Mexico

My sister, Julie, is married to a guy (Ernesto) who entered the United States, several times, illegally. He's been working on getting his citizenship for a long time. Well, while I was in Chicago in June, Ernesto got his papers telling him to report to the Mexican Consulate on August 12, 2008 at 645am (his birthday!!!). Part of the "punishiment" for entering the U.S. illegally is that he has to go back to Mexcio to get his citizenship. They could tell him that day that he can enter the U.S., or they could tell him he has to stay there for up to two years!
Julie and her 3 children are American. They are going with Ernesto to Mexico. Julie needs to keep insurance on the kids, so she's only going to go for a month, then she'll come back to work. She is leaving the girls (Annabelle 4, and Jimena 3) with Ernesto in Mexcio!!! She is bringing Lucas (8 months) home. She'll live with her best friend Suzie when she gets back to Chicago. This all seems very scary to me. Just to leave Mexico (I read the Mexcian laws and border stuff), she needs a detailed, notarized letter from Ernesto giving her permission. Even though she's his mother and has his birth certificate. Also, the girls know very little Mexican and the grandparents and family in Mexico, know absolutley zero English!!!! Ernesto is going to put the girls in school. In the mean time, all thier stuff is in storage. Julie's been working her butt off getting them packed and ready to go, passports, etc. She doesn't even feel like she's fully mourned dad's passing. She's not scared or nerveous at all, just overwhelmed at the moment. She's actually excited! UGH.
Anyway, the whole point of this blog and the reason I'm writing it today...Julie, Ernesto, Annabelle, Jimena, and Lucas leave today and head to Mexico!!! Julie and her kids are pretty much my mom's whole life and here is it just 6 weeks after losing dad, she's losing them too. I'm worried, scared, nerveous for mom, for Julie. UGH!!!!! I wish my mom would come here or I wish I could be there!!!