Saturday Night

It's Saturday night and as usual I am at home. But this time just me. Its my sister in laws quince and my little family drove up to Salt Lake City for the big day. This is the first major event that I miss and it's bitter sweet. I am so thankful that they can go back and see everyone. They have had such fun filled days since they arrived and they both needed it. I love getting the phone calls and just hearing the joy in their voices, it makes my heart melt! But at the same time I can't help but wish I was there.

Alone time is good but too much is just plain boring and lonely. I have reached my limit and am very ready for them to return, like now. Since I've been out here I have missed so many birthdays, holidays, and family get togethers but this is the first major one where people are coming in from all over. I'm glad I get to see everyone on Skype but these pregnancy hormones are making me a little too emotional. It's been an emotional roller coaster since they left. But enough of the pity party, I can't wait to see pictures! Everyone looked so beautiful all glamed up, especially my little princess! <3

I also want to say how truly blessed we are to have so many loved ones! My hubby is coming back with a car full of things for my girls. I mean from the crib and stroller to clothes and diapers! I just hope they don't charge us too much in taxes on his way back, fingers crossed. But speaking of blessings, last night I went to my bible study group and when one of the ladies dropped me off at home we got into a really deep conversation about our religion. Specifically about conservative Adventists vs. liberal ones. It was quit an eye opener and made me question many things but in my heart I try my best to make the right choices and live a good life. Its nice to reflect on important matters like that and really take your time to just think.

Any ways, 4 days down, only 2 to go. Lets hope they pass by quickly because a girl can only watch so many chick flicks and paint her nails so many times lol. Please pray that they return home safely. Good night world :)

24

24, I am now 24 years young. I had an amazing birthday with my family and it wasn't because we did anything special but just because we were together. I'm grateful to God for blessing me with another year of life and being able to spend it together. When we first got here we started at zero, with not even a bed, a mountain of debt and slowly but surely we are moving forward. We have a healthy baby girl and another on the way, so much love in our home and gratitude for everything we have.

I look forward to getting older, especially my 30's because that's when I'll be able to return, at 31. Even though I can't wait for the day I can return I need to also cherish this time I have now. I have the huge blessing of being a stay at home mom which has taken a lot for me to get used to but I get to be a part of it all. I get to see my children grow and be there for every amazing moment and milestone.

Sofia is doing so well when we do school time. She is learning the alphabet and her writing improves everyday. She can write her name now and is just so smart. She is always asking how much longer until her sister is here and is just as anxious as I am, if not more. She asked me the other day why we are having another baby and I asked her if she didn't want someone to play with and grow up with so she's not alone. Her reply, mom I'm not alone, I have you and papi. Her positive outlook on everything is something that amazes me. I'm blessed to be her mom.

Well as you can tell by now this post had no point, just random stuff. Just wanted to check in and leave a few pictures. Til next time... :)

 

 

1 year in Mexicali

One year ago today I was in Mexico City counting down the hours until I left for the airport to go to Mexicali. I remember how nervous I felt about moving to a border town we had never been to and praying everything would work out. I also remember how anxious I was to see my baby girl and hubby. In just a few hours my new life was about to begin. Everything fell into place so perfectly thanks to God! I just renewed my lease for our house for another year. It's crazy to think a whole year has come and gone and here we are, together, happy, healthy, and pregnant. We found out on Monday we are having another little girl and could not be more excited! We can't find any names we like so please feel free to leave any suggestions. I want something simple and cute, nothing too crazy. Also my amazing hubby is in the process of getting his CDL! Please pray that he gets it soon because it would be a huge help, especially with another baby on the way.

Sometimes I get stuck in a rut, in a boring routine. I feel unfulfilled, like I could do more. I still don't have a car so I'm at home 99% of the time. But then I remember being alone, and how much I longed for this "boring routine". I sometimes go through my blog and see just how blessed we really are. We started from nothing when we moved here. I mean absolute zero, with a ton of debt from all of the immigration expenses. Just two months ago we finally got a bed, a real bed! I had been sleeping on an air mattress for almost 2 years until my dad bought us the mattress and we bought the bed frame. I had forgotten what a good nights sleep felt like. It's little things like that, that reassure me we are making progress and moving forward. Slowly but surely, with Gods help, we will get to where we want to be one day. But for now I am thankful for everything God has blessed us with and just hope that the rest of our time here is as amazing as this past year has been. :)

Well Hello There...

