Friends at the Embassy

We finished Lilys papers the other day for the US. Instead of putting a list of what all we had to have I am just going to post the link and tell you how our day went.
http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/service/passports-and-citizen-services/consular-reports-of-birth-abroad.html
If you go to this site and read through it well you shouldn't have to much trouble getting the papers done.
There were a few glitches in the system and I will tell you how to get around them. First of all the link that is on the site for the Consular Birth Abroad application doesn't work. After many tries and two phone calls I was advised to google it. When I did I came up with this site and the form. First off this is what I googled (CRBA Application Form DS-2029) and it came up like forth on the list.
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#sclient=psy&hl=en&safe=off&site=webhp&source=hp&q=CRBA+Application+Form+DS-2029&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=7b425d6fdff6411c

The other problem we came across was trying to actually book the appointment. I checked at least three or four times a week for a few weeks and finally gave up and called about it. This is the site you go to make your appointment and thankfully they have a phone number right at the top of the page. The good thing is that this phone number goes directly to a person and not a machine.
https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=GDL&appcode=1

What they told me is that you actually need to check it almost twice a day. Basically the officers that do the interview go in at random times and add their availabilities. I did this for a couple days and finally got my appointment. That was a bit of a pain but really it could have been worse.

Our appointment was set for 8am and we got down there around 720. The line outside was already half a block long so Issac dropped me at the door and went to park with the girls. We had to bring the two older ones because we didn't have a sitter and didn't know till the day before that we wouldn't have one. By the time Issac made it to me they were already letting people in. He dropped the older girls off with me and went with the baby to get her pictures taken. They actually turned out so cute. He got back just in time, I almost got called to the door but the officer changed his mind. A few minutes after Issacs return we were called into the little room where they check you. We have done this before so we came prepared... or should I say unprepared? Because your basically not allowed to bring anything in with you. Since IM nursing the baby this really is no big deal. The little room felt a lot like what you go through at the air port and the officers were really nice to us and the girls. Then you leave that room and enter the office itself.
Issac instantly went sour and claimed he hated this place. I knew from last time the reason is because it looks exactly like the office in Juarez where he was so badly treated. He did his best to keep his head up but I could tell he was antzy and bothered the whole time we were there. When we went in we got a letter and waited to be called. This didn't take but ten minutes or so and this was when we turned in all our paperwork. The only thing that I didn't have was our marriage lice which I was thinking I didn't need. I explained my reasoning and the accepted my papers. The told me I would be called by the cashier to pay. Again this only took about ten minutes and at this point I only paid for the CRBA. I had to wait till it was approved before I could pay for the passport. The next waiting was the longest maybe an hour and a half or so. When we got called up we were happy because although they had a toy corner for the kids my girls were getting restless. As we approached the window we were greeted warmly which was a relief because I think this is the moment when Issac most remembers what he went through before.

Then came the surprise and the reason for the name of this post. After a pleasant hello how are you, I was asked, "Do you write a blog."
"yes.." I said a little hesitantly
"About your family and living in Mexico," she said.
"Yes, yes I do." I said a little more confident.
Then she tells me how she has been following my blog since she found out she would be moving down here. I guess to say a friend at the embassy is a bit of a stretch but really all my readers are more than acquaintances seeing as they know my whole story. So then my husband smiles and says, "See honey, your famous."
Hee heee this is obviously a stretch but it was really exciting to meet someone sort of out of the blue, who reads my blog.
Anyway she had us hold up our right hands and swear that all we had said was true to the best of our knowledge. Then she said that it was ok that I didn't have the marriage lic because they still had it on file from the one I did with Jos. That was a relief and we were thankful they did this. Its one thing you wont see the Immigration office down here doing. She then gave me the form to pay for the passport which only took a few minutes.
The only thing left was to pay multipack for delivery service and we were off. Oh I didn't mention that during the wait the multipack worker had given us the forms to fill out so that was already done at this point. Its so great to see some efficient work when you dont see it very often.
So now we wait on the packages. But at least we know they were approved and my Lilpil can go with me if I need to go to the states.

So here is my shout out to my readers whom Iv yet to meet and those of you whom I have, Thanks so much for reading.