When the Bush twins — Barbara and Jenna — come visit their parents in Dallas, it's just like any other Texans returning to the flock.
There's Mexican food. Time with the family dogs. Intense Scrabble games.
And, oh yeah, breakfast with the Dalai Lama.
"It's been an incredible experience for us to have that kind of exposure," Barbara said, mentioning the Buddhist leader's recent visit to Dallas, which included a stop at the Bush family home in Preston Hollow.
The twins, now 29, reflected on that and other aspects of living in a presidential family during a rare appearance together Thursday at a luncheon benefiting the Nexus Recovery Center, a local drug treatment facility.
That meant unveiling some humorous family secrets for the crowd of more than 500 at Dallas' Union Station.
Growing up, for instance, the twins had a cat named Cowboy. Barbara, who attended Yale University, didn't even apply to the University of Texas at Austin.
And Jenna, who did graduate at UT, is the winner of all those family Scrabble matches.
"We actually don't have twin rivalries, because I'm the champion," said Jenna, who has taken the last name of her husband, Henry Hager.
The twins also shared details of their charity work. Jenna spoke about her efforts with UNICEF, and Barbara talked about her new public health nonprofit, Global Health Corps.
And the twins made sure to give an update on their dad, former President George W. Bush.
"He's just happy to be home," Jenna said. "Thanks for making him feel so welcome."
The moderator for the twins' appearance was Candice Crawford, the fiancée of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who attended the luncheon. |
