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RebeccatheWriter

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Posts posted by RebeccatheWriter

  1. I think there is some fall out still from the boutique. When Erin began stepping back (way before it was announced publicly), you had both Whitney and Carlin buying houses with their husbands - a first time home buy for Carlin and Evan. Zade was born in the midst of this and Erin was probably paying off some massive debt with how many surgeries she had and how sick she had been. 

    My hypothesis is: 

    Erin chooses to leave the business for whatever reason. She is taking Chad with her who did much of the grunt work and even some technical stuff with their computers and website. It's not like a ball game where they just walk away, they probably wanted to be bought out of their investment. The business is probably not very liquid. They have too much inventory. They upsized their location to go from rent free to commercial rent. They were and are traveling for shows to "meet with designers" a/k/a buying stuff off the rack to sell. And I doubt Whitney/Zach or Carlin/Evan had any cash to put in to make a buy out happen. 

    That would explain why it took months from Erin stopping with the modeling and posting to the announcement. 

    My guess is that other sisters were approached but they either didn't have the cash or didn't have the interest. That's when Kelly stepped in and suddenly she is a silent partner type dealing with the plus sizes. Kelly infused money into the business on the short term (note she's not doing anything there now) and Erin gets a payday for selling her part of the business. However, with as long as it took and the negotiation going on, I think there are and were hurt feelings and mismatched expectations. 

    The question is did Whitney and Carlin learn anything? A business isn't a hobby or activity. Just like you need to prep yourself for the end of your marriage when you are still planning your wedding (life insurance, prenup, etc.), you have to prepare for the end of your business when you lay the groundwork. I would bet they had no business contract between the three of them. 

    It turned out to be Erin getting out before the others, but it could have played differently. Whitney could have gotten annoyed with the business being in her house and then backyard. Who wants to give up personal space like that? Who wants your sisters-in-law and random church help wandering through your house, using your bathroom, putting their lunch in your refrigerator or searching it for a snack? It would get old quickly. 

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  2. 2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

    I just watched Carlin's vlog and the way she said "I forgot the gifts" makes me think she bought presents but forgot to pack them. I've done that before where I bought a bunch of stuff at Target or Walmart and intended to take certain items out for my suitcase, only to realize I forgot later. The Stew Crew seems like the type who scramble to the airport at the last minute, so I'm not surprised. She wanted to run out and buy something before the party and Alyssa told her not to. 

    I thought it was very sweet of the girls to make cards and letters for Layla and Zade, but I noticed Alyssa blew Allie off yet again when Allie excitedly tried to show her mom what she'd drawn. Alyssa always gushes over anything Lexie and Zoey do, but Allie gets a split second of attention or she's ignored entirely. Poor kid. 

    In Alyssa's defense on the gift thing - Carlin and Evan were sans car. John and Evan went to set up the location in John's car and Alyssa was getting the girls ready and about to head over to finish prepping the room (how much prep?) when Carlin jumped in with forgetting the gifts. I would have told her never mind too, as Carlin's going to have to take a 30-45 minute side trip at least to pick up gifts, then cards, then gift bags. Alyssa's kids would end up late for their own party and it would have eaten into prayer time. 

    Carlin could have summoned an Uber and taken Layla to buy gifts, but didn't. 

    Allie is begging for attention. I hate to break it to Alyssa, but it won't always been in such a sweet and pleading way to you. Teenagers begging for attention tend to not be as pleasant. 

    Maybe I have missed it but Alyssa seems to be posting thank you to Carlin (and Evan) for coming, but not even mentioning Erin. I have family I don't like either, but I try to be nice in passing out the thank yous. 

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  3. On 3/14/2024 at 9:05 AM, Heathen said:

    Well, it's not like she's wasting time reading books or anything. Fundies live the most superficial lives. 

    I was unpacking some boxes from a not so recent move and it dawned on me. None of these fundies have many books. Sure there are tablet readers (I have mine) but I also have multiple bookcases and more books than could fit. Erin probably has the most and she turns them spine side back or confesses she buys based on color not content to decorate her children's rooms. 

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  4. 2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

    I'm confused. Did Rhett have a party, or just a photoshoot and a couple of family members over?

    He had the Alyssa version of a party. He had a smash cake, photoshoot with a balloon arch and painted backdrop, and presents. John's parents and a few others came over for it. I thought it was lowkey until I saw the combined party for the girls was basically the same thing except with princess dresses instead of baseballs.  

