Good news & Sad news: Germany bound

Howdy Family! Greetings from Austin, Texas.

I’m pretty sure you’re all aware that Bettina is moving back to Germany to finish fulfilling her 2-year residency requirement. If you recall, she initially came here on a Fulbright Scholarship about 5 years ago. While it is quite an honor, the Fulbright comes with some baggage…in the form of having to return to your home country for 2 years. Simply being married to a U.S. citizen, or even having children, does not make you exempt from the residency requirement. She leaves for Germany on June 19.

As you are also aware, we got engaged, about a month prior to realizing that there was no way out of the 2-year commitment.

And finally, we are indeed having a baby…a son, due in early September.

Well, in the wake of all this drama, Bee & I were married on May 18th in a tiny ceremony just south of Austin at a beautiful little place called Chapel Dulcinea. Just the 2 of us, the official (a friend) and a photographer (also a friend). The reason for getting married about a year ahead of our initial plan was to facilitate a much speedier & less expensive return to U.S. for Bettina. Our son will be born in Germany, but he will have dual citizenship when they return in October or November of 2010. We have also obtained the help of one of the best immigration attorneys in Austin, and the return paperwork has already begun. I am looking forward to many frequent visits over the next 18 months.

Our plan is to have a ‘proper’ wedding when we are all together again, most likely in spring of 2011, and we will certainly be begging all of you to come to Texas & celebrate with us.

In the meantime, please enjoy the pictures that our awesome photographer friend Cory took of our ceremony. We may just choose to go back to this very place when we tie the knot, again!

http://coryryan.smugmug.com/gallery/8413448_no4ph/1/552455900_FcaSd

Password = busybee (all lowercase letters)

Please forward this info to anyone whom I’ve left off …I don’t think I have everyone’s e-mail address!

Love,

Eric & Bettina