Merry Christmas

I wish you all a merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy a wonderful day with your family and friends :-)

We are enjoying our first Christmas being married! Just watching Christmas movies and relaxing at home. Later we are going to my father-in-law's place and afterwards to my mother-in-law's for dinner. 

Last night we enjoyed a traditional German Christmas Eve dinner: German Rouladen with Knodel and Red Gabbage! Here are some impressions of our Christmas :-)

Biometrics Appointment

A couple of weeks ago I got the appointment notice and today I had my biometrics appointment. This appointment is an important step for further processing of the Green Card.

I was pretty nervous as I left the house to go to my local USCIS office, but I had no reason for it. But it's getting closer now :) My appointment was at 2 p.m., but I was half an hour earlier there. I wanted to make sure that I don't miss the appointment ;) Missing this appointment means for the government that you abandoned the application... I showed the receptionist my appointment notice, ID and marriage certificate (I'll change my name with the Green Card so my ID is still on my maiden name). She copied everything and gave me a worksheet I had to fill out. They just needed again name, date of birth, etc. and weight, height, eye color and hair color :D I didn't expected that, but okay - whatever! Back with the receptionist I received everything back with a number. I was not even sitting for a minute, when my number got called!

The nice lady took all my paperwork, scanned in my bar codes from my appointment notice and put in all my information and than the fun part started. This whole appointment is about to identify applicants based on physical traits and they take fingerprints and a picture for the purpose of facilitating a criminal background check. Whooop so the lady started taking my fingerprints - four fingers on my left hand, left thumb, four fingers on my right hand, right thumb, than all fingers separately and in the last step each finger separately again, but with like a kind of rolling to get the "whole" finger print. Than I had to sign the first time with my new name <3 I was so excited :D and after that it was already time for my picture. I still can't believe that this picture will be on my work permit and green card all with my new name <3 so exciting! So pretty much I was done with my appointment in less than 20 Minutes :D So now we are waiting for my work permit and the appointment notice for our interview :)

Greencard Application Update

Whoop so we didn't had to wait that long! Just four days later - after USCIS put the fees on hold - we already got the receipts for our petition and the adjustment of status application :) and I was just smiling like crazy as I saw that they addressed the letters to my new name: Mrs. P!!! Love it <3

And yesterday I had my biometrics appointment in the mailbox :D On December 11th I have to go to my local USCIS Office and get my fingerprints and picture taken. So excited!!! I just hope that Santa Clause is maybe bringing my work permit as christmas present :D that would be awesome!!!!

Greencard Application

Last Monday we sent in all the paperwork for the Greencard Application - finally! Since weeks we are sitting over this paperwork and I am sooo happy that this is done now.

We started a little bit before the wedding with reading all the forms and instructions. I made a checklist with everything we would need to send to USCIS. I bombarded some of my friends who went through the process already with questions to the forms and the evidence we need. They were all a huge help :) For just one question we had to talk to an immigration lawyer. We were not sure if we can send in everything right after the wedding or if we should wait until I stop working as G5-Nanny. The immigration lawyer confirmed us that my G5-visa still is valid even if I turn in the Green Card application. So that meant for us while I am waiting for the work permit I can still work on my G5-visa :) perfect! On Sunday night we were sitting at home an signing all the forms, putting all the documents together, pictures and the checks. In the end I had a three pages long cover letter just to make sure what everything is :D ;)

With the papers we had to send in two checks and since last week I was waiting that the amount gets set on hold :D and finally today I saw on my bank account that they put the amount on hold! So everything is correct and nothing is missing. Now we wait for a letter to confirm that they got everything. We will see how long we have to wait for that one :D

Mr. & Mrs.

Oh my gosh I still can't believe it but we did it! We are married :D over a week I am the new Mrs. P and it is just wonderful!!!

On October 24th, our wedding day, JT and I practiced in the morning our first dance and we both got soooooo nervous! Insane! We just realized it is really happening!!!