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  5. 6 hours ago, BitterApple said:

    The party was only an hour and forty-five minutes? Is that typical for kids parties held at venues? 

    It was sad looking on that schedule. They had 15 minutes for eating? And that included praying? I hope that was a quick prayer.

    What happened to princess storytime or games? One ticket for a photo. One ticket for a balloon animal. Goodie bag and go home. 

    I get that it is hard to find activities to include for a 3/4 year old to a 9 year old, but that's the reason you don't do one party for every single girl in the family. The girls were taken to shop for presents for Rhett that Alyssa specifically said she and John would fund. Did they each get a gift "from" their brother? 

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  6. 6 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

    In my area you need 3 years experience as a licensed agent before you can become a broker. I wonder if they got ahead of themselves with filming and Whit never passed the initial test and that's why it faded away.

    She was licensed as an agent and on the Bailey real estate site for a while. Before that, Mrs. Bailey (the co-owner) was featured on the show to take Kelly, Kelly's mom, and various random children househunting. Kelly greeted her like an old friend and pretended they had discussed this whole thing about Kelly's mom. However, clearly this was all new news to this woman. She was showing a woman in her late 70s early 80s and a disabled husband, homes that had no main floor bathroom and had all the bedrooms upstairs. My guess is that the show found her and the agency for a few stories. 

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  7. On 3/5/2024 at 8:46 AM, GeeGolly said:

    Wow, that's a lot of work for a show plot. The licensing test is not easy breezy.

    I don't mean that they came up with it as much as she was probably saying she was interested in it or thinking about it and they ran with it. 

    The dates don't quite add up. Apparently, she was filming stuff where she met her boss several months before she passed in real life. I don't remember, but I don't think she passed the broker-level test or even took it. 

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  8. On 1/16/2024 at 12:52 AM, GeeGolly said:

    I remember when Zach's first courtship failed. He was like a deer in headlights. While I hate to give G&KJ credit, they did help him to loosen up a bit. I doubt they wanted him to bring home a non-Fundy, but Whit Fundied-up right quick.

    Doesn't Whit have her real estate license as well? What happened there? I'm guessing she thought she'd have way more flexibility than see did. Real estate may not be the traditional 40 hour work week, but agents do have to do office hours and they need to be willing to answer their phone all the time. As a full-time job, its a lot of work.

    Whitney had a license at one point. However, according to public records it expired a few years ago. I think she only had it for a plot point on the show. She only had one listing at the firm where she was at and that never did sell.

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  9. Per the experts in immigration and education that I spoke to this week, the Romeikes are considered undocumented. Their petition for asylum didn't fall in their favor. 

    Deferment doesn't mean they are magically legally able to become citizens. It is a term to refer to a delayed decision to deport. They still fall into the broader undocumented category that isn't just inclusive of one kind of situation. Their deferred status only means that since that status started they did not accrue, if you will, additional violations. 

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  10. 12 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

    I wonder if there have been some panicked phone calls to Alyssa asking if her father-in-law the congressman can help. 

    So I think Daniel Webster has been called. However, if he has intentions of running again (haven't heard he is retiring yet), he's probably hesitant. Florida is extremely anti-immigrant at the moment. While he loves some homeschool legislation, he's probably hesitant to take this on without opening a can of worms. I have a feeling someone from the House of Representatives and/or Senate will eventually make at least a performative effort. However, it is going to take a brave or stupid person to risk their political career over this. I can think of plenty of other cases that are more telling of a broken system than the Romeikes. 

    There is a lot of publicity with Dreamers and DACA. A federal judge recently ruled that DACA isn't legal and that President Obama overstepped in providing that. The judge did not say it had to end though. There is a lot of confusion around it and people are scrambling. The Romeike children (not the parents) appear to have qualified for such status, but like other statuses, they aren't eligible for citizenship through it because no such path exists. Rule of thumb on immigration is that you apply in your home country and wait. Unless you are in mortal danger, you don't show up uninvited.

    I say this because Republicans (for the most part) are not in favor of DACA. To provide DACA sorts of protections to the Romeike young adults would be basically signaling that they are okay with DACA sort of benefits. If a legislator acted on behalf of the Romeike family publically but still voted against such immigration reforms, he or she would clearly be signaling that only white/European/Protestant people are deserving. It would be saying the quiet part aloud. 

