I met with my personal trainer on Tuesday, and she told me about something that happened in her home town the past weekend. I want to share this because of the devastating impact.
A youth pastor, my trainer's hometown friend, was driving home from his son's graduation and stopped to help a vehicle on the side of a highway. There was a house nearby and that family came out to help. The homeowner went back in to get some tools to help and came out to literal destruction and devastation. A truck full of drunk teenagers had smashed the vehicle and the three bystanders. The youth pastor was crushed, the wife was beheaded from the impact, and the daughter was in two pieces. The first person on the scene was the father and husband of two of the victims. And the youth pastor's best friend of many years was close behind. The drunk driver fled the scene, but was later found nearby and I hope that he spends his life in prison. Nobody deserves to go through this and it is so wrong.
I am literally crying over this story, but it needs to be told. First, underage drinking is wrong. These teens got alcohol somehow, and I pray that whomever provided it goes to court and gets convicted. Second, if ANYONE has just one drink, GET A DESIGNATED DRIVER! It's really not that hard. I guarantee that any friend or family member close by would prefer to get out of bed than have this kind of accident happen. I understand that teens are sometimes scared to call their parents and tell them that they're drinking because they don't want to get in trouble...however, drinking and driving is never the smart choice. Yes, you might get in trouble with your parents for drinking if you are underage, but let's weight the difference between being grounded for a week, or living your life in prison and tearing a family apart. You tell me which you would prefer.
I just can't imagine being in these families situation. It is devastating, but should be a terrible reminder about how devastating drinking and driving can be. I don't care how old you are...don't drink and drive.
You can read more about this news article HERE.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
A Week of Appearances
On Monday, I had the honor of hosting a spirit night for Children's Miracle Network at Chic-fil-a in Hot Springs! My lovely teen queen, Ashley, came to help me. The Miss America Organization partners with Children's Miracle Network in order to raise money for children's hospitals across the United States. Every "miss" contestant has to raise $100 in order to compete in local preliminaries, and then once you hold a title, you have to raise $250 to compete at the state level. Through my years of competing, I have raised over $850 for Children's Miracle Network. Currently, I still need $6 to compete in Miss Arkansas this summer.
Ashley and I handed out plastic tiaras to the little girls that came through Chic-fil-a, and it was just a hit! Little girls are so enamored by sparkly objects and so they just loved having a crown of their own! I love making appearances, and my week started on a high note.
On Thursday night, I had the pleasure of attending the monthly dinner and program at United Methodist Church of Hot Springs. The men's group have a monthly business meeting, and I was asked to attend as the guest of honor. This was actually my first time to speak to a group, and I had a blast! I talked about my personal journey to Miss Arkansas and also spoke about my platform. Since my platform promotes a healthy lifestyle, I encouraged the men to Get Fit: Stay Busy and Active. The men were mostly older than age 55, so I gave them some tips to get started changing the unhealthy habits they might struggle with. I had a blast, and I can't wait to speak again!
Last night, I went with Sam Hudon, Miss South Central, to the Relay for Life here in Hot Springs! We love to make appearances together and do fundraising together. This was the first relay I had been to since my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom was diagnosed last July, and finished radiation in November, so we are hoping that she is cancer free at her 6-month check up! God has been so good to my family through this struggle. My mom even raced her first triathlon while going through radiation! She is a true testament of staying positive through anything.
Last night was so wonderful to see a glimpse of the support that cancer patients have. The luminary ceremony gave me chills. It was beautiful. Sam and I met a 9-year-old who battled brain cancer. She was absolutely stunning. Her story is encouraging and unreal. I can't imagine going through that at 22, and she was only 8 when she was diagnosed. Her eyes just sparkled with light and hope. I know she will tough and impact many lives! We also met a Miss Hot Springs from the 70's! Sam crowned me in February, so we took a picture and listened to her story from her Miss Arkansas days. I loved meeting the legacy of my title. I know I am lucky to wear this sash!
Ashley and I handed out plastic tiaras to the little girls that came through Chic-fil-a, and it was just a hit! Little girls are so enamored by sparkly objects and so they just loved having a crown of their own! I love making appearances, and my week started on a high note.
