A Day in the Life of the Garsees: An American Citizen. What?!? ---America part 3

The evening after the big party Clinton, Cayden and I got hit with a horrific stomach bug! I’m talking horrible!!!! We were all three vomiting every 15min for the next 12 hours. This was the first time since Clinton and I have been parents that both of us were sick at the same time AND had a baby sick too. He was at one toilet, I was at another and then when Cayden had to throw up he'd go and find one of us in a bathroom.

We’re not talking a little stomach bug people. We’re talking gut wrenching, bone breaking stomach bug!! Clinton’s mother sat at the bottom of the stairs praying and getting Gatorade, ice or whatever we needed all night. Bang, bless his heart had to run up and down the stairs all night, but praise God he didn't' get sick!

On top of all of this we had to be up at 5:30am and drive to Houston, Texas, for Bang to get his certificate of citizenship.

All both of us kept thinking was “How are we going to make it to Houston?!?” Somehow, by God’s amazing grace, we pulled ourselves out of bed, got dressed, got the babies dressed, got in the car and made our way there. We arrived 2 hours early, but went ahead and turned in our paper work. We were sitting, barely alive, in the waiting area FILLED with people. But to our delight they called us within 5min! God had mercy on us!!!

Bang raised his right hand and swore his allegance to the United States of America. After ten short minutes, everything was finalized and we were walking back to the car.

The look on his face is hilarious! Look at his eyebrow. "I'm not too sure about this." :)

The long awaited document. It took us 6 years to get this piece of paper.

A few days later, once we were back alive from the dead, we celebrated at Clinton’s Granny’s house his 18^th birthday and his citizenship! Of course Nonnie did it again! She planned the party, and made two cakes. She's amazing!!

USA

I love the way the older generation love to hold babies! I mentioned this before. Between Aunt Dee Ann and Granny Chandler was taken care of! They both wanted to hold him ALL THE TIME. It was so wonderful seeing my family hold my baby!

Aunt Dee Ann holding baby Chandler. Between her and Granny

The big thing about Bang's citizenship was in order for him to receive the benefit of the N600K we had to finish the process before his 18th birthday! We were pushing it to say the least! His citizenship was granted on September 4th and he turned 18 on September 22nd. If it weren't for the ladies at the USCIS(United States Citizen Immigration Servcies) here in Bangkok this wouldn't not have been possible. They were a HUGE blessing to us and helped us tread through the mound of paper work that had to be completed.

Happy 18th birthday Bang

Of course Cayden had to help blow out the candles. Doesn't every little kid??

Notice how the family decorated the table in red, white, and blue! His bag was filled with all kinds of wonderful gifts..... a patriotic Christmas ornament, patriotic wind mills, and much more. One of our relatives made him a beautiful patriotic quilt. The cards the family gave him were so special. He's saved all of them and has them on his shelf in his room.