    I grew up in an area that was very much against immigration (from the Southern Border) and hates the idea of Dreamers/DACA status. Recently I moved to a more tolerant area. For example, the area I grew up in arrested a Dreamer (a college student who was brought to the US at 2 months old)  for running a stop sign and wanted to deport her. Where I live and work now, legislators attending the State of the Union Address have invited DACA status undocumented people to attend with them. 

    37 minutes ago, Natalie68 said:

    I am pretty uneducated on the whole situation so I have a question.  How do people who have been threatened with deportation travel within the US?  Are they allowed to fly?  You would think I would know this by now.

    So my understanding is that the annual visits the Romeikes had with immigration officials got them work permits (Form I-766) and driving privileges. Lydia has said in past Q&As and other places that she has a driver's license (so she can fly domestically) but that she does not have a passport or other documents to allow her to travel to another country. She said she was eager to get that because she wanted to take Trace to Germany to visit and see where she was born. 

    TSA will consider any of the following as ID to fly:

    • State photo identity card
    • State driver’s license
    • Military ID
    • Foreign passport (must be unexpired1)
    • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Employment Authorization Card
    • Trusted traveler cards such as the NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST cards issued by the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”)
    • Border-crossing cards
    • Native American tribal ID cards
    • Airline or airport photo ID cards issued in compliance with TSA regulations and transportation worker ID credential

    I know a lot of us are curious as to why now. The clue does appear to be that the last of the German-born children is now 18. Deferment of Action is essentially a humanitarian effort for those who are undocumented. An example could include caring for a sick relative after your visa has run out. In this case, they were able to homeschool their children. Now that said child is 18, there is nobody left on the petition because the youngest two would not qualify for that sort of petition as US citizens already. They have the two US-born children who are still school age and could perhaps petition on behalf of the parents to keep living with their daughters in the US. However, I'm not seeing how Lydia and all her siblings would be needed to homeschool two young girls. 

     

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  11. 46 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

    GoFundMe for attorney's fees coming in 3, 2, 1.....

    The petition reminds me of a Dateline episode I watched where a high school jock was arrested for murdering his father. His classmates rallied around him, signed petitions and protested at the courthouse. When interviewed, the D.A. rolled her eyes and said she prosecutes or dismisses based on evidence, not who's voted Most Popular in the senior yearbook. I imagine immigration judges operate in a similar fashion. 

    It's all a bit confusing, but based on what I'm reading here, the Romeikes have been ordered to leave and they're doing a big publicity blitz hoping someone in the government can get the decision reversed? Is that even possible? 

    So legislative officials could step in here. But that is rare. If they do, they would face such calls daily. 

    1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

    I figured they'd be sent to jail. 

    Court for them is regarding how to deport if they don't or can't self deport. Meanwhile hundreds of Latino and Hispanic children are detained without lawyers to put them on tv. 

    Jail isn't the usual answer to over staying a visa. The only real reason at this time to jail them is to detain them from potentially running or evading authorities. 

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  12. 8 minutes ago, Heathen said:

    I rolled my eyes at Ferret Face's statement that he's trying to keep his newborn son (and his mother and her family) from being deported. Your son is a birthright citizen, you bonehead. He can't be deported. 

    The comments from the attorney are killing me. He's claiming they are here with the "permission of the US government." Call me crazy, but logic says if they were, they would have green cards or citizenship by now. They were here despite objections.

    4 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

    Kelly Jo is trying to say they're here legally. Nice try but not true. 

    I'm rolling my eyes at all of it. They were legal for a total of 90 days when they first arrived. Since then they are undocumented and in much the same circumstances legally as any other undocumented person. The difference is that the country they are "fleeing" simply wanted to educate their children. 

     

    34 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

    I guess they're hoping to get this in front if a judge. I don't know how successful they will be. But I can assume they won't attempt to get passports.

    If that is their plan, they are dumber than I thought. A judge in a deportation hearing isn't there to base a decision on the merits of their asylum claim. That train has left the station. The judge is deciding things like when they will be deported and if they are a risk and should be remanded to custody.The judge will be deciding if they should be and for how long they should be banned from entering the country. 