Hello world, sorry I've been away for so long. As you all know by now I am pregnant, 9w4d to be exact. And, well let me tell you the last month or so was hard, very hard. Everyone is okay so don't panick, I've just had the worst morning sickness ever! I got to the point where I couldn't keep anything down and guess what changed it all? I just switched my prenatal vitamins and voila! I have risen from the dead. I had no energy to do anything, was eating whatever I could tolerate and just became one with the couch for the entire month. I have been feeling so much better that I even got a workout in on Thursday and plan to start Turbo Jam on Monday. I really want this to be a healthy pregnancy.

Speaking of babies, my sweet baby girl, Sofia, will be 4 on Wednesday! I can't believe how big she is and how tall she is. I'm 5'6" and my husband is 6'1". I really think she is gonna be like 5'9" like my sister. She looks like a 6 yr old. But I am just so thankful to have spent these last months with my family and this birthday we will be together, as we should. Last year was super hard because my mom did a huge birthday party for her at her house and everyone was there. Even some close friends of mine went and I saw the whole thing on Skype. I had to hang up a few times to pull myself together because it was just so emotional. I'm glad she has those memories and even more glad this year I get to hug and kiss her and wake her up at the butt crack of dawn to sing las mananitas.

And my amazing family and in laws are spoiling her just as much now as when she was there! Right now she has about 6 big boxes in the mail full of presents for my little one. I just hope they arrive on time. We want to take her to the zoo, swimming and the movies to celebrate. It's amazing how much happiness this incredible little soul has brought to our lives in just 4 short years. She is such a trooper and so full of love. I remember saying goodbye to her in Juarez last year after I got my ban and I put her in the car and just hugged her and cried, and my sweet angel just said, "don't cry mommy. Ill see you soon. And I promise to call you everyday. I love you" She was 2 years old, about to turn 3 and she was the one keeping it together and calming me down. She didn't even cry.

Thank you God for blessing me with such an amazing daughter who fills my heart with joy. And for allowing us the amazing gift of becoming parents again, for the 2nd time. Life has its ups ands downs  but it's how you choose to see things that makes the difference. I choose to focus on the good, on the beauty in the world. As always friends, life is great and God is good! :)

A new beginning

Something new is taking place, something amazing. Something I have been praying for and have been so very blessed with. I am pregnant! Yes, you read it correctly, pregnant! I could not be happier!  I am 4 weeks 1 day and I calculate my due date to be February 18, 2014. My first doctors appointment is this Tuesday and I am beyond excited! My little Sofia is so happy and keeps telling me she will help change diapers and share her toys. I'm also excited to blog this pregnancy. We had been trying for just over 2 months and let me tell you it was hard to convince my hubby we should extend our family but he is just as excited as me! My symptoms before my missed period was increased appetite, frequent urination, and for about 4 days I was incredibly fatigued. I took a test on Sunday and it was a faint line at first. I walked away a bit disappointed because I thought its so light it must be a false positive but then I went back and it got much darker. I only took one because I just know I am, I can feel it. I don't care what it is as long as its healthy. God has given us such a blessing and I am SO happy that we have this look forward to, and it has nothing to do with immigration! :) I'll leave you with the picture I used to announce my pregnancy. :)

1 year and 3 days later

I posted this 3 days late, thus the 1 year 3 days title. It has been a whole year since my interview in Juarez and since I got my 9cii, 10 year ban. It has been a crazy journey since then but I am so happy where we are at now. God is so amazing that the morning after I got the ban I had breakfast with an amazing family telling me how wonderful Mexicali is. And here we are now. My husband works at a place he likes and gets along great with everyone. We live in a nice little house that finally feels like home and are making lots of new friends and church. I just can't complain about a thing and I am so thankful for that. When I walked out of the appointment and back into the hotel, I barely made it into the room and just feel to my knees and cried. I then went into the bathroom so my daughter wouldn't see me and just let it all out. I went back and laid in bed with my little family just crying and wondering what on earth we were going to do.

We talked about living in Mexico City but we both just hate it out there, that was not an option. In Queretaro we did really like it there but there is no work there. All the husbands have to travel all over the country for work and we wanted to be together. If we wanted to live there we had to open up our own business and with no money that was also out.  I began to search border living but had heard so many terrible things that it really made me nervous to live there. I thought of all the violence and knew I wanted some place I could raise my family without having to worry about getting hit by a stray bullet dropping my kids of at school.

