Work Hard, Play Harder

Happy Easter everyone. I hope this Easter holiday finds you and your family blessed and able to share in joy of the resurrection of our Lord and savior.

This week was nice for me as the episode did not show anything about Donn and I, which was nice for a change. I needed a break from everyone's opinions on our marriage as they really don't have a clue what we have.

I thought Slade's birthday present to Gretchen of the portrait of her was amazing! Given the fact that Slade is having financial problems, he was limited on what he could afford. This present is one that she will cherish and have for a lifetime. I think Gretchen owning the fact that it's tough for her to be the breadwinner in their relationship is admirable. I know that all too well in my relationship with Donn. There were many times where I wanted to be the one to be taken care of…however it has not been in my cards so far and for her to acknowledge that was good to hear. Don't get me wrong, I love making my own money and being able to provide for my family has been a huge accomplishment, however it comes with consequences. Donn has always held a good position and job with his company, however in order to provide private high school education for Mike and Briana and for each of them to have a college degree with no debt, it took both of us to contribute.

When I saw Alexis cut the sleeves off the dress her designer made, I was shocked. It was obvious the dress looked much better with shorter sleeves, but I think there was a more appropriate way to do it rather than cutting the sleeves off right in front of her. I still don't understand how Alexis is all of a sudden starting a dress line having three little children, filming a reality show, and being a full time wife to Jim. Just having the children and Jim is a full time job to me, and then adding filming a TV show into the mix, I would think she’s busy enough. I guess I just don’t understand why she would want to take any time away from raising her children by adding another thing to do to her calendar. Jim definitely seems like he is financially secure enough to support her and the family, so I guess I’m trying to figure it out if it’s for more fame or financial reasons. I am all about independence of women, but I think she is able to obtain that sense of independence just in filming a reality show. Just my two cents.

Seeing Jeana and Tamra interact at the fashion show was interesting. I know Jeana has really crossed the line by talking to Simon behind Tamra's back. It really hurt Tamra to have Jeana do that to her, and once that trust is broken, it's difficult to get back. I think Jeana looked great and I am so proud of her weight loss. I know she had to go through a lot of changes in order for that to happen, and I hope she sticks with it. I was asked to participate in the fashion show as well, however I was and am not comfortable with that, so I declined. I understood how Tamra was so nervous going on stage as I would have been the same way. In the end, I think Tamra did fantastic and I thought she looked very pretty.

It was nice seeing Peggy on stage modeling and being the host for the event. I had no idea she was so comfortable on stage speaking with an audience like she did. It was nice seeing Micah and Eddie support Peggy and Tamra the way they did.

Briana going to Vegas always scares me. She is full of fun, and when she says she works hard and plays harder like her mom, it makes me smile. We are very similar and tend to trust everyone that they have our best interest at heart. The fact of the matter is there have been times when we have let our guard down, and that is when bad things have happened. When I said I wanted to put her in a box and take her out to go to work and see her friends, I meant it. That is exactly how I feel sometimes. I am a worrier, and I can't help it. Each and every time I go to Vegas whether it's with Briana or not, I see girls her age trusting other men that are going to take care of them, and my fear is that that they will take advantage of them in some way. When I told her the story of my brother being rufied, it was true. Last year he was in Vegas for my book signing, we went to bed and left Billy at the hotel bar. He was talking to a lady and bought her a drink, and the rest he does not remember. He woke up twelve hours later in his hotel room, stark naked, and his wallet including all his credit cards and $1,500 cash were stolen. I fear Briana being hurt or taken of advantage of, and if it can happen to my brother, it can happen to her.

I've got some fun travel plans coming up these next few weeks. Tuesday of this week, I head to Chicago for four days for an insurance conference and then Friday of this week my high school friend Tracy and I are going to Naples, Florida for four days and then from Naples I go to the Kentucky Derby for a week. I'm so excited as I've never been to the Kentucky Derby. I am going to be wearing some fabulous hats, and Michael Costello will be making one of my dresses. I'll be sure to post some pictures when I return.

In closing, I want you to take the time to look at your life insurance needs and keep Coto Insurance in mind to evaluate your needs. We are a broker and represent every major insurance company in the United States and guarantee you the lowest rate available. If you currently are paying on an existing policy, be sure you contact us for a free review to see if we can save you money on your premiums. We recommend 10-12 times your annual earnings for the bread winner in a policy. Visit us at www.vickigunvalson.com for a free review.

I wish you well this week and hope you enjoy this week's episode and look forward to next week.

Love,

Vicki

xoxo