November 5- November 8

Hello Friends!

As you may already know, one of my dearest and closest friends, Julia, was married last weekend. It was one of the greatest honors of my life when she asked me to be a part of her wedding. Being a bridesmaid and standing at the altar with such a terrific couple was an experience I won't soon forget. If you do not know Julia, she is one of the most beautiful people I know-inside and out. I know that I can always count on her, and she will always be by my side. Julia was my roommate during Miss Delaware 2008 Pageant week! Ever since then we have stayed close and she has been one of my greatest supporters.

Friday, the 5th, began the two days devoted to Julia and her wedding :) We had a girls day with manicures and pedicures before lunch and wedding-related errands. We then dolled ourselves up and were off to the rehearsal! After rehearsing at the church, we all had a delicious meal at Kid Sheleen's where I was constantly laughing since I was sitting at the table with Chris, Mr. DE 2008 and Brittany Dempsey, Miss Delaware 2007! Post-rehearsal we just relaxed and kept the laughter going with Chris and Julia and a few others at her house.

Saturday morning Julia seemed so calm from the moment she woke up! It was her BIG day but she was as cool as a cucumber, even as we ate our breakfast of champions (cereal)! The morning was filled with hair and makeup by Sal of Michael Christopher's and we just spent time together getting ready. Everything went so smooth, and before we knew it, the time had come! Julia was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. The best part of it all was that Julia was truly just excited to spend the rest of her life with Mike.

We took pictures before the wedding, outside at the Brandywine Zoo and they were gorgeous photos from what I have seen! Julia is a photographer so the pictures were the biggest priority for her :) When the wedding began, Chris (Mr. DE 2008) and I were the first to walk down the aisle. During the processional is when it all set in to me and of course, I began to cry. I promise I maintained composure. All sorts of emotions were going through my head, and I was thankful to have my friend, Chris, by my side. The wedding was perfect and couldn't have been better! The bride, the groom, the wedding and reception- it was all tremendous. We had such a great time and ... Julia and Mike were married!!! What a weekend :)

Immediately following the reception, I drove from Wilmington to Rehoboth Beach. This is not my favorite drive to make, but I am not a morning person, so it needed to be done! After a bit of rest, I was up at 6am to speak at the North East Regional Volunteer Forum which was held in Delaware this year! It was an honor to speak in front of professionals who are living examples of what it means to give of yourself unto others. I shared with them my experiences in 4-H and how they have shaped me into the woman I am today, and how 4-H has prepared me for the job of Miss America.

My mother was attending the conference, and so after we checked out, my family and I dined at my favorite beach stop- Nicola's! Nic-a-boli's are the most delicious meal on the board walk, and bring back lots of memories from my childhood.

From Rehoboth, I drove to Milford (my hometown) to rehearse for the Diamond Dance Company's annual production of The Nutcracker! I will be dancing several parts this year, including the Dream Fairy! It is hard to believe that eleven years ago, I was the first "Clara" in DDC's very first production. Be sure to come watch this holiday tradition at Milford High School December 4th or 5th!

After rehearsing and making a few phone calls, I was off to bed! This was such a busy weekend, and I had begun feeling sick so I knew I needed my rest. Just as I suspected, I woke up Monday feeling just awful and thankfully my doctor was able to fit me in and my schedule was rearranged. The "World's Best Mom" Award goes to Rhonda Martell for driving to Dover to pick me up, take me to the doctor and then the pharmacy since I could barely lift my head. I love you, Mom!

Boy, what a busy weekend! I can't believe it is already November! The Miss America Pageant is just around the corner. Keep checking back to see what happens between now and then!

Be sure to mark your calendars for my Send-Off Celebration which will be December 12th at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino from 2-5pm. Tickets are $25 reserved or $30 at the door, and $15 for children age 12 and under. This is your chance to see all of my Miss America wardrobe and see how hard I have been working to prepare for January! Please contact Faye at nuartist09@hotmail.com if you are interested in ordering/reserving your tickets!

God Bless!

-Kayla

October 28- November 4

Dear Friends,

My schedule the past few weeks has stayed busy, as per the usual! Thursday, the 28th of October was filled with a workout, talent rehearsal and having a few dresses altered! Friday I woke up early for a workout at the gym, and had a quick lunch at home before I was on my way up to Newark to see my Miss America hair piece for the first time! Mario Rispoli, owner of Salon Rispoli, ordered a custom piece which is based on a mold of my head and the color my hair was when it grew back a few years ago! I absolutely love it, and I can't wait for you all to see it!