Then it happened, God sent us the family to talk about Mexicali and it just sounded amazing, and I have yet to be disappointed. It is hot here but only for 3-4 months out of the year. The rest of the year its really nice weather. I feel secure here and we are starting out again from absolute zero, not even a bed or anything and a TON of debt. It has been almost 9 months since I first got here and slowly but surly we are getting back on our feet. I think it will take at least one more year from now until we are in a good place but I thank God for all of our blessings and we have all we need and then some. It's crazy how life works. I never thought I would be living in Mexico, on the border, raising my family. But here we are!

And this month I celebrate 7 amazing years with my husband and next month our daughter turns 4. We will finally be together to celebrate everything as we should and just be happy! As always, life is amazing and God is good! :)

A very special day!

Today was such an amazing day! Today my husband and I were baptized and are now official members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church! I am so happy that God is the center of our family and has blessed us so much. I hope he continues to bless us and guide us and I am just so overwhelmed with happiness!! God is amazing my friends, truly amazing!!!

 
 
 

77 lbs lighter

I have been doing really well with insanity. Just after I finished month 1 I got a really bad cramp in my right leg and it affected my workouts for almost a week. I still did the workouts but I just took it slow and started running 2 miles before my workout to get my legs warmed up. Since I started running I have noticed a big difference. I have lost 10 lbs and now wear a size medium shirt. I haven't been able to comfortably wear a size medium since about 9/10th grade! I now weigh 155. That is a total of 77 lbs gone, since I was at my heaviest at 232. Some things that have really worked for me besides the running and insanity are that I drink about 2-3 liters of water a day, stop eating 3 hrs before bed, use smaller plates, and always try to make half of my plate fruits or veggies. I'm now trying to motivate my mom to loose weight because she is very overweight and in the past few months has gained even more. I will post my pictures when I'm done with insanity to show my progress. I am happy with how my body is changing, now I just need to work on my mindset. I still have that fat girl mentality and I need to stop. My husband has been so amazing and supportive this whole time and is also getting pretty buff again! Next week I complete insanity for the first time ever! Wish me luck lol :)

Insanity day 1 month 2

I'm very proud to say that I made it passed the first month of insanity. I've never gotten that far and am very proud of myself. Today was day 1 of month 2 and it makes month 1 look like it's for babies! It's twice as long and a million times harder! I know I can do this I just need to go at my own pace. I pushed myself too hard in the beginning and didn't finish the last circuit but that's okay. Now I know for tomorrows workout.

So far I've lost 7 lbs. I haven't really measured but I know I've lost inches, I can definitely feel the difference in my clothes. I would like to complete the program twice and then join the new gym that's about to open just up the street from my house. I would have to walk with my daughter there and in the summer it gets to about 120 F so I'm hoping by then the nights will start to cool down and I can go after my husband gets home. That's another thing, it stays hot 24/7! Back at home it got hot during the day but at night it was nice and cool so it wasn't that bad. Not here, its 1 am and still over 100.

I also started going to church every Saturday with my daughter and I'm so happy about that. And now we are going to start to go in the afternoons too with my hubby. Life is amazing and I love my family. I pray that immigration reform happens and includes us, but if not that's okay. There are people in this world who are fighting for their lives, and far worse circumstances then us. I know that God never makes mistakes and everything will happen as it should. I'm still advocating and doing everything I can but ultimately it's all in Gods hands. Well, I'm still super tired from todays workout so I'm just gonna sit around and re coup. Maybe even take a nap with my little monster. :)

Amazing weekend

This weekend was just amazing. It was full of laughter and hugs and smiles and just love! Saturday morning I got up with Sofia and we got ready to go to church. We usually only got when my husband has Saturdays off because we only have one car but we found a church much closer where I can take a taxi and it will be affordable. Once we were ready I was about to call the taxi and my phone was acting weird, I couldn't make a call. But I was determined to go so we walked to the entrance of our privada and asked the security guard to call me a taxi. They usually arrive in under 5 minutes but this guy took forever and we were a bit late. But it didn't matter. We made it and it was a beautiful service. Sofia had so much fun in her class and behaved very well except for one bratty moment.

Church ends at 12 noon and that is the same time my husband gets off work. He usually crosses back in about 20 minutes so we waited for him outside. He got off work late and didn't pick us up until almost one but a few sisters waited with me so I was okay. We then went to check out the new plaza they built right next to our privada. It is so nice and they have a gym people, a gym! I can walk to it and get some food, work out, or just shop a little! This is huge for me because now even though I don't have a car, I can get out with Sofia and within walking distance. It's so new a lot of the stores aren't open yet because they are still under construction, even the gym. We took a tour of the gym and they showed us the lay out and invited us back next week to see the progress. The gym will be state of the art and have a wonderful daycare! Not just a daycare where they sit the kids down and tell them don't move, but they have activities for them, teach them about health and it will give Sofia another chance to interact with kids other than at church.

