Friday Funday

Great news this morning! Donna Knight was released from the hospital and doing very well!!! We miss her so much, but are very glad she is on a quick road to recovery. Thank you for lifting her up in prayer!

Our morning began with a visit to the Children’s Hospital in Tulsa. Taylor Treat Burget and Tiffany Tolbert were wonderful to help organize the event. Since 45 contestants can be overwhelming, we were split up as half tie dyed onesies for the NICU, and half walked from room to room. Lindsey, Damaris, Sarah, Betty, Victoria and I were fortunate enough to see the third floor and were joined by Lindsey and I’s driver, Melinda. The patients we met ranged from seven days to seventeen years old, each with a very different story. Though we always try to prepare ourselves, it is emotionally difficult to see children in pain.

Most of the new friends we made were being released shortly, though one was in remission with leukemia and would be back in just a few weeks. One sweet girl wanted to see us – crowns perched on our heads and hope in our eyes, but was so dizzy that she struggled to speak. Betty gave her an autographed photo and I know that when the medicated fog is lifted, she will cherish that picture. So many parents spoke highly of their experience at St. Francis, and while I wish children never had to visit, I am very thankful for the positive staff, cheery decor, and great care provided to them.

After lunch with one of Miss Oklahoma’s longest sponsors, Coney I-lander, we were taken to view the Miss Oklahoma museum!!! This was a major highlight for each of us and to say Steve Robinson and his crew did an amazing job would not do it justice. There are gowns, talent outfits, shoes, props, buttons, sashes, crowns, swimsuits and so, so much more. It makes you wish we could open a real Miss Oklahoma museum. If you haven’t had a chance to visit, please do – I could spend hours in there going through the history!

Tonight we will attend the Teen pageant and Top Ten party! Good luck to all the contestants!

Prelim #3

The final preliminary day was my favorite yet! With a later rehearsal, we set evening gown and on-stage question, then got to have lunch with our Oklahoma Stars! The Oklahoma Stars program is for girls ages 5-11 who are matched with a Miss Oklahoma contestant and accompany then during part of the evening gown competition. It is a great mentoring opportunity and my little Miss Maddy could not be more fun!

We had such a great time and she was very excited about her glow in the dark gifts. We enjoyed our GiGi’s cupcakes and took silly pictures together too! Maddy has also experienced extreme relational aggression at such a tender age, which is why I believe she was placed in my life. It is inspiring to see how maturely she handles any situation and how much love she has to give.

After lunch we were able to relax, and head off to a delicious dinner at Charleston’s, where we anxiously awaited teen prelim results. I was thrilled for my teen, Mi’Shell Garrett, who tied for overall talent in her group!!! Soon, we left for the Mabee Center and our final preliminary competition night.

I love interview, therefore I love on-stage question! My evening gown is my favorite part of my wardrobe, amazing as it almost wasn’t. I like to see the way it came together out of nowhere last year as a “God thing,” and have to thank Kayne again for creating something which makes me feel like Katniss Everdeen… The girl on fire! (Please refer to the Hunger Games trilogy.)

Congratulations goes out to Alicia, Damaris and Autumn for their preliminary wins! I cannot imagine being a judge, as I know talented, fit and confident our contestants are.

Prelim #2

I feel like I’m losing track of my days while at Miss Oklahoma and am only following the schedule provided! The morning arrived with veery frightening news. Our feisty red coat, Donna Knight, suffered mini stroke while in the dorms last night. We are so fortunate that she was surrounded by red coats and contestants, including Brienne who is a nurse and was able to check all her vital signs to see how severe it was. I’m not sure how I missed the ambulance and fire trucks last night, but I could not be more thankful for the quick response. Please keep Donna in your thoughts and prayers as she recovers. Norma ensured me she was doing very well and would be back very soon.

Today began with talent rehearsals, which for me, were atrocious. It was my first time to sing on the Miss Oklahoma stage and while it was 90% empty, it was still daunting. Over the course of the day I took a lot of good advice and prayed with everyone I could get my hands on. Never have I felt more lifted up than I did today with the love and support of my pageant family – competitors, volunteers, family and friends.

