Happy Birthday, Samantha and Happy Citizenship Day, Chrissie!

Happy 19th Birthday, Samantha!

(Sorry, Sam, that I am posting this early morning PJ photo, but I love it!)

We love you and we're so proud of you, Samantha!!!

Today (Oct. 17) is also the day that Chrissie arrived in Texas and officially became a US Citizen!  She was so happy to be HOME!  After traveling for 30+ hours from Serbia to Texas (and only have slept about 30 minutes of that entire time!), Chrissie walked off the plane in Houston, Texas, and announced with a Texan accent in her loudest voice, "HI, Y'ALL!!!"  So precious!

Chrissie took her bath the last night in Serbia, then climbed into the suitcase, ready to go to Texas!

Mommy and Chrissie at the Belgrade, Serbia, airport before departure to Texas.  Woohoo!

I held the camera out and took this photo before Chrissie had to get strapped into her seatbelt, which she did not enjoy!  She had never had to wear a seatbelt before in her life, so she started to cry, and I had a sweet woman who spoke Serbian and English explain to Chrissie why she had to wear the seatbelt.  Then Chrissie was fine for the rest of the flights, praise God!

This was during Chrissie's 30-minute nap.  The only time she slept in 30+ hours of travel!

Chrissie became a US citizen in Houston, Texas!

We were starving after our super long travel adventure, so when we saw Wendy's restaurant in Houston, we ordered it.  So, Chrissie's first American meal was Wendy's.  She only ate the French fries, but she was so excited just to be HOME.  Such a sweet girl.

We didn't get to our house until around 1AMish, but bright and early the following morning, Chrissie was doing nails with her sisters like she'd known them her entire life.

And by the following day, Chrissie was right at home, bossing everyone around and charming the socks off all her siblings.  In this photo Chrissie's "talking" on her Barbie phone while Emily gives her a pedicure!

A few weeks after being home, Chrissie's US Certficate of Citizenship arrived.  Chrissie was ready for bed (with her red cowgril boots on) when we discovered her citizenship certificate in the mail, but she had to pose for a photo with her citizenship certificate before falling asleep that night!

Chrissie, we love you so much and we're so grateful God chose to share you with us, even if it was only for a short while.  I wish we could visit you NOW, but I am so thankful for Jesus, who died for our sins to give us salvation.  Because of Him, you celebrated your Heavenly citizenship day on May 19, 2010, and because of Him, we'll get to spend all of eternity with you in Heaven.  Praise Him!!!