Balamchuc

Lord have mercy

2010-04-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I figure some of the folks reading about us in the news will google me and find this so I would like to tough on the part of the story that a 4 min spot can't cover.
Jose did in fact enter the countrt illegally. He was 18 and the second of eight children (the oldest is mentally ill). His father was drunk the entire time he was a child, Jose never saw his father sober until he returned to Mexico months ago. He wore Mayan shoes growing up until he was twelve and a rich kid gave him a pair off sneakers. Until then, they cut up old tires and tied them to their feet with bananna leaves. He did not have a house of any way to get clean water. They drank from the same river they bathed in and had a hut made of bananna leaves and palms. So he was trying to save his family from poverty and he broke the law.
He worke for minimun wage and saved enough money to build a house, dig a well and build a store. He created a way for his mother to provide financially for her children. His plan was always to go home once he had paved the way. Then we met.
So when the LIFE act was passed by congress it was the right thing to do. We researched and found a well recommended lawyer. We hired him, we filed and we did follow up to make sure it was filed on time. In fact that attorney still insists it was filed on time just has given me nothing to prove this to the US government and all evidence says otherwise.
So we hired a new lawyer who fought for years and Jose was allowed to work and reside here duing the ongoing legal battle. He paid taxes for 10 years. He legally held a job during this time.
We actually planned neither of our children because we thought it best to wait until the legal battle was over, but God had other plans for us.
So here we are, years and years later. It has cost us a lot of money, but really it is a small price to pay for the love of your life or father to yoyur children to remain by your side.
The new lawyer did nothing wrong, she fought hard and legally we just had not recourse in the end. She is arguablly the best immigration attorney in the State of Washington.
Over Jose's dead body would he chose to have his children raised in Mexico. Women finish 6th grade and men 7th...it just isn't what is best for them. There is a recession in Mexico too and minimum wage if you were to find a job is 4 dollars a day. A American looking for work there could expect to make less because you would have to work under the table most likely. I do not think it is smart to leave my job in the middle of a recession either. So we will settle on visiting him there.
I don't think I have it half as bad as him, my life is hard right now but I have my children. He has no one. He is alone and has been stripped of his ability to provide for his children, something men need to do just to keep their sanity. He is unable to hold them when they cry or help them in any way. So I feel like the lucky one.
Hope the story sits well with you, and if it doesn't I guess I just don't care. Those who know Jose, will understand. BTW the hateful comments on the King 5 sight are rude and often ignorant. Jose speaks English, Mayan and Spanish. He has paid taxes. We are not on welfare. Just to set some of you straght. Poor are not legally able to come to America even if just to visit. My father in law was not allowed to visit because he did not have enough money in the bank...and I (American citizen) applied on his behalf.
Ok Thats it, the end.

the storm front

2009-08-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

My lawyer emailed yesterday and Cuidad Juarez has received or found (whatever) Jose's paperwork so she just needs to send his I 230 to them and then he can go back....On line it says the turn around is 10 months right now..but National Visa Center promises to rush things for us (I will not hold my breath).. Of course he will probobly leave the first week of school...lovely. 10 months is out of control and I know I might last 3 or 4 but after that I will have to make a run for the border...being a American is so overrated.

My suggestion to the red necks who sit on the tailgates and shoot and border crossers is that they funnel their energies into a government system that is less expensive, time consumming, and altogether confusing. I wish we had just let Jose be illegal...hind sight is 20 20.

so I got tagged lets see if I can figure it out

2009-06-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

8 things I look forward to:
1 school being out
2 my husband being able to fly home from mexico
3 dinner
4 cold beer
5 my 10 year anniversary next yr (vacation?)
6 bike rides with my kids
7 dancing
8 my husband getting off early all summer

8 things I did yesterday:
1 got promoted
2 read to my kids
3 made killer fried rice
4 was good on my diet
5 drank coffee for the first time in 2.5 weeks
6 got really buzzed from the coffee
7 cleaned the blinds
8 laundry

8 things I wish I could do
1 eat whatever i want
2 run without knee pain
3 slide into home plate
4 work less
5 get paid more
6 take vacations
7 not forget things
8 type really fast

