Can you believe it? I have a “new Mike” to introduce you to!
Only this time…
It’s, Mike Beebe, the governor of Arkansas, Arkansas State alumni, and HUGE supporter!
#HowlYes
The hubs and I are ever so grateful to have been included on the invite list!
The governor hosts an Arkansas State coaches’ dinner at the mansion annually, but this year he opened it up to all football staff and the wives! (Woo-hoo!)
Here are a few photo highlights from our evening at the mansion, which consisted of …
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Arrival: The governor greeted us in the foyer, decked in A-State gear, gave instructions, and closed with “Make yourselves at home! It’s your house!” He didn’t say his name (and as a native Floridian, I had only seen formal photos in my research online before the visit and he looked completely different at this point) and he was so cool that I had to lean over to the hubs and whisper, “Is that the governor?”
Cocktail Hour: Football talk, mixing and mingling, open bar, and photo ops! (photo bombing and selfies with Bill Clinton’s wall portrait may, or may not, have happened numerous times)
3-Course Dinner: (the steak was all the rage) and the governor picked a seat at OUR table! (Woo-hoo again!) He’s pretty funny, and his stories were EPIC! We were a captive audience!
Tour of the Mansion: (my FAVORITE part) There were many more stories, gesturing, and “Y’all follow me!” from the governor! We got the official tour and the extended backstage tour! Governor Beebe didn’t hold back and I LOVED IT! Mrs. Beebe, who was returning from an appearance, was able to join us towards the end of the tour! (She was included in the stories all night long, so I’m glad she made it back so we could meet her! She’s great also!) Governor Beebe’s German Shepherd, Viper, was also brought into the mansion to meet us, pose for photos, and be petted & scratched!
As he’s in his final term, we asked the governor what he plans on doing next and he promptly replied, “Go back to my house and hit golf balls!” (we all paused and blinked, then laughed) Later, he threw in that he’ll continue to do some speaking and appearances here and there, but nothing more!
Departure: The governor and the Mrs. saw us out and basically said something to effect of… “Y’all come back now ya’ hear?!” and off we went!
Overall, everyone loved the governor! He was quite personable, humorous, and oozes southern charm and hospitality. (Throughout the night, he kept patting Larry on the back, calling him “big boy” … Quite cute!)
I’m so glad to have had the awesome experience! ‘Twas a great night indeed!
“Well, reporting to you, live from Arkansas, I’m Jules Hart… Goodnight!”