The White House 2005 Meeting The President

May 2005 Entry (transfered from our old website)

Waiting outside the White House gates.
Mary hiding under the dining room table at the White House.
Mary and Mommy waiting for President George W. Bush to make his entry with all the news media behind them.
Ron waits as well.
The president stopped right next to us and held our friends baby JJ, see the little head and pink bows at the bottom of the picture? That is Mary.

May 15th the day we returned home from our trip to Russia we received an invitation via email from the first snowflake family the Streges to participate in a press conference in Washington DC in opposition to HR810 a bill that would federally fund the destruction of more embryos for embryonic stem cell research. This press conference was scheduled for Tuesday May 24th and planned by PA Congressman Joe Pitts office. After much prayer and consideration we decided to attend. On Friday May 20th we had confirmation that we would be meeting the President of The United States George Bush and be there for a live news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House. We arrived in DC late Sunday night. Woke up early Monday morning and began lobbying against HR810 to key congress persons that we heard were on the fence. WE finished up our lobbying Monday at 5:30 pm returned back to our hotel, ate dinner and went to bed. Tuesday morning we arrived at the Cannon Building in DC for a Press Conference that many Snowflake families spoke at. After this press conference we ate lunch and headed to the White House. After exiting our cab at the South East entrance to the White House we asked a police officer it was the right entrance. The officer asked "are you here for the tour?"....I respond "No we are here for a meeting with the"....Pause..."how do you not laugh when saying your meeting with the president?"..The officer said we were at the right gate and laughed with me. We then entered the White House. We got to watch the President land in Marine One helicopter. Met the President and he was very nice. He looked younger than he does on t.v. He shook both Peter and my hand and the put his hand on my back while we posed for a picture (I'll post it when the WH sends it to me). He then handed Mary a Presidential Pin and Mary dropped a quarter at his feet (hey it was hush money for Mary when she was getting anxious in line). We then sat down for the press conference. While sitting and waiting Mary began getting antsy again. Squirming in my lap and throwing toys. Finally Peter handed me some flash cards to play with Mary. As I showed her each flash card Mary identified each item..."fishy, cow, banana, boat, apple" next thing I know she takes the cards out of my hands and begins dealing them (throwing them) like a Vegas black jack dealer in the center isle that the President is about walk down for the live Press Conference. Now mind you we have CNN, FOX NEWS, ABC, CBS, NBC and every major Newspaper directly behind us. Needless to say we were a little OK a lot STRESSED! Suddenly the President is introduced, we stand and clap and Mary calms down watching the President and clapping at appropriate times....until...the little snowflake in front of us pulls out an Elmo toy that Mary then wants and starts to say "Elmo" while the president is talking. We survived. The Presidents speech was wonderful. We then had a Birthday Party for two of the snowflakes at the White House (OK those poor parents...how do you compete with that on their future birthday parties?). After we left the White House we got to go to the Capital gallery and watch as congress debated and then voted on HR810. Sadly HR810 did pass, happily not with a 2/3 votes. This fight is not over. Please continue pray it never passes and please continue to call your representatives asking them to vote against embryonic stem cell research.