Meeting the McCains and Gov. Palin

On Saturday, September 6, my family had the opportunity to meet and even speak with John McCain, Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain at a rally here in Colorado Springs. (Please see pictures, below and to the right.) After leaving home at 8am and working our way through the security checkpoint at 9:30, we staked our spot along the fence separating us from the taxiway. The two campaign aircraft, one a Boeing 737 and the other was an Embraer 190, were already parked. The 737, which they ultimately boarded a few hours later as we watched, was only about 15 yards from us.After their speeches, the Secret Service and local police officers took their places. From black Suburbans, out stepped the McCains and Gov. Palin to thunderous applause and much waving of the flags previously discarded by the DNC.Moments later, Sen. McCain was thanking my husband, Rod, for his military service - before Rod even had the chance to say the same to him. Touching the VIP detachment patch on Rod's flight jacket, Sen. McCain told Mrs. McCain, "Look." Dressed in bright green and orange, Mrs. McCain also thanked Rod for his service. I told Mrs. McCain that I am an adopted child and that I had enjoyed hearing her adoption story very much.As Gov. Palin approached next, I noticed that she is even prettier in person than on TV. She also seems slimmer - how, with a four-month-old?!? Seeing our six-year-old Erin, she stopped and asked for her name. When Erin replied, Gov. Palin proceeded to ask her age. The three also met our 12-year-old, Bethany, who was busy snapping cell phone photos. Now, if I can just learn how to extract those photos . . . I may not, so ask me to show them to you on my phone if you see me! Growing up, I was told I could be anything I wanted to be. Being a mother is definitely tops on my list, especially now that I've experienced motherhood with my two precious girls. (Helping families get organized is up there, too.) Now, my girls have seen first hand what opportunities await women in this great country of ours. Please encourage the girls in your life, especially those approaching voting age, not to take these opportunities for granted.