Kenny and Linda

[kenny]

Yes Yan it is good you are back and thank you for your comment. I just hope the boys dont see any humor in it. haha

I want to tell a little story that happened yesterday. We are well into harvest now and Linda is at my side almost all the time. Friday my son was unloading the grain cart into the truck and spilled about 4 or 5 bushels of soybeans over the side of the truck and into the ditch. Yesterday I was unloading grain and Linda was trying to get everything picked out of the garden before we get a frost. Well it began to drizzle rain so Linda came to ride with me in the truck and try to get the combines unloaded before everything got to wet. She went into the barn and got an old seed sack. I asked what it was for and she kept saying Mitchell beans, Mitchell beans I didnt know what she ment but away we went. We got to the field and I ran to get the cart to unload it and I looked to see were Linda went and she was down in the ditch cleaning up those beans by hand. Of course I had about 1000 bushells out in the rain but I got out and went to help her get those few beans cleaned up. My father and 2 sons were there and came to help as well but Linda had one thing on her mind that was clean those beans out of the ditch. Hell of a woman!

[Scottish_Rob]

... She went into the barn and got an old seed sack. I asked what it was for and she kept saying Mitchell beans, Mitchell beans I didnt know what she ment but away we went. We got to the field and I ran to get the cart to unload it and I looked to see were Linda went and she was down in the ditch cleaning up those beans by hand. Of course I had about 1000 bushells out in the rain but I got out and went to help her get those few beans cleaned up. My father and 2 sons were there and came to help as well but Linda had one thing on her mind that was clean those beans out of the ditch. Hell of a woman!

ARN'T they just mate...each and every one of them !!!   I bet each brother here could tell a similar type story with their partners...

[zook144]

Kenny, I am a little late to this party.. , but I wanted to congratulate you, your new wife and new daughter. They all look lovely in the photos, and you don't look bad yourself . A great success story to read. Congrats again.
Don

[ttwjr32]

 I t is truly amazing when they do these things that we tend to just
overlook and or dont want to do anything about. Makes it so refreshing
to be in the relationship

[kenny]

Hello Guys and Girls,

Yesterday Linda and Ziwei and I went to our interview to adjust residence status. I have been very nervious about going and prepared another pile of paperwork to have whatever they asked for. It seems I have sent copys of everything i have all over the country since Linda has been here. The only thing that he wanted to see was a copy of our marriage cert. He asked Linda my birth date and Ziwei if she still talked to her friends in China. He then asked if they were or had been a member of the communist party. This took me by surprise, I guess I never thought about that question before.

They are now conditional residents of the US. He said we should recieve their green cards in about a month and it is good for two years. I then have to file a form I-751 to adjust status to permanent resident and the green cards will be good for another ten years. He also told me that Linda could apply to become a citizen of the US. If she did this before Ziwei is 18 years old she would become a citizen with her. If she waited till later then Ziwei would have to apply herself. My question to you guys is, first does all this sound right to you and is there a benifit for them to become citizens? I have not talked to Linda about it and she might not even want to become a citizen here. Knowing her I think she will do what I think is best so I ask what you all think is best. I really think about Ziwei going to collage, would it be better to be a citizen? I wonder if the way things work in this country she might get more finanical help as a forigen student but i dont know. I still have 6 years to go and know things will probably change but I like to think ahead.

Everything else is going very good. They have settled in very well and had a great time at Christmas. It was the first tree that Linda had put up and she worked for a week on it. It was the perttiest tree I ever seen. We took the tree down and used all the lights to decorate the living room for Chinese New Year. Frankly I am tired of all the lights but I would never tell her that. Ziwei has made the honor roll both grading periods now and is one of only two to do that. My daughter tells me she is little miss popular at school. We have been snowed in so much here that we both have spring fever bad. I know you guys from canada are laughing at that.

Thanks
Kenny

[maxx]

Kenny the only benefit to becoming a U.S citizen is your wife will be able to vote.Also she will be eligible for public assistance.And other government programs.It is the same thing for the daughter.It would be easier for her to get a scholarship to go to college.Your wife can Evan run for office if she chooses to.

The disadvantage of becoming a American citizen.You wife will have to have a American passport.China doesn't recognise dual citizenship.She will also need a visa to visit China.

With the I-751 you need to file that form 90 days.Before the temporary green card expires.You cannot send the paperwork in early.If you do they will send it back to you.When I filled for my wife's permanent green card.They sent us a extension for the temporary card.And told us that it could be up to a year before my wife recieved her permanent green card. 3 weeks latter my wife's permanent green card arrived.