    I get that Lydia is in a predicament. However, she has had ample time and opportunity to clear this up. She could have gone back to Germany after she turned 18 or even after she became engaged to Trace. She could have applied and had Trace sponsor her. The 24ish months it takes to process is a long time, but she wouldn't be worrying about it now. Mr. and Mrs. Romeike could have taken the children at different times and applied for citizenship. 

     

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  13. 1 hour ago, Patricia07 said:

    Looks like Trace won't be living there.

    It would require more initiative and work than he's ever shown before now. Visit for long periods - yes - but it won't be a permanent thing for him. Perhaps they have a way to obtain German travel documents, but I don't see much chance of a good ending here without that. I see a few ways they can get such passports abroad, but they need to make an appointment, show proof of citizenship, pay the fees, provide the picture, and be finger-printed. Apparently, there is a wait on that. If they can't get their paperwork in order to self-deport, they are facing bans from entering the country for potentially 5-10 years. 

    So a few scenarios: 

    1. The Romeikes are deported to Germany with the two daughters born in the US joining them. Unable to return to the US (the German-born ones) for 10 years (worst case), they will have to either choose school for their younger two or face the fines and possible loss of custody. 

    2. The Romeikes are deported to Germany and they attempt "fleeing" to another country to avoid the evils of education. However, they may have to figure out how to take the younger two, as I am doubting they have done much in regard to dual citizenship for fear of appearances. It would make little sense to complete the process for your younger two to be dual citizens when you are claiming to be a refugee seeking asylum. There is apparently a list of rules if this is not taken care of in the first year? after birth. One states - "If you are born outside of Germany to at least one German parent, you qualify for dual citizenship. However, you must have lived in Germany for at least eight years and attended school there for at least six years."

    3. They choose to leave their youngest children in the US and wait out the ban before applying to return. The youngest two could become adults and would have only seen their parents for a few weeks each year when traveling to Germany. That would be pretty expensive. 

    The two Romeike girls who are school age are not necessarily eligible for citizenship in German even if they have two German parents. 

    The immigration officials I talked to today explained that deferred status instills a false sense of security. More than likely there have been clues that this was coming and they chose to ignore them or didn't understand them. 

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  14. 8 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

    Wow, what a mess.

    If Trace goes to Germany, wouldn't he be facing the same sort of issues, but in reverse? I don't know anything about their system, but I'm assuming they have similar style visas and requirements for residency. I doubt Trace can just plop himself down over there for the next several years and spin his wheels while Lydia reapplies. And to that point, could he even afford it? Lydia could presumably start a photography business, but what would Trace do? I don't wish bad on anyone's relationship, but I can see this going south pretty quickly.

    He can visit temporarily without a visa. I believe it is 90 days out of 180 that he can stay. During that, he can apply for a residence permit. He technically can't "live" with Lydia until he has that permit, which has its own set of requirements. A residence permit is not permanent. He would have to pass a language test among other things to be allowed to live there long term. Permanent residency requires classes, language proficiency, proof of income, etc. 

     

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  15. I sat through a seminar at my job regarding students with DACA status. I learned a little more about Trace is referring to as self or voluntary deportation. 

    1. Immigration will ask if the family has paperwork from any country that would permit them to travel. If they can produce that, they are told at the next appointment that they are eligible to self-deport. Self-deporting means someone leaves voluntarily and at their own expense. Additionally, they would have to drop any claims or motions to extend their time in the US, including the asylum request. They would have to admit they are undocumented and not supposed to stay. Finally, they have to waive their rights to another appeal. 

    2. If they don't have travel paperwork, they are not eligible. They will then be in line to be deported after a court hearing. The hearing doesn't give the option of staying but at what level they might be fined, remanded, etc. For example, if Lydia or her family were to say they planned to run and hide, the government could determine that they needed to be taken into custody. They might be looked at in regard to whether they have a lot of cash or fake travel documents. 

    3. Why bother to self deport? If a person was asked to self-deport and didn't, he or she or they would have a legal mark against them for being in the country without documentation, staying longer than their visa, and/or a million other things. Someone who is deported is essentially lower on the list for re-entry. However, a self-deported person can immediately apply (it takes months/years to process) for re-entry and has no record against them. If a judge requires them to be deported and it is done through the system rather than voluntarily, the family can be banned for 5-10 years from entering the US under penalty of fines and imprisonment. 

