I'm out here in Utah right now, enjoying one of the most exquisite moments in life--the arrival of a new child, or in my case, grandchild. This beautiful little fellow, named Christian, is my third grandchild and the third child of my oldest son, Tom and his wife, Krista.

Always awed by the miracle of birth--that little pink lips, in Godly pattern, meet soft downy skin in perfect bows--and the thousand other small imprints of deity a newborn conjures, I was again overwhelmed by Christian's arrival. How grateful we are for him.

On the day little Christian was born, my daughter, Amanda, called to share the exciting news that she felt her own baby kick. Yes, we are about to be blessed yet again.

I am riveted by politics right now and, concerned that we are standing on a dangerous precipice, these babies and all the other children of the world, remind me of our obligation to protect them. But for a few days more, I'm setting aside my research on the War of 1812, I'm TIVO-ing the Republican Convention, (well, I did sneak in a speech or two) and I'm just revelling in the reason these things matter-our families.