If you'd like to donate to my CMN fund, click this link: DONATE HERE
On Thursday night, I had the pleasure of attending the monthly dinner and program at United Methodist Church of Hot Springs. The men's group have a monthly business meeting, and I was asked to attend as the guest of honor. This was actually my first time to speak to a group, and I had a blast! I talked about my personal journey to Miss Arkansas and also spoke about my platform. Since my platform promotes a healthy lifestyle, I encouraged the men to Get Fit: Stay Busy and Active. The men were mostly older than age 55, so I gave them some tips to get started changing the unhealthy habits they might struggle with. I had a blast, and I can't wait to speak again!
Last night, I went with Sam Hudon, Miss South Central, to the Relay for Life here in Hot Springs! We love to make appearances together and do fundraising together. This was the first relay I had been to since my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom was diagnosed last July, and finished radiation in November, so we are hoping that she is cancer free at her 6-month check up! God has been so good to my family through this struggle. My mom even raced her first triathlon while going through radiation! She is a true testament of staying positive through anything.
Last night was so wonderful to see a glimpse of the support that cancer patients have. The luminary ceremony gave me chills. It was beautiful. Sam and I met a 9-year-old who battled brain cancer. She was absolutely stunning. Her story is encouraging and unreal. I can't imagine going through that at 22, and she was only 8 when she was diagnosed. Her eyes just sparkled with light and hope. I know she will tough and impact many lives! We also met a Miss Hot Springs from the 70's! Sam crowned me in February, so we took a picture and listened to her story from her Miss Arkansas days. I loved meeting the legacy of my title. I know I am lucky to wear this sash!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
CRUNCH Time!
Last night, I had the opportunity to judge the Miss Gazebo pageant. The ages ranged from 0-21 years old with seven age categories. The contestants competed in Summer wear and Beauty wear and submitted pictures for the photogenic award. I judged with Grace McKissic who is actually the choreographer for the opening number at Miss Arkansas. It was great meeting her and getting to know someone I'll be working with here in just a few weeks. Brittney Humphrey, Miss Southeastern, was the emcee for the night and did an outstanding job. I learned a few things as a judge...for example, the first impression is what counts! Whether you're on stage for 30 seconds or ten minutes...it's all about the first impression. I had my scores decided pretty much within the first 30 seconds of each girl's walk on stage. I always knew that first moment was important, but I didn't realize that the rest of it was more just for show.
Today, I will begin crunch time literally and add a "30 Day Crunch Challenge" to my workout routine. Most programs start at 20-25 crunches, but I'm going to try to start at 100 a day...especially since I know I can do 300 at a time. Challenges like these are great ways to get started and motivated, because they give you a set exercise and a goal to work towards. You can find programs like this on google, pinterest, and your local gym!
Are YOU ready for CRUNCH time??
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Weekly Update
This past Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting my NEW Teen Queen, Ashley Wilson!!! She just jumped right in with this new title and I am so excited to cheer her on at Miss Arkansas' Outstanding Teen in July!! She is a beautiful girl inside and out and I am just too excited to share this year with her. We are both newbies and we are both so excited to go on this journey together.
On Saturday, I had the opportunity to act as hostess for the teen pool party at the Gibson's house! It was so fun getting to know the teen chaperones and seeing the girls get to know each other. This year's class of teens is a good one! Each of the girls brings their own set of unique qualities and they all seem to mesh. Can't wait to see who Laura Leigh crowns!!
Sunday, I worked for the first time by myself on the floor at Dillard's! It feels like I've been doing something right through training, because I'd only worked about a week with my manager before she sent me off on my own. Surprisingly, retail is quite fun! Who knew after graduating that I'd be working retail, but hey, a girl has to pay the bills and I like it! I'm in a department where I have many opportunities to change someone's day...and that gives meaning to my job.
Dillard's partners with Miss Arkansas during the week of competition and has their own competition between the contestants. If you shop at the Hot Springs Dillard's during Miss Arkansas week, go to customer service with your receipt and let them know that you're there to support me, Miss Greater Hot Springs, and it could allow me to win some scholarship money!! Don't worry, I'll be reminding you closer to the date! But it's an exciting opportunity for Dillard's and Miss Arkansas.
Speaking of partnerships, I am having a spirit night at Chic-fil-a on MONDAY, June 10! All the money I raise will go to Children's Miracle Network. I still have $100 to raise before reaching my goal, and anything after that would just be awesome! I hope to see YOU there!!
