Heard Girls Return: New Orleans 2010

We're back and excited!

If you followed our journey in January you are aware of our story...and if you are new to this blog and read below, you will see that in January 2009 a group of 18 girl cousins, ages 12 years old to 77 years old, took a trip to Washington, DC over MLK Jr weekend for President Obama's Inauguration. This trip was planned in just a few months and on a wing in a prayer, really. We had minimal expectations but what came out of sharing four days with three generations of our Heard cousins and cousins-in-law was truly phenomenal and a real testament to the importance of tradition and family.

As we sat together on the last night in DC, there was no question that this was a tradition that we wanted to continue and needed to continue; with even more girl cousins involved!

It was decided that the weekend of MLK would be an ideal time for our trip and also that future Heard Girl trips would be based around community service; the idea that we will share and be thankful for our time together as family, while giving back and doing something greater than ourselves.

This brings us to the 2010 Heard Girls Trip, January 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

We are using this blog as a place to capture and share the excitement of the planning stage as well as a place for updates and experiences while we are there...all revolving around this new tradition that we are all so thankful for.

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride!

Part 1: January 2009, Presidential Inauguration...

see story and experiences below.

first gear

One week ago today, history was made. I'm still reeling from the excitement and the spirit that I witnessed as I attended the pre-inauguration events and then traveled cross country on Jan. 19th to go work in California. I was heart broken to leave the family behind, and was determined to hold those moments together in Washington in my soul.

Trying to think of an analogy that captures the essence of the spirit that President Obama brings to our country was difficult -- but I finally got it. I remember driving my car one day and after a few miles feeling that something was amiss. Searching for a solution, I finally realized that I had the car in 2nd gear, not first. As soon as I made the switch, the car's engine ran smoothly taking me full speed ahead toward my destination. I think our country has been stuck in 2nd gear for a while. And then, as the inauguration grew closer, there was a subtle, but definite shift into first gear. I felt it on the subway. I felt it as I moved through the airport. I felt it on the plane. I felt it in the cab with my driver, Rafiq (an Afghanistan who is now a citizen of what he describes as the best country in the world!). I could not agree with him more.

One of my favorite memories is having coffee with Victor, a Russian immigrant. He teased that the Heard family must have some Western European blood -- after all, we were able to fit the equivilent of 3 families into a condo! I shared with him that as a child we hid under our desks at school to practice for the attacks from the feared Russians. He told me he did the same thing until he was old enough to understand that it would be only in America where his own dreams as an artist could come true.

Being on the fringe of this shift was one of the most humbling and indeed proudest moments in my life.

As I traveled on Monday, I saw a yellow scarf (something we all wore and waved to keep in touch) and had a nostalgic moment.

So, in closing thoughts, my yellow scarf is off to Pally for introducing me and making a case for Obama a long time ago; to Dana, Kelly, and Janie for inciting us to go and for making so many of the arrangements; to Dot for being so connected that we met and brunched with her friend, Jean and got to know Laura a little bit better; to the teen aged girls who pelted us with their enthusiasm, laughter, and awe; To Nelva and Margaret for being the absolute best sports in the world; to Whitley -- you know how much I love you, and to sister May-ree who kept us informed -- I think she considers herself a Heard girl, and I say, "Why not?"

And most of all, I want to thank and acknowledge Laurel for designing, updating, and capturing our journey in first gear!
Thank you all for the memories,
Shirley

in the moment

Like Pallie, I am not sure what else can be said about this trip that hasn't been articulated so beautifully and powerfully already. I am loving the reviews from each of the girls and can't wait for more!

I am the voice behind most of the reviews and pictures below and while it was extremely hard to find the time and motivation to update what we were doing while we were there, I am so thankful I did. As I read back on these posts only a few days afterwards, I can "hear and feel" the raw excitement and sentiments of what we were feeling at the time. I'm so glad we conveyed those feelings in the moment rather than waiting for a post-trip review!

We appreciate you readers who have been following our story! Hopefully it's been fun for you as it is certainly priceless for each of us to have this space as our own 'scrapbook' of the trip. I hope you were able to share in the excitement of our experience and the adventure we took on as a family. And most importantly I hope you feel that through us you, too, were a little part of this historical moment in time.

If you take anything from our words and experience, I hope you take away exactly what resonated the most with each of the "Heard Girls": Family ties are powerful, they are sacred and deserve to be nurtured. And most of all, begin to make a conscious effort to see ourselves in each other.

I stepped away from excitement of the the "cousins12to77" blog in an attempt to try and grasp the monumental impact of the trip and gather my thoughts for a review. I have posted my thoughts in two posts on my personal blog.