After a rocky start, we ran through the show and were off to lunch provided by Mazzios. We then left for a very short stop by BounceU, where a fundraiser for CMN was being held. I love this event and wish we could have stayed longer. One of my students was able to come and her dream is to grow up to be a princess! I was over the moon to see her sweet face!

A little down time, a downtown dinner at McNellie’s, and a few rollers later we were ready for showtime! Each night I am blown away by our former titleholders, and the tapping trio was amazing! As my talent neared, I felt the peace within I had prayed for. As I worked through the song, I knew each moment was the best it could possibly have been and as I ended I was so overcome with pure joy! Thank you to everyone who prayed for me, and to Miss Shari who has shown me unconditional love and encouragement, and believed in me when I wasn’t sure of anything.

The official Miss Oklahoma twitter page tweeted pictures of our talents, and here is mine! Congratulations to Alex, Veronica and Brooklyn on your preliminary awards! We really are part of the BEST state pageant in the nation!

Prelim #1

Whew! Night one is done and we have an early morning coming. Tonight was amazing, particularly for someone like me who adores history and loves seeing pictures and videos of past Miss Oklahomas. It is incredibly special to see the talent, poise and genuine hearts of our Miss Oklahomas over the years and I am certain our new Miss O will carry each trait.

Congratulations to Veronica on her swimsuit win, Aly on her talent win, and Victoria on her rookie talent award! I met Victoria and her family while competing in National Teenager and have maintained contact with them so many years, so it was very exciting to cheer her on! Tomorrow will be a fun day with an appearance at Bounce U that I am ready to cut loose at! My poor feet are just regaining feeling, but it was a great evening with doughnuts after swimsuit. What could be better?!? I wish we had a bit more time at visitation, but I was so happy to chat with friends and family, furthering their encouragement during what has been a week of excitement and tragedy. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I am blessed to be surrounded by women I love this week – even if we stay up too late making sure our tans are even. I have never had so much FUN at Miss Oklahoma and I almost don’t want the week to end.

Please pray for peace during my talent performance – I can only hope to do the very best I possibly can. My goal is not to win any category, but to be who I truly am and walk off the stage knowing it could not have been better. Talent – here I come!

Monday, Monday

I cannot believe Monday has already passed! This morning we awoke to a wild thunderstorm (foreshadowing for the big Thunder win tonight!!!), and left the dorms at 6:45 for our interviews. After a very hard evening, I was in shock, disbelief, and then a flood of tears as I learned of the incredibly tragic passing of a sorority sister. We have been reminded of how precious life is and how quickly we can lose those who have touched our own. I was appalled to reach my dorm and find a voicemail from a newspaper inquiring about information of her death – the last contact I expected and the one I did not return out of respect. It is so difficult to wrap my head around the loss, and my thoughts and prayers are with Casey’s family during this nightmare. It is now probably understandable as to why I did not blog last night and I encourage you to remember her family in prayer as well.

Later this morning I had my interview and then it was off to the Kiwanis luncheon. I feel so humbled to have received 2nd place in the Kiwanis Community Service Award!!! My platform means the world to me and I am very honored to receive the $500 scholarship. Thank you Kiwanians, for ALL you do! No one could have thanked our beloved Kiwanis Club better than Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson did today. She is such an inspirational speaker and we are fortunate to have her with us this week.

We were able to preview a bit of the show – including guest performers tonight! The amount of talent in our former Miss Oklahomas is unbelievable. Kent has, once again, outdone himself. I am looking very forward to our first preliminary tomorrow, though I cannot believe it is here! Thanky ou for all your support and kind words. I have been blessed with a great red coat hostess, new friends, a scholarship and so much more that my week has already been a success.

It’s Only Just Begun

I am all moved in at the ORU dorms and ready for the week ahead! We began the morning with orientation and many, many hours of rehearsals. Wendy’s is so kind to donate a delicious lunch for the contestants and I always love seeing the owner’s daughter dressed up like Wendy! She’s a doll – really!

