Obama family attends Easter service at historic Baptist church in Virginia (pic)

[cal04]

Last edited Sun Apr 5, 2015, 06:42 PM - Edit history (1)

(snip)
Obama along with wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia were welcomed to the historic church by the pastor, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley.

"How fitting that on the day we celebrate the rising of our Lord and savior, we also welcome our sitting president," Wesley said, as the congregation rose to their feet in applause.

"This is not selfie time," Wesley said jokingly. "Let the brother worship in the house of God."

Churchgoers traditionally walk around to shake hands and give hugs during the greetings and announcements portion of service, but the pastor encouraged the crowd to stay in their seats and greet only their closest neighbors, as the sanctuary was tightly secured with Secret Service agents.


http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/obama-family-attends-easter-service-historic-baptist-church-virginia-n336091


Thank You Cha for the link

[elleng]

1. Blossoms on the trees at the (EDITED)

Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, whose history dates back almost 200 years to when Thomas Jefferson was in the White House.

edit: I think this pic was taken at the White House. A friend posted same pic with the 2 doggies at the family's feet. Glad to see blossoms at the White House, near the Tidal Basin, getting ready for the Cherry Blossom festival.

[4139]

4. Flowering Magnolia, not cherry... Photo is at the whitehouse...

I have a flowering Magnolia and also a cherry

[elleng]

7. Glad you can tell the difference.

I'll be at the Tidal Basin in about a week and get some pics, and there's a Magnolia where I live, but not yet blooming.

[CTyankee]

16. coming any day to CT, ellen! Can't wait!

[elleng]

17. Good to hear, yank!

Has been a long winter, eh? I think my baby rose may not have made it. Fingers crossed.

[CTyankee]

18. sending good vibes your way!

[4139]

19. Heat from the building(s) will cause early blooming...

... You'll see it on the Mall in DC; because of the building warmth trees near buildings will bloom a couple weeks earlier than trees 60 feet away from buildings. Odd but true. My magnolia has about another 5 days till bloom.

Adding: I'm only 12 miles from downtown, my cherry blooms 3 weeks later than the ones at the tidal basin

[elleng]

23. Have to check my magnolia, which is at the house.

Hadn't noticed difference in blooms near buildings in DC, where I lived and worked for 20+ years. In MD now.

[mike dub]

37. Neat observation, 4139

Our flowering Magnolias here in Durham, NC are at about the same bloom stage as that shown in Washington in that photo ---circa 4 5 2015--- impressive info about building-warmth. Makes sense, given the latitude difference. And for the record, and while Magnolias are being mentioned, the White House as well as the Capitol Hill grounds have totally awesome and huge old Southern Magnolias... to bloom later, like mine here in rural NC. They smell so great in blossom,too. Love it.

[pinboy3niner]

56. I miss D.C. in the Springtime

Lived nearby for 16 years and loved the blossoms against the marble monuments.

[madokie]

2. America has a Beautiful First Family

a wonderful man as father and President to go with it

[johnnysad]

3. Malia is the spitting image of her mother while Sasha looks more like her father

Nice looking family

[a kennedy]

28. although that dimple on Sasha's face is her mothers.

[hopemountain]

71. and her grandmother's ...nt

[appalachiablue]

5. Beautiful family in Springtime. Nice they went to historic Alexandria's church, that's a charming

and lively area. The city of Alexandria was founded c. 1750 and is only a few miles from DC. There's lots of history, shops, restaurants, waterfront and boat rides on the Potomac River. The same age as Georgetown in DC, both were colonial seaports on the river. George Washington frequented Alexandria often especially since it's not far from his Mount Vernon home. Jefferson came too and Lafayette visited when he returned in 1824 for a lengthy US visit.

[Raine1967]

6. Happily kicking!

I love when the first family visits our wonderful city!

[Fred Sanders]

8. America, this is the incredible family so many of you believe is not the picture of American family values???

[Cha]

9. Mahalo cal..just saw this on TOD and wanted to make sure it's on DU..here it is full page w/doggies

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/04/05/the-first-family-on-easter-sunday/

[cal04]

13. Thank you Cha

[Cha]

15. Happy Easter, cal..

[cal04]

21. Happy Easter Cha

[Cha]

52. Aloha, Cha~

[sheshe2]

44. Dayum~

Beautiful picture Cha!

[Cha]

48. Hey, she~ Happy Easter! I put it on my FB :)

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. lovely pic

[ailsagirl]

11. What a gorgeous family!!!!

[hrmjustin]

12. Beautiful picture!

[vankuria]

14. Beautiful family!

I'm so proud to have them as first family of the U.S., they represent everything that is great about our nation. And so cute that they included their dogs in the photo!

[raven mad]

20. One ton of pure beauty in one pic!!

Thank you!