To read those, click on the links below:
http://laureldavis.blogspot.com/2009/01/hope-and-history-met.html
&
http://laureldavis.blogspot.com/2009/01/eight-words.html.

There are still reviews being finalized from several of the other girls, so keep checking in for more about our trip to DC and stay tuned as we will soon be announcing exciting news about the future of the Heard Girls and "cousins12to77"!

-Laurel
25

Thanks, Mr. President

I drove home today after spending Thursday in Nashville with Laurel and Pallie and spent much of the 4 plus hours reflecting on the truly amazing experience of Jan. 16-20. I, my three daughters and 14 of our cousins attended the Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Oh my goodness, we did, we really, really did! We lived, breathed and were a part of this life changing, historical event.

I know HOPE has been a key word throughout the campaign, election and now the inauguration and because it has been so prominent and widely used, I am afraid it will become a 'fluff' word. Trust me, if you were there, that word permeated the air, was written on the face of the masses, and a part of everything that happened. HOPE!

All the previous accounts are beautifully written, absolutely accurate to the letter and I don't have any significant documentation to add. Every moment of every day was memorable, and we had a blast!!!

I would just like to say, "Thank you, President Obama. Thank you for giving us hope for peace, respect, and truth. Thank you for giving 18 cousins the opportunity to unite, learn more about each other and spend an awesome few days together as we celebrated the the beginning of a hopeful future." I am truly grateful!

Janie
61

Crowd Videos

In Dana's post below {Recovering and Remembering} she noted:

"I have never been in a gathering where I felt more in tune with so many people. There is no way to adequately describe the feeling when everybody there broke into American Pie, This Land is Your Land, America, Shower the People, Higher Ground - and on and on."

I remembered that I took a short video during "Shout" that is certainly a glimpse of what she was referring to.

*make sure your volume is turned up*

During President Obama’s speeches at both the Lincoln Memorial Concert and Inauguration Address, applause and cheer would suddenly turn into silence as soon as he spoke and throughout his speeches. A noticeable change in demeanor among spectators turned from raucous celebration to reverent silence.

.

It was noted in the post about the concert that it seemed a bit "surreal". That is an accurate description but most shocking is understanding that thousands and even millions of people are so captivated by and respectful of his words. This video was taken just before he began his Inauguration speech...you can "hear" the silence but imagine over one million people becoming immediately silent!

a deep sigh of relief

My experience from the time I left Nashville on January 16 until my return on January 21 was one I will always remember. The time I spent in D.C. with my mother, sisters and cousins will always be held in my heart as a sacred experience: never to be repeated or duplicated, only to be remembered and savored.

While in D.C., we were already talking about and slightly dipping our toes into the planning process for an annual cousins 12 to 77 service project in the spirit of President Obama's call for a National Day of Service. It is my sincere hope that this will begin a tradition of these strong Heard women coming together as a group, learning more about each other and taking part in something bigger than ourselves.

I have written more about my experience in D.C. on my blog: http://palliedavis.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-20-2009.html

I doubt that I could have said any more than Dana or Kelly already have, but I figure it's worth a shot...a chief never backs down from a challenge!

-Pallie

Recovering and Remembering

Recovering and remembering. It's late morning on Thursday, and I am still in my pajamas recovering from all the walking and driving and just having finished watching the welcome ceremony concert. In my first ever blog I spoke of the spirit of unity swirling around me since the election; well, at the concert, we had that in spades! The entire next day, I just kept thinking that I wanted to 'go back' and do it again. I have never been in a gathering where I felt more in tune with so many people. There is no way to adequately describe the feeling when everbody there broke into American Pie, This Land is Your Land, America, Shower the People, Higher Ground - and on and on.

Happily, the great feeling I had that day carried over throughout the entire trip. It would be overstating to say that this experience is the best thing that ever happened to me, but as Janie and I agreed, "It was SOMETHING!" We struggled physically and emotionally, but that made it all the more meaningful. We had to sacrifice and compromise and work to see ourselves in each other, just as President Obama has asked us all to do going forward.

