finally able to relax; take a break and hang out with my cousins. We had Chinese food for dinner (General Tso's chicken, yum.), watched a movie (Coming to America- Eddie Murphy.) & had some drinks. (Stoli Blueberry Vodka & Sprite and Rum & Coke.)

Around 12 midnight F.B. texted me & said he was at Mall of Asia at an Internet cafe and if I wanted we could meet on messenger. Yay! So I finally got to talk to my boy for over an hour on Yahoo Messenger and then he even sent me email too. I'm going to share the email because it has details about the flooding in it:

Hi baby. I miss you. It was nice being able to chat with you. As you know, I'm in MOA right now. Mom and aunts met up someplace and I just didn't tag along with 'em anymore. Had lunch at the food court here at MOA. Had some grilled squid. I'm really getting addicted to squid. haha. Wish we could hang out. I miss your company.

Anyway, I'll just tell you about the recent flood. That was Saturday morning and we chatted the night before. I remember telling you about the rain and hoping that it wouldn't flood. Though flooding was almost expected, we really weren't prepared for the amount that came on that day. There was water in front of the house already when I got the cars out. I brought 'em to one of mom's friends in the village. The water was rising really fast though and when I was heading back home. I almost had to swim through the flood. It was really tiring wading through that flood.

So when I got back home most of our stuff was kinda soaked already, but I still tried to save some stuff while I still could and put stuff on my upper shelves like the computer, laptop, our albums, etc. Mom, Ate, and Lady have been raising up stuff too while I wasn't around. But everything just happened so fast. So you can't help but panic sometimes, and you just kinda lose some common sense and don't know what to do.

We realized that we had to abandon the house since the rain just wouldn't let up. When we did go to the house next door, the flood was about chest high in the garage alone. It's good that our neighbors took us in. We're very grateful for that. The flood came down around Monday morning so we were able to go back to our house to see what happened. Everything was a mess. Furniture was everywhere, the fridge was laying on the floor face down, the cabinet in the dining room where the TV was fell over too and of course the TV on it. The dining table was still standing though it was in a different position. I guess it might've floated. Anyway, you get the idea. So it took a while to clear a path around the house taking out the furniture and stuff.

I had a tough time entering my room too cuz my bed was blocking the door and it was tough to push the bed through the little opening. and there was other stuff too since we did try to put stuff to save on the bed too. I eventually managed to squeeze in the little opening in my door though. Everything was just muddy and that mud really stinks too. Anyway, throwing out lotsa stuff like vcds. Was glad I saved your letters and albums baby. and the laptop and comp. seems ok, though haven't really tried em yet.

Got back to the house around Thursday night and we're just sleeping in one room. That room where Ate Malou sleeps. We just use comforters on the floor. My bed is the only thing left in my room. It still seems ok. Just needs a new mattress. We all need new mattresses. The flood did get about chest high in my room. You can see through the marks of the water and mud on the walls and stuff. My cabinets had to go already since they were pretty much destroyed.

Ya know, we're still kinda lucky though since other places got their houses flooded in fully and some of our neighbors on our street weren't able to get their cars out of the flood. The first time we went out of the village to buy some food and other supplies, it was really crazy. Everything was muddy and dirty, and the traffic was even worst than usual. Plus there was alot of cars lined up on the streets that got flooded in. Really crazy stuff. But like I said we're still lucky. We still have our lives, our home, and even our cars, plus some material stuff were saved too even if it's not too many.

Thanks for calling and texting btw. It's nice to hear from you especially at a time like this. Just been busy lately and it's nice to have some sorta break even for a while. I'll be getting offline soon. Been here at the net cafe for almost 3 hours now. Maybe I'll still have some time just to walk around and stuff at the mall. Take care. I love you Sarah. *mwah*

Your F.B.

They are still putting the house in order. He said alot of the furniture was in the garage & in the covered garden outside right now while they are cleaning up. He also said he thinks his PC will work because it didn't get wet or get mud on it. Good news. I'm just so thankful that F.B. & his family are okay & now they can begin to move forward.

P.S. A cute blog entry by my future sister in law.

F.B. texted me this morning with the following news:

We're ok here.heard d storm has changed its path.thats good news.had dinner out.i miss u.i love u.mwah

Typhoon Pepeng (international codename Parma) has changed direction. Metro Manila & nearby provinces are no longer under threat!