Today, I met with the wonderful Mrs. Jane Slocum! She always starts my Tuesday mornings off in the best way. Mrs. Jane is my coach for interview and I just can't even begin to describe how much she has helped already. Not to mention, I just love working with her! Mrs. Jane has a clear passion for teaching and a love for learning. This passion is translated so enthusiastically to the girls she works with and it has inspired me to learn every day and be my best intellectually so that I can make her and myself proud during the interview and on-stage portion of the competition.
This afternoon, I met with Michelle Bell for my weekly personal training sessions. Michelle knows her stuff and works me so hard, but I have that swimsuit in mind as I'm training. Going or the goal! Today, this was our workout:
-Warm up for 5 minutes on glider
-THREE Rounds of the following:
--100 Jumping Jacks
--100 Crunches
--100 Squats (with weight)
--25 Push-ups
--1 minutes plank
--25 Tricep Dips
--1 minute mountain climbers
So yes, that is a GRAND TOTAL of: 300 jumping jacks, 300 crunches, 300 squats, 75 push-ups, 3 minutes plank, 75 tricep dips, and 3 minutes mountain climbers. It is safe to say that I am sore and feeling good! You better also believe that I will be back tomorrow for another round. I have less than 40 days until arrival for Miss Arkansas, so it's crunch time for swimsuit body!
I've also been maintaining a healthy diet. The most important thing for me, since I'm sculpting and not trying to lose weight, is to eat throughout the day. I eat breakfast every morning, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and sometimes a snack a couple hours before bedtime. It's so important to keep your metabolism going.
That's all I have for now...how'd you like that?
Sunday, I worked for the first time by myself on the floor at Dillard's! It feels like I've been doing something right through training, because I'd only worked about a week with my manager before she sent me off on my own. Surprisingly, retail is quite fun! Who knew after graduating that I'd be working retail, but hey, a girl has to pay the bills and I like it! I'm in a department where I have many opportunities to change someone's day...and that gives meaning to my job.
Dillard's partners with Miss Arkansas during the week of competition and has their own competition between the contestants. If you shop at the Hot Springs Dillard's during Miss Arkansas week, go to customer service with your receipt and let them know that you're there to support me, Miss Greater Hot Springs, and it could allow me to win some scholarship money!! Don't worry, I'll be reminding you closer to the date! But it's an exciting opportunity for Dillard's and Miss Arkansas.
Speaking of partnerships, I am having a spirit night at Chic-fil-a on MONDAY, June 10! All the money I raise will go to Children's Miracle Network. I still have $100 to raise before reaching my goal, and anything after that would just be awesome! I hope to see YOU there!!
Today, I met with the wonderful Mrs. Jane Slocum! She always starts my Tuesday mornings off in the best way. Mrs. Jane is my coach for interview and I just can't even begin to describe how much she has helped already. Not to mention, I just love working with her! Mrs. Jane has a clear passion for teaching and a love for learning. This passion is translated so enthusiastically to the girls she works with and it has inspired me to learn every day and be my best intellectually so that I can make her and myself proud during the interview and on-stage portion of the competition.
This afternoon, I met with Michelle Bell for my weekly personal training sessions. Michelle knows her stuff and works me so hard, but I have that swimsuit in mind as I'm training. Going or the goal! Today, this was our workout:
-Warm up for 5 minutes on glider
-THREE Rounds of the following:
--100 Jumping Jacks
--100 Crunches
--100 Squats (with weight)
--25 Push-ups
--1 minutes plank
--25 Tricep Dips
--1 minute mountain climbers
So yes, that is a GRAND TOTAL of: 300 jumping jacks, 300 crunches, 300 squats, 75 push-ups, 3 minutes plank, 75 tricep dips, and 3 minutes mountain climbers. It is safe to say that I am sore and feeling good! You better also believe that I will be back tomorrow for another round. I have less than 40 days until arrival for Miss Arkansas, so it's crunch time for swimsuit body!
I've also been maintaining a healthy diet. The most important thing for me, since I'm sculpting and not trying to lose weight, is to eat throughout the day. I eat breakfast every morning, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and sometimes a snack a couple hours before bedtime. It's so important to keep your metabolism going.
That's all I have for now...how'd you like that?
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