After that we got some delicious tacos and just chilled at home but the feeling was different. Something about going to church just puts my whole family in such a good mood. On Sunday we got up early, did some grocery shopping, had yummy pancakes for breakfast and had a water balloon fight. It was so much fun!

I know we didn't do anything fancy, or spend a lot of money but this weekend just gave me a new look on things. We may not have much but together we have it all. And we don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun and be happy. I just feel almost rejuvenated.

On another note today I start week 4 of insanity! I have been doing very well with the workouts but eating not so much. Cravings are my worst enemy but I have been making progress, slowly, but still progress. I am just so thankful that everything is coming together and feels like home. Ill be going to church regularly with my daughter, will join the gym once it opens and just those two things alone will allow me to interact with other people again and get out of the house. I'm excited for what's to come. Life is good, very very good. And is amazing! :)

 
 
 

Game changer!

Okay so on the news back home, I check almost everyday online, there was a story about a couple that paid off like $25,000 in debt in one year! And they credited Dave Ramsey. First thought was the chef on tv but that's another person. This guy is a financial wiz and has so many great tips! If you know me, you know I budget everything, I mean everything! I got on mytotalmoneymakeover.com and did the free trial. It breaks it down to what percentage of your income should go towards housing, food, transportation, savings, and so on. It also talks about 7 baby steps you should take to become debt free. It makes so much sense and since I'm the one who budgets everything I plan on following this to a tee! It helps you set realistic goals! We are able to pay off some debt now but after all of this new info, we will be so much better off, and with the exact same income! Seriously, do yourself a favor and check this out! I am so thankful I did! With immigration we have gotten into a ton of debt and we now have just half our normal income. But even with that I think by next year we will be debt free! Here are a few notes I took from the website, which doesn't do it justice!

          Money Goals 

1. $1000 to start an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen.

This beginning emergency fund will keep life’s little Murphys from turning into new debt while you work off the old debt. If a real emergency happens, you can handle it with your emergency fund. No more borrowing. It’s time to break the cycle of debt!

2. Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

List your debts, excluding the house, in order, smallest to largest. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first.

The point of the Debt Snowball is simply this: You need some quick wins in order to stay pumped up about getting out of debt! Paying off debt is not always about math. It’s about motivation. Personal finance is 20% head knowledge and 80% behavior. When you start knocking off the smaller debts, you will see results and you will stay motivated to dump your debt.

3. 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

Once you complete the first two Baby Steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund. Ask yourself, “What would it take for me to live for three to six months if I lost my income?” Your answer to that question is how much you should save.

Use this money for emergencies only: incidents that would have a major impact on you and your family. Keep it in a money market account. Remember, this stash of money is not an investment; it is insurance you’re paying to yourself, a buffer between you and life.

4. Invest 15% for retirement

When you reach this step, you’ll have no payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to get serious about building wealth.

Dave suggests investing 15% of your household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement plans. Don’t invest more than that because the extra money will help you complete the next two steps: college savings and paying off your home early.

Why shouldn’t you invest less than 15%? Some people choose to invest a small amount, if anything, because they want to get a child through school or pay off the home in a hurry. But the kids’ degrees won’t feed you at retirement, and if you throw all your money into your mortgage at this point, you’ll end up having to sell the house and buy the book 72 Ways to Prepare Alpo and Love It. Bad plan.

5. College funding

By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing 15% of your income—before saving for college. Whether you are saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now.

In order to have enough money saved for college, you need to have a goal. Determine how much per month you should be saving at 12% interest in order to have enough for college. If you save at 12% and inflation is at 4%, then you are moving ahead of inflation at a net of 8% per year!

6. Pay off home early

Now it’s time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments.

As you attack this last debt, you will gain momentum much like you did back in the second step of the debt snowball. Remember, having absolutely no payments is totally within your reach!

7. Build wealth and GIVE!

It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your excess. It's really the only way to live!

Golda Meir says, “You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.” Vow to never hold your money so tightly that you never give any away. Hoarding money is not the way to wealth. Save for yourself, save for your family’s future, and be gracious enough to bless others. You can do all three at the same time.

                 Budget guidelines 

1. Charity

Church

Dave recommends 10-15% of your income go toward giving

This includes places such as your church, non-profit organizations and education foundations. It does not include gifts for birthdays, Christmas, or other similar occasions.

