The Mrs. International System celebrates women's energy, commitment to marriage & family, and our desire to challenge ourselves.  I have been both a career woman and am now a lucky stay-at-home mom.   I lost my job almost 3 years ago when the housing market began its downfall. Our son was only 7 months old at the time and we lost half our income.  Losing my job was the best thing that could've ever happened to me (and us as a family).  It forced us to come together even closer as a family and really reprioritize what was important in our lives.  We have since had our second son who was born 7 weeks premature.  Because of his premature birth, I have been able to reach out to other families with premature babies and share my story as well as the challenges that having a premature baby presents.  My job now IS my family and marriage which is why I feel my unique and personal experiences make me a perfect candidate for Mrs. Texas International. 

 

One thing that few people know about me is that I didn't have a cavity until I was 34, and that was due to pregnancy.  Something funny that hardly anybody knows about me is that I cross my big toes over the next toe at night to fall asleep!

 

Besides chasing my 3-year-old and 18-month-old boys around all day, I enjoy going to the gym to lift weights.  It's a great stress reliever.  However, having 2 young children is not always conducive to a trip to the gym, which is why I have a nice selection of home exercise videos that I enjoy doing as well.  Some of my favorites are Turbo Jam, Mari Windsor Pilates, Bender Ball, and Shape's Bikini Body Boot Camp.  Our family really enjoys the outdoors, so we're all looking forward to warmer weather so we can go on walks to the park again. I also enjoy dancing around in the living room with my boys - not only is it a great cardio workout, it's great to be silly and it makes both my boys laugh (is there anything more precious than a child's giggle?).

 

I think our family values that we learned as children have a heavy influence on our family values as adults.  Family values are the foundation for how children grow, are taught and are supported.  It gives our children the boundaries in which to function and thrive.  There needs to be a balance of work, play and love.  Because our boys are so young right now, we are working on basic characteristic values in which to build a strong family unit that include respect, patience, and forgiveness.

 

I know my husband would agree that one of my worst habits is that I stay up way too late, which means he ends up staying up late with me.  The only time we get to spend together without the kids is in the evenings after the kids are in bed (usually after 9 pm).  I love just hanging out with him watching TV or just chatting over a good glass of wine.  He travels a lot so I really enjoy his company when he's home.   I don't mind sacrificing some extra zzz's if that means I get to spend some quality time with my hubby!