Three Kids in Four Years: First Black President...

The first two pictures are from our visit to Nashville--and they are especially for Mia and Joshua who come to the blog "on the regular" to check up on their baby cousin. Mia and Joshua, Emmanuel loves you very much and we hope that we get to see you soon.

This is Mia and Emmanuel.....

This is Joshua and Emmanuel. **Might I add that Joshua is not even 2 yet--isn't he such a tall boy! I think he'll do a fine job protecting Emmanuel when they get older!

Emmanuel and I headed to the polls early Tuesday morning.

As we approached the long line outside of the church, I thought to myself...hmm...I don't know how long this wait is and Emmanuel will probably need to take a nap in about an hour. As soon as I thought that, the election judge came out of the church and said, "Hey....lady with the baby...come on in!" I got to have a seat with the senior citizens while they all goo-gooed and ga-gaad over Emmanuel. We ended up getting through the polls pretty quickly because of the grace that was shown to us.

As I sat down with Emmanuel in my lap to vote...this wave of emotions came over me. I thought about my granddaddy who was a sharecropper--whose own dad was a freed slave--I thought about the many times he has faced discrimination in his life...in Tennessee...in America and how he gracious he is. I thought about my dad, who was an avid political follower, who marched during the civil rights movement, and who participated in demonstrations...I thought about how I wish that he could have been there with me to vote...

I thought about many others who long awaited a time in our country where African Americans could not just run for president...but could run and win...I thought about Dr. King and his courageous battle for equality...I am often humbled when I think of the many who have gone before, even in the face of death to fight for justice and equality. I thought about how Emmanuel would know a different America than my granddad, my daddy, and even myself...yes, he will still experience racism because we live in a sinful and fallen world...but he will have more opportunities because a minority, a black man, a bi-racial man, a "mutt" just like him is President of the United States of America. It is a new day in America.

As I watched and waited like everyone else in America to see the electoral votes...tears began to form as the numbers for Obama began to increase. When he exceeded 270--I bawled...those were tears for my grandparents, my parents, my great-grandparents....for all of those who worked so hard in the face of extreme racism and adversity so that we could have better...so that we could do better...so that we could still hold our head up high and achieve when we were called the "n" word on the playground at 7 years old...so that we could believe that God had a plan for our lives even when teachers told us that "our kind" would not make it...those were tears for me.

Below are some great pictures of Emmanuel from this week. He has been laughing and rolling over. This kid loves to smile at folks. (Thanks Mona and Ms. Brenda for the outfit!)