2. Saving

Emergency fund/ retirement fund

Dave recommends 10-15% of your income go toward savings

This includes items like your retirement, mutual funds, college savings and even your emergency fund.

3. Housing

 Mortgage, Rent, Repairs/Maintenance 

Dave recommends 25-35% of your income go toward housing

Depending on whether you rent or own your home, this category consists of items such as rent/mortgage, repairs, property taxes, homeowner's insurance and even furniture.

4. Utilities

Cable/ Electricity/Gas/Phone/Trash/Water

Dave recommends 5-10% of your income go toward utilities

You'll want to keep services like your phone, electricity, water, Internet, gas, and trash pick-up running smoothly each month.

Utilities

5. Food

Grocery/restaurants 

Dave recommends 5-15% of your income go toward food

Whether it's just you or a house full of teenage boys, everybody has to eat. Make sure you include grocery stores, restaurants, and even that cup of coffee you bought this morning.

6. Transportation 

Car insurance/ gas and oil/ repair and tires

Dave recommends 10-15% of your income go toward transportation

If you have good public transportation, or you walk or ride a bike to work, then you're in good shape. Otherwise, you need to account for auto insurance, repairs, license, registration, taxes, gas and oil. If you are making car payments – include that in the DEBTS category.

7. Clothing

Adult, child

Dave recommends 2-7% of your income go toward clothing

Even though you might think this is more of a personal item, it really is a necessity; especially if you have small kids. Make sure they don't wake up one morning with clothes that no longer fit!

8. Medical/ Health

Disability insurance/ health insurance 

Dave recommends 5-10% of your income go toward medical and health expenses

This is a tough and frustrating category for most people, but it includes things like health insurance, disability insurance, doctor bills and medicines.

9. Personal

Child care/ life insurance / miscellaneous 

Dave recommends 5-10% of your income go toward personal expenses

This category contains a lot of variety. Examples include hair care, school supplies, life insurance, alimony, child care, subscriptions, pet supplies, toiletries, gifts and other miscellaneous items.

10. Recreation

Entertainment

Dave recommends 5-10% of your income go toward recreation

Don't let life go by without having some fun. Live a little, but make a plan first. Set aside some money for entertainment and vacation. Doing your budget shouldn't count as entertainment!

11. Debts

Car payment/ credit card/ student loans

We hope you don't have to put any of your money to this category

Dave wants you to be debt free more than anybody, but while you work on that he recommends that 5-10% of your income go toward consumer debt. Most Americans don't like to look at this category, so get it paid off quickly. Add up things like car payments, credit cards and student loans. Include everything you owe money on EXCEPT the house you live in.

Insanity Day 1

Today I started Insanity again. I've owned it for about 3 years now and have never completed it! I know, pretty sad right? Well now that I have been working out I wanted to switch up my workout routine so I decided to start it and complete it this time! Last week I didn't work out at all. No excuse, just me being lazy. But today I did the fit test and holy workout! The workouts I've been doing were pretty hard for me and this kicked my butt. I forgot how good of a workout this is. Also note to self, NEVER drink pre workout without eating a full meal first. I ate just one slice of toast with peanut butter, honey and banana and drank some water. My plan was to have my big meal after which I still did. But after my workout I threw up and felt sick. Took a few deep breaths, had my oatmeal and an orange and felt much better. I would normally drink my protein now but not today, my stomach has had enough. I'm gonna go take a nap now and then get up and do all the house work that's waiting for me. Insanity day 1 done, 59 to go...

Golfo de Santa Clara, Sonora

Yesterday was an amazing day! We took our very first road trip to the beach. It was about 2.5 hours away from the house and we had so much fun. We went with my husbands co worker and his family. It was Sofia's first time at the beach and she had so much fun. Moments like that, I am so thankful to have my family back together and it made me feel like things are feeling normal again. I have been living in Mexicali for 6 months now and finally have a routine going feel very comfortable. When I first got here every time I left the house I felt like I needed to get all ready and about a week ago I went with my husband to the store and we were both in sweats. We were bumping our music the whole way there and back and when we got home I realized we were finally comfortable. We never really listened to the music loud to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. It felt like we were back at home just going for a ride. I can also say that we have learned the main streets pretty well. We can drive around now and not get lost. We also finally went to the mall that's just down the street and it was small but it was nice to just walk around and explore. I have just been in such a great mood lately. I feel like this is home now, and I'm happy. Some days are still hard and I still do hope that immigration reform happens soon and we get to go home. But if not, if God has other things planned for us, I'm okay with that. I have really come to fully accept things now and I feel happy. Just to think a few months ago I was in a really bad place emotionally, and now with my family together and all of these blessing I just can't help but smile. I'll post some pictures from our trip and hopefully soon I can write about another fun outing. Life is good and God is great my friends! :)

 

 

Call your Senators and Representatives!!!