I kept on getting sick. I tried to eat breakfast but I couldn't eat anything. At 8 am my mom, Annabelle, Sebastian and Julia came to our place and we loaded all the wedding decoration and goodies in the cars. Than we drove to my mother-in-law's place to pick up my dress! At that point I was feeling so sick that I would never have been able to drive haha Thanks Basti for driving ;) :D 

our venue

At 9 am we showed up at the venue and kind of opened it up with the caterer :D Germans in the house!!! Haha! We unpacked everything, got comfortable in the bridal suite and my sister started doing my mom's makeup and Julia started doing my hair! I was soooo nervous! :D Sebastian was a huge help and supervised the decoration set up, etc.

my dress :)

At 10 am my sister was in the middle of doing my make up, we already opened a bottle of champagne for my nerves and everything started getting busy. My mother-in-law came, Jt and the groomsman were on time, the rest of the German group showed up too and from that point on it just felt like time was flying... At one point Julia started doing my hair, I started to panic, than my maid of honor came with the cake and Kristen brought the flowers :) like I said time was flying and I lost totally track of time! 

I remember the girls putting me in my dress, Julia helped me with my shoes, at the same time someone was working on my hair and the back of my dress. My sister made a bunch of pictures and everyone kept on telling me it was 10.55 am :D haha the next day I found out the ceremony started 20 minutes later but Rachel kept telling everyone not to tell me the time! I guess I would have freaked out :) 

And than it was time to go downstairs :) I had to hide first because JT was still standing at the entrance to the ballroom and after a few minutes my dad took my hand and walked with me to the entrance. I can't even remember hearing Canon in D but Julia started walking  down the aisle, than Kristen, Annabelle, Kelly... And than it was our turn! I was soooo nervous and when I came around the corner, I saw him standing there! I will never forget this moment <3 It was just perfect! I didn't see anyone or hear anything, I just saw him waiting for me <3

during the ceremony

The ceremony itself was wonderful. JT was so nervous, I tried to calm him down and we "talked" a little bit hihi :) I was just soooo happy! I knew my grandparents and everyone from Germany, who couldn't be with us in person, was there with us and saw everything! Thanks to Facetime :) us being so nervous, crying, laughing! Awww just perfect! And than it was time to exchange the rings and the officiant pronounced us as husband and wife <3

After the ceremony my sister made pictures of us and the family. Our guests enjoyed a short cocktail hour and than we got welcomed back as Mr. and Mrs. for the first time <3 

We enjoyed the reception with our family and friends and we had a great time! Everyone who told us the day would just fly, oh my gosh you guys were so right :D I lost totally track of time again and I guess JT too. At around 4 pm we packed everything up and family and friends went with us for an After Party to the Ramshead Tavern and we enjoyed there the rest of the night :)

cake-cutting :) cake made by my sister-in-law Kelly <3

At around 8 pm JTs sister Kristen picked us up to bring us to our hotel. We chose a really cute pension not too far from the wedding venue and enjoyed there our first night as husband and wife ;)

All in all everything was just perfect! We enjoyed our reception with family and friends, had a wonderful after party plus a little honeymoon :) This is how we both imagined our wedding :)

Rehearsal Dinner

The night before the wedding we all met at the Historic Savage Mill Manor for the Rehearsal. It was so exciting!!!!

Not everyone could make it so my cousin, Ingo and Julia's boyfriend had to jump in as best man and groomsmen. Our DJ Doug played the music and we went through the whole ceremony. We got a bunch og helpful tips from our wedding coordinator Rachel from Putting on the Ritz.

After the Rehearsal everyone went to Ramshead Tavern for dinner. We were around 18 people and i am happy that I reserved a table and didn't forgot it :D

We all enjoyed a wonderful night together, we celebrated my birthday and in the end we went for a couple of drinks to Looney's :) I went home early and JT stayed a little bit longer with his groomsmen. Unfortunalty, he forgot his key and I tried to call him but at some point I really had to go to bed. The bride didnt needed puffy eyes :D but around midnight I woke up from the doorbell so he got a good night sleep, too. :D

Bridal Shower

My Bridal Shower was the Saturday before the wedding and I have to say my lovely sisters-in-law just made it perfect! My mom, sister and Julia went over in the morning to help set up the last decorations and I showed up at 11.45am. Before that I had to say goodbye to the guys, because they left for the Bachelor Party in Atlantic City.

