Catching up!!

Sorry for the delay in this post. There is so much that I need to tell you all about. I have been all over the place. I believe May has been my busiest month ever!! I just had to post this first picture because these girls showcased exactly what I teach all throughout the state...good character! After I put on my crown in the restroom I washed my hands from all of the hairspray. Obviously, I decided to take off my rings to wash them completely. These rings included every crown ring I own: the one I got from my first trip to Miss America for my birthday, the one my mom bought me after I won Miss Delaware, and the one my mom bought me after I competed in Miss America. Needless to say, I forgot to put them back on in the rush of getting out to my appearance. This group of young ladies in the picture found them in the restroom and gave them to an adult who clearly thought they must be mine because of all the crowns. I cannot thank these girls enough!!!! I told them they literally saved my life! These rings mean the world to me. They are proof that our younger generation does understand good character, and we have something to look forward to in the future.

I also attended the Power of One fundraiser held at the Dover Art League a couple of weeks ago. It was an excellent event full of wonderful entertainment, food, and artwork. This event was created to raise money so that third world countries can get libraries in areas where students desperately need one. In addition, they donated to Sharon Katz Peace Train-South Africa art education, the Dover Art League Summer scholarship and Lake Forest Central Elementary's Art Dept. It is a great cause and certainly made me grateful for the abundance of libraries we have in Delaware!

The first Saturday of every May, Dover hosts Old Dover Days. It is a wonderful event that brings together the entire community! It starts off with a parade, then an opening ceremony, and then a day filled with exhibits, dances, and vendors. My first Dover Days experience was when I was in elementary school and I danced around the Maypole with my classmates. It is crazy to think that I went from that to being Miss Delaware and having my Miss America competition evening gown on display among prominent women of Delaware's gowns. I also enjoyed the afternoon at the Governor's mansion. I was able to meet several new people as they came in to go through a tour of the building. It is always a great time to catch up with old friends and make some new ones!


Another great start to May was my Gala. It was a lovely event held at the beautiful Dover Downs Hotel and Casino. All of the contestants were there to be introduced to the community as the Miss Delaware 2010 contestants. In addition, my family went up to speak a little about my year along with State Auditor Tom Wagner. He was our guest speaker, and it was a joy to have him and Maddie with us. He has been with me at several appearances, and it is always great to see a familiar face. Family members and friends were there to celebrate my year as Miss Delaware. I was given the opportunity to speak after my director Debi Wilson and my manager Susan Collins. Boy was it a bad idea to save me for last. I was already in tears from the start. As soon as I walked into the event I saw a scrapbook that my sister made for me. It had clips of me from every newspaper I was in this whole year! I am so blessed to have this opportunity and equally blessed to have the support that I have had throughout my year.

Much more to come so stay tuned...

Healthy Kids Day and Little Miss Laurel

I went to the Western Family YMCA in Newark to attend Healthy Kids Day. Who knew it would be so eventful! They had a moon bounce, vendors, zumba, and dancing.

While the DJ was playing music to keep the excitement going, I decided to have a mini dance party with one of the mascots there. Who would've thought that water had such sweet moves??

After taking Zumba with Pam, I learned an Indonesian Dance. I certainly enjoyed a day full of physical activity.

One of the perks of being Miss Delaware is attending several pageants throughout the state. I was asked to be a judge at the Little/Miss Laurel pageant. What a great group of girls! The support this pageant receives from the community is astounding.
All of the girls did a remarkable job, and I know the winners will serve their community well. It is encouraging to see programs that support community service and scholarship.

Tea Parties and Health Walks

On Tax Day, I traveled to Wilmington for a Tea Party. There I sang the National Anthem and hung out at the children's activities table.

I brought some of my coloring books to give out, and thank goodness I did. They were a huge hit! Many of the children started coloring them at the table. It was a great way to teach them about our government.

I decided to embrace my inner child when they brought out a pinata! All of the children stopped what they were doing, and I had the honor of beginning the breaking session. I realized quickly that I was not meant to play on the job...After a couple good whacks at it, the lovely little pig came back at me and knocked me right in the crown!

Later on in the month, I was invited to a Health Walk at Woodbridge High School. The Nemours Foundation has created 5-2-1-almost none to teach students about living a healthy lifestyle.

I came out to lead everyone in a stretching routine before they began their one hour of physical activity. 5-2-1-almost none stands for: 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, 2 hours of tv max, 1 hour of physical activity, and almost no fats or sweets. With the help of some friendly walkers and Jada, the character you see in the background, we were stretched out and ready to get walkin'!