The give and take expanded beyond our cousins 12 to 77. In addition to Laurel - who tirelessly made this all possible and who patiently and kindly answered each and every one of the two zillion times her name was called, and Janie who lovingly prepared our meals when she was just as tired, cold, and hungry as we were, we had:

* sister Mary stocking our pantry and serving as our own personal gps system;

* Oliver Uberti beginning by 'breaking' into his own home (our home for the trip) because we did not know that he lived there and had locked him out and finishing by breaking out a bottle of champagne to celebrate the Inauguration with his new housemates (we did wonder whether Oliver was celebrating Obama's inauguration or our impending departure!);

* hostess Diane Powell and host Marc Urhan being unbelievably gracious and generous to move themselves out and us in to the fantastic house where we were all able to gather in comfort for meals and sharing;

* Haven Powell - who is perhaps the nicest 17 year old young man - if not person on the planet - for leading (dragging) our bunch home from the concert when we were cold, tired, hungry, and in Nelva's case quite ill; to Haven and his friend, John, - we truly could never repay your kindness and compassion; you two are special.

The highlight of my day each day was when we all shared the highlight of our day; I learned so much. And I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to share this historic time with my three daughters. They worked hard, gave of their time and comfort, and added so much to my joy. I was so proud to see Ellis walk Nelva all the way to the Inauguration and to learn that Kate generously helped to get her home safely. Emma's poise when being interviewed reaffirmed that hers is, indeed, a wise, old soul. Thanks, girls, for being there with me!

And, finally, to my cousins 12 to 77 - what a group! It's true that we are mostly chiefs - or as one of the men said, a bunch of "boss hogs"! But, this trip was not for the timid or the faint of heart. It was for the big-hearted, strong willed, determined women that we are. We pushed and prodded our way to participate in an event that even 200 years from now will be seen as one of the most significant in American history. We were there!

- Dana (cousin 51)

What a weekend!

I am so thankful to have shared the experience of the past weekend with my daughters, sister, mother, aunts and cousins. I have been to Washington several times, but this most recent trip to D.C. was the best. It is difficult to pick a favorite day or event. The concert on Sunday was great. The excitement and mood of thousands of people gathered on the mall was electric. The band, U2, was probably my favorite performance among many great ones.

Our free day on Monday to tour museums was so interesting. I highly recommend the Newseum. I definitely will go back there and plan on spending a full day. Tuesday started very early and was very cold. Our family of 18 formed a human blanket on the ground to wait out the 2 hours before the festivities began. At times during the wait, I wondered if it would be worth it because we had already had such a great experience. But once the speakers announced the Navy band and the dignitaries started filing in, I knew it was worth braving the cold and discomfort.
I have never been to an Inauguration. It is so special to be in a crowd of one million plus people to watch our demoracy at work. I know that all of us, especially the younger generation, gained a new appreciation for what they have studied in government and civics classes in school. The teenagers expressed pride and enthusiasm in being an American but also noted that we are citizens of the world also. I would not be surprised to see many in this group choose careers in public service and some may return to Washington to work one day.

The bonus to all of this is that we spent time with close and extended family. Family ties are strong and should be protected. In my many prayers to God throughout the weekend, I repeatedly thanked Him for the blessing of my large, diverse and wonderful family.

Kelly

Tuesday: AJC Photo Gallery & New Friend

As mentioned in a few other posts, a photographer/videographer from the Atlanta Journal Constitution came to our main house on Monday to spend the evening with us. As a Georgia girl herself, she fit right in and by the time she left we really felt like we'd made friend!

Thanks Elissa!

Click on the link below to see the pictures she featured in the AJC.COM Photo Gallery:

http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/metro/0120heardfamily/1.whtml

Facebook | Photos of Emma Diment

Photo with the guy from P.S. I Love You and 300
{Ellis, Grace, Gerard Butler, Kate, Emma}
Facebook Photos of Emma Diment

Heard Girls in the Inaugration Edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution!

To View Full Story Click Link Below:
Atlantans tell their stories of inauguration ajc.com

Excerpt from Article:
Blogging for Oprah

What do you get when 18 women and girls from Carrollton get together in two townhouses in downtown Washington, D.C.?

“We got our blog on Oprah.com!” said Laurel Davis. The three generations of women can also boast meeting CNN’s Anderson Cooper, being interviewed by Lisa Ling, one-time cast-member of “The View”, and a chance encounter with Obama’s motorcade.

The women — ages 12 to 77 — drove from Carrollton and Nashville. “We realize that this was history being made,” said Emma Diment, 12. “We were just happy to be part of it.”
But they got so much more. They blogged extensively about their trip and caught the attention of Ophra Winfrey. Winfrey’s correspondent, Lisa Ling, rushed to interview the family, and put a story about them on the Ophrah’s Web site.

And then …
“We essentially mobbed Anderson Cooper,” said Dana Diment, 51. The group was visiting the Lincoln Monument Saturday when they spotted the cable news anchor giving photo opportunities.