I never been to a Bridal Shower and i just knew the concept from movies, but I just loved it. Kelly and Kristen made everything so wonderful! All the decoration was in blue and white, I got my own punch "something blue", and the food was just delicious :) awwww just perfect!!! Thank you again guys <3

We played a game where my guests got together in groups and had to create a wedding dress. I had to choose the best :) after that we started unwrapping the presents and it is really like in the movies :D I sat in a chair in front of everyone and unwrapped all the gifts :D and I just love to be in the middle *prust* for sure everyone saw my red stress spots in my face :D anyway! One tradition of a bridal shower is to make a bridal boquet out of all the ribbons of the presents and I just love this tradition. Kristen made my bridal boquet which I used at the Rehearsal and it's so pretty! We kept telling her to go in business with that :D

It was a wonderful experience and my sisters-in-law and everyone else made it perfect <3

Fall semester 2013

So with all the wedding stuff going on I thought you guys should know: Yes I am still studying and I am half way through my fall semester. Last week I had my mid term exam of my financing class and I am half way through know with my introduction to statistics class too. The classes are good and I finally got most of the things in statistics, just the standard deviation is still not my topic. I got all the questions on my mid term wrong :( does someone can explain that to me? Please email me than :D

Next semester I will take the Statistics for Marketing Class and this will be probably my first on-site class I take at UMUC. I am pretty excited to see how that will go :) But unfortunately I can just take one class next semester. As you know I got cut down half my hours which means less money and I just can't afford more classes yet. JT and I talked and in the summer I will take more classes again, because until than I should have a work permit and I can get another job or two :)

10 days to go...!

Oh my gosh now it's just only 10 days left until we tie the knot. Crazy how time is flying :o)

This week my family and friends arrive in Baltimore and I really can't believe it yet that I will see my sister and best friend again after over a year being apart from them :) so happy!!!

So what happened the last couple of weeks? Not that much on the wedding planning section ;) I choose the linens for our reception area and I had my last fitting a couple of days ago. My dress is now at my future mother-in-law's place :D <3 We set a time for our rehearsal which meant that I had to reschedule the dinner two hours early. But anyway I think everyone needs a good night sleep the day before the wedding, so not too bad to have an early dinner.

We have today Columbus Day which meant for me: being off and start doing all the small things for the wedding. I started working on the favors and I had a lovely helper: Tina :) She just came over to pick up her coat, ended up staying and helping me to wrap 80 little favors for our guests :D so much fun!

Now we just have to add the ribbons, but I am missing the tags still. So one to do done, one more to do :D haha always like this! And I started working on the Wedding Programs :) hopefully everyone will like them :)

So this next two days are kind of my last days of being super busy :D Thursday my family comes in, Friday I have to work all day, my sister arrives and we invited my family over for dinner :) Saturday the guys leave for their Bachelor Party, I am attending my Bridal Shower and at night all the girls go out in D.C. :) Sunday Make-up/Hair Trial with Annabelle and Julia and my dad wanted to treat us all with King Crab legs -  so JT has to cook :D The day before the wedding I am thankfully off so I can do  all the centerpieces :)

Busy, Busy Busy :D 

Photo Shoot Pictures :)

Here is now a little peek from our engagement photo shooting in Savage Park :) We got around 200 pictures and I wanted to share with you guys our absolute favorites <3

Wedding Update

It's just 38 days left until we tie the knot and it's time for another update :)

Countdown

So last Friday I had another fitting. The dress looks gorgeous but just a few small things have to get changed. In the beginning of October I have my last fitting and than one week before the wedding I can pick it up :) finally!

On Friday I also went to Party City with my lovely Maid of Honor. We got the invitations for the bridal shower which will be the weekend before the wedding. This way my mom, sister and best friend can be a part of this american tradition, too :) Tonight we will get that done and sent them out :) In Party City I also found a really nice Sand Unity Vase Set what we will need for our Ceremony.

Unity Sand Vase Set from Wilton

We set a time for our Rehearsal the afternoon before the wedding and sometime this week I will choose the linens for the tables. After the Rehearsal we will go to Ramshead Tavern in Savage Mill to have a nice dinner with our wedding party and celebrate my birthday :)

On Saturday we finally could pick up our now engraved wedding bands and my engagement ring. I lost a stone a couple of days ago so my jewelry fixed and refurbished it :) all in perfect timing because on Sunday we had our engagement photo shooting.

