It's official!

Get up early to make the two hour drive to Okalahoma City. The destination? Department of Homeland Security. Now we love to tease the kids about nearly anything. So on the way I tell Maima this is an important day this is to get your U.S. Citizenship and maybe you can shake Obama's hand. We arrive about five minutes early to our appointment, after a couple of additonal requests to empty our pockets we get our way through security we are told to go to room #1 and put our appointment letter in the box at window #3 then take a seat and "they will call you sometime". I'm thinking we will be here forever.

To my surprise the man at window #2 gets up nearly immediately and calls Maima's name. We go up he hands me a certificate with Maima's name and photograph on it and ask me to review it very closely. I am pleased to note they have her new name and birth date all correct. Then he instructs me to fill in "printed, very legibly", her full name on this line, then on the edge of the photograph, then on the back. If you have ever seen my handwriting you would understand why I talk about this in detail. At one point he puts his hand on my arm and says breathe and take your time it must be perfect. Alas, done no mistakes it is unbelivably legible. I breathe another sigh.

Then he hands me another certificate identical to the first one and says, "okay this is the real one, again take your time do not make any mistakes". GREAT! Again, I go through all the steps without error. He gives a big grin and reaches to shake Maima's hand, she had slept in the van and is acting completely disinterested and nearly disrespectful. He hands her an American flag and hands me the certificate and a protective certificate holder. We are done and Maima is officially a U.S. Citizen. We stop to use the restroom and then outside I run to get the camera to take a picture. Maima is nearly refusing to take the photo, still disinterested. A man comes out, obviously Hispanic he walks over and he looks at me, our eyes meet and he smiles. He wants to watch the photo being taken commemorating this proud moment. I can tell he longs for this moment for himself.

Finally, I get a shot and we head to the car. Then I apologize to Maima for not fully explaining the importance of the event. I go into a detailed explaination of how this means she can never be forced to leave America and how people like the man that watched work very hard to get that paper, people run and risk their lives to get into the country and pray they never get caught. How for some people it is all the dream of to be a U.S. Citizen. After about 10 minutes she says "Mommy, where was Obama"?

So, four round trip driving hours and about 9 minutes inside the building Maima is officially a U.S. Citizen and we never did see Obama.

Off to a Halloween Party

This year was like a 3 day long Halloween event. Friday night a party. Saturday trick or treating at the nursing home (big deal here in little Inola) and Sunday (offical Halloween day) we trick or treated with friends in Grandma's neighborhood.


Iron Man, Dr. Pepper, Cheerleader and Winter Bat Girl


Iron Man!

Grandma getting in on the action - maybe cheer coach?

Maima showing us her cheer moves

Bet the folks thought they had been invaded when this group came a knockin'

Maima's 1st Pumpkin

For the typical American getting your first pumpkin at the age of 12 would seem like someone really left you out. For Maima age 12 is the magic number she got to carve her first pumpkin this year! Of course it would not be complete if it did not somehow include Justin Bieber.



J's for eyes... B for the mouth and a heart nose!