The beginning of a wonderful journey....

WOW! Where do I begin? The past few weeks have flown by and I still can't believe that I have the special honor of representing the married women of Louisiana! On the evening of June 6th, I was crowned Mrs. Louisiana America! This has come as quite a shock to many of my friends and family since until last year, I had never competed in pageants. This was way out of my comfort zone, but isn't that what life is all about? I love the glamorous side of pageants, the hair, the make-up, and beautiful gowns but most days, I am a working Wife and Mother, who no one would suspect has a crown and banner! Some have asked why I had the sudden interest in pageants and though it may seem sudden to most, this has been on my mind for over four years, since the birth of our daughter, Sarah-Claire. I remember so vividly holding our newborn daughter while sitting on the sofa, I turned on the television and I saw the Mrs. America pageant. Until that moment, I had no idea there was such a thing as a Mrs. Pageant! As I watched, I thought to myself, "I could never do something like that, I wouldn't have the courage or the confidence". It was in that same moment as I held my daughter I realized, unless I believed in myself, I could never teach her to reach for her dreams and believe in herself. Steve and I have always taught our children that they can do or be anything they dream, but NOTHING is without hard work and perseverance. I worked hard on my mind, body and spirit to earn that crown and I can now say that yes, I can walk across that stage and be confident doing it! I look forward to the year ahead and the travels across our great state. I hope that you will follow my journey as Mrs. Louisiana, I intend to make the most of it!