I NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D FIND ME AT A POLITICAL RALLY. 

HONESTLY, I NEVER WAS INTO POLITICS...BEFORE THIS YEAR.  WELL, UNLESS YOU COUNT THE WHOLE BILL AND MONICA THING...  THAT WAS JUST ME BEING NOSEY INQUSITIVE.  AND OF COURSE, I WAS INTERESTED IN WHAT BUSH WAS DOING JUST AFTER 9/11.  BUT, OTHER THEN THAT...I WAS NOT ALL THAT INTERESTED.

I WASN'T EVEN SOLD ON McCAIN, UNTIL HE INTRODUCED US TO SARAH.  THEN, I SORT OF STOOD UP AND PAID ATTENTION.  (CREDIT GOES TO BRAD!) 

JUST AN HOUR BEFORE MY GYN APPOINTMENT, I READ AN EMAIL FROM OUR HOMESCHOOL GROUP, SHARING INFO ON HOW TO GET FREE TICKETS FOR THE MCCAIN RALLY.  UMMMM.....I THOUGHT, MY DOCTORS OFFICE IS JUST A 1/2 AN HOUR AWAY FROM THE VICTORY HALL.  UMMMMM?  JUST MAYBE? 

TIME FLEW BY... WHICH NEVER SEEMS TO BE THE CASE WHEN YOU HAVE A GYNOCOLOGIST VISIT.  I SHARED MY EXCITMENT WITH MY DOCTOR... WHO LOOKED UP AND WENT INTO DETAILED CONVERSATION ABOUT SARAH AND JOHN.  HE GIVES THE PARTY A NOD, TOO!  NORMALLY, I WOULDN'T TALK POLITICS WHILE IN THE EXAM ROOM, BUT, I MY DOCTOR IS A FAMILY FRIEND AND ONE I AM EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE WITH.

FAST FORWARD TO YESTERDAY....  TOMMIE AND I ARRIVED ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE THE GATES OPENED...   GOOD THING WE DID....THE PEOPLE WERE LINED UP!   IT WAS A VERY, VERY MELLOW CROWD.  I FELT LIKE I WAS AMONGST 4H-ers.  WELL, ALL BUT A COUPLE PROTESTERS...  WHICH WAS A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE, TOO.  OH, AND THERE WAS A HOMESCHOOL FAMILY BEHIND US. WITH  SIX KIDS... I THINK SHE WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW SHE HOMESCHOOLED...BECAUSE SHE WAS LOUD.  ANNOYINGLY LOUD!  EXAMPLE:  ONLY EAT 1/3 OF YOUR PLUM JOHNNY...  HOW MUCH WILL BE LEFT?  THEN THE CAMPAIGN PEDDLERS CAME AROUND SELLING PINS...AND SHE MADE THIS WHOLE ENTIRE MATH LESSON OUT OF PRICING AND MATH?   LOOK, I'M THE BIGGEST ADVOCATE FOR HOMESCHOOLING, BUT... GEESH LADY, WOULD YA LET YOUR KIDS BREATHE?

ALL HEADS TURNED WHEN ABOUT 50 NUNS ARRIVED IN OUR LINE.  EVERYONE HAD THEIR DIGITALS OUT.  SNAP, SNAP, SNAP.

AFTER GOING THROUGH SECURITY... TOMMIE NOTICED THIS NICE MAN AND HIS NICE BOMB SNIFFING DOG! 

HONEST ABE WAS SHAKING HANDS.... 

I ASKED ABE, IF IT WAS TRUE HE HELD IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN HIS TOP HAT?  THIS IS WHAT HE SHOWED ME:

THE MEDIA WAS EVERYWHERE!  TOMMIE COUNTED 18 CAMERAS....AND I BELEIVE EVERY TELEVISION STATION IN OUR STATE WAS THERE!  SEEING THE MEDIA, ALWAYS EXCITES ME, FOR SOME REASON!

TOMMIE BRAVED THE CROWD AND PICKED UP SOME McCAIN-PALIN SIGNS TO HOLD UP!

HERE'S US.  I AM HOPING I DON'T LOOK THIS GREASY IN PERSON!  I HAD SPLASHED SUNSCREEN ON MY FACE- KNOWING I'D BE WAITING IN THE SUN...  SO, I'M BLAMING IT ON THAT, PLUS AN HOUR AND A HALF CAR RIDE? 

A BOY SCOUT GROUP LED US IN THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG...CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE WHAT A PRIVILIDGE IT IS FOR THESE YOUNG MEN?  THERE WAS A FANTASTIC PRAYER SAID, SEVERAL EXCITING SPEAKERS AND MUSIC TO GET YOU PUMPED UP! 

SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW...  A POW, WHO WAS WITH McCAIN...DROVE IN FROM OHIO...HE SAID HE WASN'T ASKED TO SPEAK..BUT RATHER VOLUNTEERED.  HE TOLD HOW, WHILE IN CAPTIVITY... McCAIN AND THE OTHERS HELD CHURCH SERVICE...AND SAID THE LORD'S PRAYER...  JOHN ALSO SANG, "ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIER,"  AND OTHERS, I AM SURE. 

BEING AROUND THIS MANY VETERENS... WHO WANT AMERICA BACK...WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM... AND BEING AROUND SOOOOOOOOOO MANY CHRISTIANS WAS A FEELING I DON'T HAVE WORDS FOR.  OTHER THEN IT WAS HIGHLY EMOTIONAL.

I ESPECIALLY LOVED THE REFERENCE TO SCRIPTURE AND THE RELIGIOUS SLANT!  CAN YOU EVER HAVE ENOUGH OF IT?

WE WERE 15 ROWS FROM THE STAGE.  DEAD CENTER.  I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HOW SARAH, CINDY AND JOHN, ARE ALL ABOUT AS TALL AS ME! (SHORT).  I'M WONDERING IF CINDY AND SARAH SHARE HAIRSPRAY AND BREATH MINTS?  YOU KNOW... IN THE BUS AND ON THE PLANE?  THEY SEEM LIKE THEY HAVE GOOD CHEMISTRY.  JUST IMAGINE THIS..."CINDY, I JUST GOT ANOTHER RUN IN MY PANTYHOSE...DO YOU HAVE ANY EXTRA IN YOUR SUITCASE?"  "OH SURE, JOHN, CAN YOU HAND THESE OVER TO SARAH?"  THAT'S HOW REAL THESE FOLKS SEEM!

CINDY AND JOHN CAME DOWN INTO THE CROWD.  I'M NOT SURE ABOUT SARAH...HER SUIT SORT OF BLENDED IN. 

AS WE WERE LEAVING, WE SPOTTED McCAIN'S TRAVELING PRESS TEAM.  I SNOOPED.  THEY HAD THEIR LAPTOPS OPENED UP TO CNN AND OTHER MEDIA WEB SITES.

IT ONLY TOOK US 50 MINUTES (YES, FIFTY!) TO GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT.  WE WERE FAMISHED!  WE PULLED INTO THE NEAREST BIG BOY FOR A LATE SPAGHETTI DINNER. AND THEN, HOME.  IT WAS A FIELDTRIP OF A LIFETIME!

*WE DID SEE TWO OTHER FAMILIES FROM OUR HOMESCHOOL GROUP!! 

OH, AND I THINK MY GYNOLOCOGIST WAS RIGHT..."McCAIN HAS EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE PRESIDENT."

Posted by homeschoolshelter

What an awesome privilege. I'm hoping to see them when they come to my area. Reading this is just more motivation to get there. :-)

Posted by Anonymous

I'm so happy for you and a bit jealous too!!!! I would LOVE to attend a rally for them!!

Julie
www.gurneejourney.blogspot.com

Posted by Anonymous

I enjoyed reading about your day very much. I agree, 'a field trip of a lifetime'.

~tracy from FIAR

Posted by SchoolinRhome

WOW! How neat! Thaks for sharing the experience. I really hope that I can take our kids to a rally when they come close to our hometown!
I have a lot on my blog about these candidates, if you want to stop by! I feel it important to let others know- esp. since our freedom to homeschool could be threatened!
I too though was never much into politics but this election has changed that. There's hoe in the republican ticket for so many great things!
Keep spreading the word!
SchoolinRHome

Posted by Anonymous

Thanks for "taking us with you" on your historic trip. I hope they come to my area.

Lisa in NC (FIAR)

Posted by SincerelyAmanda

Wow, that must have been so awesome! Thanks for sharing that!

~Amanda~
www.amandaread.com

Posted by lisaquing

That's just darn cool. I liked Abe's hat the best! lol I'm not much for politics either. In fact, I'll usually just get up and walk away if an extended political discussion is going on - I just am not interested. But there's something about Palin....

Posted by nellie99

That was a exciting day for you two, Tommy will never forget this election: as not many of us get to see the president up close and IN PERSON.

Posted by wiegersmama

WOW I'm still amazed you braved the crowds! I don't think I could have.

Posted by Rachel S

We were also at the rally, on the stage. I was dead center about 7 rows up (somehow we aquired VIP seats... I still do not know how). I am also a Christian and was so blessed with the Christian slant.
I am praying daily that McCain/Palin wins this election, for the sake of our country!

Posted by healthyhomeschool

Michele, Wow! I've finally had a chance to leave a comment. I really like your pictures. I love the Abe picture! And the hat. That's really cool.

As usual you are doing many wonderful creative things for school.

Lynn

PS - The peanut butter cookies look YUMMY!!