My Big Helper

My mom was sweet enough to fly all the way from Florida to help us unpack. She came in on Saturday and went straight to work. We started on the tall stack of boxes in our living room. By the end of the night, we could see across our house without boxes blocking the view. We tackled a room at a time. My mom is full of energy and extremely organized. You could see immediate results with each room we worked on. Penny Lane had to be right in the middle of everything. She is going to be a lonely cat when grandma goes back home!

Moving

Yesterday they finished loading the last of the boxes on the truck. By 1:00, the movers headed out to our new house and John and I ran around town trying to tie up some loose ends. Both of our cars were packed to the roof! Our last stop in town was to pick up Penny Lane. She was embarking on her first road trip since we picked her up from the breeder. She was definitely not excited about being locked up in her kennel, but handled the drive pretty well.

We got to the house and unpacked the cars and set up our cots for the night. We gave Penny Lane a tour of her new home. She was more adventurous than we expected her to be. It didn’t take much for us both to pass out. The drive back and forth to Orange has worn us both out.

The movers were knocking on the door by 8:30. They were ready to get that truck unloaded! Before we could blink an eye it was 8:00 at night. Everyone was exhausted and the last few boxes had made it in the house. We thanked the movers for all their hard work. When the door shut, it finally started to sink in that we were in our new house! What a week!!!

Closing on Our House in McKinney

We are the proud new owners of our house in McKinney. We drove up last night and stayed in Dallas. I got early this morning to hit the gym for some much needed stress relief. By noon, we were sitting at the title company ready to sign away. It was the most painless, easy closing ever. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes. We headed straight to my office to pick up the keys to our new house. The ladies at the office could not have been happier for us. I really feel like this is going to be an awesome office to work at.

It was a weird feeling walking into our new house. It was completely empty and ready for a new family. After we unloaded some boxes, we walked from room-to-room. It took everything we had to get back in the car and head back to Orange.

Packing

Packing has officially started. They arrived first thing this morning and got to work. We were amazed at how quickly they were able to pack everything up. Reality was definitely setting in that this was happening!

Red Cross of Orange

Today is the Red Cross’s Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser. The coordinator for the even allowed me to take over one of their beverage tents out on the golf course. I asked some of my ladies from my fitness class and my family if they would give up their Saturday morning to help me out. They were sweet enough to say yes.

The Red Cross is especially dear to our community because of their relief efforts after Hurricane Ike. They offered 3 meals a day, water and much needed supplies to the community. These families were struggling with their houses going under several feet of water and losing almost everything they owned. In return, this was one of the most successful fundraisers they have had and I was honored to be a part of it. My husband even had a chance to fill-in for a friend last minute.

TV Commercial

I shot my first TV commercial today. We went over to the TV station in Beaumont. I haven’t been on a new set since I was in LA for Miss America. They put me in front of a green screen with some serious lights. I ran through the 30 second script a few times. We all felt comfortable with the flow, so we started filming. After 3 takes, they said they had it! It was fast, easy and a lot of fun. I am a little nervous to see the finished product! Maybe this is the start of a new part-time career. LOL

Last Day of Class

Today is my last day of class with all my ladies. It has been a great journey with all of these ladies and I am truly sad to say goodbye. They have allowed me to become part of their lives. I know my mornings will not be half as special without seeing all of their smiling faces!

They surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a card signed by everyone and a gift card. I will treasure that card and pull it out anytime I am having a rough day. I exchanged emails with the ladies and I plan to keep in touch with them.