We Are Family: A Family Tour of the White House

Throughout my life, there have been moments I’ve imprinted on my brain and heart forever.  During each of those moments, I’ve closed my eyes tight to take a mental picture.  I store those memories in a special place I access when the first colors of fall fill my eyes, during the quiet moments I spend alone, and in the middle of the night when I cuddle my children back to sleep.

It’s there that I hold the last hug I shared with my father before he died, the 10 shades of green on the first hill I laid eyes on in Ireland during a trip with my parents, the moment I realized I was in love with Ash, the first time I locked eyes with Noah, and the car ride to the hospital minutes before meeting Maya where all I could think about was how beautiful life is.

Over the weekend, our family took a tour of the White House, and I stood in front of the Oval Office with each of my children.  Looking in at the President’s desk, I squeezed my eyes extra tight thinking about how much I love Ash, Noah and Maya.  I thought about a time when families like ours wouldn’t have been welcome in that same hallway.  I glanced in at the photos on President Obama’s desk. My eyes caught the pictures of sweet moments of the President with his wife, Michelle, and the kids.  I thought about how he had come from parents that looked a lot like Ash and me.  Then, I looked at my own children.  Noah’s eyes were wide with wonder, and Maya’s arm waved back and forth as she practiced her waving.  I closed my eyes again.

Special moments filled my heart throughout the tour.  I took so many mental pictures that I’ll reflect on when I share some of the special moments of the day with our children.  We did bring a real camera with us too, and I thought I’d share with you some of the physical pictures we took while on the White House tour.