Obama: President-Elect...

So I'm still not telling who I voted for. But I do want to document the presidential election.

Newscasters keep saying that everyone will remember where they were when it was announced that Barak Obama had won the state of California, assuring him the electoral votes needed to win the presidency of the United States of America.

So just for posterity... this is how it went down for us...


Paul was working, and watched it in the halls between seeing patients. You know. We texted back and forth about it during the night.

I decided that it would be "educational" television-watching experience for my children, and had it on before and after dinner.

Michael really got into it. He's been declaring his own decisions over the matter during the past month. At first, he sided with his "Mormon for Obama " dad. Then he was influenced by his "If-I-could-vote-I'd-vote-McCain" Uncle Lafe. He would boo and cheer different speeches as heard them on the radio in the car. So I was anticipating his excitement about the night.

And I was not disappointed. Those of you who know Michael can imagine... I mean--it was a RACE!! It had numbers. It had states and maps. It had teams. He tracked the progress along with the commentators, cheering and hollering all along the way. However, his alliegence was unclear in the beginning. That day he announced: "I'm voting for both of them. That way I'll be able to vote for the winner." We told him you can only vote for one person, one time. He decided that he'd hold out on his actual vote until that night.

But he kept busy tracking the states and votes. He even staged his own soccer competition, where one side of the room was McCain, and the other was Obama. Each candidate got goals kicked into their goals according to the votes/states won.

After settling Ella and putting Abby and Bekah to bed, I decided to keep Michael up with me. Once it appeared to be a landslide victory, he provided most of my entertainment. I did mention earlier that I would be attacking Mt. Washmore during the election night coverage... and I did.

So when Mr. Obama was announced as the clear winner of the presidential election, I was folding laundry laughing with Michael as we watched the crowds in Grant Park in Chicago go wild.

I then settled Michael to bed, and came back to continue folding.

Now, as I said... I'm not going to say who I voted for. But I will say that I wasn't entirely pleased with either choice. What does our nation really need? And what would either candidate actually deliver if given the chance to be president. I guess these questions come up with each election. I remember having reservations about my vote in elections past. But I had serious issues this time... and was a serious flip-flopper to the very end.

But I will never forget hearing Barak Obama give his victory speech in Grant Park. It was an emotional experience for me. There in my living room, sitting in the midst of piles clean laundry, I also sat on the edge of a historically defining moment. And I felt it.


Not only did I feel the significance of our country's election of the first non-white president... I felt the significance of an infusion of hope.

I know, I know. That's been the strategy of his campaign and the theme of his expert orations. That's what it is all designed to do. But somewhere in the midst of the story of 106-year-old Ann Nixon Cooper and the proclamations of "yes we can" that reminded me of a Southern Baptist sermon, I started feeling real hope. Like real change is possible... not just in policy about economics and war and health care. But change in the human spirit of America--"Let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other." Perhaps I've been a little caught up in the divisions of our country with all the focus on prop 8 in California, but this truly spoke to me.

He declared that "this is your victory." Then, speaking with the collective "we," he shared his vision of what the nation must do together, "block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand." And somewhere in his speech, I really felt like a part of his vision. I felt inspired and hopeful.

"This is our moment. This is our time."

I don't know how he's done it. He turned a large majority of the country blue last night. He has had some of the most republican people I know (uh... my husband...) listening to, supporting, and even championing him. And last night, he made me think that he might even make a great president.

So instead of being skeptical, I'm going to be hopeful. He deserves my faith and prayers. And my prayer is that he will do all in his power to be sure that God may continue to bless America.