The Obama Diary

(1) President Obama with Akira Cooper at the Community Children’s Center in Lawrence, Kan. (Photo by Doug Mills)

(2) President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama listen to the DC Youth Orchestra in the Diplomatic Reception Room prior to a reception celebrating Black History Month in the East Room of the White House (Photo by Pete Souza)

(3) First Lady Michelle Obama snuggles against President Barack Obama before a videotaping for the 2015 World Expo, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House (Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

(4) President Obama’s wave aligns with a rainbow as he boards Air Force One at Norman Manley International Airport prior to departure from Kingston, Jamaica (Photo by Pete Souza)

(5) The President and First Lady with their alma mater t-shirts on College Signing Day (Photo by Pete Souza)

(6) President Obama kisses Vice President Biden after delivering the eulogy during funeral services for Biden’s son, Beau at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington, Del. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/AP)

(7) Dancing with sister Auma Obama, President Kenyatta, and others at the State Dinner in Nairobi (Photo by Pete Souza)

(8) President Obama and daughter Malia arrive at the White House on the first family’s return from vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard (Photo by Olivier Douliery/Getty)

(9) President Obama and the First Lady wait on the North Portico for the arrival of President Xi and Madame Peng (Photo by Pete Souza)

(10) The President and First Lady react to a child in a pope costume and mini popemobile as they welcomed children during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House (Photo by Pete Souza)

(11) President Obama smiles next to his daughters Sasha and Malia at the pardon of the National Thanksgiving Turkey event (Photo by Carlos Barria/Reuters)

(12) The First Family attend the national Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse south of the White House (Photo by Olivier Douliery/Getty)

(13) Family Portrait (Photo by Pete Souza)

(14) President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama join hands with Rep. John Lewis as they lead the walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches, in Selma, Ala. Malia and Sasha Obama join hands with their grandmother, Marian Robinson (Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

****

(1) President Obama leads mourners in singing “Amazing Grace” as he delivers a eulogy in honor of the Reverend Clementa Pinckney during funeral services in Charleston, South Carolina (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)

(2) Pete Souza: “While visiting the Whitney Museum in New York City, the President hugged his daughter Malia as they looked at the art work.”

(3) Pete Souza: “The President and his national security staff are all smiles shortly after being notified of the nuclear agreement with Iran.”

(4) Pete Souza: “’Show us the Jeremy dance,’ the President said to departing Social Secretary Jeremy Bernard, during a farewell ceremony for Jeremy in the State Dining Room of the White House.”

(5) Pete Souza: “The President carries the twin boys of Katie Beirne Fallon, Director of Legislative Affairs, into the Oval Office just a few months after they were born.”

(6) Pete Souza: “The President greets the cast and crew of ‘Hamilton’ after seeing the play with his daughters at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City.”

(7) Pete Souza: “Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus applaud the Vice President after the President acknowledged their partnership during a meeting and reception in the State Dining Room.”

(8) President Obama listens to inmates during their discussion at the El Reno Federal Penitentiary in Oklahoma (Photo by Pete Souza)

(9) Pete Souza: “The culmination of years of talks resulted in this handshake between the President and Cuban President Raúl Castro during the Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama.”

(10) President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama join hands with Rep. John Lewis as they lead the walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches, in Selma, Ala. Malia and Sasha Obama join hands with their grandmother, Marian Robinson (Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

****

****

There ends the list of contenders for pic of the year (click here to see them all) - a gazillion thanks to VC for all the help!

I’ll post your monthly choices after tomorrow’s Early Bird Chat, and then you’ll have until 8.0 EST to make the HUUUUUUGE decision!

(1) President Obama in Kotzebue, Alaska (Photo by Mark Seliger/Rolling Stone)

(2) Pete Souza: “The President’s daughter Malia stopped by the Oval Office one afternoon to see her dad and, while they were talking, she wiped something from his face.”

(3) Family Portrait (Photo by Pete Souza)

(4) Pete Souza: “The President greets nine-month-old Josephine Gronniger, whose father, Tim Gronniger, brought his family by the Oval Office for a family photo.”

(5) Pete Souza: “An amusing moment as the President made a last minute plea with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., following their meeting at the White House.”

Continue reading ‘Photo of the Year: Wildcards (Part 1)’

(1) President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama join Gold Star families, R2-D2 and two storm troopers from Star Wars for a group photo in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House (Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

(2) First Lady Michelle Obama gives a little girl a kiss after she finished decorating her cookie at the White House (Photo by Doug Mills)

(3) The President addresses the nation on the mass shootings in San Bernardino and defeating terrorism (Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

(4) The President snuggles with his niece Savita Ng after his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her family dropped by the Oval Office (Photo by Pete Souza)

(5) Pete Souza: The President acquiesced to a selfie with 11-year-old Jacob Haynes and four-year-old James Haynes after taking a family photograph with departing White House staffer Heather Foster

Continue reading ‘Photo of the Year: December’

(1) At dusk, the President boards Marine One at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. (Photo by Pete Souza)

(2) With a Russian security guard at left, the President meets with President Putin of Russia on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey. National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice and a Russian interpreter sit alongside the two leaders. (Photo by Pete Souza)

(3) After arriving in France to attend the Climate Change Summit, the President, with French President François Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, made an unannounced stop just after midnight at the memorial in front of le Batacian, the site of a Paris terrorist attack. (Photo by Pete Souza)

(4) President Obama smiles next to his daughters Sasha and Malia at the pardon of the National Thanksgiving Turkey event (Photo by Carlos Barria/Reuters)

(5) With the U.S. Marine Band playing the score from the movie, ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,’ the President feigns riding a bicycle in the sky as happened in the 1982 movie directed by Steven Spielberg, who had just been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (Photo by Pete Souza)

Continue reading ‘Photo of the Year: November’