Kenny on a personell note it is nice to hear that your wife and daughter.Are adjusting well.Most people who do this don't realize.That when the lady arrives in thiere country.The real adventure begins.All the other stuff you went threw before.Was just a warm up for the real adventure.Again good luck and best wishes

 Maxx

[kenny]

Thanks guys for the response, never even thought about the right to vote. How do you forget that one? Linda and I have talked about it and we are going to leave things as they are for now. Linda talked to our laywer about it as well and he told her the same thing that you guys did, it might be better for Ziwei to be citizen for school reasons.

You are right Maxx, the real adventure does begin when they get here. I read here about guys moving to China and taking time to get used to the culture. I cant imagine doing that but I try to put myself in Lindas shoes and remember how hard it is for her. The thing I watch for is to see her laugh and us laughing together or even at each other. We are big Packers fans (my boys and me) and we get together and watch games on Sundays. I bought Ziwei a pink Packers shirt for Christmas and they enjoy watching with us. I think they enjoy watching us more than the game but it is a family day every Sunday. (big help for me) In two weeks we have super bowl party I am looking forward to seeing them at this as there will be many friends over for that. It sure is worth all the time and money and frustations that go along with this, I have never been this happy. Good Luck to all that read this!

Kenny

[kenny]

I thought I would drag out my old thread and give a little update. Time has flown by and Ziwei has started her senior year here at high school. She is applying at some colleges and is hopeing to get into Purdue and persue engeering. I took her picture as she left for her first day and it has had me thinking ever since how much she has changed.

Linda has applyed for citizenship and we went for fingerprints last week. Everthing is still going well and after the interview I hope the paperwork is over. Linda still helps me here on the farm, grows a big garden and ofcourse a huge flower garden. We had a litter of beagle pups 6 weeks ago and she has adopted all of them. I guess I will be forced to keep all 8.

I hope all is well with the old brothers.

[Pineau]

Congratulations and best wishes to Ziwei.  Yes the grow up quick and the change a lot. I just spent two weeks as chaperone to Katie in Guangzhou.  Shopping-shopping-shopping. And KTV with a bunch of teenagers. Glad to be back home. Katie is just a sophomore in HS so I have a few more years before she is off to college.

[Rhonald]

Great update Kenny and glad to hear of your family's success - growing that it is.

[kenny]

Time for another update.

I will steal Jerry's thread title "End of the Road"

We have two more citizen's around here. Linda was swore in yesterday and Ziwei in August.
What a relief that the uscis bullshit is over. It was very important for Linda to become a citizen.
I guess that is a good thing, and she wanted Ziwei to become one too. Linda had to study for a while
and after passing the test and speaking she said her mind went blank and didnt pass the writing.
Had to work on that for a month, I bet she wrote a thousand sentences but passed the next time.
Ziwei ended high school as valedictorian and had no trouble she is now at Purdue making A's on Calculus
and engineering exams. Chip of the ole block!
Here are some photos
My daughter and the newest member of the family came as well.

[JohnB]

hey Kenny, nice pics! Looks like you did well in life. Linda and Ziwei... smart genes.
All the best to you.
For me, I will be in China next year. I just found out I will be sending Jing's son to a
vocational school.. then college. Lucky me.
He has the enthusiasm now... I hope he has the smarts going forward.

[Pineau]

Kenny,  Linda and Ziwei are awesome.  And you're ok too...

[Rhonald]

Great update and congratulation. There is a chance, like JohnB that I might be in Shanghai next year, as my wife wants to participate in some music competition there. We just booked a trip to Cancun so will be the first time for both of us to go to Margarita land. Definitely an easier 6 hour flight than any jump across to China.

Kenny I can relate to having a wife struggling and passing writing exams. She is still delaying getting her Canadian citizenship since once a citizen, ESL is no longer free.

[kenny]

I have been doing allot of thinking and remembering lately, sign of getting old I guess. This will be Linda and Ziwei's tenth Christmas here. I cant believe how fast it has gone by. I lost my Grandma this past April at 104 and a half years old. She was a great lady and big influence in my life, her and Linda became very close over these 10 years.

Ziwei is a junior at Purdue and still doing great. Her and I are close and for some unknown reason she still calls and runs her thoughts and plans through me. She was asked by one of her professor's to consider to stay and enroll in grad school, not sure if she will do that yet.

Family still growing had my nineth grandchild this year, all together last night for Christmas. Damn it was noisy!

Linda and I are still farming and she is a big help operate's the combine on all the acres now. I think she loves it more than I do. Life has changed so much for me since their arrival, it keeps getting better. I find myself coming back here and reading old posts and still learning. I know that this site has lost allot of members and activity over the years but I know it and everybody here has made this all possible for me.

Thanks to all those past and present and I wish you all a very happy Christmas and productive New Year.

Kenny