In 2006 and 2007 there Congress was flooded with calls against immigration reform and it had a very big impact on things and one of the several reasons it didn't work last time. Tomorrow March 12-14 is the national call-in week for immigration reform. Please call your local Senators and Representatives to show your support for immigration reform! It will only take a few moments. If you don't know who your Senator or representative is just go to this link for your Senator and this link for your Representative! It's just that simple. We need as many people to call and show there support as possible. Share this info with your friends, family, co-workers, or anyone who will listen. I don't want this amazing opportunity to slip past us. Immigration Reform does not happen everyday and we need to do everything we can to make sure it happens. Thank you all and God bless!! :)

New workout routine

So the last 2 weeks I pretty much stopped working out. I also ate like crap. On Monday I started back up again and this time I switched up my routine a little. I also ordered some supplements to take with my husband and I know that alone will motivate me to keep going. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I just spent all that money on supplements and it's just sitting there not being used. I also set a new personal best for myself. When I began working out I ran a mile in about 14 minutes and I walked most of it. Yesterday I ran a mile without stopping in 10 minutes! I know that sucks compared to others but for me it was a huge success and now I want to really push myself to knock off another minute from my time. Here is my updated routine and once I start my taking my supplements I'll let you know how that goes. I also haven't weighed myself yet because I don't own a scale but hopefully soon!

Please help

This was posted on American Families United Facebook page. For those of you who can donate it would directly help me and others like me in our fight to return home. This is a great organization that has already done so much for so many. They could make all the difference in having our bans included in comprehensive immigration reform. Thank you in advance if you can donate, and if you can't please share this information with as many people as you can.

To all our facebook supporters!! It's fundraising week for American Families United members. We are trying to fundraise for the next 6 months worth of action that will be happening in DC that will ensure that immigration reform includes waiver reform for the various bars of inadmissibility. Unfortunately the lobbying done by our lobbyists (Bruce Morrison and Paul Donnely) is not free. Having a former Congressman/immigration subcommittee chair is a great benefit, so we would like to continue this relationship and try and get Bruce into more of these meetings going on in DC to make sure our efforts in the past few months was not for nothing. We are asking all of our supporters here to please consider either joining as a member OR donating. Also if you can or can't do either of those, you can still help with the fundraising process by messaging all of your family and friends, calling them up, or emailing them and asking them to donate. Explain why they should donate, who we are as an organization, what we are about, how it directly affects you, what we have accomplished with our DC trip and all the local meetings. Share with them our pictures, press articles, etc. Show them proof that any funding raised is being put to good use. All 100% of it goes towards this effort. You yourself, or anyone you refer can donate at the following link:

https://americanfamiliesunited.wildapricot.org/donate

Thank you so much for all of your support!

Maybe??

So I have I guess good news but I'm already bummed out. I have been writing to Congressman, Representatives, President Obama, General Attorney, I mean just tons of people. Today I received a response from my Congressman's staff saying they think they can help me out and saying I could file my I-601 waiver now and not after the 10 yrs are up! I got so excited that I just forgot about everything and was like ya, maybe it will work. Today my sister did me the huge favor of taking all of my paperwork to her and I was on the phone. I mean she sounds super nice and I know has good intentions but when I explained the specifics of my ban she was like oh, I didn't know that. She is going to call a few people and see what she can do which I greatly appreciate. I just feel like I already got my hopes up with that phone call. Realty set in and it just bummed me out. I mean, ya I've accepted this ban but just seeing that tiny light of hope go out again sucks! I pray that a miracle happens and this works. If not I just hope that CIR really happens. I want to go back home so badly. Rarely a day goes by that my daughter does not say we should go home to Utah. My hubby has had a few things come up at work and I just hope he lasts there because finding a job close to Mexicali is not easy. Worst case we would go to Tijuana and I really really don't want that. Okay now I'm just going over board with the what ifs. Today started out with hope and is now with just sadness. Hopefully my next post will be about a miracle happening. If not I have my family and our health. Just needed to vent...