When he headed back to his bus, “we started running afer him, and we caught him,” Diment said. Sunday, part of the group went to a brunch in Virginia, and decided to visit Arlington National Cemetery.
“It was supposed to be closed,” Davis said. They soon found out why the cemetery wasn’t accepting visitors that day. “We were stopped by Barack Obama’s motorcade,” Davis said. “We waved and he waved back at us.”

Nelva Root, 74, of Dowdon, said she was overwhelmed by how friendly everyone was.
“It was just breathtaking to see all the people,” Root said. “What was so wonderful, everyone was smiling at one another, even if you got up in a mob.”
— Marcus K. Garner

Reflection of the trip

During the ten hour drive home from Washington I had some time to reflect on this past weekend. It was a ton of fun and was a trip I will never forget. I loved getting to know everyone a little bit more. Even though it was very cold and a long wait yesterday, it was worth every moment of discomfort to be a part of the happy celebration. A highlight for me was seeing the emotion on the faces around me as Obama took the oath of office.

Thanks to all who organized and hopefully the Heard girls can reunite soon!

Bess

P.S. I got a solo shot on Oprah.com!
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/world/peopleandpolitics/20090119_orig_inauguration_washingtonpictures/8

Tuesday: Inauguration Ceremony

Tuesday was the day. The day when it all became real.

After hearing varying reports about what time gates opened and what to expect about crowds, street closings and the metro situation, we finalized our plan on Monday night for getting to the Inauguration.

Dot & Laura had tickets to be seated a bit closer but the rest of us were excited to be a part of the mass of humanity on The Mall. We left our homes at 7:00am with a meeting point for the two groups only blocks from The Capitol. The crowds were already dense even that early in the morning but there was a spirit in the air that was undeniable. The temperature was in the teens and everyone definitely "felt" it, but mind took over matter and every shiver and chill was worth what we were about to experience.

see the sun coming up? on our way...Dana, Grace & Kate

We arrived at The Mall at about 8:45am {usually only about a 20 minute walk} and found a spot very close to one of the huge projection screens. As you all saw during the coverage, the crowds went past the Washington Monument and all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. We were three quarters of the way between The Capitol and the Washington Monument and within 10 minutes of us finding a place and settling down, a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd had surrounded us.

Keep in mind it was FREEZING and everyone was suffering in a sense, but there was not one person complaining, angry, bitter or upset. They replayed the Lincoln Memorial Concert on the big screens during the wait so you could at least get your blood moving dancing and singing along. However, it didn't take our group long to figure it out it would be tough standing for 4+ hours so we laid out a few sleeping bags and piled on top each other -- not because we had to, but because it was the only way to keep warm.

The hours leading up to the ceremony seemed to go by fairly quickly and we packed some food to hold us over. Again, good spirits and an unbridled anticipation totally outweighed the long wait and the temperature. We only had a "view" of The Capitol but being around 1.6 million of our closest friends, feeling the excitement and watching the live feed felt like front row seats.

Prior to the actual ceremony the jumbo screens showed various people arriving at The Capitol and cheers rang loud for Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter, Hillary & Bill Clinton and certainly the Biden and Obama Families.

Just getting a glance at these folks confirmed that this was real….that it was really happening.

The formality and tradition of Obama’s swearing in was certainly apparent, but there was a genuine sense of relief and excitement that came over EVERYONE after he said the 35 words of the Oath.

Tears and Cheers were unleashed and the sea of mini American Flags waving through the air, hugs from strangers and seeing grown men in tears was honestly a sight that cannot be explained in words.

The video below was recorded immediately after he finished the oath. A first hand view of the excitement: {be sure to turn your volume up}

The crowd began to disperse during the Benediction. The streets became overwhelmingly packed, our group was separated, and we all got caught in massive groups of people stuck in an unmoving grid-lock. BUT the spirit was light, everyone was kind and over and over the answer to these normally frustrating and typically violent situations was -- excuse me, here latch on to me, a hug and "it's a great day!"...all from complete strangers.

"Our Guy in the White House"

As I mentioned in this previous post, our fellow Heard Girl and cousin Lisa, who lives in Mombasa, Kenya, would be sending her thoughts from thousands of miles away regarding this historical time not only for Americans but for our brothers and sisters in Kenya, Africa and around the world.

I was absolutely blown away by this piece Lisa sent to me today and honestly immediately thought -- this needs to be published somewhere!...what publication can I send this to? but I must pass along the words of our sweet cousin and I encourage you all to read this piece and simply think and be thankful. It's a new day!!

