Montgomery with Mommy

Five weeks in a base hotel room is five too many!  However, we felt immensely fortunate that we got to spend the time together.  If I had still been working we would have had to spend all of this time apart and now with Colin it gives us even more reason to figure out a way to be together.

So, you may be wondering what in the world we did in one room all day while Daddy was off at work.  We got the heck out of the room, is what we did!  Quite frankly, Colin strongly disliked the room.  He would actually cry and cry until I took him outside in the stroller.  I could literally hear him saying "Come on Mommy, just put me in the stroller and take me outside, you know I'll stop crying right away if you just do it" and so I did...every day for at least half the day I strolled Colin around and around on the sidewalk outside our room.

Some of our early morning strolls were a little brisk:

Basically the only way Colin would sleep the entire time we were in Alabama.  He was just so peaceful outside in his stroller:

 I can't complain because all that walking sure did help to take off that final bit of baby fat I had left!

If we weren't outside walking, Colin and I could usually be found shopping somewhere (Target).  On one of our shopping adventures we came across a cute restaurant called "Mimi's Cafe."  We just had to stop and check it out. 

They had a ton of food and drink options and it was all very yummy!  Almost as good as our Mimi's food.

One day, Colin and I joined a group of spouses and hopped on a trolley to downtown Montgomery (just a few minutes from base).

Our first stop was Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor from 1954-1960.

We got to stand right in front of the pulpit in which Dr. King preached each Sunday during the start of the Civil Rights Movement.

We then walked just up the street to the Mooseum.  It had absolutely nothing to do with Civil Rights but was fun for the kids.  The Mooseum displayed facts and images about the cattle industry which was a little strange for me given the fact I haven't eaten red meat since I was eight years old!

The whole gang at the Mooseum:

After some lunch a few of us decided to see the parsonage where Dr. King lived while he was pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. 

On the day the parsonage's porch was bombed, Dr. King's eldest daughter was the exact same age as Colin (10 weeks) when we visited.  It was several days before the bomb exploded that Dr. King had an epiphany in the kitchen pictured below.  Colin and I had the opportunity to sit in the exact same spot where Martin Luther King Jr. sat when he reaffirmed his drive to work for Civil Rights.

It was a great day touring Montgomery!  Colin was a trooper the whole day!

Colin and Mommy also toured the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.  As soon as we arrived Colin woke up and ate.  This was perfect because he was wide awake to check out all of the paintings and sculptures.  He was seriously mesmerized by some of them.  I tried to find paintings with the biggest color contrasts.

One of Colin's favorites...it must have reminded him of the stained glass at church which he loves!

 

We even found a painting of Mimi and Pappy's hometown, Binghamton, New York.  The museum and its grounds are quite the gem!

If we weren't walking laps in the stroller, shopping, or touring Montgomery, Colin and I were spending time with Daddy.  One day, we even go to see him in action!

Daddy and his team members had to complete several challenges to earn points for their group.  Daddy did great and overall their team did a really well! 

After all the teams were done, Mommy also got to try out the challenges with a group of spouses. They were certainly difficult but a ton of fun!

Two afternoons Daddy got out of work early and we headed into the city to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement.

On the first afternoon, we explored the Rosa Parks Museum.  We began our tour in the Children's Wing where we boarded a bus at Cleveland Ave just like Rosa.  The bus actually moved and was operated by a robot.  The outside of the bus was surrounded by big screens which projected the story of African Americans from the Civil War till the day Rosa boarded the bus.  Colin was fascinated by all the lights and movement!

Following the Children's Wing, we went into the main museum and saw an animated reenactment of Rosa refusing to move seats on the bus.  It was really interesting!

Afterwards, Colin wanted to sit next to Rosa and support her in making a stand for justice!

On another afternoon, we visited the Civil Rights Memorial. It was a time for reflection and to remember those who lost their lives fighting for equal rights.

Artist, Maya Lin was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s well-known paraphrase of Amos 5:24 - We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

The circular black granite table records the names of 40 people who lost their lives during the struggle and chronicles the history of the Movement in lines that radiate like the hands of a clock. Water emerges from the table's center and flows evenly across the top.  I was extremely moved as I felt the names etched into the granite below the water.

There was a theater inside where we learned about many of the people on the memorial who lost their lives in search of equality.  There was also a hall with a collage of murals/quotes...just a few which spoke to me:

We also had the chance to sign the Wall of Tolerance.  By placing our name on the wall, we pledged to take a stand against hate, injustice, and intolerance.  We promised to work in our daily life for justice, equality and human rights - the ideals for which the Civil Rights martyrs died.

Since Colin may not be back to Montgomery again we signed his name as well.  We made sure he pressed the "I accept" button himself. :) Over the coming years he will be learning lots about justice and tolerance from mom and dad. 

I felt very grateful to have so much time to spend with Colin and to have the opportunity to get to know such a unique city.  While in Montgomery, I was profoundly impacted by my experiences learning about the struggle of African Americans in this community and across the nation.

A quote alongside the digital Wall of Tolerance reminded me of the difference each person can make: 

Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of these acts will be written the history of this generation.

It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.

And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

~ Robert F. Kennedy, Cape Town University, South Africa, 1966

I hope to share this with Colin someday.  I want him to know the difference he can make in this world.