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  16. 4 hours ago, 65mickey said:

    Didn't  Trace say that this family reported yearly to ICE, and they have been in the US as undocumented individuals for 15 years? What were they told when they reported? Were they somehow led to believe that if they lay low and keep out of trouble they would eventually be given permanent status?  Or were they told that they could be deported at any time? It looks like they took a chance and they might have lost.

    So from what I gather - based on Trace's interpretation, Lydia's interpretation, and Mr. Romeike's interviews - The assumption was that the deferred status meant that they could stay and just not have paperwork. That's not how it works, but it appears to be their assumption. 

    It appears that this year when they went in for their yearly paperwork, they were asked about passports and travel. Someone? Trace? Lydia's parents? Lydia? Someone asked why and they were told that they were subject to self deportation. They were also told to report back sooner than one year. 

    Mr. Romeike originally said he was uneasy (my word) about the deferred status because there was no paperwork saying that. He was told just to trust the government. Why he went from skeptic to believing they were in the clear, I don't know. Maybe the lawyer for the homeschooling group led him to believe that in a way of saying the lawyer won. Maybe he misunderstood? 

    All we have to go on here are some very outdated interviews and a vlog by an uneducated idiot. 

    Another thing at play here is the federal court hearing regarding DACA. You are going to see more movement in terms of courts, immigration, etc. as the case heads to the US Supreme Court. 

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  17. 4 hours ago, Heathen said:

    I didn't ask if she could become a citizen because she's married to one. I asked if she could be deported even though she is the mother of a US citizen. 

    Technically yes. Decisions would need to be made to:
    1. She and Ryker go to Germany and start the process of her immigrating as Trace's wife. Trace would stay in the US. Current wait times on this are about 24 months give or take. Maybe he knows someone who could speed that process but it is doubtful most politicians would touch it. Most are aware that immigration is a hot issue in politics. Trace would be the sponsor for her. 

    2. Ryker stays with Trace and the Bates but Lydia goes back to Germany. This would be less ideal, especially if she is nursing him. It sounds as though Trace and Lydia thought that this would never happen and that officials would make an exception because of the baby. Unfortunately for Lydia, the law is the law. They should continue making plans so that Ryker can travel legally.

    3. Trace could apply to go with them to Germany and then work on the paperwork to return to the US with them legally. He would certainly struggle in another country, but it could be good for him. This is what he says he will do if it comes to it. It would be better that they do this while Ryker is so young and not faced with school issues of his own.

    Motherhood status of a US citizen is not a free pass to stay under current laws. Lydia was an adult who knew she was not a permanent resident and knew that she was not in line to get that status. As the law looks at it, she had a child with the knowledge that she could be deported at any time. She has little to no argument to stay on without proper documentation, as she is out of school and in no known or assumed physical danger by returning to Germany. 

    Her younger siblings who were born in the United States are able to stay in the country though their parents are not. The Romeike parents would need to make a decision regarding guardianship of the two girls or take them back to Germany and face the same homeschooling challenges.  I don't think they would leave their daughters with anyone and leave the US without a way to return. However, it depends on their commitment to parenting versus keeping them educated at home. Like with Lydia, the parents made the decision to have children while they were here temporarily and without documentation. 

    None of them have a case to stay at this point legally. There is no direct threat to them by returning to Germany. As for Lydia and her brother, they should welcome the opportunity to legally take the steps in the process without the threat of violence, disease, starvation, etc. that actual refugees deal with every day. It would have behooved them to have taken those steps earlier rather than hoping that their presence would be ignored. 

    The US government for better or worse has shown that it does not mind separating families, including small children, babies, and infants due to immigration status. While Ryker will not be placed in a cage or similar, his birth doesn't mean a whole lot to the US government. 

    Trace claims that they have hired their own immigration attorney. Perhaps that attorney knows better, but from my own experience working with such an attorney, I doubt it. Especially in light of the most recent denial of DACA status and rights, I would be advising the Romeikes to start figuring out next steps because it sounds like the status quo isn't going to be there now. 

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  18. 3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

    Also wonder if Trace and Lydia were a bit lax about applying for her marriage visa or if her family asked them to delay because they were afraid filing the application would put them back in the spotlight? Given their reluctance to get proper contractor licenses it would not surprise me if Trace thought that immigration documents did not apply to them either.