I found the lovely Aubrey from Ginger Snap Photography on Groupon. We met her on Sunday at the red train bridge at Savage Park. She was lovely and we got along very well :) I loved her ideas and all our ideas were involved too! We just got the email to download our pictures and make our selection for the edits :) So excited to see the pictures :o) 

One year ago...

.... I got on a plane - again - to come back to America to live my dream ♥

One year went by so fast... Can't believe it! I am working with this cute little girl for 12 months now! She is now 29 months out, is going to Preschool and gets a little brother this December. I am so proud of her. She learned a lot this year and I am so happy to be a part of her life :) Through this little girl I learned a lot too! And when I think back when JT and I moved together :D oh my gosh how empty our apartment was!!! But here I am sitting in our - now fully furnished - apartment over bridal shower invitations, drinking coffee and trying to avoid to study :D! And JT just came back from grocery shopping :D ups! Time really flies :D so now quickly back to my study books ;)

New schedule

So today ends my first week as half day nanny :) Since monday my little girl is going to pre school from 9.15 am to 12.15pm everyday :)

So my schedule completely changed. My workday looks usually like this now:

• 11.40 am: leave the house for pick up
• 12.15 pm: pick up in DC
• 12.45 pm: back home - read, play
• 1.30 pm: nap time until 3.30pm
• 4.00 pm: snack time, play, read
• 5.00 pm: play date or parc
• 7.00 pm: off

When my little girl is doing her nap, I am preparing her dinner and her lunch for the next day, clean up her lunch box and laundry. On fridays I don't have to cook ;)

With that new schedule I have my mornings all for my self. I can use all the time to study, do some household, run some errands and plan our wedding :) and it was pretty nice waking up at 7am knowing that I don't have to sit in traffic like everyone else :D just love my new schedule!

Charity's Closet

Last weekend we went to Savage Mill and looked at all the shops they have and I found a really nice boutique for women.

It is called Charity's Closet and all clothing and accessoires you can find in the store are 5$ (incl. taxes) :D dreamland! All clothings are donations and all proceeds benefits are for a good cause of the organization Success in Style, which provides "free business attire and coaching to disadvantaged men and women seeking employment." I think this is a really good cause, because everyone needs sometimes help to come back on their feeds.

Back to the boutique: I found a really nice dress there and it was just 5$. I found something really fabulous and you should really check out the stores of them. Going shopping and doing something good ;)

And maybe you find such a nice treasure as I did ;) You can find the Resale Boutique in the New Weave Building of Savage Mill. They even have a Partner Store just for men called Phil's Closet. For more information click here!

One more thing: SiS is hosting an event called "Pink Bag Lunch" at The Great Room in Savage Mill on Thursday, October 17 from 11am to 1:30pm. If you are interested in going, here are some more information about the event: http://successinstyle.org/pinkbaglunc/

Shopping tour August 2013

Oh my gosh I went shopping again! And where?! Yes for sure - we went to American Eagle! They had an in store sale in the last week of August: everything 40%! And I got an upgrade via email to 50% off in store! So yes I had to go :D

And whooop the new collection was out too!!! That's what I got :)

two jackets for the fall :)

really nice leather jacket :)

100% cotton! made a really good deal! Just love it!

an my new shirts ;)

Wedding Website

OMG 46 days to go and that means next month we will be married :D We are getting some RSVP cards back, but we are still waiting for a bunch. The ceremony ist planned out, so another major point done. But since than I feel like all this small to do's just showed up :D music, florist, hair, make-up, photographer, rehearsal :D still a lot to do!

Check out our Wedding Website :) 

7 weeks to go :)

September is here and we are right now in Rehoboth Beach! The last time this year :(

Anyway we accomplished a lot on saturday. In the morning I meet my JTs sisters, Kristen and Kelly, to go shopping at Michaels. They have a huge Labour weekend sale, so it was the best time to get all the ceremony and reception decoration :) we found a lot of nice things we can use for the wedding and we also got the cake pans for our wedding cake. Yes we are getting a selfmade wedding cake from Kelly <3 we already discussed some details!

Afterwards we went to an indian restaurant. It was sooooo good :) I missed spicy food! Than I had to head to Ellicott City to meet with JT and his mom our reverand. It was a pleasure meeting Reverand Tim and we pretty much planned out our whole ceremony :) In the afternoon we already received the first draft and it is so nice to read :) already had some tears in my eyes <3 can't wait for October anymore ;)

beautiful weather in Rehoboth :)

60 to go!

