You never know where life will take you...

The following pictures are of me with the Jackie picture, my old Social Office team with Max, the leader of the Military Aides, Dan and I in front of the Blue Room with the Presidential Seal above us, the military band in the Grand Foyer, my old Social Office team, President Bush talking with us, Dan and I in the Red Room, Us in the Green Room, President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush, Dan hitting the buffet in the State Dining Room and Dan and I in the Blue Room again.




On Thursday night, January 9th, Dan and I had the priveledge of attending our last White House reception for quite some time. We were asked to come to a reception for former White House staff. It was a very special reunion for me and I was able to visit with old coworkers and White House staff that so kindly helped me do my job for 4 years.

We went through the receiving line to say hello to the President and Mrs. Laura Bush. The military aide announced our names and indicated that I had served the administration for 4 years as a part of Mrs. Bush's staff. Mrs. Bush recognized me and the President shook my hand and said, "thank you so much for everything." I said, "You bet!" The photographer took our photo (Me, Dan, 41 and Mrs. B) and then the President hit me on the back and said, "You betcha friend!" We then headed to the buffet and stuffed ourselves full of delicious treats! Of course, our visit wasn't over until I was satisfied with enough pictures. We hopped around the house snapping up the last few memories we'd have on the State Floor for awhile. All in all, it was fabulous and one last hurrah that I will savor forever.



The staff inside the White House is small, perhaps around 125 people. There were 30 of us on Mrs. Bush's staff and 5 of us in the Social Office. I remember entering the White House on the very first day of the Bush administration. I was part of Legislative Affairs and my office was in the West Wing. About 3 days into my job, I was busy rushing to the copy machine for the thousandth time when I turned the corner and ran smack into a blue suit. I didn't even look up (I was in a such a rush), but quickly said, "oh, I am sorry!" The blue suit said, "that's ok, you are just doing your job!" That blue suit was The President. I continued to work in the West Wing for about 3 months and then I moved over the East Wing where I stayed for 4 years as a part of the Social Office and Mrs. Bush's staff. Our office had the pleasure of inviting guests to the White House for any social event that included the President and/or Mrs. Bush (State Dinners, arrival ceremonies, bill signings, movie parties, Christmas receptions, etc. You name it, we did it.) I kept records of every single person who came and went, mailed invitations, and cleared guests with the secret service. I maintained accurate guests lists for the President and Mrs. Bush and supported the Social Secretary in every way needed. Saying I loved my job would be an understatement. I REALLLLLLLLLLLLY LOVED my job and even more so, I loved the people I worked with. We were a team, a family really. My two bosses, The Social Secretary and her deputy, were amazingly talented and very much my mother hens away from home. They made my job special amdist the intense stress that came with answering to the President and Mrs. Bush (such as phone calls, accurate guest lists, logistical nightmares, etc.).



I LOVED MY JOB. I loved having lunch in the private residence each year with Mrs. Bush, I loved spending endless hours collecting birthdays and social security information from guests, I am proud to have built the data system that they still use today for recording event activity, I loved the secret service team, I loved seeing Barney in the hallway, I loved watching a movie in the theater, I loved the wind on my face when the helicopter landed on the south lawn, I loved dressing up in gowns for State Dinners, I loved meeting celebrities, I loved watching the calligraphers, I loved eating on the buffet almost every night, I loved Christmas parties, I loved walking through the house to the florist, the kitchen, and in and out of all the rooms, I loved eating in the White House Mess, I loved wearing my badge, I loved the pride I felt when I walked through the iron gates, I LOVED IT ALL. But mostly, I never took for granted a single second I was in that House. It was never a job I set out to find. I never in a million years would have dreamed that God's plan would give me such a wonderful gift. I feel incredibly blessed to witness history and I am so thankful for the 4 years that I spent inside the White House. I count my blessings for having the job of a lifetime and the friends I made along the way.