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