Please continue to pray for the families effected by the flooding as they try to move forward after this horrible tragedy.

Also don’t forget, Philippine National Red Cross is now accepting overseas donations through Paypal!

Sarah Lynn: I cant sleep Im so worried. the new storm was upgraded to supertyphoon. supposd 2 hit Sat. plse keep in contact. I love you. in my prayers

F.B: I know.i saw in d newspaper.mite b more wind tho.but hopefully rain wont b as much.startin 2 stink up in village cuz of trash.i miss u.i love u

Sarah Lynn: Miss kita. now they r saying Laguna de Bay level 2 break 90yr record may flood metro manila & nearby provinces. I love you.

F.B: I kno.hopefully this comin typhoon wont have as much rain & just pass by quickly.my room's pretty much cleared out.been a busy day.quite tired.i miss u.i love u

Sarah Lynn: keeping every1 in my prayers- I just wish it was Nov already & we were 2gether. need kita. I love u. stay safe get sleep soon.

F.B: Thanx 4 your prayers baby.btw,d electrician checked d dvd player & it works again tho d screen's dead.oh well.we mostly watch on tv anyway.hehe.i love u.mwah

Sarah Lynn: thats sum good news baby. glad your room is almost cleaned up. I love you. Im thinkng bout you. *mwah*

F.B: Well,kinda clean i guess.i just have my bed here w/c still seems pretty good.its quite durable.minus d matress.& have my dry stuff up on d shelves.i love u.mwah

Sarah Lynn: Thats sumthng at least.It will b bak 2 normal sooner than u think.I kno its exhausting tho.good 2 keep dry stuff high up on shelves! i love u

Please contine to keep everyone in your prayers. Besides the new typhoon threat there are fears the water level in Laguna de Bay will overflow and flood metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Philippine National Red Cross is now accepting overseas donations through Paypal here! I donated already & I hope others will too!

Wednesday starts my mini vacation. I have Thursday off. And Friday is our holiday at work since July 4th falls on a Saturday this year. And I'm also taking Monday off. So at least I won't have to go back to work until July 7th! Yay for vacations from work even if it's only a few days!

Monday I will be going into work late as well. Sugar had a vet appointment at 9:20am to deal with her recurring abscesses in her arm and also this blood blister thing. Poor Girl. Sugar now has 2 tumors. One on her belly near her right back leg which is growing very rapidly. And another under her right front arm. Sugar is too old to get them removed and I don't want to put her through the surgery. (She will be 2 years in October.) I just hope they don't grow anymore. At the moment she can still get around and comes running for treats.

I have a list of places I want to go to this year or next year. If I ever have the time or money to get around to everything. I know when F.B. moves to the USA we will be going to lot's of tourist places, there's definitely not a lack of that in Philadelphia!

Here is my list:

Mutter Museum

Academy of Natural Sciences

Bryn Athyn Cathedral

Glen Cairn Museum (Same grounds at Byrn Athyn)

Ryerss Museum

Philadelphia Zoo

Dorney Park

I would love to be able to go to the Mutter Museum sometime on my vacation. I've been wanting to go there for years. It's just a few blocks from 30th Street Station so I could take the train there and walk. Philadelphia Zoo & Dorney Park are way down on my list because of the admission costs. Though Dorney does have discounted days in September so maybe I will go then.

So last year when I found & talked to our immigration lawyer. He said immigration would need proof of our relationship. He said making copies of my plane tickets, our letters, etc would help to establish proof of our relationship.

I bought a all in one printer last weekend from Walmart. Surprisingly they had an HP Deskjet for $34! And it doesn't seem to be a sale price. It does seem to be an online only purchase though. I couldn't believe the price when I ordered it!

It arrived this week and I set it up and started making some copies. I've kept every boarding pass, every email from Orbitz.com. I have receipts, movie stubs, play tickets, basketball game ticket stubs from the times I've been in the Philippines. I'm planning to make copies of these. Maybe not every receipt, but I'm sure ones from the hotels we've stayed at, etc may be helpful. Since F.B. & I have sent tons of letters in the past 5 years my lawyer agreed making a copy of the 1st page of the letter and the front of the envelope with postmark should be sufficient.

