Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

Congratulations.

After almost a year of stress, worry, work, paperwork, red tape and hoops to jump through.......Donna and Lauren have both had their visas approved.
Donna already has hers but, due to a hiccup, Lauren had to go for her interview at the American Embassy today and hers has now been approved.

Unless you have been through this procedure you can have no idea just how difficult it is.
Donna has her place at Herzing University in Milwaukee to start in September, studying for a degree in Massage Therapy.
Lauren will be attending in the Ronald Reagan High School in Milwaukee, studying for her High School Diploma.
She is blooming lucky to have got into this school.
It is one of the best in the country and is very selective about who they take.
They also prepare them for university so I hope she does well.
I would have thought she would be very nervous about going to an American school but she is taking it all in her stride and doesn't seem worried at all.
They should be arriving on July 24th.
The cats arrive next week.

I have been getting a room ready for the cats.  It looks like a kitty play room at the moment.
There will be a very slow introduction over several weeks.
Cats are not usually quick to accept newcomers.
I am concerned about them and the long flight.  I shall be very stressed that day until we pick them up from the airport in Chicago and get them home.
Poor little things will have no idea what is going on.
I hope they settle down quickly and have no ill affects.

I think there will be many tears flowing when Donna and Lauren arrive.  This has been a long time coming and the sense of relief will be amazing.
Donna usually bawls all the way here on the plane, just because she can relax and have others to share all the responsibilities that she usually shoulders alone.
I can see the stress lift from her as soon as she sits on the sofa........actually I can see this with Alan too when he arrives.
He works hard all year and it must be such a relief for him to know he has 6 weeks or more to relax without working.
Ha...having said that, he usually does quite a bit of work with the snow shovel, but I think that is different, almost therapeutic.
I must remember that.
When we have yet another 3 feet of snowfall I will send them out for some snow shovelling therapy.

Anyway, well done Donna.  It has been a tough year but it will be worth it.

posted by Sue Banks @ 7:47 AM