Project Turtle: Miami

2012-07-20T21:24:05-07:00

I haven't written a post since October, but my last real post was in July of 2011 - a year ago. I am a blog slacker. The problem is, when you get paid to write for other people it can be hard to find the time to write just for yourself.

Because the whole point of this blog is to help combat my swiss cheese memory and allow me to capture some of those memories I'd like to share with my kids someday, or even just peruse through on my own, I'm going to do a few summary posts to hit the highlights of the last year.

In my last real post, I'd just had the fortune to shake the President's hand at the first annual White House Twitter Town Hall. That's enough for 2011, right? Roll up the carpet and check off the bucket list! But then I met Will and Kate in Los Angeles. Holy, wow! I still can't quite believe that even happened. It's a good thing I have photos.

But even more happened in 2011.

In August, I traveled to Miami with some of the Blue Star Families team for another Operation Honor Cards initiative. We teamed up with NASCAR to raise pledges of community service and to show off the program to First Lady, Michelle Obama and Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, as part of their Joining Forces initiative for military families.

All of this took place in Miami at the 2011 NASCAR Championships. I know much of the cool factor was lost on me because I don't follow NASCAR. Of course, how many people can say their introduction to NASCAR involved a Hot race pass, a behind the scenes look at everything, and a visit with the First and Second Ladies? Yes, I know I'm spoiled!

Well, the partnership with NASCAR was a rousing success. So many fans stopped to pledge community service in honor or military families, veterans and service members. And watching the faces of the military families and children as they interacted with Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden - AND the faces of Dr. Biden and Mrs. Obama as they interacted with military families - was priceless.

I also got to introduce the turtle to Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden. I had the turtle sitting on the table beside me and Mrs. Obama asked me about him. So I told her the story of UB, the turtle's look alike brother off in Afghanistan with Uncle Bryan (UB - get it?) and about how we send photos back and forth with the turtles. Mrs. Obama insisted we take a photo with the boys' turtle. And a trend was born!

So the traveling turtle has a name now, it's MO, in honor of Michelle Obama. Look for more photos of MO hobnobbing around the country in the future....

You can see the rest of my photos from the NASCAR championship below:

Created with flickr slideshow.

And here's the usual disclaimer: I know that most of you know this, but I'd like to remind everyone that Blue Star Families is a nonpartisan nonprofit. We don't support or endorse candidates or a political party, not just because of IRS rules, but because the issues military families face are not partisan. While I don't make any judgments or pronouncements on White House policy in this blog post, I do from time to time on this blog. Everything I say on LawyerMama.com reflects my personal views and has absolutely nothing to do with the views of BSF.

Lawyer Mama

Project Turtle: Miami