visas and birthdays

Seven weeks left. And I finally got the visa applications into the mail. I know, I know; I've been talking about doing it for ages. First I didn't know how much they'd cost. Then I found out and didn't have the money. Then I had to make copies of our passport photos. I gathered the money, then filled out the applications this weekend and hope I did it right. Then today I made the trip to the post office, bought the money orders, filled out the paperwork necessary there and mailed those bad boys off to the Viet Nam Embassy in Washington, D.C. My nerves surprised even me and I'm not quite sure why it makes me so anxious, except that it is the last real hoop to jump through before we can get on the plane. There are little things left, (okay a lot of little things left) but none of those will keep us here. Our visas, or rather our lack of them, would keep us stateside with no home, no money.

This past weekend was packed with birthday fun for S: shopping and sleepover at Grandma's on Friday, breakfast with just the kids and grandparents, movie and popcorn, then birthday dinner with the other set of grandparents, cousins, etc. This next weekend is a joint, cousins birthday party. The next weekend is A's birthday and the next week is Thanksgiving. No time to breathe, but (to be honest) that's probably for the best.