Forgiveness

Today I got a Skype call from one of my dear cousins who is going through a hard time and needed someone to talk to. One thing she said that is now stuck in my head, was how did you forgive your parents? I want to say enough but not too much which is a bit hard for me. I had a difficult childhood but filled with so many good times as well. I can honestly say the good outweighs the bad but there was bad, and plenty of it. We had every problem you could think of, from being illegal, to moving every month because we couldn't pay the rent, to drugs, alcohol and physical abuse along with a lot of emotional abuse as well. I moved out when I was 15 and not by choice, and became the sole income and both "parents" to my siblings. Even now, the 10 year ban that I have is because of a decision they made. I'm not trying to make myself a victim but if I ever wrote a tell all, you would be stunned to hear everything that I have survived and with a smile on my face. But back to the forgiveness. My parents were and still are to some extent two sick people who need help. Not in the sick, I have the flu kind of way. But in the, they are emotionally unstable and extremely scared by their own past kind of way. How could I hold a gurgle against the people who brought me into this world? Who have tried, in their own way, to provide us with everything they could when we did live together. I have forgiven them for everything and pray that they can learn from their mistakes and be better people. In the Bible it talks about how we need to forgive others in order for God to forgive us. That alone has helped me a lot in overcoming all of this. One thing I want to make very clear is that my parents are both good people, who just never got past their own demons. Anger is a horrible thing to hold onto, it's like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. I am grateful for where I am today emotionally. I have had a lot of great family and friends to help guide me along the way. One thing my amazing friend Dina once told me after I told her about my 10 year ban was that this is just a pebble compared to all of the other obstacles I have overcome. And when I take a step back I feel like it really is. Then I begin to think of all the blessings I do have and how fortunate I am. And how my suffering is nothing compared to others. I also know that God is amazing and has blessed me with an incredible husband and daughter to get me through anything. I want to end on a happy note. Forgive others and don't let that hurt or anger overcome you. God has much better things planned for you so free yourself from all of that and be happy. Be happy that you woke up today, that the sun is shinning and you have a roof over your head and food to eat every day. Life is good, you only need to take a moment to look around to realize it.

Weight loss update

So I have been really good with my workouts and eating. I think I might switch up the workouts a bit but I've had good results so far. I just hope I can keep this up! Here are some pictures of my progress. I haven't weighed myself yet but hopefully soon. Either way I feel great! :) 

 

Life Lately

Life lately has been very good to us. My hubby just finished taking a 3 day class with a couple of engineers and some college students. He told me he felt out of place and after the test he felt like he wasn't going to pass. But to his surprise he got the highest score in the class!! I am very proud of him for that and he is just doing everything he can to give us a better life. I have been pretty busy lately with immigration stuff. I'm trying to get as many people as possible to sign the petitions and am writing to several Senators and Representatives. As well as writing President Obama on a regular basis. I just get so excited just thinking about going home. I mean, I like it here in Mexicali. We have what we need and we are together but if we are able to go home I know we would be able to do so much more. Last weekend was really nice. We finally found a church that has an afternoon service and we are thrilled! Then on Sunday we just cruised around Mexicali trying to get to know it a little better. We also went to the mall here 2 weeks ago and it's pretty big! The food court looked so good, but we had just ate before we went so we didn't try anything. I am excited to go try the Chinese Food they had there, it looked and smelled SO good! As far as working out I have been doing pretty good. This week I started a workout regimen that I made for myself and I am loving it. Its all workouts I can actually do and I rotate, one day upper body, one day lower body. I just need to keep it up. It's also starting to get hot outside and it feels really nice. Yesterday was 77 degrees F and with a cool breeze it was a perfect day for me. I'm not looking forward to the 120 degree F summers but I think I can make it. Well that's my update for now. Please continue to write and keep pushing immigration reform. God bless and keep smiling because life is amazing! :)

Show Obama we support immigration reform

Speak out to show your support!

Please click on the link above and enter your name, email, and zip code to show your support for immigration reform. The link is to the whitehouse.gov webpage so it make a difference. We need to let Obama know this is a very important matter that needs immediate action! Immigration reform doesn't happen everyday. We are in a position right now where our voice needs to be heard and can make all the difference between reuniting thousands of families, or continuing to make thousands more continue to go through extreme hardship. The time is now! :)

Sign this petition please!!!!

The petition below is something that will directly help me go home sooner but we need all the help we can get! Please share this on your Facebook and post it on your blog if possible.

