Vote? YES WE DID!

Tuesday night, we elected (get it?) to make voting a family affair. We hit up McDonald's first for some dinner (um, can you get any more American?) and then headed to our polling place, a nearby elementary school. We waited in line for a bit, first so Chuck could register here with our new address (I had already taken care of this, the patriot that I am) and then in the line to actually vote. Besides the cold (we didn't get there until around seven) it was a really neat experience to stand in line and see democracy in action, particularly after reading about the REALLY long lines that other people around the country stood in to vote. The only bummers were that they didn't have 'I voted' stickers, and then the "So-and-so has voted" lady called me "John-uh" but, eh, I've been called worse.

Aren't Clyde and Will so darling in their patriotic get-up?

Mommy voted, yay!

Clyde took this picture, can you tell? :)

I was obviously thrilled with the outcome of the presidential election, but I am equally thrilled by the sentiments of cooperation and bipartisanship from a number of conservatives. I was also impressed by Senator McCain's concession speech.

I'm very excited about our country's future - how can you not be after hearing President-elect Obama's speech that night? Here are some of my favorite parts:

"This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other . . .

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long . . .

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."