A Muri Update

Summer has arrived and all is well! Mary and I have been busy with work, our yard and new rose garden, attending events and spending time with family and friends. We have thoroughly enjoyed this past month as all four kids and spouses, along with the two grand babies have been in and out of our home.

Next weekend we will be traveling to Medford, Oregon to celebrate our daughter in-law Chelsey's graduation from Southern Oregon University! They will soon be back up here and then off to Great Falls, Montana so Jonathan can finish up his degree at the University of Great Falls.

In July, our family is getting ready to travel to Laramie, Wyoming for another wedding. Yes, that's right, the last Muri child is getting hitched! Bradley met his wife to be, Heidi, at Boise State and I can attest to everyone in the family by saying they are a perfect match! We are looking forward to the celebration.

Last but not least, we were delighted to celebrate with both Makenna and Sterling who just had their first birthdays! Here are some photos of the other night eating cupcakes!


We will update again soon!

Grandbabies

Convention coming to an end

Day five and last day of the convention for me will be a finale as we go to hear John McCain accept the Republican nomination to be our 44th president. The 3rd of September has been our busiest day. The Sarah Palin speech was beyond everyone’s expectations for both it’s substance and it’s style. As delegates, there is no coaching and direction on our behavior. Everything happens spontaneously. You might not of seen it, but after Sarah Palin mentioned the big city media attacks against her, the convention turned and pointed towards the media booths that ring the convention floor. Here is a picture of Senator Slade Gorton talking to another delegate with the media booths in the back ground. MSNBC and Al Jazerra have been very active interviewing Washington delegates. In the meantime, we have had a very interesting and dynamic few days. Some of you have e-mailed letting me know that you have seen me twice on Fox News in the crowd. With hundreds of reporters on the convention floor with that many cameras following in tow, you always have to be looking sharp! No yawning or scratching in the wrong places on national television. :) The Washington delegation is right next to the Massachusetts delegation. We had Governor Mitt Romney visit yesterday and say hello to everyone. Showing it is a small world, the first delegate I met from Massachusetts just happens to be good friends with my cousin from East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Below is a picture of Senator Slade Gorton with delegate Creigh Agnew of Federal Way cheering for one of the convention speakers. There are video displays everywhere, so often it is easier to see what is happening, especially if you are short like me and can't see the podium when everyone stands up!

Roberta McCain

Bob Lawrence meets with Roberta McCain, John McCain's mother. Bob approached her and said in good humor "though I am an Air Force pilot and not a Navy pilot, would you mind a picture with me?" She then equally quipped back and said with a smile, well normally I wouldn't, but since you have a McCain button let's smile for the camera. Bob was impressed on how sharp and energetic JohnMcCain's mom is at a "young" 96 years of age.

Relief Efforts

Yesterday before we left for the convention, some of our delegation volunteered to help construct 80,000 comfort packages for the American Red Cross Hurricane relief efforts. John and Cindy McCain stopped by and said hello and thanked all the volunteers. Judy's husband Bob Lawrence mentioned to Cindy McCain that we had a mom here whose son was on his second Stryker Brigade tour in Iraq. She immediately asked who and then grabbed Judy's hand and said I am sure John would like to talk to you. Cindy told John about Judy's son and Senator McCain told Judy not once but twice how proud he is of Michael's service and devotion to our country. Here is a picture of Judy Lawrence and theMcCains. Judy had to leave the convention Wednesday Night to get back to her 5th grade classroom at Brookdale elementary.

Convention Security

Security at the convention is a very serious business. There are mainly peaceful protestors, but there is a small but dangerous group of individuals, many who are self labeled as "anarchists" who have violent intentions. On Tuesday, the second day of the convention, the State of Washington delegation went on a three hour lunch time paddleboat cruise on the Mississippi River. We were escorted by three heavily armed Coast Guard patrol boats. The logistics of moving thousands of people via bus to and from the convention site is well planned and very detailed. So far the attacks on convention attendees have been minor with no major injuries or destruction of property.

Meeting new people

Our political convention offers an opportunity to meet old friends and makenew friends. Elementary public school teachers Rozalyn Strong and JudyLawrence made a visit to the Abraham Lincoln traveling historical display. Rozalyn teaches in the Kirkland School District and Judy teaches in the Franklin Pierce School District. They will have many stories and experiences to share with their students when they get back to school on Friday. Rozalyn's mother Rose Strong is also adelegate and a leader in the Republican party and her brother is the recently retired fullback of the Seattle Seahawks Mack Strong.

TWO ARTICLES FROM THE NEWS TRIBUNE

You can click on http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics/ to read a few articles about the Republican National Convention. I have also posted the articles here on my blog. More updates will come tomorrow!

Washington delegation bus hit by a sand bag in Twin Cities
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 12:50:32 pm

Someone dropped a sandbag from an overpass in the Twin Cities yesterday, hitting one of the buses carrying members of the Washington delegation, Dick Muri said.

Muri, a Pierce County councilman and Republican national delegate, was riding on a different bus, and did not have details.

I found this blog post (http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/09/bus-attack-in-st-paul-anarchists-attack.html) from someone called Gateway Pundit that describes sandbag and cement bag attacks on delegation buses.

The Star Tribune ran this http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/27737929.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E7_0c:5D:aPc:iUiacyKUnciaec8O7EyU) Associated Press article describing "violent protests" in the convention cities.

Muri said security is extremely tight. As he spoke this morning from a paddle-wheel ship cruising the Mississippi River, he could see two Coast Guard speed boats with large-caliber weapons providing escort.

And an armed guard rode on his bus.

Muri said he doesn't mind the protesters gathering on overpasses with banners.
"That's OK," he said. "That's the kind of protest you want."

But he couldn't help but note the irony in the fact that some of them are crossing a line and becoming violent as they protest war.

Low-key convention includes Mississippi River cruise, breakfast with Slade
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 11:23:49 am

Pierce County Councilman Dick Muri phoned today from a paddle-wheel boat on the Mississippi River. Muri, a Republican national delegate, was cruising the river in the Twin Cities with the rest of the Washington delegation.

So far, the Republican National Convention has been a low-key affair, thanks in part to the cancellation of planned speakers yesterday due to Hurricane Gustav.

Among them was President Bush, who went to Texas instead to be with disaster workers as the hurricane approached.

Bush now is expected to address the convention tonight via satellite.

Muri said he's been using the extra time to get to know people in Washington's 80-person delegation. There were local meetings on Monday, and the group took a tour of Minneapolis.
A business meeting yesterday that typically would have taken five or six hours was dispatched with in just an hour.

Muri and others enjoyed an hour-long breakfast today with former Sen. Slade Gorton.
"There is more time as a delegation to get to know one another," Muri said.

Family Update!

Recently, most of the family was able to reunite down in Tigard, OR for a wedding. The Lawrence's who were neighbors of ours in Turkey, married their daughter, Nicola Lawrence off to Nic Teeter on August 10th. Both of the girls were excited to be in the wedding together as bridesmaids. Look for more posts to come as I am on my way to Minnesota for the National Republican Convention. Here is Makenna (16 weeks) and Sterling (11 weeks). They are growing so fast!