I have still had a few people ask me what they can do to help and it's simple really. I am asking to write letters to your Senator and Representatives, even the President if you'd like. Tell them how you feel and your view on immigration reform. Feel free to put me as an example of how the broken immigration system needs to be fixed and now! Try to make it as personal as possible.

Most of them just see laws as laws, and most don't even know these type of bans exist! The specific ban I have is the 212 (a)(9)(II) . The ban itself says has been ordered removed under section 235(b)(1), section 240, or any other provision of law, and who enters or attempts to reenter the United States without being admitted is inadmissible. 

Basically, I was deported when I was 14 years old because of several bad decisions made by my parents. 20 days later my parents brought me back into the US. The ban came into play the moment I crossed back and they do not care that I was a minor.

If you don't know who your Senator or Representatives are please go to:

whoismyrepresentative.com 

senate.gov

President Obama: The time is NOW for immigration reform

Action For Family Unity Petition

Please Take action now, we may not get another chance!! Thank you! :)

***Live coverage of this event has concluded. Drag the counter along the...

Senators announce 'major breakthrough' on immigration reform.

President Obama Speaks on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

            If you haven't heard, my friend come out from under your rock because big things are happening! Im not the best at organizing my facts and laying them all out in detail to explain everything but I will do my best. But for more specific info please join us at immigrate2us.net where they have everything you can think of. All week I have been glued to my computer and TV trying to get as much info as possible and for the first time since I got my ban, have hope that I may be able to go home a lot sooner!!! Above I have put the links to President Obama's speech on Tuesday, for the Senators, or gang of 8, as some call them on there plan for CIR. Today I watched a google+ hangout with Cecilia Munoz who is Director of Domestic Policy Council for the White House.

             For the last link they start talking 12 minutes in.Now is the time to act people! I have written to all 8 of the Senators, the President, my 2 Senators and plan to write to many more people. As Cecilia Munoz stated today, we have to keep the foot on the gas, we can't afford to take off any pressure now. We need to make this as personal as possible. Most of the Senators and Congressman/women just see these laws as just laws. We need to let them know that these broken laws have destroyed our lives, families and let them hear our voice. I have written my own personal story and have discussed in detail how these outdated, broken immigration laws have personally affected me. I am trying to make us 9c'ers ( the 10 year ban's) voice heard. Right now is the time to act because so far I have heard so many discussions on the millions of illegals in the USA but what about the ones who have played by the rules, and done things the legal way? I want to make sure that in any changes that occur these unjust bans are included!

           Feel free to just copy and paste this on your blog if you'd like. My goal is to try and get as many people as possible to see this and act now! I hope at least one person begins to write their Senators, Congressman/women, and President. I want nothing more than to be able to go home, and give the life my daughter deserves, now! Thanks everyone! :)

Lovely January

January has been great so far! If this year is anything like this month so far it's going to be amazing! On my last post I was talking about wanting a washer and that night my amazing hubby came home from work and surprised me with one! It's like brand new! He bought it off his co-worker for get this, $50 USD!! He got the green light when he passed so he didn't even pay taxes. We lucked out big time! My hubby is just so amazing and I had really only mentioned it to him maybe once or twice and not even a week later got me a washer! I really do love that man more then words could ever say! I also mentioned I wanted a few small things here and there and I got it all for Christmas. O, and Christmas was amazing! Thanks to so much love from all of my family my daughter got spoiled and my hubby and I got a few nice things as well. New Years was just spent here at home, my daughter fell asleep around 10 pm and it was just my hubby and I watching the countdown. For the first time in 2 years I got my New Years kiss and we watched fireworks from our window. Yesterday was my hubby's 3 months at his work, which means he passed his probationary period. I'm hoping for a raise but that would just be pushing it. Things are great as is! I also have a dryer now! It's the set with the washer, he bought it from the same guy for $50 and he got the green light home so another big thumbs up there. I just can't wait for taxes so we can pay all our debt off and finally get a bed. We decided to sell our things back home and just buy new stuff out here because my hubby works m-sat so he really has no time to drive out there and get them. As far as working out goes I was slacking during the holidays but this is my second week that I workout m-f. I am running a mile everyday and do about 35 minutes of different kinds of workouts. I'm trying to watch what I eat even more and I already feel way better. At my heaviest I was 9 months pregnant and weighed 232 lbs! My daughter was 5 months old when I began to workout and I weighed 210, now I'm at 165 and I want to loose about 20 more lbs and tone up. Here are some pics I took from last night. I am very happy with the progress I've made, I just need to keep it up and I'll be able to reach my goal I think by the end of the year! Have a blessed day everyone! :)