Following my appointment with Mario, I left with lots of positive energy and drove to Wilmington for a mock interview. The interview went really well, and I use each of these opportunities to prepare for the moments I will have with the Miss America judges. I hit some serious traffic on my way home, but made it just in time to put my costume on for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition's "Mask for the Cure" Halloween Event! I had such a terrific time attending the event as "just Kayla" with some of my closest friends. DBCC is an organization that I am proud to be involved with, and hope to stay involved even in my life after the crown.

Saturday, October 30th I rode in the Seawitch Parade in Rehoboth Beach- which is one of the neatest festivals of the fall! I decided to leave Bridgette, the dog, at home so I could have some of my favorite, yet sinful, treats after the parade! Grottos Pizza is one of my favorite things in the world- yum! Just use a napkin to dab a bit of the grease off, and you are ready to eat! Sunday was as close to a day off as I can get! With just a few things on my to-do list that day I loved being able to open the doors to the adorable trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood and give out lots of candy with Mrs. Gillis!

I decided to be as productive as possible Monday, since it would be quite a few days before I would have the opportunity to again. After a workout and a few errands, the day passed me by quickly. I stopped in Milford at Sun Dazed Tanning to get a summer-glow before I attended "Hope for Lymes" a fundraiser in in Georgetown to honor Tish Pusey-McQuay, a former Miss Delaware who is a recently diagnosed survivor of Lymes Disease. I only wish I could have spent time with her that day, because I think so much of Tish and admire her strength to not only endure this bump in the road, but also to be an amazing mother.

Tuesday I let myself sleep in a bit after another late night, and woke up with enough time to make myself presentable and hit the road to Milford where I continued the tradition of voting with my parents. Every year since I could remember, my parents and I would walk to the elementary school and they would let me pick who they voted for! Just kidding!!! But, they would let me push the red "Vote" button! :) This day was a little bittersweet for me, because I was thrilled to spend the daytime in my hometown, but I couldn't help but remember Election Day 2008 when I had my accident and suffered long-term effects from a concussion. It was a long recovery period, and quite a crossroads in my life, but I was blessed to have such supportive and loving, family and friends by my side. I love you all! :)

That night, I rehearsed my dance with my best friend, Miss Delaware 2007, Brittany Dempsey for a few hours until I nearly rolled myself out the door and into my car from pure exhaustion! After a full-night's rest, I awoke Wednesday with an all-new to-do list! After taking care of my own things, I helped my friend Ashley prepare her college essays before we rewarded ourselves at Sun Dazed Tan in Milford with a new, beautiful tan before the big weekend ahead! Velvet and Kaila always take great care of me :)

Thursday was the biggest day of my week- Returns Day! For those of you from out of state, Returns Day is quite the event in Delaware. Two days after Election Day, all of the candidates gather today for a reception and parade to honor the winners and their opponents and celebrate the end of another tough campain/election season. The theme is always to "Burry the Hatchet"! Delaware is the only state in the country to have such an event and I am proud to have been a part of it. It was neat to be in the parade and see these beautiful, old-fashioned horse carriages filled with the newly elected officials, their opponents, and their families together. Yes, Christine O'Donnell and Chris Coons were together, too! Everyone was delightfully civil and truly took the time to celebrate their hard work. My favorite part was hearing my great uncle referred to as, "Representative Kenton" for the very first time! I am so proud of you, Uncle Dickey!!! Love you!

Unfortunately, the rain was coming down all day long, but that didn't hinder anyone's spirits! However, it did eventually lead to a sinus infection for yours truly! The weekend ahead of my was quite an important one and I knew I needed my rest that night. After dining with my family and my driver, Donald, in Milford I drove home to ready myself for the weekend!

Thank you for being a part of my Miss America journey. Your love and support keep me fueled even on the not-so-wonderful days. Have a blessed evening!

With Love,

Kayla

October 18- October 27

Hi Friends!

I wish I could express in writing how incredible this experience has been thus far. Every day I feel so blessed to wake up and know that I am going to meet someone who could potentially change my life, or better yet, I could change theirs. As Miss Delaware I have the fortune of serving people in all walks of life, and meeting people who inspire me as much as I hope to inspire them. To be honest with you, I can't help but wonder if I could have found a better job! And I know in my heart that I am the right woman for it.