     

    There isn't anything Lydia could have filled out from the US now. As it stands she would have to go back to Germany and start the process there. She could have done so when they were engaged and tried for a K1 Visa that would allow her to get a green card later after they married. For them it is probably a rules for thee not for me situation. 

    They could have tried to start the process, but were probably told by their lawyer that her being here without the proper documentation would result in issues such as denial or delay. Even then we're talking about 14–28 months to obtain your marriage-based green card if you apply from within the United States with the proper documentation. If you apply from outside the United States, it will take between 17–24 months.

    She and her family had 90-day visas about 15ish years ago. Since then they are undocumented. Their deferred status isn't/wasn't permission for them to stay. It was simply a delay in deportation. 

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  19. 14 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

    They are so backwards. My friendships with my siblings, neighborhood kids and classmates had nothing to do with whether they were boys or girls. The same was/is true for my kids. Sure, we all had more same sex friends, but we were friends with both.

    Riding bikes, playing school, playing board games, dress-up, tag, etc, are fun for all.

    Does Carson have to sit in his room and draw while his sisters play with dolls in their room?

    The Bates/Paines tend to be very into gender roles. While I'm sure that Carson does play games with his sisters, there is no way he is not treated differently than his sisters. He's probably getting chores that are more about helping Chad and less about helping Erin in the kitchen. He is the oldest and probably has more responsibilities than his siblings. 

    While he would typically have friends of both sexes, I'm hypothesizing that one reason he might seem unhappy is that he has such a lack of choices. There is nobody for him to emulate or recognize as like him. He is simply outnumbered. If Brooklyn, Holland, and Everly want to play house or dress up and he wants to play tag, he's not getting his way ever. 

    Again, this isn't necessarily the way it is. It's just my assessment off my observations. He's at the age where he is potentially noticing differences more than similarities. 

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  20. 2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

    Did they ever considering the request for them to return to the immigration office in a few months is a good sign? I mean really, the anti immigration camp aren't anti German folks. It seems to me the Romeikes have good reason to think they'll be granted a track to permanent citizenship by some good ole boy pulling some strings.

    From the perspective of my friend whose niece is going through the asylum process and was denied - the request to return in a month or two is a really bad sign. If they were being moved through on a path to citizenship, the checks/supervision would be lowered to every 18 months or 24 months. 

    A few things on that:

    1. Does Mr. Romeike work a job or is he like the Bates and Duggars in that he is self-employed?

    Per the Bates Wiki, Mr. Romeike works teaching piano lessons, tuning pianos, and playing piano at special events. He is also the pianist at his church, First Baptist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. 

    2. It would appear that by age, none of the German-born children are under 18. Therefore, one can assume they are done with homeschooling. What is their reasoning for continued claims of asylum because the two born in the US wouldn't be on that original claim?  

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  21. 38 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

    Poor kid. My nephew has three younger sisters and (on our side), girl cousins until I brought Stepson in — and with a 6-year age difference, he wasn’t much of a companion for him. But he goes to real school and has a lot of friends, so he’s been fine.

    I wonder if they’ve been at all honest with Carson and tempered expectations as they’ve urged them to pray for a boy — this brother won’t really be much of a playmate. They can have a great relationship, but he’s not likely to be an effective friend substitute.

    I would like to think they have been honest, but that's not really their style. Erin is like her mother in that she believes her children should be and are besties with each other. 

    Maybe he gets to play with other boys his age at church? But I don't know much about their church. It used to be that they liked churches that were family worship style where no matter the age the family all stayed together rather than age dependant life groups or Sunday school.

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  22. 5 hours ago, BitterApple said:

    I know Carson is a serious kid by nature, but there's always an aura of sadness around him. Does he have any friends or get to socialize with other kids at all? Maybe he's worn down by a household that's 24-7 Jesus, but I don't get the sense there's much joy in his life. 

    I think he's probably got a very lonely life at this point. Do they have outside friends? He reminds me of what Jinger and Jill talk about in their books in terms of anxiety about living up to God's, Mom's, and Dad's expectations. He probably internalizes a lot of the fear about the wrath of God that his parents preach to him. He used to laugh and smile around Bradley. 

    He has four little sisters who probably get on his nerves but Mom is probably telling him to pray it out. Tori, Bobby, and the kids just visited but the age gap between him and his boy cousins is significant. I doubt the new baby being a boy will help. The age gap will be too much for next long while. 

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