Thank you Lisa!
-Laurel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SOMETIMES

Sometimes things don't go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail.
Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war,
elect an honest man, decide they care
enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best intentions do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen; may it happen for you.

—Sheenagh Pugh

I did not know this poem until a friend sent it to me last week in one of those plentiful round-robin emails intended to inspire cheer around one’s network of friends. Although I was very busy with other things that day, the poem stopped me in my tracks. Here was the perfect summing up, in words like a quiet flame, of the incredible feat of 2008.

It started a little more than a year ago, on the cusp of the New Year. Kenyans celebrated Christmas in their inimitable month-long style, then went to the polls for the second time after the exit of the ubiquitous Daniel T. arap Moi in an orderly, friendly fashion. After a seemingly perfect voting exercise, we all sat back, expecting a quick announcement of the winner: Kibaki or Raila, it was sure to be close, but be of good cheer, either one would do, right? And then, inexplicably, there was a delay in releasing the results and soon afterward, all hell broke loose.

Most Kenyans were completely surprised when ethnically motivated attacks—said to have been incited by some of the very politicians Kenyans had just gone to the polls to elect—devastated first the town of Eldoret, then spread rapidly to rest of the country’s major towns. All of a sudden, the roads were choked with every kind of vehicle piled with the ragtag belongings of terrified people who snatched up what they could and simply fled. All of a sudden, our movements were dictated by roadblocks manned by hooligans, and the police stations and exhibition grounds sprouted UN-issue refugee tents and filled with desperate and desolate people we referred to (with a clinical-sounding acronym that belied the horror we all felt) as IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons).

Surreal as it seems now, a year ago middle-class Kenyans were huddled in their homes wondering whether to make a dash for the grocery store, or the bank (if it was open), whether to send the children to school, and putting together little emergency kits of vital documents, all the while thinking maybe LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is about to come to an abrupt and unthinkable end. Kenyans with less to lose continued to battle each other and the police on a daily basis. Their neighbours also stayed indoors, suddenly deprived of the peace and liberty necessary for making even a rudimentary living, wondering how to eat, who to trust, how to keep their children safe and if the schools would open this year, and just hoping, somehow, to avoid the worst of it. And many Kenyans from all walks of life began to pray, to call meetings and write newsletters and blogs, and to talk to their friends and neighbours and anyone who would listen about how much they did NOT want to go down this route. Although the patient threatened to roll off the table, Kofi Annan knocked a few heads together repeatedly, and eventually a resuscitation of sorts—a coalition government—was effected.

Once relative calm returned, leaving Kenya still breathing but badly bruised and bleeding still, the national identity crisis set in. Proud, hard-working Kenyans, even though they labour with inexplicable patience under largely septuagenarian leaders and possibly the most parasitic political class on the planet, have long considered themselves different from the rest of Africa. “After what we went through before Independence [with the Mau Mau war and subsequent internment by the British of large numbers of the ‘native’ population suspected of involvement], Kenyans know how good it is to be at peace,” I’ve heard older people say time and again. Others would speak of Rwanda or Somalia or Congo and shake their heads: “Not here.” In some ways, a slogan applied to Atlanta during the 1970s and 80s also seemed to make sense here: everyday Kenyans were just too busy, too boisterously and energetically working to get ahead, to have time to hate. Now, when things began to fall apart with Zimbabwe’s elections, Kenyans had to contend with remarks about how President Mugabe was going to “pull a Kenya” by rigging the elections and setting his people against each other. “Oh, lovely Kenya,” one letter to the editor from a Ugandan mocked. “How could such a thing have happened to us here in our lovely Kenya?” Around April, the dust finally started to settle, and we could begin to lift our heads again.

And then, there he was.

Barack.

Young Barack Obama, tall and charming and definitely way under 50, going at it with Hilary and Joe and Mike and a whole bunch of others and actually holding his own—no, dammit, actually making them look . . . less a sure thing than most people assumed. A year before, he’d visited Kenya and shared a few thoughts about corruption and the benefits of coming to grips with the vice once and for all—and was dismissed immediately by discomfited politicians: “Who does he think he is? He’s only a junior Senator, only been in office a few months, a nobody, how dare he. . . !”. And now the guy was talking about change—make that CHANGE—and people were actually listening. He was lean and clean and definitely not mean in any way, shape or form, and hey, wait a minute! This guy shares our genes, he’s one of us. Barack is us. (Or are we Barack?) And it looks like, no can’t be, yes, it looks like he’s pulling away from Hilary. He’s going to do it, he’s going to make it! Come on Barack, you can do it. We can do it! Yes! Yes we can! We can hold our heads high again. Obama! You’re the man! O BA MA! O BA MA! O BA MA!