F.B. has also kept trip journals each time I've been in the Philippines. He wrote down what we did on each day of my stay. I'm going to make copies of those too. F.B. will be making copies of my letters. These are all to provide immigration with proof of our relationship. We will need other documentation and even statements from relatives to prove our relationship to immigration. The more proof we have the better! It's going to take awhile to make copies and records of everything but that is why I am beginning now so we are prepared when we start working with our immigration lawyer in early 2010.

I've also been bidding on eBay again like crazy. When am I not?! Whenever I want something, I always check eBay first for a great deal. I am always saving money that way. I've gotten books recently and clothes and I've been wanting Bose in ear headphones for awhile now. They are so expensive. They retail for $99! I can't stand my tin can sounding ipod buds anymore. Not since I started listening to my music through my new car stereo! I have sony in ear headphones for the plane but they are uncomfortable so I was looking for something that sounds great and is comfortable too.

I was bidding on Bose headphones for the longest time and always getting outbid until a week ago or so. I was outbid on an auction but a few days later I received a 2nd chance offer because the winner the auction failed to pay. I got brand new in the box Bose headphones for $40! My highest bid. They are amazing too! They don't go in your ear all the way so they are comfortable and I barely have to turn the volume up on my video ipod at all it's so clear & loud! With the ipod buds I had to turn up the volume almost all the way and it still didn't sound so great. I'm very happy with them!

So it's been extremely rainy in Philadelphia for a week straight now! It was supposed to overcast for the weekend and then it changed to scattered thunderstorms. I've been wanting to take my new rattie girls (Ginger, Nutmeg & Saffy) to the park to get some nice outdoor shots of them like my older girls. Well I woke up by chance this morning around 8:30am and the sun was shining in my window so up I got. I was definitely heading to the park! My brother & I stopped for breakfast sandwiches and redbull at Wawa and then took the girls to the park where I got some lovely shots of them outside.

They were very curious sniffing and looking around at the park. And of course people had to stop us and say, "Is that a rat!?" "Are they good pets?" "What do they eat!?" And others just pointed. Yes, I'm the crazy rat lady at the park, haha! It was really humid out though. And it did start raining just as we were leaving and heading to the parking lot but we had a really nice morning.

Here are some pictures from today:

You can view the rest of the pictures at my photobucket album here!

I bought my plane ticket on Orbitz this afternoon. I've been researching plane tickets for a few weeks now. The prices are not bad but the flight I've always taken the delay when I get back to Chicago is only 1 hour and that's not enough time to claim my luggage, go through customs, take a tram train to my terminal, go through security and make my plane. Last time I was stopped at customs and one year my luggage was lost and never made my flight because they don't give you enough time.

I was really looking for a longer delay when I get back to the USA. So I found a flight that gives me a 4 hour delay when I arrive in Chicago. That is more than enough time. The only thing is I will be stopping at 2 airports I've never been to before. 1 in Tokyo Japan on the way there. And then Shanghai China on the way back. But I still get to go from Philadelphia to Chicago. The other good thing is, when I leave the Philippines I'm leaving in the afternoon instead of in the middle of the night. And I'm also leaving through Philippine Airlines which means I get to go to the smaller airport and will have more time to say goodbye to F.B. When I arrive in Manila, I'll be at the larger international airport and I'll be taking Japan Airlines. I've never flown Japan Airlines before. I'll also be using American Airlines. I've always used United Airlines, but I did take American to Florida 2 years ago.

There were only 4 tickets left for the flight I wanted. And I wanted to think it over before buying it. I saw the ticket on Thursday night. I slept on it. The reason mostly because we haven't been having overtime at work and I still have $800 on my other credit card that I wanted to get lower before buying a ticket and adding $1,200 to another credit card. (at least it's 0% apr for a year!) But this morning when I woke up I was thinking, "Next month is May!" I can't believe how the year is flying. And I will still need to apply for my visa this year too. So this afternoon I bought my ticket and I will be heading back to the Philippines in late November.

