A Winner in Our Eyes.....

Yesterday, while vacationing with my whole family, the sun started to drop and we all were reminded it was time to cheer on our best girl, Crystle Stewart, the current Miss Texas turned Miss USA.  We were all confidant she was about to make history and walk away with the highest aesthetic honors in Vietnam and (fingers crossed) become the next Miss Universe.  As John turned on the television there was no NBC (gasp!)  John called the front desk and they informed him they were experiencing "technical difficulties" (cold sweats soon ensued).  Well, a light bulb went off and John realized we had the Satellite television in our SUV so we could all watch from the car.  Low and behold, no signal for the local NBC affiliate there either.  Full panic mode set in when Direct TV informed my darling "Mr Wonderful"  we would not be seeing our girl take the crown.

My girlfriends, Shanna, with little Zoey in tow (Sinclair was less than happy she had to sit this one out), Jackie and I loaded in the car and bolted to a little diner that we were confidant had a small television someone spotted.  As we pulled up they were locking the doors and closing up shop.  The college student obviously manning her summer job had MUCH better things to do than cater to our pageant fetish.  Alas, she suggested we try another place about six miles away.  We were off!

In the meantime, we started getting text messages from my Mom "Crystle looks so gorgeous" and then Leigh assured me "she was doing fabulous" and tried to console me she had it DVR'd in case I could not pull off my mission.  Bo (also a former Miss Texas and my husband's in-house counsel) sent electronic word "she just made the top 15" and Shanae followed up "Venezuela is her ONLY competition"

The three of us slid in the shell parking lot and raced in the bar-restaurant and immediately spotted the flat screen (Yahoo!!!! JACKPOT!)  Well, we soon realized from someone of authority that the television was set to play on the music network for the entire indoor/outdoor facility and they refused to switch the channel.  I asked defiantly to speak to the manager - she was quick to inform me she WAS the manager.  I knew she was tough but compassionate, her name was "Dallas".  I slapped a "Ben Franklin" as a channel changing offering ....she did not blink.  I said "Dallas, this is truly an emergency!  We HAVE TO WATCH THIS PAGEANT"  I got a bit of an eye roll and an expression that read "I cannot wait to hear THIS story".  Dallas explained she did not think the other patrons would appreciate their music changed.  I said "listen, you let us watch this pageant, the tab is mine"  The ears of the few around perked up.  There were quite a few Hispanic cowboys and I was quick to report that most of the top girls were from South American countries and soon we were "game on"

Dallas inquired why THIS particular pageant was so significant.  I explained Crystle's story and basically my husband, John an I were her only sponsors going into the Miss USA pageant.  She had made it so far with so little (entering Miss Texas five times before taking the crown) we were sticking by her the entire way.  By the time the room heard her story, they were all behind Crystle's dream as well.  People would inquire "Is she nice? Is she really THAT beautiful?"  I assured them she was "a thousand times more nice than she was gorgeous" I fed them little tidbits of information and even all the waitstaff was glued to the giant screen.  I told them the same folks that created the Victoria's Secret Runway costumes made her "Parade of Nations" costume.

Crystle took second in the Swimsuit competition behind Venezuela and the room was full of anticipation the evening gown competition was next.  I described the dress during commercial break in detail -- gold-bronze beading and a sheer see-thru gauze overlay below the knees. Everyone loved getting the first hand commentary.

Then it happened......the stumble that was heard all over the world.  We all gasped in unison. It COULD NOT BE HAPPENING AGAIN!!!! (last year's Miss USA, Rachel Smith tripped on the first step as well)   In front of a BILLION viewers, Crystle's Jimmy Choo's caught the edge of her gorgeous gown (John asked me first thing..."is that the same gown we bought her?" -- my silence was golden and overwhelming guilt ensued).  Crystle looked so flawless and then the first step and gravity caught up to her perfect size 2 backside.  At that moment we knew her dreams of wearing the Miss Universe crown was shattered.  

Crystle recovered with the same grace and dignity she exudes  at all times.  She displayed great class and composure in getting up (never breaking her million dollar smile) and getting right back to business.

No one said the route to being crowned the "most beautiful girl in the Universe"  would be easy.  Mike Graham and Bo Boyd, her pageant coach and advisor had all the confidence in the world when they first saw Crystle in her gown.  We all knew NO ONE would touch the coveted crown BUT her!  There was no doubt she had rehearsed her entrance at she made her final saunter of the event.  Alas, this was no quite the impression the 5 foot 10 inch beauty wanted to make. 

This year's strong group of contenders exhibited a variety of attributes -- Miss Argentina has paranormal experiences.  Miss Antigua is fascinated by snakes and Miss Albania is a professional basketball player -- but in the end, the crown went to Miss Venezuela, who cited her childhood kidnapping for teaching her to maintain poise under stress. Miss Columbia, who came in second, had never been kidnapped.  I wondered as Hugo Chavez was watching with pride, if he realized he was exporting the wrong product. 

Going into the pageant, Sportsbooks in Las Vegas had Crystle in the lead to take the crown with 12 to 1 odds.  Tumble or not, she is still #1 in our hearts!

Of course, she comes by Casa Chaos and reads Sinclair bedtime stories with her crown on!!!  How can I EVER top that???