Sunday, October 7, 2012

Getting Passports is (NOT) so much fun.

I realize we live in a post 9/11 world and with that comes more paperwork, red tape, etc. I get it and for the most part I'm completely fine with it. Except when it involves me, my 3 kids and a 95 degree post office. It was a Wednesday (maybe who can remember the day of the week anyways) and the kids had gotten up from their naps early. I decided that since the post office passport window was only open at certain hours we would try to go get that loose end tied up.

We arrived and after a stern warning that everyone needed to obey or there would be consequences we unloaded and headed in. During the paperwork process a few days before my husband and realized that as honest, hard working, legal, non criminal citizens of this country we had to fill out 15 pages of paperwork for each child's passports AND have my husband include a written, signed and notarized statement that yes, I was in fact allowed to file for passports in his absence. So I walk up to the passport counter and handed her the pile of papers and pictures (that took a good 45 minutes to an hour to get at a local CVS). After looking at the pictures and paperwork it was determined that Ruthie needed her picture taken again and so did Lily, we needed a copy of Rick's drivers license and I had the wrong type of birth certificate for one of the kids. After an hour and a half (I had to go to the car for a 10 minute break in the middle so I wouldn't scream and I had to feed Lily), we left with 2 passports filed and mine renewed.

Thankfully all the passports have finally arrived. Next up visas. French Consulate here we come!

Here is Ruthie's original passport picture. I'm thinking of maybe using it in her senior yearbook?

 
Lily's looks like we gave her a bad dye job. Which, for the record we have NEVER dyed her hair. As a reference her hair is the color of Ruthie's in real life.
 
 
 
And Charlie looks like a juvenile delinquent. I can't find his pictures. I love my kids. They make me laugh. A lot.
 
 



Wednesday, October 3, 2012

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!

Well as of January 2013 the Williams family will be calling France home for the next few years!

Why are we going you may ask? Rick works for Michelin and the global headquarters are in Clermont-Ferrand, France. We are very excited about the opportunity and will be sharing our journey through this blog.