Girls of Greatness

During my reign there are many causes I hope to touch on and make a positive impact. One of those causes is "Girls of Greatness". It is a program that I started with the Boys and Girls Club 3 years ago. It works to build self esteem in young girls and instiling in them where there true value comes from..from within. We work to teach them to dream in color, embrace their unique qualities and know they are blessings and not burdens, and use their gifts and talents to give back. Another part of the program is introducing the girls to a wide array of career choices. They can be all they dream to be! Well, the proram has grown into a book and now a television show. Here we are taping one of the segments.

Back Home...Back to Business!

It's a full year of appearances and fun. Right when I returned from nationals I had appearances already booked. My first appearance was at the opening of the South Barrington Arboretum Shopping Plaza. It was a wonderful experience. I was asked to sit on stage with the mayor and then speak to the audience. It truly was an honor. Later, I stayed to sign autographs with Wayne Messmer, from the Cubs and Black Hawks...he's the voice of the National Anthem. He did the same for the audience that day.

Time to Vacation with the Family!

After being away from the family for 10 days Dean and I decided to extend our stay for some quality family time. Dean, Kennedy, Caden and I had a wonderful time just being together, swimming, playing, hiking, and even looking for "snakes" for Caden.
Dean even rented a convertible one day and we drove to Old Tucson. It was the perfect ending to a fairy tale dream come true!

My Wonderful Family!

It meant the world for me to have my family there to share in my Mrs. America experience. My parents flew in from Illinois, as did my brother, Tim and sister -in-law Lori. Then, my brother Dan flew in from Texas with his family: my sister-in-law Patricia, and my two nephews Zachary and Danny and my neice Lisa. My sister also flew in from Texas with my nephew Michael. It was awesome to have the whole family together! Love you all!

Top Twelve! Now time to eat!

I was honored to have made the top twelve at nationals. Like I said before, one of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11. I know God has a plan and His plan is perfect! Now, it was the perfect time to relax, eat, relax some more, and eat! Here are a few pictures from after the pageant. It was great to have my supportive family there to share in it all. Here I am with Isabel, the make up artist from New York, Kelly, the makeup artist from Arizona, and then me with my directors Marcie and Joe. Joe had the pizza waiting for us after the pageant!

The Evening Gown

This is the evening gown I wore at state. Therefore it has a special meaning behind it..I won in it! I also won the evening gown portion of the pageant. I had designed the gown myself with Mira at Mira Couture out of Chicago. We picked out the fabrics together and the gown was sewn by hand. The gown was then adorned with hundreds upon hundreds of more Swarovski crystals after state, in preparation of nationals. My directors carried it out special for me....Thank you Marcie and Joe...they are just the best!

The Swimsuit

I have to say a heart felt "Thank You" to my good friend and trainer, Stephanie West. Steph kept me on track, motivated, and focused. I suppose it helped, too, that she lived with us for a while. I couldn't call in sick on training days. She would just knock on the bedroom door if I wasn't out by 5:15 AM....yes, I said AM...anyone that knows me knows, I am not a morning person. There was a lot of spark to drink. Which, brings me to another thank you and that is to Advocare. I have taken Advocare for years and share the products with anyone who asks me about my training regimen.....Just ask me!
The Swimsuit

The State Costume

The Night of Competition!

Here are a few pictures from the night of competiton. . Here is Dean Kennedy and Cade holding "mommy's" picture. Meanwhile....the gals are backstage getting ready for opening number.

My Family Arrives

Here are my kids, Kennedy and Caden, with my nephews; Zachary, Danny, and my neice Lisa. They were sooo adorable.

A Night Out...with Food and Dancing!

The girls finished shoppping and headed out to a great dinner. We dined on wonderful Italian cuisine then danced the night away(well, I only did two songs). Mrs. Michigan and Mrs. Minnesota knew how to work the dance floor. We all had a blast doing the electric slide. I can't remember the last time I did that.

A Day Of Shopping With The Gals!

We all donned our own western hats and headed off for some shopping! Just goes to show, put a group of women together that have already brought a full wardrobe, at a mall with sales, and they will find something to leave wtih! We had a ball.

Here we are at the Presidents dinner. I was wearing one of my Alyce gowns...one of the fun ones. The gals loved the feathers!

Me with Mr. Marmel. He asked me to dance!!

Me with Mrs. Delaware. We had a surreal moment when we found out we both are doing work for global poverty. Lili visited the same country I had. Last November I visited South AFrica and Zambia to see frist hand the devastation of global poverty and AIDS. My husband and I are now building an orphan home over in South Africa. While at nationals I found out that Lili also visited Zambia for the same reason. Her heart is just huge and her spirit so gentle. Another friend for a lifetime!

Me with Mrs. Colorado. She is originally from Illinois and we competed together yeeears ago in the "Miss USA" pageant!
Christina is such a sweetie, just as I remembered her.

Here I am with my great roomie Mrs. Florida and Mrs. Minnesota...she had us laughing so hard on the first night! She is the best..and everyone should check her out on Shop NBC

Off to Nationals!!

I'm off to nationals. I was told to wear my sash on the flight out. I have to admit I was a bit taken back and shy on that endeavor. Once I arrived I had a day to rest before my room mate arrived. I then met my wonderful room mate, Jaclyn Stapp, Mrs. Florida. She and I hit it off right away. She is just a gem. I'm grateful for being able to share the experience with her and even more that we became good friends. I look forward to a growing friendship...and a tirp to Florida during winter months!
Here are a few pictures of my departure, arrival, and some fantastic women!

Our Trip to Sonsor Brizanne!!

I had one last trip before heading out to Arizona. This one was to pick out another gown from another sponsor...Briazanne of Naperville. It was another funfilled day with Marcie and Julie. Again, we went in for one gown and were inundated with choices. Sue, the owner, is just an amazing woman with a heart of gold. She is someone I have become friends with and will continue to grow in friendship. The pageant brought us together but our connection will keep us together! Here is me with my mom, Marcie, and Julie...and of course BeBe (if you look closely, our dresses match)!

A Special Send Off

A Little Send Off party was a surprise from my husband and children, Kennedy Ann and Caden. With only 5 weeks to get ready I really didn't want a big send off. So, my husband gave a special one for me with our two children. They made signs, and gifts, and even made me my own "crown". You'll see Dean crowning me! The best part? Dean actually wrote me a letter/poem. It was a very special moment as he read it to me in front of the family. He quoted one of my favorite scriptures, Jeremiah 29:11 and told me to "Believe". That I did, and continue to do. I believe that God has a plan for us all, no matter what the outcome was going to be it was already decided and my future already is too.

More Preparations with Marcie and Julie. What fun we had!

Me, Marcie, and Julie, back at Alyce Design. What amazing gowns. We had such fun picking out a gown, or two, or six!!