Life. Liberty. Happiness.

Good things are worth a lot of work and effort. And, good things are worth waiting for.

This is something I've always known, but has recently proven to be true once again in my life as Dr. Tom raised his arm to the square and became a U.S. Citizen.

The process took a lot of work, effort, time and money (can't forget that one!) but now looking back at all of the events, all of the details, all of the worrying...in the end, it was worth it.

When we arrived at the Immigration office Aiden and I waited in the auditorium, where the ceremony would take place while all of the applicants went through a check-in process. There were over 100 people who received their citizenship, originating from 29 countries. As they walked into the auditorium I wondered what sacrifices each of them had to make in order to be there with Dr. Tom on that special day. Some probably had greater sacrifices than us.

My thoughts drifted back to the first day we went to the Immigration office in Salt Lake, not knowing what to expect. We were applying for a green card, a travel visa and a work permit. We left early in the morning hoping to be one of the first people there, but once we arrived, the parking lot was already full and the office hadn't even opened yet! I guess everyone else had the same idea we had.

We were finally able to get into the building and had to "take a number." We were literally hours from being able to take our turn. We noticed a sign on the wall that said they only accepted cash or money order. Well, we weren't the kind of folk to just have $700 cash in our wallet, so we had to leave and go find someplace where we could get a money order. After searching for 40 minutes we finally found a place that would issue us what we needed. Luckily we got back in time before our number was called.

And of course we'll never forget the denial letter we received a few months ago. Although it was a set back, Heavenly Father blessed us with peace of mind and we knew that eventually we would get it sorted out. That experience reminded us of His ever-watchful eyes that rest upon us and His open ears that hear our prayers and desires.

So on October 28 as Dr. Tom pledged allegiance to the flag, it was nothing but pure satisfaction and happiness to be there, after years of work, effort, submitting applications and waiting in long lines.

But what has just occurred to me is that now, the real work begins. Sure, it took a lot of work to get to this point. But, being an great American Citizen doesn't happen by doing nothing. Work is still required in order to make a difference. Effort is still required as we serve in our communities and neighborhoods.

One of the great things about this country is the promise it provides to every Citizen. The pursuit of life. The pursuit of liberty. The pursuit of happiness.

All good things that take effort to achieve.

Congratulations Dr. Tom. I am honored to stand by you and help you pursue life, liberty and happiness. Together, we still have much work to do in the years ahead.

Aiden being bored, waiting for the ceremony to start.