8 tv shows i watch
(this will be a struggle)
1 greys
2 ugly betty
3 csi miami
4 csi new york
5 csi las vegas
6 espn sports
7 numbers
8 the mentalist

If you read this consider yourself tagged....

crazy times and it is not even summer yet

2009-06-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Eric totally has summer fever and Maya can't wait to spend more time with him. We went to the circus a couple weekends ago and the kids haven't stopped playing clowns since....The whole thing was in Spanish and Eric kept saying what did they say??? I figure he needs to speak more Spanish...
Dragged out the mini pool and we are officially the neighborhood hot spot! Any given day there are 4 or more kids running through the pool and front yard.
I got certified to be a training store so I am really excited...should be a partner by Friday....then I will realy dig into the sales building so I can retire in 5 years! lol

playing catch up

2009-04-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Easter was fun!!! Maya and Eric loved looking for Easter eggs. Maya did the toddler hunt inside with the other 3 yr olds but Eric had his own special hunt in Josh's backyard. He likes it better when things are hidden in plain sight but he managed to find all 20 eggs after 15 minutes or more. We had good food and even better chocolate. Jose had the whole week off before Easter but Eric had the week before that off...so no family vacation this yr. maybe next yr when they are both at Annie Wright. BTW Eric is in officially at Annie Wright next year; both scary and exciting. Exciting because Eric will be attending the most prestigious school in the Tacoma area and they have a God centered curriculum. Scary because his education will cost as much as a small foriegn car yearly. Lucky we get a healthy discount...I really thought it was still expensive even with the discount but hten I priced Cascade Heritage and TBS and then I loved my mother even more. Who knew she had spent so much on my education.
So is it worth it. Yes, I hope I am right but I think so. My mothers side of the family almost all did private school and it seems like my cousins all turned out "OK" (some are still turning out). Lets face it, working full time I need all the help I can get with my kids and Annie Wright is all inclusive...swimming, music you name it , you can get it.

What more...the date Jose was supposed to leave came and went and we are still here....for now...we'll see. I know nothing so nothing new to post.

it's about time

2009-02-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Yeah I know, my blog is a little dusty. I have been so preoccupied with life. We got a letter 3 weeks ago telling us Jose has to be in Cuidad Juarez by April 6th for his deportation. I cannot believe after 9 years they havn't done another amnisty. It is kindo surreal. But I guess panic mode gets me moving some. So the bad news really is that the National Visa Center misplaced or destroyed his file which takes about a year to create..so my attorney says we should sue them and then they won't be able to make him leave while wearein a active lawsuit. Ugg.

So I wrote Oprah, Norm Dicks, Obama, Maria Cantwell etc. and everyone is pretty much unable to help.

I used to wonder why people snapped now I get it. I think the worst part is this is a horrible market and it is not like I can sell my house and move to Mexico with him....I don't think I could even sell my house.

We will see how things go...Annie Wright has been great about it and there is even some talk of doing a fund raiser in Jose's name so we don't loose our home while he is gone......I am tired of fighting and ready to take a vacation somewhere other than the ocean.

2008-12-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Jose and I just got back from our very first adults only mini vacation. We spent 2 nights sleeping in and going to restaurants and eating in the bar to avoid the wait. We went skiing yesterday. Well actually I fell and Jose snow boarded. I used to be so fearless and now the speed just scares the bejeebers out of me! For a Mexican Jose does very well in the snow. He finally is good enough he is ready to take on teaching Eric how to board. It is so funny how excited we were to get away alone but the whole time we were gone we missed the kids so much! So we have made plans to take the kids to he mountians in three weeks. Jose will take Eric down the slopes and Maya and I will go tubing. We figure they won't last longer than a couple of hours. It was nice but I was glad to be missed back home too.
It was so strange trying to figure out where to go eat,,we did no have anything to consider but ourselves....so we just said where do we love to go that the kids like to act out...and when we got there and were told seating would take 45 minutes we didn't have to consider if a child might have a melt down in the foyer of the restaurant.
All in all great fun and we have decided to go for atleast 1 night every 3 monthes.
If nothing else, we can enjoy dinner without someone on our laps and I can take a bath without someone banging on the door yelling that they need me..and we can watch a adult action movie to gorry for their precious eyes......then we can come home and enjoy dinners with someone snuggling up on our laps...I can take a bath and smile as my heart swells when someone is begging me to get out because they need me, and we can all curl up and giggle over some totally appropriate for all movie together!

