It's been a long time coming, but we finally completed my naturalization papers in January and sent them to USCIS the along with a big fat check for $675! I really think that if one has been here long enough to qualify for Citizenship, paying taxes and social security all along, it should be no charge, don't you think?
Anyways, the process went A LOT faster than we expected. We have friends where the same process took well over a year, but low and behold, within 4 months I was called in for my final interview. That's the one where they ask you some of those 100 questions to make sure you actually know what country you've been living in as of late.
Once that was done, the officer who interviewed me asked "Do you want to be sworn in today?" I replied in my best Scooby voice "TodAY?" He told me they had the last ceremony at 3pm that day and my paperwork should be done by then. I called Elizaebth to find out if she wanted to be there. "Of course!" she said. She scrambled, got the kids out of school early to get up to Tucker to watch me join this great Nation as a citizen.
Unfortunately the officer had told me wrong and the ceremony actually started at 2pm! Me and another 122 people took the oath at 2:30pm and Elizabeth and the kids got there just a few minutes too late.
That's also the reason there are no pictures of my raising my right hand and why I didn't post earlier. A couple next to me took some photos and promised me to e-mail copies, but haven't as of yet. So here are the ones Elizabeth snapped of me on that special day!
Truth be told, I almost feel a little bit cheated! That whole day felt kind of anti-climactic, with it happening so fast and my family not being there with me, especially the kids. Just after taking the oath they showed a video with pictures of immigrants, it made me think how my children and their children will refer to me as the first Roggermeier coming to the US! I really don't feel that different, but may be that's a good thing and only goes to show that I have already settled down here in the great US of A!
Congratulations Herb!!!! I guess that means no more aliens in the household eh?!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! What a big day. Bummer about the kids missing it. I'm glad Elizabeth was able to get a few shots.
ReplyDeleteYou know it took me almost a year of knowing you before I knew you were German. I know I'm not very bright. You just seemed like such an American. :)
Seriously though, congrats!That's an historical day.
Wow that is pretty cool. I did not know the process too that long. Congrats!!!!
ReplyDeleteI meant took.
ReplyDeleteHallo Ihr Lieben,
ReplyDeletewir haben lieber Herb Deinen Stand an der US Fahne mit Respect angeschaut.
Deine Angehörigen und Deine Familie wird das- sind wir uns sicher- auch das so sehen.
Trotzdem wünschen wir uns, daß Du an Deine Wurzel immer denkts, daß ja viele US Familien tun werden.
Wir lieben Euch
Mama und Paps
That's great but so sad that your family missed it. Congratulations.
ReplyDeletecongratulations!!! i'm sooo sorry that elizabeth missed it. i went with a friend who was sworn in this past october. it was a neat thing to see. glad the process is finally over.
ReplyDeletethat picture of the boys jumping on the couch in their superman pajamas is priceless.
Herb you are the best American I know! Congrats! Germans make the best ones!! ;)
ReplyDeletecongratulations! what a very proud moment indeed. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Herb! I'm still an alien! E.T phone home...
ReplyDeleteCongrats on being official! That is actually really cool. I heard that the test is really hard. Glad it went well. Well, at least you called Elizabeth and asked her if she wanted to be there. When Jordan was sworn in to be an attorney he didn't even tell me...I found out like two days later.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I just wanted to comment that we are proud of you and always have been.
ReplyDeleteCool story, though it was anti-climactic! ;)
ReplyDelete