Difference of a Few Days

Woah!  It's amazing to me the drastic changes that can take place in just 15 days!  To quickly recap, Ryan had gone back to Barcelona on January 4th without us because the girls and I still didn't have our visas.  In the mean time, I have been homeschooling the girls so they wouldn't be behind when we eventually made it back to Barcelona and the British school.  Well throw all those notions out the window!

Just about a week ago, we heard from our immigration attorney that it has been such a long process that all the clearances we had previously turned in (back in July) were now too old and they need all new ones.  If we got all that done and turned back into her early this week (didn't happen) then the "best case" projected visa approval is late February. 

Now, I was willing to attempt to homeschool the girls for about a month, but two months is just too long, in my opinion, for them to be out of a structured school environment.  So, we made the decision to enroll the girls in public school in Avon.  I am now in the process of getting them into their classes and getting all the proper paperwork filled out for the school.  The principal (a wonderful, wonderful man) is trying his best to get Alexis back into the MAP program, but he couldn't make any promises.  I think Alexis will be happy just to be out of the British school!  We will put Kaylee in half day Kindergarten, even though her abilities are way beyond what they are learning there.  I think it's more important for her social/physical development to be with kids her age.  Plus, I am confident that once she is able to join the higher abilities program, she will be challenged on a regular basis. 

We are still attempting to obtain our residency visas.  But I don't plan on withdrawing the girls from Avon to go back to the British school.  I really don't see the value in that since the plan has been to get them back into the Avon school system for 2011-2012.  I don't know what we'll do once our visas are actually ready.  At this point we really haven't thought that far ahead. 

Yeah...a lot can happen in a matter of days.  You can plan ahead all you want to, but you definitely need to be prepared for changes along the way.

"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."  Proverbs 19:21

I didn't think when we were leaving home on December 17th that we wouldn't be coming back.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  It's definitely not what I had planned.  I sure wish the four of us could just be together.  And I wish I had planned for the unexpected and packed a few more clothes!  Living out of a suitcase's worth of stuff is ummmm.....interesting.  But I know that's not what's important.  I have many, many blessings!

Stay tuned....I'm sure there is much more to come!