Seeing santa

2008-12-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Eric's garage and pinata party. Today was Santa at the cannery.

Long lines and lots of Whining we found Eric had no desire to talk to Santa because he had already sent a letter and Maya was scared of him.

Wonderful!

2008-11-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was nuts. At the last minute 7 additional people decided they wanted to join the fun.. You would think after being married 9 yrs I would be used to the unexpected company...but it still puts me thru a loop. I had a mini panic attack but once I decided just to let it go I actually had a pretty good time with these 7 stangers....funny (that is usually what happens). Elvia, Rosey and I woke up at 3 am to do black Friday. We had it mapped out totally OCD style. Yeah,,,,not very smart. After waiting in line for 2.25 hours just to pay for Elvia's two sweatshirts at Kohls we headed to walmart where they were sold out of almost everything I wanted but the kids pj's was the real bummer. Every year they have kids pj's for 4 dollars. So we went to Freddies, target, jc penney's and Toysrus. After all the crazy lines ets. and no stopping for food or potty breaks (as any real shopper knows food slows you down and drink increases the chances of needing potty breaks) I thought both girls might die or kill me (this was thier first yr tagging alog....and probably their last). We got starbucks and headed home where our kids and boys let us all take naps! What a blessing!

So now I have the wrapping and cookie itch.

Then we went to church and I was reading that the next sermon series is called real simple and it is about the holidays and christmas. And for a moment I froze and really thought about why I do all of this...3 am shopping 9 pm cookies and closet wrapping...and I wonder if in my effort to make the holidays a wonderful and memorable time, do my kids really get what it is about...yeah, I tell them, but does it sink in?

2008-11-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it has been a while. We have been keeping busy running through leaves and other fun fall stuff. Sarah and I made apple sauce to last 2 years a couple weeks ago...then there was halloween. Lots of fun with the ages we have now. Eric is doing great in math but hates sounding out words. Lisette is the teachers pet...because she adores the teachers more than any other child. Maya has been having a blast at home playing with Evan most days. Jose is loving Annie Wright and Panera is the same ole same ole....I really love being the boss more than anything. Oh yeah and Jorge moved in (Jose's younger brother)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

So much fun at Spooners....we got pumpkins, hot chocolate, taffy, and carmel corn. Thekids thought it was a blast. They had a good time picking a pumpkin they could carry by themselves...they tried many before picking one. Jose's brother Jorge (HoreHey) came here Friday and has been staying with us. Today I madesure they taught him how to use the vacuum, and washer and dryer. Tomorrow we will learn, dust rags and wndow cleaner :)

2008-10-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, one month into school and now I know what my mom was always griping about. I feel like a taxi driver. From dropping off to picking up and taking somewhere else. The kids (all3) went to awana for the first time and everybody but Eric thought is was sooo fun but Eric was okay with it. He was super tired because I woke him up early to attend teacher parent conferences 9which are really next week any how..my life story. I don't know how I can run a store like a shio but my life is so very different. If all goes well today we will be at the pumkim patch around 4 or so....(if all goes well)

2008-09-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

our most recent pictures ofour little angels...................

2008-09-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow when itrains it pours ad so on and so forth. So last week Saturday I went to the ER because I really thought something was wrong with me and having had surgery only 12 days prior I thought it would be prudent to check it out. After many hours of tests I was admitted for 5 days. It was almost the longest 55 days of my life. After the first 24 hours and alot of my brother Josh being very direct with the doctors and nurses about my worsening condition they discovered that I should not be on Morphine because I had a bad reaction. At somepoint in the first 48 hours and after emergeny back surgery to clean my recent incision, they found staph.
NOT FUN! Then there was the 24 hour I was there where I did not recieve any antibiotics and when the doc came and I asked him about it he and the nurses read the order differently so I had to restart teh regimine again. You cannot leave the hospital unitl a full 72 hour cycle.