As I bring my blog up-to-date, I wanted to take a moment and read through previous entries to reflect on my first four months as your Miss Delaware. I found myself with tears in my eyes, and hairs raised on my arms from the memories I have shared with you. My life has already been changed in these roughly 120 days, and I will be a stronger and better woman because of these experiences.

On Monday the 18th I travelled to New York City, my favorite city in the world to work on my Miss America preparations. I am so excited for the pageant and I know that I am ready for the road that lies ahead of me. Be sure to tune in to ABC on January 15th to see me compete for the job of Miss America 2011. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers from now until then as I continue to work hard to represent you at the national level.

A few highlights from my NYC trip were seeing Chicago on Broadway, which was a surprise gift from my wonderful Mother, dining at a tapas restaurant and Serendipity (we sat at the same table the movie was filmed at!!!), and, of course...... stopping at St. Alps Teahouse for BUBBLE TEA! Bubble Tea is my favorite thing in the whole world, and I miss it terribly when in Delaware, because I have yet to find a teahouse nearby that prepares it the way I like. While in the city I also met with Ronnie and Deborah from The Bridal Suite to meet with Sherri Hill once more! The trip was very quick, and quite exhausting but I loved every second there. And I must say, it was quite productive!

As I returned to Delaware late Wednesday afternoon, I hurried from Wilmington to Milford to ride in the Milford Fall Parade. The drizzles of rain didn't stop my town from having lots of fun, and the parade carried on! I treasure every appearance in my hometown, especially those that are followed by time with my parents.

I was back up north on Thursday at one of my favorite sponsors, Hockessin Day Spa, having a facial done by the magnificent Carrie. That day was a relaxing day for me with a few personal appointments here and there. That evening I met with my Executive Director, Debi, at her home to plan for the months ahead of us, and to catch up on the past few weeks. Even though we chat weekly, sometimes daily, we definitely appreciate the meetings together to catch up. Thanks for the yummy dinner, Deb!

Friday was the beginning of my productive week as I worked on essays, blogs, emails, and even found time for my very first air brush tan from Sun Dazed Tanning in Milford! Thank you, Velvet for taking such good care of me! I was afraid I would look like a pumpkin and was prepared to change my Halloween costume at a moments notice, but she picked the perfect color for me!

Saturday was my second favorite appearance opportunity thus far! I had the best time at the Special Olympics Fall Festival Games at the University of Delaware, and I won't soon forget my time there. I had marriage proposals, learned all there is to know about Bocce Ball, took lots of fun photos, and was even given a pumpkin from the cutest young boy, Henry! My fondest memory of the day was walking into the Field House and passing one of the athletes, a young man, who was SO excited to see me! He had been waiting all day for Miss Delaware to arrive, and when he saw my crown he kept repeating, "Oh my, goodness! Oh my, goodness! It's Miss Delaware!" It honestly made his day to meet me, and the fact that I took the time to chat with him and get to know him, meant so much to his family. I am feeling emotional just writing this because it warms my heart to know that I can have such an impact on someone that I barely know. And I have learned that just as soon as you think you cannot relate to a certain person, or group of people, you realize that you have much more in common than you thought!

That is what excites me the most about the job of Miss America. You are chosen to represent and relate to all people, and be able to carry a conversation with anyone who will give you their time. And while no person can say she has something in common with every American, it is Miss America's job to find a way to relate to them. How incredible is that?

To finish my entry- Sunday was my Applebee's Pancake Breakfast for the Children's Miracle Network. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, or came out to support, and thank you to Milford Applebee's for generously donating the time, space and profits of the morning for a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I travelled directly from the fundraiser, to the Ross Mansion in Seaford for their 150th anniversary festival and agricultural celebration! I had such a lovely time with the Dairy Princess, Peach Queen, Sheep & Wool Princess and Watermelon Queen.

Monday and Tuesday were extremely productive for me. I worked on the Quality of Life Application and Essays, was fitted for many dress alterations, had a dentist appointment, worked out at the gym, tanned, danced ballet and even spent time with my dad on his birthday! My to-do list is finally dwindling!

Today, I let myself sleep in a bit, and have been finishing more work. Tonight I will be riding in the Selbyville Halloween Parade! I hope to see you there!

Have a great day, and thank you for being a part of my journey to Miss America.

God bless,

Kayla