Change is in the air.

Most people I know are really excited about what happened today. With the swearing in of our country's 44th president, history has been made. What I don't understand is those who are "mourning" today. Are you kidding me?!

Regardless of your political views how can you not be overjoyed at the open-mindedness of our country? Several things have crossed my mind today.

First as I sat feeding Kassie this morning watching President Obama being sworn in, my mind flashed back about 7 years ago. I was pregnant with Nate when "9/11" happened, and I vividly remember thinking to myself, amidst feelings of fear & sadness, "Just what kind of world am I bringing this child into?" Today my thoughts were vastly different as I gazed at my precious baby girl, the thought came to my mind that she can truly do/be anything she wants. There is little chance that she will know barriers of color or gender (those and hopefully any other), not like they've been known in the past anyway. Society is not perfect I'm not clueless enough to be blind to that, but things are changing & for the good I feel. I really felt good today. Good about the future for my children.

Then as I watched the Inaugural Parade & I saw the Tuskegee Airmen, I wondered how they felt. Did they ever think they'd see this day? Did they ever think their country would honor them for what they did? Let alone elect someone that looks as they do. That kind of discrimination I cannot fathom, and I hope I can never say that I understand how they feel now or felt then.

There has been a lot of "fear mongering" (in my opinion) about our new president and what he is going to do or not do. I remember when Clinton was elected all my college roommates dressed in black and moped (yea - really), I didn't get it then & I don't get the scare tactics now. No matter what side of the street you are on, surely you have to agree that it's time for us to stop pointing fingers at each other. Start working together. Starting healing as a nation. Start working at becoming "One nation, Under God, Indivisible" For the first time in a long time I have hope that this is possible.

Today I am grateful to be an American, to live in a country where I have the freedoms I have.

PS You gotta love a guy that takes the train! ;)

Randoms Thoughts - New Beginnings

We decided that we would keep a gratitude journal this year as a family, we even set it as 1 of our 4 family goals for the year. I've started a journal so many times in my life it's embarrassing. I never keep up with it.

Some days I feel so distant to family & friends that I thought starting a blog might be a good thing for me. Share what's up with us & let those we care about share in our life a little more than before. I have no idea how this will work out but I'm going to give it a shot & see how it goes.

I've got 6 thousand things I should be doing so I'll have to make this first post short & sweet. I want to post pictures, and eventually I will but at this point I'll have to wait until someone can rescue them from my fried portable hard drive, long bad story.

Today I am grateful for happy children, a loving husband, & a warm home.