I was released butam on iv antibiotics for the next 6 weeks which I administer to myself every 8 hours. It is amazing what they trust me to do.
Rosely (my 14 yr od neice) who had been living with us decided she wanted to go home at the end of the 6 month probationary period set up for her parents so Jose and I decided to let her go now instead of having her transfer schools in the begining of October (your first day of high chool is hard enough without doing it 2 times) So we are family of 6 :) and no teen agers :):)

2008-08-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

been busy,
had back surgery on tuesday and it seems like i am doing well, going crazy but healthy.
Jose has court Wednesday, our big day at 9th circuit court (and Jose will be 30).
Elvia celebrated 20 years of life Lisette 5, and Maya 3.
Will post when life slows down or kids go to bed before 9 (10 days till schol starts)
Wa hoo!!!!!!

2008-08-16T17:49:00.001-07:00

2008-07-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Majic is our newest family member...

2008-07-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

2008-07-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Crazzzzy summer fun

2008-06-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Its been a wild ride so far with 4 kids hame all day....Eric starts summer camp today, so that will help him burn energy and the two little ones are a little less wild than he is. We ahave created a schedule for Rosely to keep her off f the sofa this summer and it seems to be working...she thinks it is a load of fun. Jose and I catered a wedding rehersal this week, it went very well...who would have known we hadit in us....

We have been outside almost every night, riding bikes and running through sprinklers takes up most of our free time. We seem to be the coolhouse (in other words all the neighborhood comes over for otter pops).

So far it looks like we will have Rosely and Lisette for the rest of the summer and next school year. Their parents can'tfigure out what they want but they are seperated again and trying to reconcile. Justino (their father) is doing really well on his bi polar meds and for the first time in 10 year I enjoy his company. It is amazing to me just how different he is.

We adopted a dog for the kids, her name is Majic, she is a 10 year old Austrailian Shepard. She is very well mannered and very calm. We can walk her without a leash and just let her wander outdoors with us while the kids play outside. She is the perfect dog for us because of her behavior and our small yard. This week we are also dogsitting Nala, a apeakanese puppy who is not so well mannered but hopefully will take a clue from Majic.

Until next time....

May Day

2008-04-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

So Rosely has been to youth group 2 times and I think I have he convinced it is a good thing...Eric is still acting out with Lisette (she did steal the show with Maya) and Lisette is starting to undersand the idea of a routine...Things are becoming easier to manage. Work is okay, I still have a manager out on workmans comp and my Assistant is demoting herself later this month which means I have more admin to do but times like these always remind what it is I have been asking of others.......

my lil racoons...

2008-04-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

and I thought march was mad....

2008-04-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

So its been a while, where to begin, 3 weeks ago my 2 neices can to live with us (gulp) and life has been hectic to say the least. All things considered we are fairing well. We have gotten through what I hoped would be the worst with the enrolling the 4 almost 5 yr old in kindergarten and changing jr highs for the 14 yr old...but having 4 chilren has certainly brought a whole new set of challenges. Like keeping enough food in the house or just driving anywhere with everyone. Getting 3 young children in the car ready to go has proven to be 10 times easier than getting the 14 year old in the car and ready to go. Then there is the fantastic opportunity to meet her 18 year old guy friend (wow, is he serious....reality check buddy she's in jr high). And that brings to mind...how exactly do you punish a fourteen yr old. You cant very well spank them or wash their mouths our with soap. But on the flip side, Maya (mine 2 1/2)and Lisette (minish 4 1/2) are the best of friends and Elvia (my live in 19 yr old sister in law) and Rosely (minish 14 year old) have paired up quite nicely as well. Poor Jose and Eric (6) have to live in this home with 5 women..so they get to escape more frequently than in the past to places where guyslike to go. Oh yeah,I havn't thrown out left overs since they move in either...in fact I don't know if I've even had left overs. At the end of the day, there is much more for me to do but the reward is there are these kids who all say, You're the best mom in the world..and you smile and say, please remember you once felt that way because one day soon you might not feel that

The madness continues.....