Though Kent has bronchitis, that certainly didn’t slow him down! We learned more dances than I can currently remember, but just be prepared for an amazing show. The atmosphere with the contestants has been very relaxed here and I see the Lord working through so many young women. It’s almost surreal to think that a week from tonight a new Miss Oklahoma will be crowned!

When we arrived to the dorms, I immediately checked out which red coat and contestants I would be driving with, and nearly squealed in excitement to be in ELIZABETH KINNEY’S mom’s car! Elizabeth is the first Miss Oklahoma I ever saw crowned and I fell in love with her on that stage. She is dynamite and I admire her more than words can express. Her mom, Melinda, is such a joy to be around – you’ve got to meet this woman!! I also found out she is from Shawnee and went to high school with my dad! what a small world. Lindsey Allen and I are in for a real treat with her!

After seeing our rooms (I cannot wait to post more pictures of my Come Rain or Come Shine themed room!), we ate and headed off to the Red Carpet premiere. I love this event because it is an opportunity to destress with family and friends before competition gets underway.

After walking the red carpet, we were corralled to a room and I was later told that when Rich came in, I needed to follow him. Thinking I needed to gather others and make room for the end of the alphabetical procession, I started herding… Someone told me to stop and I followed Rich, thinking we were just moving the miss contestants alphabetically.

As I was walking with Alex Eppler, Megan Johnson, Alicia Clifton, Brittany Bisel and Georgia Frazier I realized we were not in the right order. As I was about to pipe up, I realized the most exciting news possible – WE WERE COMMUNITY SERVICE FINALISTS!!!!!

I must have lit up like a Christmas tree and haven’t stopped glowing since! It is the highest honor to be considered for an award of this caliber and I feel blessed to be part of this group. Our interviews are in the morning and I cannot wait to share my passion with the Kiwanians.

Thank you to the Girl Scouts, school groups, and community leaders who have taken relational aggression seriously and have shared this journey with me! You are the reason I live to serve and I already feel so accomplished after the progress we have made together.

Have a wonderful evening and on to day two!!

Twas the Night Before Check-In

IT’S HERE! IT’S HERE! IT’S HERE!!!

The big week has finally arrived and I could not be more excited! Clothes are stacked everywhere as I wait for the suitcases to be carted from Shawnee, healthy food fills my table, and garment bags flock the couches. I am absolutely elated for Miss Oklahoma week and will be updating nightly with the exciting events of the day. With the 40th anniversary of Miss Oklahoma – brought to you by the Kiwanis Club of Tulsa, it will be a year to remember!

Last night I had a wonderful send-off party with my Green Country family, friends and even a few sweet Girl Scouts I met over the past ten months! It was great to show them what Mi’Shell and I have accomplished this year and have a preview of the upcoming week. Tomorrow is a very big day with check-in, rehearsals and the Red Carpet Premiere.

Thank you to everyone who has made this year possible for me and who have helped me along the way! I could not have done it without your support and am bursting at the seams to get on that stage. This year I have a much different mindset, what I believe to be a more mature one. In years past I have set my sights on quantitative goals – making the semi-finals, winning a community service award, etc…. things I had no control over. I have realized that there is but one goal to have and that is to leave every aspect of competition knowing that it was the very best I have ever done.

This year, I just want to be the best “Britan” that I have ever been. Whatever that may bring, I’m ready for it! Looking forward to updating you throughout the week!

*Please keep Kent Parham in your prayers as it was posted on Facebook earlier that he was in a hospital gown. Not surprisingly, he made it look great and seemed to be in excellent spirits. I am unsure as to why he was there, but it looks as though he won’t have any trouble making it to practice tomorrow. Get better soon, Kent!

People’s Choice

At Contestant’s Day, the Miss Oklahoma Organization rolled out a scholarship fundraiser which could help your favorite contestant make it into the Top 11! With the 40th anniversary occurring this year, there will not be a Top 15, but there will be a Top 11 – with one contestant who has received the most votes making the cut.

This opportunity is in honor of our own Miss Oklahoma, Betty Thompson, who was selected as the People’s Choice during the Miss America pageant. All proceeds will also benefit the scholarship fund, providing additional scholarships for your Miss Oklahoma contestants!

