HGTV plans to send a crew to Lebanon to film Pence and her family going about their daily routines and getting ready for the trip.
“Considering the cold, nasty weather that we’ve had this year, I would definitely say our family would be hoping for someplace warm,” she said.
Spending time with family, being near the ocean and swimming with dolphins are the top wishes for Lisa and her husband Bob, a U.S. Marine who served for nine months in Iraq before returning in January 2010.
Their children, John, 12, and Emily, 9, are hoping to go jetskiing and horseback riding, while 3-year-old Avery is excited about the plane ride itself, Pence said.
The House Hunters spin-off series’ seven-episode run premieres at 8:30 p.m. June 6.
In each episode, host Taniya Nayak sends one lucky family on the voyage of a lifetime to visit the exotic destination of their dreams. The family will tour three vacation homes and decide which one they want to stay in for a week.
Although family members are beside themselves with anticipation, Pence said it was difficult to write about why her family deserved the trip.
“I’m sure many, many families (deserve to go) and I just feel so blessed that he’s back home and that he’s safe,” she said. “This was just an extra. I don’t think that I deserve it more than somebody else. For whatever reason they chose us and I’m just thrilled.”
The chance to embark on a dream vacation elicited more than 7,000 entries, according to HGTV. “We were just inundated once it went up on the website,” said Lisa Sutton, a segment producer for Pie Town Productions, which produced the show. “It was definitely way more than we ever expected.”
The premise of the series was so popular that HGTV is offering “the ultimate Mother’s Day gift” — a fantasy “momcation” getaway.
Until 5 p.m. May 13, visitors to www.tinyurl.com/hhonvacation may upload video essays about why their mother and family would like the chance to go on the vacation of a lifetime and appear on HGTV.
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