Leave Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Depart: American Airlines, 6:15am Philadelphia International (PHL)
Arrive: 7:45am Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)

Change planes. Time between flights: 1hr 35min

Depart: American Airlines, 11:05am Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
Arrive: 3:15pm Tokyo, Japan Tokyo Narita (NRT)

Change planes. Time between flights: 3hr 5min

Depart: Japan Airlines, 6:30pm Tokyo, Japan Tokyo Narita (NRT)
Arrive: 10:30pm Manila, Philippines Manila Ninoy Aquino Intl (MNL)

This is an overnight flight. Total duration: 25hr 25min | Total miles: 8837 miles

Return Saturday, January 23, 2010

Depart: Philippine Airlines 12:20pm Philippines, Manila Ninoy Aquino Intl (MNL)
Arrive: 3:50pm Shanghai, China Shanghai PuDong (PVG)

Change planes. Time between flights: 2hr 10min

Depart: American Airlines 6:00pm Shanghai, China Shanghai PuDong (PVG)
Arrive: 5:10pm Chicago, IL Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)

Change planes. Time between flights: 4hr 5min

Depart: American Airlines 9:15pm Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
Arrive: 12:10am Philadelphia International (PHL)

This is an overnight flight. Total duration: 24hr 44min | Total miles: 8889 miles

The only thing is, I'm leaving a few days before Thanksgiving. I will also miss Christmas & New Years at home this year. I guess I will have to do an early "Thanksgiving/Christmas" with my family like I did in 2006 before my first trip to the Philippines. This will be by 4th trip to the Philippines.

Once I arrive in November, F.B. & I will go to the US Embassy so I can get my Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. Then we can apply for our marriage license and after a 10 day waiting period we can make an appointment with a judge in Cainta, Rizal to have our civil wedding ceremony. Then we were going to just have a dinner afterwards. F.B. said his parents were talking about giving us a "reception" most likely a dinner party. I know they will invite all the relatives, hehe.

NOTE: If you are getting married in the Philippines and you are a US citizen these requirements from the US Embassy in Manila Philippines, will be helpful: Getting Married in The Philippines.

When I get back from the Philippines in January, I'll be starting the immigration process for F.B. with our lawyer. The process will take close to 2 years before F.B. will be able to come to the USA. But we are doing it the longer way so when he does arrive in the USA, he will be a permanent resident alien. We are choosing do to it this way because we want more time to save money for when we are together. Also, even though it will take longer it will actually save us money in the long run.

So now that I've gotten my plane ticket, the next step will be to apply for my 59 day visa in September from the Philippine Consulate. Now to start paying this plane ticket off...

5 years ago today F.B. & I first said "I love you." 5 years ago today we decided to start this relationship. April 1st, 2004 was a defining moment in our relationship. We've been through so much together in these past 5 years, and I look forward to our future together...

Happy Anniversary Baby, I Love You.





4. She Will Be Loved: Maroon 5

5. A Thousand Miles: Vanessa Carlton

6. The Reason: Hoobastank

7. It's Gonna Be Love: Mandy Moore

8. I'll Be: Edwin Mccain

9. Wait For Me: Rebecca St. James

10. Iris: Goo Goo Dolls

11. Naked: Avril Lavigne

12. Beautiful Soul: Jesse McCartney

13. On The Way Down: Ryan Cabrera

14. Happy Together: The Turtles

15. Unwell: Matchbox Twenty

16. Passenger Seat: Stephen Speaks

17. If You're Not The One: Daniel Bedingfield

18. For You: The Calling


There are also a few albums that really stand out to me. Whenever I listen to them I'm reminded of how our relationship began 5 years ago and how far we've come.

A Walk To Remember: Soundtrack

A Walk To Remember: Soundtrack, was one of the very first albums F.B. & I shared and listened to. It just fit for the feelings we were starting to have for one another.

Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room

One of the first private messages I ever sent F.B. I quoted some lyrics from the song 'Breathe'. It was also the first song I ever played on the guitar for him over the phone.

Michelle Branch: Hotel Paper

'Breathe' & 'Desperately' were song lyrics F.B. shared with me. We both had Michelle Branch's albums and it became a way to connect with each other by listening to the same music.

Maroon 5: Songs About Jane

This was one of the first CD's I went out and bought after F.B. recommended it to me. He would quote Maroon 5 lyrics to me sometimes. And 'She Will Be Loved' is one of our favorites.