And that’s how it’s been ever since. Kenyans clung to this man and his dreams and his straight talk like a life raft, and they continue to buoy us up.

If you want to put a smile on a Kenyan’s face, just ask a few questions about Our Guy in the White House, and you’ll be richly rewarded. Impossible as it seems, this one man manages to embody all of the hopes and aspirations of Americans keen to put shame to bed as a national badge and return to the hard work, responsible governance and neighbourly values that made our country great and our citizens proud, wherever they might be spending time around the globe. And then of course, there was the way Obama’s triumph put paid to the belief, long stated but never fully lived up to, that America welcomes and nurtures the talents of ALL its citizens, no matter what they look like, where they hail from, or how their ancestors originally arrived on our shores. For Kenyans, Obama means all of this too, but he’s also the quintessential symbol of generational change—something, along with effective leadership, that Kenyans my age and younger have yearned for throughout the nearly two decades I’ve lived here but still have not managed to effect. Perhaps more importantly, he’s a symbol of Africa rising—of what might be possible if Kenya (and other countries) put aside the begging bowls, false pride, and lust for the trappings of economic success and really put resources to work building and then multiplying true avenues for success for the common people instead of tripping them up every time things started to go a little bit better. As another Kenyan editorial writer wryly remarked, perhaps the thing that Obama highlights most clearly of all is just how wasteful Kenya has been with its human resources in the half a century (!) since Independence.

For me personally, Obama has stitched the two halves of my life—pre-Kenya and in Kenya—together in a most magical and mysterious way. I have no doubt that Obama (along with the experiences of the last year), in some important ways, has changed me. I know that as President, Obama will continue to change America and, even if he never sets foot in the country, Obama and what he represents also will change Kenya. Kelly and Grace will have just missed this, I think, but the headlines in the Kenyan newspapers for the last two weeks all have been about corruption on a grand scale. Turning a blind eye, yet again, to the instigators of ethnic violence, the Kenyan parliament’s refusal to tax its overstuffed, overpaid members. And troubling signs that Kofi Annan’s coalition BandAid may not stick. Multiple financial scandals originating with government officials have broken at a time when much of the country is reeling from drought and crop failure, high food and fuel prices, and the lingering malaise of the mangled 2007 elections, a time when things definitely did not go as the vast majority of Kenyans meant them to. Obama in Kenya, as in America, is keeping hope alive for millions.

Tonight—and maybe even for the rest of the week—Kenyans will be celebrating. But when the balloons and confetti drift away and the bands pack up their horns and euphoria is just a tinny memory of itself, it will be time to return to something Barack said many times: “It’s not about me, people, it’s about you”. In many ways, Kenya’s task is the same as America’s: repair, rebuild, reform. Build bridges to each other, embrace each other and don’t be afraid.

There’s hard work ahead, but we can do it. We will do it. Oh, yes, we can!

highlights.

Each night we have eaten dinner together at the larger house followed by a "sit-down" afterwards to go around the room and everyone shares what was their favorite part of the day. Both nights we have shared over 2 hours with eachother, captivated with our stories, getting to know each other just a bit better and realizing in the moment how grateful we are to have this experience and proud to have it with eachother.

This has turned into the favorite part of the day for many of us.

Hearing the different perspectives and favorites from such a range of ages has been truly incredible & inspiring. Everything from an exhibit or single picture that spoke volumes or a story about a stranger one met on the street, to the overwhelming spirit and generosity from every single person in this city for this historical event.

we heart CNN

I wish you readers could "hear" this story being told...because the animation and expression behind it is priceless! {if Elissa @ AJC got this on video tape, I'm going to try and snag it and post it here soon}

On Monday a group of us split off to take a longer walk to the Lincoln Memorial while the other little crew went Ice Skating & to The Museum of American History.

So use your imagination to "picture this":
Ellis, Laurel, Pallie, Kate, Nala, Janie & Dana are strolling along the streets on the way to The Mall when we see Janie and Dana break out into a full on sprint yelling "Anderson, Anderson, we LOVE you!" {yes, Anderson Cooper}...next thing we know, they have jumped some barricades and are in the "media only" area full of satellite trucks, live remote broadcasts, etc...

We young girls look at each other in confusion, hysterical laughter and disbelief and know nothing else to do but to FOLLOW our LAWBREAKING MOTHERS and jump the barriers too {please note, Dana is an Attorney!}. Anderson dodges a few group mobs but Dana and Janie are relentless.

