Sunday, April 20, 2008

first lady's luncheon




well, i wasn't very good at journaling about all the fabulous "stuff" we got to do as kids to a congressman, so i'm trying to be detailed in this experience so that i'll have something to share with my posterity of my experiences with the government "perks".
so, every year in april, the congressional club puts on a luncheon for the first lady. anyone who has ever been in congress (or married to a congressman) is a part of this club. my mom has been to this luncheon several times, but it has never worked out for my sister and i to go. it was easier this year since i'm in ohio, and my sis-in-law, sarah, is in virginia, and kate had to be flown in from good 'ole utah.
we all anticipated this event for many months and each of us got a new dress for the occasion, and thanks to jergens sunless tanning lotion (it's the best one out there b/c it doesn't have that funny smell), i got a tan! my wonderful friends agreed to watch my kids for 2 days while matt was at school, and i was off!
we drove into d.c. (about 40 min from my parents house) and arrived at the hilton where the luncheon was being held. it was a site to see when we walked into the hotel, hundreds of women all dressed up for the occasion as well, many were wearing big fancy hats too! it was fun to see all the spring suits and dresses adorned on a variety of women. we purchased cook books with some of the first ladies' recipes in it (Jacquie Kennedy's spinach quiche looks super YUM!) and mingled with ourselves as my mother ran into an occasional acquaintance or friend.
when we walked into the banquet hall, it was absolutely lovely from floor to ceiling. the tables were decorated with colorful floral table cloths, flowers, and center pieced with a metal dress form (that we bought so I could use it in my next craft show). there were 2 sets of forks, 2 knives, and a desert spoon and knife. the meal was absolutely divine too. The menu read: Spring Southern Salad (with roasted sweet potatoes, glazed pecans, red beans, green roasted tomatoes, & pumpkin seeds), Spicy Shrimp and Grits (with roasted sweet potato, caramelized lemon, green tomato compote), Bread presentation to include (sourdough rolls, seeded flat bread, jalapeno corn bread), Peach Sunrise (ginger crust with peaches, red currents, dulce de leche, and passion fruit glaze)....SUPER YUM!
we were entertained with a poem reading (i felt a bit like anne of green gables), a very candid and real speech from laura bush, and a musical presentation from frederic yonnet.
i LOVE laura bush. i have met her before at the republican nominating convention in philadelphia in 2000, and when we met she asked me my name, and what i do. i told her my name and that i was going to school to become a teacher. she said, "well, 2 lara's who are both teachers, we must be kindred spirits". i've liked her ever since. this time we did not get to go up and see her, but we got to hear her talk. she was funny b/c she had to come out on a catwalk escorted by a military man, and she told us that the first time she was to come to the first lady's luncheon she was debriefed and told a little about the event. she said she was not warned that she would have to come out on a catwalk in front of a thousand pair of eyes! she said that the thoughts went through her mind, "is my dress wrinkled in the back?, do i have on new pantie hose?, and how much do i actually weigh?" i love that she didn't ever put herself above us, but seemed very human and had the sames thoughts that the rest of us would have and totally owned up to them.
so this picture will have to do as my up-close-and-personal with laura bush! and katie pricked her finger on the washington monument (people were laughing as they walked by, but we still did it any way).
we all relished in the awesomeness of the moments at the luncheon, and had fun too! it seemed as if this was all second nature for most of the ladies there, but to us an anomaly...and i'm glad because it made the day more special and out of the ordinary.

18 comments:

Laura said...

What a wonderful experience! I must say that the food sounds so delish! I love all the references to Anne of Green Gables in your post...like the poetry reading and "kindred spirits."

Anne said...

That looks like so much fun! You girls look cute in your dresses too. Let me know how the quiche goes!

Emilee said...

you are doing some cool stuff over there! how amazing! your hair is getting so long, i love it! reminds me of 7th grade! ;)

Kristi said...

Gorgeous girls! How fun to get to do that too! I'm excited that you get to live closer to your parents, even though I miss you tons! I went to the bead store 40% off sale today and just thought it would have been more complete with you there!

Brooke and Brett Martin said...

I LOVED your thoughts on Laura Bush. What an amazing lady. I have studied her life over the years and have grown to love her. She reminds me a lot of my grandmother who passed away a few years ago. Their demeanor- manorisms, EVERYTHING. My grandma was actually the mayor of Alpine UT one year too- shared same desires for their community.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE FOR YOU!! You and your sisters looks great. I hope someday I can hear even more about this opportunity you got. Unforgettable I'm sure...

Kate said...

Oh that was so fun! You definitely make the food sound good enough to eat. Too bad we didn't take pictures...hehe... I am so glad we got to go and reminisce in our times in D.C. It's crazy how mom and dad actually live there now huh?

Amber said...

What a fun thing to do with your mom and sisters. You guys look great. I love your dress.

Mortensen Family said...

How fun for you guys! your hair is getting so long! I love the pic of you girls. How fun

Sarah Britt said...

How fun! Ok so you, your mom, and sister look a lot alike. You guys are so pretty! I am glad you had a nice visit.

Auburn said...

Fun! I'm glad you got to go. And, who doesn't love 'em some good sunless tanner??

Ben and Shawneen said...

How fun that you guys got to experience something like that! It sounds like your mom and dad are doing well in DC, we are going to miss bumping into them around Mesa. Your pictures are gorgous as always and so is your family. I am glad I am able to catch up on what my buddies are up too.

onehm said...

What a wonderful experience and opportunity! Thank you for sharing it here...you have beautiful storytelling abilities!!

Carma Lee said...

How fun! I also admire Laura Bush. The peach sunrise description made my mouth water! Was that recipe in the book you bought? By the way, nice legs ladies! (I used to have those. I've given up wearing shorter skirts, but with the help of my elliptical maybe I can again someday.)

Tracy said...

Kindred spirits - just like Anne of G. Gables, one of my faves.
Sounds like an amzing experience to meet the First Lady. I have always admired her!
Miss you!

Soelbergs said...

OH - that looks like so much fun. Not only did you get to spend time with your mom and sisters, but you were without kids and got to go to a fancy dinner with importnant people. That's the ONLY reason I would ever want Alan to go into politics. He has expressed some interest in getting into it someday. We'll see. I know a lot of back stabbing, hard work and heart ache goes into it ...but look at the cool things your family gets to do. Plus, I wouldn't mind those fancy balls either:)

danahollis said...

How neat! What an amazing experience that must have been.

You all look so beautiful, too!

HUGS!
Dana

Emilee said...

you know what smells even better than the jergens one is the dove one, it has a semi-good smell but mostly no smell.

Cheryl said...

Good Afternoon Lara,
My name is Cheryl Lynn Iszard and I am the lady who wrote and recited the poetic piece for the Congressional Club's First Lady's Luncheon. I am delighted that you enjoyed the poem. I write for any ocassion and it was truly an honor to write for this event. Have a wonderful weekend and I am glad that my piece brought joy to you and yours.

Cheryl Lynn