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Wow

What a great picture and even better to announce that spring really is here (for us cold-weary folks)!!! Amazing that Malia is taller than Michelle now and Sasha is showing her dimples! And to think they looked like this just 6 years ago for Easter (2009) -





As a sidenote, Bo is hilarious, looking all stoic and "at attention". Meanwhile, Sunny still has the puppy look in her eyes and is ready to play ball.

[Cha]

24. Mahalo for the contrast of 6 years ago, BRDS! lol, Sasha with her little scowl back then I remember

those! And, I see the Tulips but they're in dark clothes.. looks cold!

Sweet sweet pics.. thank you!

[BumRushDaShow]

25. Aloha Cha!

And I think that year Easter was in mid-April too! I and many others over here in the mid-atlantic are grateful that it was a nice sunny warm day today! It should be even warmer tomorrow for the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House (supposed to rain on and off the rest of the week after Monday) - https://www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll

Here are the souvenir eggs that they will be presenting -



And thanks for assisting the OP with today's pics!

[Cha]

30. Aloha BRDS!

Just never know about the ol weather.. so glad it's sunny and warmer for you folkies back East!

Beautiful pic of the souvenir eggs from the White House.. thank you! And, for the link



The Kids have so much Fun!

[freshwest]

42. Your pics and the others have made this an extraordinary thread! Thanks all who posted these images.

[Cha]

47. Mahalo Freshwest!

[freshwest]

41. What a lovely image!

[BumRushDaShow]

57. The tulips and eggs are really great harbingers of spring!

[pinboy3niner]

50. I went to an Easter Egg Roll at the White House in the late '70s

While most kids found eggs with candy inside, my son found one of the few wooden eggs engraved with the signatures of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

[BumRushDaShow]

58. Wow. What a lucky boy!

(although I expect he didn't realize it at the time )

[pinboy3niner]

59. Safe to say his parents were more jazzed about the find than he was. :) nt

[a kennedy]

26. The girls were babies in 2008.......now? WOW, very attractive young women.

Such an a w e s o m e family. I'm REALLY going to miss them. Can't we change the constitution to keep them as first family?

[mcar]

27. Those girls!

What beautiful young women they've become. This is a great photo cal04.

[Inkfreak]

29. Yea, and so tall!!

I'm wondering if our first child, a girl, is gonna be as tall as me. I'm 6'4" but my wife is only 5'4".

Be cool if she was as tall as me..maybe take SU woman's basketball to the championship...a father can dream, lol

[calimary]

31. Those girls are each the embodiment of the "long-stemmed American Beauty".

Just how long are those legs, anyway? The length of a city block? MAN - and they were little girls just - well - uh - seems like yesterday. Stunning how they've grown. I still remember that adorable little chirp "HI DADDY!" when they were up onstage at the 2008 convention and saw their dad's image on the big screen behind them.

And as for the First Dad, I can't believe how white his hair is. Well, no, I take that back. When I remember how much (and how virulent) the opposition is that he's had to fight through and endure and try to maintain a positive attitude IN SPITE OF - I definitely DO believe it. Not surprised considering that kind of context.

I'm glad they still all live at home. I would suspect it's a balm for his morale to have them around, after some really shitty days you know he's had with the GOP and the various charter members of the ongoing Hate Club and other assorted assholes.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

61. When I see these pics, I really worry about these girls' future

How are they going to have a normal life after they leave the White House? It's surely not normal, now, but being a member of the First Family comes with a lot of perks and it doesn't last forever. However, what happens when they leave the White House? Surely, their parents' wealth is an advantage, but wealth doesn't make up for everything.

[calimary]

69. Well, it depends on how they were raised. Look at how well Chelsea Clinton is doing.

And what she faced - that fat fuck limbaugh publicly insulted her, all over the radio from coast-to-coast, day-after-day, laughed at her teenage awkwardness and braces and waning traces of baby fat and called her the "White House dog". She was just a young teen. Can you imagine living with THAT? I wonder if she even knew about it because I'm sure Bill and Hillary both tried to protect and shield and insulate her from it. I'm amazed that her dad didn't send the 82nd Airborne after him!

Think about Amy Carter. She too was a little girl in the White House during the Jimmy Carter years. The bad guys carried on about her teenage awkwardness, too. Okay she wasn't a Beyonce or a Natalie Portman or a Taylor Swift or some such. She was just an average little gawky freckle-faced girl growing up through that awkward stage that all of us then-little girls went through. But she had to do it in the First Fish Bowl - as First Daughter. And she took lots of shit, too. And she grew up just fine. She's a private citizen. And as the years go by, people forget. If she stood next to them in line for a new film or some such, you probably wouldn't even recognize her or realize who she is.