They motion for us to hurry up since we had the camera. Running behind he and his assistant, Dana continues to yell, "Please Anderson, just one picture, we LOVE you!!".

Pallie & Nala continue to shake their heads in disbelief as Ellis, Kate & Laurel pick up the pace to join the two stalkers {Dana & Janie}. When we finally reach them his assistant says "quickly, one photo only, he has to get on the bus!".

We situate next to him for a photo and Ellis hears him say to the person he is talking to on the phone "sorry, I've got to go, I'm getting mobbed!" hahaha

SO -- we look around for someone to take the picture and his assistant does not offer so Janie turns on TOTAL MOM-MODE and grabs the camera to take a picture of all of us. We really regret that she didn't get in the picture but of course she claims she was just as happy to be behind the camera and a part of it.

Kate, Dana, Anderson, Ellis & Laurel

*Janie behind the camera*

But it doesn't end there...as we are leaving Dana looks at Anderson Cooper straight in the face and says, " Anderson, You Are the BOMB!" We all nearly lost it. But he was very very gracious and kind and gave a "thank-you" kind of nod in response to being "the BOMB"!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In other CNN star noteworthy news...while we were at the Newseum {prior to the Anderson sighting} we stumbled upon the preparation for a live taping of John King AND his Magic Map! Dana, Janie, Ellis, Kelly, Whitney & Laurel settled themselves up close but just before the taping went live, were shooed away by security. But perhaps some of you saw this live taping yesterday?

he actually turned around to ask a gentleman to stop calling for him, he was "trying to get some work done"...

Dana & Ellis {john king really is in the background}

Monday: museums & such

Monday was a "free" day for us....in that, if there was something in particular someone wanted to go see, they could. However, you have NEVER met a group of 18 girls, much less 18 girl family members who are so easy going and "up for whatever". So we split into two groups; one group {Margaret, Dot, Laura, Nelva & Sydney} went to the recently re-opened Museum of American History and the American Museum of Natural History and the other {Dana, Kelly, Janie, Ellis, Grace, Bess, Nala, Laurel, Kate, Pallie, Whitney& Emma} to the Newseum, Lincoln Memorial and Museum of American History.

Lobby of the Newseum...they showed the concert from Sunday

we all really enjoyed this place -- a must see for your next DC trip!

Bess & Whitney: Weathergirls!

Grace, Dana, Kelly, Pallie & Emma studying out the "free press" map at the Newseum

pieces from the West side of the Berlin Wall

the same pieces of the Berlin Wall, but on the East Side

reflecting pools in front of the Lincoln Memorial are frozen solidLincoln Memorial at Dusk

The girls that went to the Museum of American History were especially blown away by the addition of Michelle Obama's photo at in the gallery of the First Lady's Inaugural Dresses. Although her dress obviously isn't there yet, there is an informal picture of her with a date that reads: "2009 - ". They were especially inspired by the great contrast of 43 formal photos of white women ending with a glowing picture of Michelle Obama.

Monday: Day of Service

President Obama made Monday {MLK Day} an official Day of Service. All of the established service projects throughout the city were filled {which is wonderful} so Grace and Janie were determined to do their part---they picked up trash off the street and told many military men and women how much we appreciate them!

Sunday: Welcome Concert @ Lincoln Memorial

The free Welcome Concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday was a great experience and although we weren't even remotely close to the stage it was one of those instances where you are simply proud to be among the hundreds of thousands of people taking it all in. The younger girls were so excited about this event and got there to stake out a place a bit earlier. We were closer to the Washington Monument than we were the Lincoln Memorial but there were video screens everywehre and we simply loved being around all of the excited happy people!

girls on their way to the concert

Obama speaking...the crowd was completely silent. It was a bit surreal.
Group Picture

funny faces because the photographer told us to say "obama" BONO!!!the highlight of Grace's life was seeing Beyonce. she had her own personal dance party and still gets excited when we see replays of the concert!

people climbed up in trees to watch...

the sea of people even past the washington monument
HBO has exclusive rights to this concert, showed it live and has been repeating it ever since. If you have HBO -- be sure to catch this event. No matter your age or taste in music...there was something here for everyone -- there were classic songs from artists old and new, inspriational speeches and an apperance from both Biden & Obama!

heard girls + lisa ling = OPRAH.COM

One group of girls {Grace, Emma, Sydney, Bess, Kate, Nala, Pallie, Whitney & Kelly}were walking towards the capital and Sydney spotted Lisa Ling. She was trying to convince the rest of the group that it was "really her" so they encouraged her to go and speak to her...so she did. The rest of the group ran toward her and started telling her our "heard girls story". She was immediately captivated by our story, continued to ask questions and interview all the girls.

