Welcome a new citizen

Monday, July 28, at 8 AM I found my way to the large room where 1,000 applicants for U. S. citizenship were gathering with their families. I was there to witness my Brazilian friend, Denise, become a citizen. This is us before the applicants and their family members/friends were separated for the ceremony itself.
The ceremony took place within an auditorium and this picture shows the display on the screen while everyone found their place. I'd wanted to attend one of these special events but this was my first opportunity.
The 1,000 applicants were seated closest to the stage and stood as the name of their country of origin was read aloud, starting with Afghanistan, Albania and continuing through the alphabet to perhaps Zimbabwe. I don't remember the last country named. I was surprised there were people from England, Germany, France, Iran, Iraq, Israel and more. I sat by a Vietnamese many whose wife was becoming a citizen. He's been here 18 years. The next man in the row was there for his mother-in-law who is from Panama.
The oath that they swore is what surprised and impressed me: 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 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.

After they took the oath, we all stood and said the Pledge of Allegiance together. The picture below shows the new citizens celebrating and I found it moving, myself. We watched and sang along with a music video of Lee Greenwood's "I'm Proud to Be An American," too.
This is Denise and I after the ceremony. When I told her I was surprised that people from Europe want to be citizens here, she said, "Unless you have lived elsewhere in the world, you don't realize all the freedoms and benefits you have here that aren't anywhere else." She has lived in Europe as well as Brazil.
I was able to record the video welcome by President Bush, which follows this picture. I confess that I don't truly realize how blessed I am to live here and be a citizen but I thank God that by His grace, this is my home. May God bless us each and every one.