Voting is live from now until June 7th at 6:00 PM. $1 = 1 VOTE!

To vote, visit Miss Oklahoma and click the “VOTE” button below the contestant you wish to vote for. You will be re-directed to a PayPal site where you can enter the dollar amount/number of votes for your contestant with a credit card. All votes are confidential.

Furthermore, you can enter as many “votes” (dollars) that you would like to donate at one time. For example, $20 = 20 votes. The quantity will always be listed as “1” but the amount of votes is determined by the dollar amount you enter in the “Donation amount” field.

Voting has begun! Let’s get going and put Miss Green Country in the Top 11!

VOTE HERE

(I am at the very bottom of the page…looks like this:)

Send a Little Love to Room 34

Imagine being five years old, and you are told your teacher is competing at Miss Oklahoma. She will wear a princess dress, she will sing, and she could become Miss America some day. I’m not sure if anyone can fathom what that might mean to a child, but I know of twenty sweet faces who want to see this unbelievable event with their own eyes.

Teach For America places corps members in schools which are located in low socio-economic areas. My students must apply and meet the criteria for Head Start in order to attend, making it little more than a dream to lavishly spend money for their families to attend Miss Oklahoma. At $10 a ticket, their brothers and sisters want to go as well – but around $50 a family, it’s a great expense.

I will be selling Scentsy to fundraise for my students and their families to attend Miss Oklahoma in June! Not only will they be experiencing the arts, but they are exposed to what could happen if they work hard and grow their brains. In 1993, Miss Oklahoma came to the Shawnee Public Library to speak and perform her talent. As a four-year-old, I cannot recall her message, but for the first time ever I thought the flute was kind of cool.

As I left with an autographed photo in hand, we saw Miss Oklahoma’s official car and of course I had to take a picture with it! Donning my best dance pose in curls and polka dots, I beamed next to her bright red car. Little did I know that I could some day be competing to wear her crown.

I know that if I can be affected in such a way, my students can and will benefit from the opportunity to see not just one Miss Oklahoma – but Miss Oklahoma from the past forty years, and a brand new Miss Oklahoma crowned. Please help me raise funds for my students to see Miss Oklahoma by ordering Scentsy from the link below. Twenty-five percent of the profits have been generously donated to me by David of DC Cake Appeal! Thank you David, and thank you to everyone for your orders!!

MISS OKLAHOMA SCENTSY FUNDRAISER

Girl Scouts of McAlester

Being Miss Green Country has invited so many opportunities to travel through the most beautiful parts of our state. Eastern Oklahoma is just gorgeous, particularly in the early morning when the roads are quiet and the sky is filled with the clearest shade of blue. I came home to Shawnee Friday, setting off to McAlester Saturday morning to meet with the Girl Scouts.

An hour and a half of John Mayer’s live album kept me company as I pulled up to Life Church in McAlester. What an amazing church! I was told they recently added a second phase because the town of 17,000 just kept joining. The room I spoke in was the “Club 56” for 5th and 6th grade students, and even had light effects!

The Girl Scouts were fantastic! They had a busy day planned after I left with a father-daughter dance, hence the adorable dress! Each had some experience with relational aggression and stories to share as well. One mother also told of a time when she felt RA at the hands of a child.

While hosting a birthday party, one of her son’s friends said he wish he had known what their house had looked like because he wouldn’t have come to his birthday party. Her son then told his mother that they needed to get a bigger, nicer house. How horribly devastating that there was absolutely nothing wrong with their home, yet this young child still, possibly unbeknownst to him, degraded and embarrassed a kind family who was trying to celebrate a big event.

Relational aggression doesn’t just hurt children when they are targeted, but their parents feel the pain in their hearts as well. When I hear of stories like hers, I feel so blessed to speak with troops and schools across the state. When I was growing up, the term “relational aggression” had yet to be coined, and I do not remember any special visitors who spoke about bullying. It is an incredible honor to touch so may lives in the way my title has allowed!

Thank you, McAlester Girl Scouts, for welcoming me and recognizing the power you have against relational aggression!