Lisa Ling is in DC covering the inauguration on behalf of Oprah.com. One of Oprah's senior producers was with her and made a connection to Georgia because she graduated from Fayetteville High School and Valdosta College.

She said she was really impressed that the girls were able to speak up progressively while living in a majority conservative town and state. Lisa Ling asked if the girls voted and while most of them aren't even voting age but they assured her they voted for Obama in their school elections. When the girls were telling her about our family she mentioned in all sincerity that "it was times like this that made her wish she had a big family".

This morning we got a call that Lisa Ling had posted about meeting the girls on her blog:

http://www.oprah.com/article/world/peopleandpolitics/pkginauguration/20090119_orig_inaugurationlisablog/2

2:32 p.m. Sunday, January 18, 2009

I met a family of 18 beautiful girls ages 12 to 77, from Fayetteville, Georgia—a state that Barack Obama lost—who came together to be part of this week. They are the female descendants of 5 deceased sisters whom they said would have been so proud to see this day. They told me that their family has always been very progressive; very different from the conservative community from which they hail,. They said that they were criticized by a lot of people for wanting to come to Washington. I was moved by the young girls who stood apart from so many in their area to proclaim their support for their candidate. They said it was important for them to come to DC to represent those in the South who are not closed minded (their words, not mine).

Tonight before dinner we went to oprah.com to pull up the article and found that there is a VIDEO of the interview posted of the girls!!

VIEW VIDEO HERE:
http://www.oprah.com/media/20090112_inaug_georgia

The excitement, shrieks and smiles that happened in this room are truly indescribable.

There is a journalist/photgrapher from the Atlanta Journal Constitution with us tonight documenting our story and she was able to capture this spontaneous moments...will have pictures from her soon!

sunday: brunch & obama

On Sunday morning the younger girls + Kelly, Pallie and Whitney opted to get a spot as close as they could to the Lincoln Memorial for the Welcome Concert. {An exciting *star studded* post from their morning coming up!!} and the other part of the group {Dana, Janie, Dot, Shirley, Margaret, Laura, Nelva & Laurel} went to the brunch at the Officers Club at Ft. Myer .

We got there a little early in order to take a walk through Arlington to see John Kennedy's grave. A few stayed behind with our host Jean and the rest of us went ahead trying to find an easy entrance into Arlington. The entrance from Ft. Myer was about to be temporarily closed.

It was a cloudy day and quite cold but the feeling of remembrance and honor at the cemetery is so profound. We walked through Arlington and spent a moment at the Eternal Flame and the Kennedy graves but had to quickly get back to the brunch.

As we made our way to the lonely side entrance a guard made us stop because there was a "government escort coming through"....we waited for only a few minutes, only the six of us and the guard as Shirley said " is it the President {elect}?" to which he replied "maybe". I got my camera ready and the first car indeed held President Elect Obama. We all waved and he waved back.

It was a surreal moment as we realized we were the only ones there! His car was at the front of the caravan followed by a few secret service cars including a SUV with no doors, armed SWAT team looking officers with large guns ready to take action.

We took it all in and made our way back to the security gate where we told the security officers what happened. They both were absolutely astonished and SO excited for us. They said " you ladies will be the only people that that ever happens to". We were happy to share our excitement and they were happy to join in.

We had a lovely brunch with our hostess Jean {who has a fascinating story of her life as a friend of the Kennedy family as well as an important part of Kennedy's senate and presidential staff} filled with mimosas, champagne and an amazing buffet spread.

We enjoyed telling our "experience" with anyone who would listen and it was a great start to our day!

saturday

we arrived in DC around 2pm and after a switch in house accommodations we eventually got settled only in time to layer up and load up to head to the monument tour.

there was a snafu with our ticket reservations but we were happy to finally see each other! Dana not only took charge of the situation but ended up behind the ticket counter, helped wandering Grayline customers so our dear ticket lady could stay focused on our reservation, and well, needless to say we made it on the bus!

first group picture near the white house
at the Jefferson Memorial

at the FDR memorialus with Elanor!

several funny stories from the tour we'll save for a later date, but after we finally got back to Union Station and back to our houses it was nearly midnight when we finally had dinner.

some of us faded fast, others stayed up to visit, but at the end of a very long and somewhat chaotic day we went to bed smiling exciting about the days ahead!