# R 540

Government offices can be very intimidating. Perhaps that's by design.

The first person you encounter, I call them the "Defense". They have all the answers and will often answer before you ask, while highlighting a paper with the address where you were supposed to go. They're usually sarcastically polite, and rather curt. They have seen 100's of people every day, most of them demanding that the rules bend for their case...I can understand.

The next step is to walk through the metal detectors and wait. All the while you are anxiously watching the scrolling numbers, waiting for your number to come across. And just as it seems the numbers are moving quickly, there's a long 'stall' 2 numbers before your own.

All too often it seems the people behind the desks are either just coming back from a coffee break or just going to leave for their coffee break. It is Spain, perhaps there is a mandated number of cafe con leche breaks?

Today, we went to renew our residency paperwork. Because of the move and chaos of life, we are in a bit of a rush because our residency cards expire next week. But God has been with us each step of this process. I reminded myself of that fact as I sat staring at the board blinking "R534". God demonstrated his power over "Pharaoh" again today. We sat at the girl's desk and she quickly processed both Jeff and my paperwork, even making a copy of something we had forgotten to include! So, it's done. We just wait for the letter to come back to record our fingerprint, and we're legal again for another 2 years.

The boys paperwork will be done on Friday in a separate office for minors.

We're done...for a year!

It's been quite the process to become residents. With government offices, each with a seperate set of requirements, a good lawyer, a good God, and an insane amount of luck...we are now legal residents of Spain

Here's the process:

Step 1

Step 2

and yesterday we recieved our cards here in town! After we dropped off our final paperwork at the Office of Foreigners in early December, we were told to return in about month and a half to check on the status of the cards. Most people warned that they really meant about 2 months or longer, so checking yesterday was a long shot. When the guard informed me that all 4 cards had arrived, I nearly hugged him!

I have been trying to take the stance that these government officials are really just trying to do their job, and they've been dealing with people yelling at them all day, they don't need me to yell at them. I'm trying to use it as a moment to brighten their day by being extra polite...sometimes I got the opportunity to "brighten" their day multiple days in a row.

So, anyways yesterday was a great day in the Carr Chronicles! We're legal! We have the card to prove it! And we only have to start this process again in October...

A Picture Tag

So, here's the fourth picture from the fourth file of "My Pictures" file on my computer.

This picture was taken at the infamous "Bean" in dowtown Chicago. We were still waiting on the boys visas to come through, and were getting antsy about their delay. Jeff and I had recieved our visas 6 weeks prior to this picture.

The Spanish government had informed Madrid headquarters that they had never recieved the applications and that we should go check on them. So I put on my uniform (you always seem more important than you really are in uniform) and headed out to the Spanish Consulate. The gentleman at the consulate checked and verified that the applications had been sent, and the suggested that we could travel to Spain sans the visas and then return for them later. (Which created the huge residency ordeal! For the whole story read my post on the trip to Madrid to finish the residency: Good News )

Jeff and the boys walked around the area by the Spanish Consulate while I waded through the beaucratic paperwork stuff. This pic was taken when I came down with the "good news" and we spent the rest of the afternoon 'celebrating' in downtown Chicago (I changed out of the uniform later).

The Never ending Story

It's a never ending saga with the residency. Today, after acquiring all the appropriate paperwork, number of copies, and right sized photo, we headed for the Foreigner's Office in Alicante. Only to be turned away. Rather than tell the long, frustrating story of meeting several friendly government officials, several not so friendly ones, being scolded via phone calls by a lawyer, driving back and forth between 2 offices on opposite sides of town, and a lovely woman named Begonia who finished us up...the boys and I are 10 euros away from being legal residents of Spain! (:::sigh::: While making copies of paperwork & visas, I had brought a copy of Jeff's passport but not the actual passport...he has an ACTUAL APPOINTMENT to come back next Tuesday to finish his finger stamping process)

Take a number, to wait to take a number...

It has been a blur of government offices this week! We registered with town hall and then drove the hour to the "county seat" in order to apply for residency. Only to find out through much explanation later, that we will have to drive the 5 hour trip to Madrid in order to complete our residency paperwork....::sigh::....perhaps it will improve our disposition if we treat it as a mini-vacation.....

We have decided to place the boys in an "infant school" here in town. Children begin school at age 3 in our area, but I didn't feel comfortable placing Bramwell in school when he still didn't understand the language....side bar: he is learning very quickly! He has started using phrases like "muy bien" and "chau" on a very regular basis!....So we decided to place them in a situation where they would learn Spanish and be prepared for school. It will also afford us the opportunity to work in the office and dedicate time to office stuff, rather than bringing the office to the house.

While in the States, they went to daycare while we were at the office. (Only 2 days a week, it's all we could afford) And once we got home, it was dedicated family time. We rarely brought our computers home. We often did errands or visitation, but usually when we were in the house we weren't trying to get work done. Then when we were awaiting our visas in order to take up this appointment in Spain, we had no work to do, so the boys had us all to themselves. Now, since we can't take them to the office, we are always doing work here at the house, and I think they hate that we're not paying 100% attention to them (it's the best rationalization I can come up with for their behavior)... Perhaps by getting a chance for the boys to use up some energy, make new friends, and us getting the majority of our office work done at the office, it will make for better times to be had at home.

Just so this post isn't incredibly long, here's a quick update:

1. Jonas had to go to the dentist this morning. After a chase scenario over a toy involving Bram, Jonas has broken both front teeth on the rock solid floors of Spain. Good thing, it'll fix itself...in 6 to 7 years. ( Bram and I have been repeating all day: Nice with our words, nice with our hands)

2. We began our weekly nursing home visit ministry. A good portion of them speak Valenciano ( a local language that is not Spanish), so I will be learning a few choruses in a new language. The boys always have loved nursing home visits, not that they have had much choice ( I have taken them to nursing homes ever since I was pregnant.), and the people always LOVE seeing the boys and their friendly smiles.

3. We had a set of sofas that was literally falling apart. We had to cover the cushions with sheets because they were so ripped that stuffing was coming out. Well, God answered our prayers! A gentlemen was looking to get rid of a leather couch set, and agreed to let us have it for the home here!! So, now we have a blue leather sofa and 2 matching chairs!

So much to do....