It's not unusual for guests on the White House tour to harbor a secret hope that they just might bump into the President, Mrs. Obama or even Bo as they make their way through the historic rooms that serve double duty as home to our First Family. In reality, it almost never happens, which is why these visitors found themselves nearly speechless on Tuesday, when three of the Obamas surprised them with an impromptu welcome in the Blue Room. Check out their reactions, below: 

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet visitors during an inaugural open house in the Blue Room of the White House, Jan. 22, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the second term with a tradition that began in the first: A special surprise greeting for guests on a White House tour on Tuesday. Followers of the First Lady's new Twitter account were given a heads up that something special was about to happen in the Blue Room when Mrs. Obama sent a tweet teasing:

Shhhh! Barack, Bo & I are about to surprise folks on @whitehouse tours! I love doing this. Watch here: wh.gov/live –mo

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) January 22, 2013

The President and First Lady welcomed the guests with handshakes, hugs and even fistbumps, and Bo was treated to a near-constant stream of affectionate pats and petting. The entire event was livestreamed, and you can watch a replay below: 

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administers the oath of office to President Barack Obama during the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

This morning, at 11:55 AM Eastern Time, President Obama delivered his Second Inaugural Address. The speech was 2,137 words long and took 15 minutes to deliver.

"America’s possibilities are limitless," he said, "for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it -- so long as we seize it together."

You can read the official transcript here.

You can watch the video here:

You can listen to the speech here:

Learn more

• Read "One Today," the Inaugural poem written by Richard Blanco. 
• Check out a photo gallery of Inaugural images from the White House photo office. 
• President Obama and Vice President Biden toasted the room during the Inaugural Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol. Read what they had to say. 
• President Obama spoke at the Commander in Chief Ball. Check out his remarks. 

Today, President Obama will be sworn in during the 57th Inaugural Ceremony in our nation's history, and you'll be able to keep track of all the festivities on WhiteHouse.gov.

The Inaugural Ceremony begins at 11:00 ET, but start watching early to catch behind-the-scenes footage from the weekend and a look back at the Administration's work over the past four years.

Once the ceremony begins, you can watch a livestream, as well as follow social media updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Later, you'll be able to follow the Inaugural Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, see photos and videos from the day, and read President Obama's Second Inaugural Address.

Don't miss it. You can catch it all at WhiteHouse.gov/inauguration.

You can also check out this gallery of images from the 2013 Inaugural weekend. 

The First and Second Ladies of the United States got an early start on the 2013 Inauguration celebrations at a concert honoring our military families.

The Kids Inaugural: Our Children, Our Future was hosted by Nick Cannon and featured artists including Katy Perry, Usher, the cast of "Glee," Far East Movement and Mindless Behavior. JR Martinez, the Army hero who won "Dancing with the Stars," also joined Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden for the event, which was held at the Washington Convention Center. 

Dr. Biden said the concert was a chance to show military kids how much the country appreciates the sacrifices they make while their parents are serving.

The First Lady told the crowd that while she loves "every single minute" of the inaugural celebrations, the Kids Concert was the true highlight:

 I have to tell you that my very favorite part of this entire weekend is being right here with all of you. Absolutely. Because for me, this is what inauguration is all about. It’s about celebrating who we are as Americans and all the things that make this country so great. And when I think about who we are, when I think about what makes America great, I think about all of you --our men and women in uniform, our military spouses, and our amazing military kids.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are interviewed by young reporters during a kids magazine roundtable in the First Lady’s Office in the East Wing of the White House, Jan. 18, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Sonya Hebert)

Yesterday, the First Lady and Dr. Biden sat down with four exceptional young reporters from kids’ magazines to talk about their initiative to support military families, Joining Forces. The reporters – from Highlights, National Geographic Kids, Scholastic and TIME for Kids – asked some great questions about the initiative and how kids can help!

Some of the takeaways?

• Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden talked about how they encourage all Americans to look for ways to honor and support military families, and Dr. Biden said when her son Beau was deployed their church put his name in the bulletin to pray for him, people brought meals over, and someone shoveled her daughter-in-law’s driveway during a snowstorm. 
• Asked about advice for a military child who moves a lot, Dr. Biden encouraged them to get involved in sports teams and school activities. And as a teacher herself, she talked about how teachers can get involved to reach out to military kids. For example, Dr. Biden’s granddaughters’ teacher put a picture of her dad’s unit outside of her classroom so the entire class would know Beau was deployed. 
• Mrs. Obama encouraged all the kids’ magazines’ readers to think “what can I do?” for a new kid in school – especially a new military kid. 

Watch the West Wing Week Here.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov:

President Obama’s Plan to Reduce Gun Violence: On Wednesday, President Obama announced his plan to reduce gun violence and keep our children and communities safe while helping prevent events like Newtown. “For all the Americans who are counting on us to keep them safe from harm.  Let’s do the right thing,” he said. “Let’s do the right thing for them, and for this country that we love so much.”

After the President’s remarks, we debuted our new page for Americans to learn more about the President’s plan and join the conversation with millions across the country. From children’s letters to coverage in national newspapers, see what Americans have been saying about gun violence.

Editor's note: This post was originally published on the official blog of the U.S. Department of Education.

I have been proud to serve President Obama and this administration since day one, but Wednesday was one of my proudest days. The actions that the President is taking and proposing to reduce gun violence echo what America’s educators say they need to better protect and support students in school and in their communities. I thank the President and Vice President Biden for leading this critical national conversation. America’s schools are among the safest places in our country. The President’s comprehensive approach will make schools and communities safer.

We will never fully understand why 20 first-graders and six educators were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School—or why still more students and educators lost their lives at Columbine, Chardon or Red Lake high schools, Westside Middle School, Virginia Tech or the many other campuses and communities in our country where guns have cut short dreams and created fear. We can, however, take a number of common-sense steps to help prevent future tragedies.

As the President called for this week, we can limit access to the deadliest guns and ammunition, and we can put in checks to keep guns out of the wrong hands. We can also provide new resources, so schools can develop and implement comprehensive emergency management plans.

We can expand student support systems by allowing communities to decide what they need most, including more school resource officers, psychologists, social workers and counselors. A renewed commitment to students’ mental and emotional well-being is key.

President Barack Obama listens to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan during a meeting in Vice President Joe Biden's West Wing office at the White House, Dec. 17, 2012. The President dropped by the Vice President's meeting to discuss the Administration’s effort to develop policy proposals in response to the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. Pictured, clockwise from the President, are: the Vice President; Attorney General Eric Holder; Margaret Richardson, Counselor to the Attorney General for Executive Branch Relations; Sarah Bianchi, Director of Economic and Domestic Policy for the Vice President; and Eric Waldo, Deputy Chief of Staff for Sec. Duncan. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama talks with members of the 2012 Spring White House intern class before a group photo in the East Room of the White House, April 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Ed. note: Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2013 White House Internship Program. This blog post introduces readers to Robby May, a former intern who worked in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs in the summer of 2011. When asked about his internship experience, Robby writes:

Being a White House intern – what an amazing experience! I remember the day I received notification of my acceptance into the program: I was transitioning to teach my fourth period 8th grade Political Science class when my phone buzzed with a call from the White House Internship Program. When I was finally able to pull myself together and tell my students what was going on, they were ecstatic.

During my time as a White House intern, I had the privilege of working in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. As a Political Science teacher, working at the White House was a larger than life experience. Seeing and being part of what I teach my students every year was truly an amazing experience.

In the summer of 2011, the Office of Public Engagement began a series of weekly Community Leaders Briefings which brought together leaders and activists from communities all across the country for an opportunity to discuss common challenges and learn how the government can help them as they work to improve their neighborhoods. I’ll never forget one briefing in particular, when the President made a surprise visit to meet and talk with the attending community leaders. As I watched and listened to the President speak with the group, I couldn’t help but be impressed not only by his remarks, but also his compassion and gratitude for the work they were doing in their communities.