We the people, of Muppet Trail Ranch, are now Citizens of The United States of America
Last year we started the process of becoming citizens of the USA as our Green Cards were due to expire March 2021 ( crazy how fast 10years has gone since we did them in Casper) BUT there was no point renewing and let's do the whole thing and make our life here officially permanent as we never plan to leave to return to y'UK - ever
We contacted the same Immigration Attorneys we used the last time - as they had all of our paperwork and forms still on file and the paperwork and forms began again
We completed all the forms and we filed last June but then disaster The Rona caused major chaos with all applications and everything went to a complete standstill!
A nightmare situation as all government buildings and processes stopped until Jan 2021 when we received notification that we would be bypassing one of the 3 stages of the Citizenship filing (Bio-Metrics / Interview / Swearing and Pledge allegiance). So no Bio-metrics, as they still had everything on file from our Green card applications and we would go straight to the 2nd stage - yay! One less trip to Denver
Our first appointment was Feb 12th was for our Citizenship interviews. And we got busy revising the 100 questions (I've attached them below so you can see them if interested)
We would be asked 10 of these questions at random and we have to get 6 correct. (word for word)
We got the appointment notice while Alan was in El Centro. He drove back for 11th Feb but made the trip in one day and arrived late Wednesday night in Big Red . A 16 hr drive!
Our plans for the puppies fell through , as our friend and PT girl, Caroline was going to come over first thing Friday morning and watch the dogs, horses and ranch for us for the day but due to a weather system coming in Thursday night and we had to be in Denver before it hit and they closed the roads. Sadly she wasn't able to spend the night here , so plan B - they went to the vets 2 for nights . So Thursday morning I took them to town. Luckily they were kept together but I hated doing it to them after the experiences with Muppet. And I vowed I would never do it again But I love our vets and they are a great team but sadly ( Alan told me to call them Friday afternoon to help me relax as I was shaking nervous - they were fine and no problems at all )
We stayed at a Holiday Inn in Centennial (Yep Colorado has one too!) which is close to the ICE building. With the Colorado rules, everything was masks and no vapeing in the rooms ($250 fine!!!) So each time I had to wrap up and head outside into the arctic blast temps!
On Thursday night we went out to eat at an Indian restaurant. (Big mistake for Alan and I at the weekend as we had the same dish So my sickness friday night wasn't a covid relapse of flem overload throwing up because Alan got sick Saturday night)
Friday morning we first went out to get real coffee and saw a little coffee place near the Indian the night before I made sure I had a turkish and big caffeine hit and then one to go aswell .. We got back to the hotel and I had a covid/congestion relapse and was quite really funky. and Alan went out and got me some Honey Dayquil and I had a 2hr nap . So glad I did too. Woke feeling alot better and it was gather up Jay and we checked out . We found a little diner (mexican style) and had a decent skillet each before meeting our Immigration Attorney Phil at the ICE building .
At 2.15pm we were all separated and taken to different agents - which was confusing as we we told one at a time with Phil with all of us throughout . But with this Alana nd I made sure Phil stayed with Jay , for obvious reasons.
First was going through details on our applications and swearing that all information would be the truth. then it was the questions. I got the questions right and she stopped after the 6th question. Then it was read a sentence and then write a sentence - which was the hardest part. It was on a tablet and I can never write on those anyway - so spider scratches , shaking hand and errors so there were redo's for Claire!
The whole thing each was about half an hour. We were hoping that we would be sworn in straight away , as they have been doing that recently with the virus regulations etc. But after I spoke with an agent there he explained that the "Justice" had maxed out her hours for that week and had gone home an hour before we arrived. Gutted ! But we all passed, only had 6 questions each so the studying and testing each other paid off!
We drove home in a snow but the vets had closed by the time we got home but first thing saturday morning I was there as they opened to get the kids
Alan left for El Centro on Monday afternoon (15th) and on the 16th we got an email with our Swearing in dates - the 24th February at 8.30am. So the plan is Alan will fly home on 23rd , Jay will pick him up from Laramie airport, then 5.30am Wednesday 24th we drive to Denver (the vets are booked already as its a 2hr ceremony and will be 8-9hrs in total and I wont do that to the puppies) Then after the ceremony we'll take Alan to Denver Airport and then I'll drop Jay off at the ranch for him to get the Avalanche and I'll go to town and get the puppies. Alan will land back in El Centro , next day start loading up the Ram and start driving back on Friday because on Monday he and I will be leaving for Rochester Minnesota for the week - see Mayo Clinic Blog for that saga!
Feb 24th 2021
We were up and out the door by 5.30am, all smartly dressed , camera charged and left by ugh painful o'clock to be ready for human-ing! .. we got there on time but had to wait, to go thru security - like an airport TSA screening - then up to the ceremony room... all chairs 6ft apart! handed over our green cards and then it was quick and very informal and over in 15 minutes - no photographs were allowed to be taken - not even selfies - ridiculous - Covid blah blah bullshit crap again.
We sat 6ft apart from each other, there were 17 people in all being sworn in today and a saving grace with the Ronaphobia was we didn't have to watch an hour video and listen to a bunch of handouts aswell.. he just gave us an envelope with that all in..
We all stood, told to raise our right hands and repeat the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America
" I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
(Alan and I didnt say the last word obviously, more of a mumbled sound :p )
We were then told we were citizens, check the certificate he was about to give us and we were free to go - all done in 15 minutes from the agent introducing himself to walking out the door!
So we did - the security guards congratulated us on our departure and we went for coffee - same place as last time - another turkish coffee for me, and a light breakfast of coffee and danish
Then it was head home - altho it was straight to Laramie. We dropped Jay off and went to get the kids from the vets and go home
No more paperwork, forms, filings, we are permanently in our home , on our ranch, in our beautiful quiet Wyoming as Americans forever !
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