2008-03-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

Eric is better but Maya has an ear infection. So we get to try new antibiotics since we have had 3 in the last 6months and these have wonderful side affects. We have had a busier than normal week complicated by the fact that both kids havn't been sick. There are a group of girls visiting Annie Wright from China so Jose has been working late all week feeding them. Two of my four managers had class all week and one is on vacation so I have had to jobs I usually delegate but over all its been good for all involved they get to see that I really do know what I am talking about and I get to remember what it is I put them through.

March Madness

2008-03-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

I know its been a while, but both of my cameras are on the fritz and I hate posting without pictures. Eric missed his very first day of school today, he is fighting off the awful flu going around. Maya is her normal self (up to no good). I bought them oh so cute outfits for easter sunday, maybe I can get Sarah to take pics on that day so I can update their photos. We dog sat my friends 6 week old puppy for 2 weeks last month, we all had such a good time she almost did not go home but in the end sanity and hair free bedding and carpet over powered her charm (well maybe not completly, common sense played into it as well). Eric has told me he will ask for a dog for Christmas. He was such a big boy with her, he walked her, bqathed her, fed her and even cleaned up after all of her accidents. Maya loved to play with her and have someone smaller than her to boss around.
Sopray that Eric will kick the fever, Maya's eye is swollen so pray the swelling goes dawn and that she can make it withour catching Eric's bug. Oh yeah, ans Elvia had a date Sunday night and all went very well, pray that she will continue to make friends of her own and build some indepenence (but not too much, I was very much of a worry wart during her date). Jose and I both worked the auction at his work on Saturday, we worked 12 hours each and had such a blast. until later......

2007-12-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

My little fairy tale super stars!

potty training

2007-12-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

They say little girls are easier but I cn't believe how much easier..Maya is now a panty wearing pretty girl. There are more almost accidents then there were with Eric but she is half his age so I'll take it!

2007-12-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I've done this...but I havn't been able to get a signal at my house....we made a gingerbread at my hoouse today and I think they ate about as much of the candy as they decorated with. Eric's birthday is tomorrow and he gets to take cupcakes to school...very exciting! He had his family party last weekend at McD's..of all the places he could pick...he was very pleased with all of his gifts and told everyone it was just what he wanted and then told them I made him say it...not so cute, but hey even if you force it on them being polite is much less embarrassing than the alternative!

maya's big day...

2007-11-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

So the wait is over after giving it serious consideration and deliberating for more than two years I finally got maya's pictures taken by herself....At first I was concerned that it would make her conceited because she is the most beautiful little girl in the world...but after carful thought I have come to the conclusion that it will not kill her as it is not one of the seven deadly sins......

2007-11-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm tech challanged...I just figured out how to load these pictures to my computer...

2007-10-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

halloween was lots of fun with my not so lady like princess dressed as tinkerbell and my sword happy peter pan. I've set the bar at one block so we don't have alot of trick or treating or candy...Joey wore Eric's costume he wore when he was 10 months old...it was cute to see him waddle around in it...Johah didn't waddle at all in fact he didn't even walk really...he ran..and noah was "hot" in his chili costume...next year my kids won't be the only ones on a sugar high....

blue's clues

2007-10-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

So I walked into Eric's room tonight to get ready for bed and I found that he had spelled out the word blue on his night stand. He doesn't even know the name of each letter but he has gronewold blood so the word blue is just inate I guess.

it goes buy so fast...

2007-10-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

okay, so Eric just lost his first tooth and Maya just bearly has all of her. I remember Eric cutting his firth tooth when he was 5 months old and now he's awaiting the tooth fairy...I remember those baby days and even though they seem like yesterday it seems as if each stage gets more and more fun...Eric just spent 30 minutes explaining to Maya that the tooth fairy was going to take his tooth to the tooth garden so the next baby boy can have it. Then he spent atleast 5 minutes trying to pull out her teeth......