Wow, has it really been 3 weeks since I wrote last? Appears that way! Time has really flown. We have had so much going on the last few weeks and have really enjoyed the various campaign events meeting people from all over Frisco. It's very humbling when someone offers to open his/her home and invite neighbors to "get to know Matt".

So today, 30 days from today to be exact, is the election. May 10. Amazing how it seems just like yesterday that we announced Matt's intent to run for the seat of Frisco Mayor. Matt is termed out of being on City Council, and the current Mayor can't run again either. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for us. It seems like daily, people come from out of nowhere pledging their support! God is so good to us.

Lately, people have asked me is if I am ready to be the "First Lady of Frisco." I had not really ever thought of that, quite honestly, because I feel like we are already living that life, helping others whether through public service, community volunteerism, and even work. I've done it my entire life, always being "the helper" in one way or another and LOVING every minute of it. Matt has been on City Council 6 years, so when he is Mayor, it is not going to be a new concept to him to be in the limelight or a new way of life. The newsletter he produces (that goes out to about 40k folks weekly!) takes 8-10 hours a week to compile, and that will continue. It provides a lifeline between him and the Frisco community. It has become an invaluable resource, being so accessible to citizens and knowing what's going on in Frisco. People know that if they have an event going on in town that Matt Lafata's e-newsletter will get the word out. People count on it to help make their events successful. It's a pretty amazing responsibility, when I think about it that way.

By the way...most people don't know that the position of Mayor is not paid. We aren't that kind of government here in Frisco. We have amazing Frisco City employees who run the day-to-day operations of the city. Matt is fortunate to work for a company that is not only flexible in his work arrangements, but the whole office is encouraging and supportive of his candidacy for Mayor. It is pretty cool that his office, HRchitect, is right across from City Hall. Talk about convenient!

Well, the thing that is taking a lot of my time, for the next few weeks anyway, is the Mrs. Texas United States pageant. This is the 4th year I have held it in Frisco (our host hotel is the Westin Stonebriar for the 2nd year), it is a 3 day event, and women come from all over the state to win the title and represent Texas at the Mrs. United States competition in Las Vegas this summer. Most people don't know that I own the franchise for Texas, and do most of the legwork prior to pageant weekend (Matt is a huge help with the fundraiser we do!). This includes recruiting the contestants, marketing the pageant (which even included TV advertising this year), getting judges, setting agendas, contracting with the hotel, setting up meals, setting up the excursions, ordering the trophies & flowers, producing a full program book, etc etc. It's extremely time consuming, but I LOVE it. Married women do so much for others that sometimes, they forget about themselves. This weekend is all about rekindling her self-awareness of WHO she is. I tell people it's a fun, girls' weekend! We take them and their husbands on a dinner cruise on Lake Lewisville one night and to the Frisco RoughRiders ballgame another. We have lots of fun!

Again, I feel like I am incorporating my desire to help other people reach their goals by using the vehicle of the pageant. Many women do it just for a fun experience, which is awesome, but some do it to further causes near and dear to their hearts. Plus, the pageant is a fundraiser for AutismSpeaks (as I mentioned in my first blog, my nephew is autistic). We gave the organization a $2000 check on stage last year! I love helping people achieve their goals, in whatever arena it may be.

It's interesting because I have SIX women from Frisco competing in the pageant this year. The final show is Sunday, 4/27 at Wakeland's High School Theatre here in Frisco. You can get tickets online at www.mrstexasunitedstates.com. Internet People's Choice voting will begin soon, too, so check back often to vote for your favorite contestant to win that special People's Choice award!

That's it for now. I work full time as well and need to get back to work helping other small businesses grow!

Have a wonderful week.