Why I Came Back

Fancy meeting all of you here again. . .on the blogs! Oh boy, here we goooooooooo! I hope all of you have had a great first half to 2013, and I really hope you enjoyed the premier of Season 8!

OK call me crazy, but does it always seem like Vicki's moving furniture? Three years ago it was with Donn, last year with Michael, and this year with Brittany! It's safe to say Vicki is NOT a couch potato! LOL.

What fun being able to share Briana giving birth to Troy. Briana is one tough cookie, and it was cute watching her and Ryan document such a beautiful moment in their lives.Those were such precious scenes, and that baby Troy is just PERFECT! It's obvious in every scene that Briana and Ryan are going to be great parents. . .and it's obvious that Vicki is going to be infatuated with that baby! I have to say that after watching that scene, I have baby fever even MORE than an hour ago. . .if that is possible.

Welcome to our new home!!! Finding a home that Jim and I could agree on was a difficult feat, and we went through many open houses, arguments and tears before finding our pot of gold.

The style of this home is different than any other home Jim and I have owned, so it has been a really fun project. It is Spanish/Old World theme, and Jim and I like modern, so we decided to add just a touch of modern flare, and I think our home came out beautifully. Jim and I were renting for 11 months, and I was ready to have a place to call home -- where I could paint what I wanted, decorate how I wanted, and not worry if the kids spill cranberry juice on a rug that I didn't own! It wasn't easy remodeling this home, but holy cow, I finally feel settled. I love, love, love it! We are almost completely finished remodeling. The only thing left is the garage and the the kids' bathrooms and, to be honest, I am tired of having construction going on so I have put a "hold" on those two projects. Lucky for you, you all will probably follow me on that stressful, dirty project next year. Yuck, I do not look forward to it.

There is one thing I want clear up from this episode, and that is that I WAS NOT suing Tamra for the "Jesus Jugs" comment. You cannot sue for blasphemy, so it's ridiculous for Tamra to even make that statement (although we should all pray right now!). Jim and I went through a year of Tamra making false accusations, spreading false rumors, and telling lies and we were tired of it. You CAN sue for defamation, slander, and libel and that is exactly what we were prepared to do if she didn't stop. Once we met with our attorney and heard our rights, we knew we had a case. I have all the tweets saved, all the quotes documented, and we had enough evidence to pursue a case, so we made it known. And I guess she got the point (that we would have sued her) because she shut up.

With that said, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and I can handle criticism. Tamra can call me Jesus Barbie, Jesus Jugs, dumb, ugly, horrible, worthless, gold digger. . .etc. However, she is not entitled to spread lies, attempt to ruin our family name, or affect my husband's ability to earn money. With that said, I am not a fighter. But you better be damn sure to know that I have a pair of boxing gloves buried in my heart, and they are prepared to come out when my family is under attack. I think we all have that in us. . .that horn that comes out when it involves more than merely ourselves, that gun that fires when someone involves our precious families. I will fight to the end before I lay down and let anyone heartlessly drag my family down.

I know many of you are wondering about why I quit and have now returned. Last year was one of the most difficult times in my life. . .watching these women demean, belittle, and call me names every single episode. I don't think the worst part was what they said, but it was having it occur every time I had to turn on the TV, and that it was all happening behind my back. I was blindsided. I was shocked. Then Costa Rica happened. I would have been able to handle Costa Rica if it had been done in love. None of these women came to me and told me they had an issue with me prior to the "gang up."

So at the end of the season, I was broken. I felt at that time the best decision for myself and my family was to quit the show. A few weeks after I quit, I was pursued to reconsider. Vicki also told me she needed me on the show and really wanted me to come back. So I didn't take the decision lightly. I thought long and hard about it. I had long talks with Jim about it. I'd had a month to heal and I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to send the message to my children that it was OK to quit when times got tough. I decided I wasn't going to allow anyone to bully me out of my career. I suddenly got a fire in me. I felt strong again and I wasn't about to let other's negativity stand in the way of my dreams. So I'm back. . .stronger than ever before.

I have read all of your tweets, comments, and posts over the past year, and I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for your support. You have all been so sweet and kind. When I was weak, you were all strong, and that is what life is about. So for that, I thank you. I hope you are ready for a fun, crazy season!

Love you all,
Alexis