Oh my gosh I can't believe it, but in 60 days we tie the knot :D so excited!

The wedding planning is on a little stop because the most important things are done by now - booking the venue, catering, guest list and invitations, the dress, the suit, paying deposits :D

Next saturday we'll meet our officiant to discuss the wedding ceremony :) I am excited to meet the reverend. Hopefully we'll like him :D anything else? Oh yes! Our engagement photoshooting comes up :) Mid September we'll go to Savage parc for the shoot. I found the photographer on groupon so we will see how she is :) i like to support local businesses ;)

Today JT and me went to Micheals to look around for some inspiration for our decoration ;) it is crazy but the stores already laid out all fall and halloween decoration. So now I have to wait for nice sales and coupons and I go shopping again :D

And my bridesmaids finally picked out their dresses :D so that is done too! 

Back at work

Whoop today is my first day back at work after a three week vacation :D but I have to say it goes pretty nice. No screaming or crying from the baby - all fine! Even the waving goodbye to her mom was the usual :D wow! So we are pretty much right back to our day-to-day routine which makes it quite boring. But anyway I shouldn't complain. All in all a good start back in to work.

At the beginning of September comes the first change for my 2yr old girl. Preschool! She will go five times a week from 8.30am to 12.15pm. So I will just work halfdays :) more time for my studies! Can't wait haha :D with all the wedding planning going on it will be nice having time during the day to study ;)

Wedding planning :)

We decided to get married this year and our wedding day will be October 24th 2013 <3 so now it is just 66 days left and the last few days I was really busy planning our wedding ;)

But with the most important parts my parents were able to help us. The last day of their vacation my mom and me went to look for bridal gowns and oh my gosh we found it! First dress I had on and that was it: had my bridal moment ;) <3 I am so happy that my mom was able to go with me and that she was there when I found my dress <3 and the same day my dad and JT went looking for suits and both found some too :)

And the same day we found the prefect wedding location! We will get married at Historic Savage Mill Manor :) we looked at the house and everyone loved it! It is a really cute manor from 1844 and we will have there our ceremony and reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres :)

Historic Savage Mill Manor in Maryland :)

possibility to have the ceremony outside xD

So yeah we booked the venue and catering ;) and on they departure day we went to Party City and found the perfect wedding invitation :D so we could check off the biggest parts in two days!!! And my parents were a part of it! Perfect <3

Last week I was working on our guest list which was not my definition of a fun vacation, but now everything is fixed and our guest list has around 105 people :D but most of them is JT's family haha and my side is just really small :D Mom, Dad, sister plus boyfriend, best friend plus boyfriend and a really good friend of my dad will all come for sure to our wedding in October :)

On thursday I sent out all the invitations and by end of September/beginning of October we should know the head count :D

Engagement and family stuff :)

Finally I had time to post this awesome news :)

<3 We are engaged <3

so happy :)

My parents were here for two weeks and my man decided to take the next step and I asked my dad for my hand in marriage :) we all went for a little beach vacation to Rehoboth Beach in Deleware and he proposed to me at the beach <3 just perfect!!!

Otherwise it was a wonderful time to have my parents here with us. They love it in Maryland and the goodbye was really hard. They just had compliments for my now fiance and they all liked each other :) it was just perfect! Even the Reunion of our families was a success :D

Daytrips

Hard to believe, but finally we went on some daytrips again :) The last sightseeing tour I did, was the trip with my mom to Berlin to apply for my G5 visa :)

This time we went for a day to the beach in Ocean City! finally :D Since last year I try to go to OC, but it never worked out!

We had a really nice day at the beach and the weather was perfect :D we escaped the heat of a 100 degree in Laurel and had nice 82 degree at the ocean!!!

Last weekend we went one more time to New York City. At the Empire State Building I met the best friend of my sister and we went together up to the deck. Afterwards we went shopping :D Monica and JT were with me too and for JT it was the first time in NYC. He really liked it although he is not a big fan of cities. But Times Square was not his favorite :D but we will go another time and next time we go to see Central Parc and take the Staten Island Ferry :) We wanted to go to take the ferry but it would not have been nice. It was a really foggy day, because of the high humidity.