Larry & Lisa at the Inauguration 1/20/09

This cellphone pic was entitled "we r here" -- yes, they are!

I can't wait to hear how early they got there to get these seats!

Of course, I was glued to the TV Tuesday night here in Japan to watch it live -- I just couldn't turn it off & stayed up until 3 AM so I could watch President Obama take the oath & the Bushes fly away . . . Now it's Wednesday morning and I'm up again watching replays from the Inauguration, the faces of the crowd, and the President and Mrs Obama as they arrive at each ball. Tears are streaming down my face as I listen to President Obama's words at the Commander-in-Chief Ball & the cheers he receives from his military. Living on a military base has given me insight to the dedication and untiring strength of these amazing young people who are sacrificing EVERYTHING for their country . . . How they must have felt to hear these honorable words from their new President: "As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake." Right on, Mr. President ! ! !