I have great faith that Malia and Sasha will be fine. They have a WUNNNNNNNderful upbringing. Their parents made sure that intimate infrastructure has remained sound. Most of the familiarity they're used to has stayed in place, and Grandma even lives with them. So they're protected and loved and nurtured, and it's clear that Michelle and Barack are devoted as can be to keeping their lives as normal as possible, even among the unique confines in which they live. When you have good parents, you have a pretty good background.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

74. I'm concerned about their safety

How long do "first daughters" get Secret service protection?

Maybe they should just go straight to Oxford or Cambridge for undergraduate school, and leave all the crazies behind.

[dolphinsandtuna]

79. after the Pres leaves office, until they're sixteen

Pres and spouse have lifetime protection. Not that the Secret Service protection is worth much these days.

[Botany]

32. President Obama's next full time job.

Well, son so you want to date my daughter? Let's sit down and have a little chat.

My how they have grown.

[freshwest]

43. Obama went through a similar vetting by Michelle's family, too. And lovely pic!

[marlakay]

33. Love the pics and the dogs!

The girls have grown up wonderfully and that says a lot while dealing with people that hate you daily. If I had that many people hating me openly I would probably vent to my spouse and my kids would hear.

You can tell they are taught to love and forgive and have peace in their lives.

[BlueMTexpat]

34. What a beautiful family!

Outside and in! They do us ALL proud!

[blaze]

35. Wow!!! Malia is stunning!! nt

[kwassa]

36. I can't believe their tree is blooming already.

Daffodils just came up, forsythia is just starting, it isn't time for magnolia yet. There could still be a frost that wipes them out.

[Botany]

38. Saucer Magnolias bloom early .... It is normal for them to bloom this time of year in DC.

And yes in many parts of the country frost wipes out the flowers but it doesn't
hurt the tree.

[question everything]

39. Lovely. The dogs, too (nt)

[freshwest]

40. What a beautiful family photo on a beautiful spring day! Thanks Cha and cal! n/t

[sheshe2]

45. Sorry~

Away at Easter dinner, which was awesome.

Late for the party.....yet~

?w=655

http://theobamadiary.com/

[sheshe2]

46. Since I was late, cal04

Happy Easter!

[sheshe2]

49. Sweet!

Hugs to you~

[Cha]

51. Oh wow.. I almost missed this.. You're Welcome, cal!

I've been busy at the beach!

[NBachers]

53. I see it with a tinge of sadness that this is their next-to-last Easter photo in the White House

[Cha]

55. Really tinged, NBachers!

Pete Souza: “Bo and Sunny in the Easter spirit. (Shh! Full disclosure: these are cardboard cutouts set up for tomorrow’s Easter Egg Roll)”

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/04/05/chat-on-94/

[Turbineguy]

54. They don't look very

Islamic to me. Do you think we've been led down the garden path?

Wingnuts don't ask.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

60. Great photo!

And while I liked the photo without the dogs, I like this one better. haha

[midnight]

62. kick

[workinclasszero]

63. Wow the girls have grown up so fast!

Thats a good lookin family

[Tuesday Afternoon]

64. such good-looking, happy family portriats !! and the tongue hanging out makes it extra special to me

[treestar]

65. What Muslims at a Baptist Church!!!

Really gorgeous group. Malia is a knock-out. Cue right wingers on the girls' short skirts!!

What's the name of the second dog, anyone know?

[Arugula Latte]

66. I have one complaint about the Obama family ...

...they need some KITTIES ... (okay, allergies ... whatever ...)

Other than that ...

[Hekate]

67. What a smile this brings to my face.

Thanks so much for sharing it here.

[itcfish]

68. Darn!

What a horrible Muslim obama is turning out to be. LOL

[Major Hogwash]

70. Great thread about the best President in our lifetime!!

Great picture, too.

[iandhr]

72. What a wonderful picture

Just a question how do they get Sonny and Bo to sit so still?

[blkmusclmachine]

73. Cute. But show the pics of Obama praying w/the Christian dominionists/Christian reconstructionists

Here you go.

http://www.goddiscussion.com/59793/obama-invites-christian-dominionist-to-easter-prayer-breakfast/

You're welcome.

[KansDem]

75. Does anyone else see a resemblance between Malia and the President...

...and a resemblance between Sasha and the First Lady?

Particularly in this photo--

[dolphinsandtuna]

76. 2nd dog?

when did that happen?

[cal04]

77. Aug 2013

Sunny was born in Michigan in June 2012, and arrived at the White House today. Just like Bo, she’s a Portuguese Water Dog, which works great for the Obamas because of allergies in their family.

Sunny is the perfect little sister for Bo – full of energy and very affectionate – and the First Family picked her name because it fit her cheerful personality.



https://www.whitehouse.gov/meet-sunny

[fadedrose]

78. Thank you so much for posting this . . .