My first Comp Card!! I am SOOOOO excited! :)

I am very excited to show you my first official comp card!! This photo was taken by the very talented and wonderful photographer Tim Priest, last October 2007, in Grand Rapids! I hope you like it too! :)

Michigan Winter Special Olympics 2008!! :)

Have you ever felt like the Lord put you in the right place at the right time? Where you were almost transended to "another time and another place?" That is exactly how I felt as a Celebrity Volunteer for the Special Olympics, held in Traverse City, from Wednesday Jan 30th-Friday Feb 1st!! While I was there I learned there were 950 athletes and 700 volunteers to make all of this happen! It was incredible!

On Wednesday, my mom and I headed up North on some very trecherous roads to be a part of something very special indeed! It was bitterly cold, and so cold in fact, that the time trials for the athletes were cancelled and the schools within a 50 mile radius were closed! But that didn't stop any of us from enjoyingthe Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday night! Each team came in with their own group all dressed up in their team uniforms and then the ceremony began. One of the largest sponsors is the Wertz Warriors, a group of men (and one or two women) who travel by snowmobile and raise money for the Michigan Special Olympics! This year one of the guests, and a Wertz Warrior, was none other than Mark "The Bird" Fidrych who was a former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers!!! He gave a speech to the athletes and really got them fired up for the games! One of the athletes brought in the "torch" and lit the "flame" to officially kick off the events! It was all very exciting!

Thursday morning I volunteered at the indoor ice rink (because I was sick and on an antibiotic) although I was originally scheduled to work at the outdoor snowboarding event. I was very thankful to be switched because I had missed school on Tuesday (and later learned it had been canceled anyway!!) and we were concerned about being out in the wind as sick as I was. In the morning I handed out medals to the figure skaters and in the afternoon I handed out medals to the speed skaters! I had such a blast! These athletes were amazing :) and could do all kinds of things that I cannot do! I was most impressed with their hard work ethic and their very sweet dispositions! They really cheer one another on and are genuinely happy when their friends do well, even if they didn't place. I was deeply touched.

After a full day of events, in the late afternoon, before dinner, all of the celebrities had an autograph session! One of them was Drew Stanton, a quarterback for the Detroit Lions! Me, and also my queen sister, the beautiful Elisabeth Crawford ~ Miss Michigan USA 2008, Kaylee Magro ~ Miss Southwest Michigan, Brittany Hopkins ~ Miss Southwest Michigan Teen, and Alicia Jaros ~ Miss Washtenaw County signed autographs for nearly 2 hours. Alicia has been involved with the Special Olympics for about six years and has chosen this cause as her personal platform. She also sang the National Anthem for both the open and closing ceremonies. During the closing we got to see videos from the days events and everyone was cheering for each other, laughing when they saw themselves, and just plain having fun!

The closing ceremonies were just as much fun as the opening ones, but concluded with a dance for all the athletes! All of us queen celebrities joined in too and we danced our hearts out! It was wild, crazy, fun, and I wished it didn't have to end! During the closing ceremony, we had a very unexpected surprise. One of the guys that had been attending the Games for years, as a volunteer, met a lovely young lady there years ago and in front of all of us he got down on one knee and proposed to her!! And what a beautiful rock (diamond) she got!! :) I think that volunteer work through the Special Olympics to bring to people together for life is just awesome! Oh yeah . . . she said "yes!!" So glad I was there to witness it! :) What was weird was that the closing ceremonies happen before all the events are through!! We still had one more day to go, but they have the closing for everyone so that those who do not compete in the second days events could head for home.

Friday morning I felt well enough to go outside and attend the snowshoe races. I had no idea what to expect . . . they ran as fast as they could on snowshoes for the win!! I can't even walk on snowshoes ~ nevermind run!! These athletes were incredible! :) I enjoyed handing out the medals and yelling as loud as I could with everyone else during the races! We finished up just before noon and then mom and I left for home.

I had such a fantastic time! I am hooked! I cannot wait to see all of these athletes again and attend the Summer Special Olympics games, in May, at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant!! I hope you will consider coming out to join us and volunteer your time as well!

Detroit Auto Show Preview Charity 2008

On Friday night, January 18th, I attended the Charity Preview Gala at the Detroit Auto Show! What a wonderful opportunity to be a part of an event that raises money for several Children's charities. On this one night over $6M was raised for children across Michigan.

It is usually my mom that chaparones me to any appearances that I make, but this one was especially reserved for my dad! He looked so sharp in his tux and I think he really enjoyed this special night with me! I had been looking forward to this night ever since the night I was crowned Miss Michigan Teen USA 2008 (I never get tired of saying that!)

I had several photo opportunities and a few interviews as well. It was wonderful to see Governor Jennifer Granholm again! I had presented her with the "Pearls of Strength" bracelet on behalf of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (my personal platform) last March when I was Michigan Jr. Teen National American Miss 2006! I was thrilled that she remembered me as 'the girl who gave her the pearls'!!

The Auto Show was full of politicians and not so many Hollywood celebrities this year. I was hoping to meet Kid Rock, who attended last year, but since he lives here in my hometown of Clarkston, I hope to run into him someday around town!

The cars were fabulous and my all time favorites are the Chevy Corvettes! My dad owns one and, yes, I have driven it too and very fast (just don't tell him!!) I even had my photo taken in the new 2009 Corvette on Friday night!

This was my third time to attend an Auto Show in Detroit, but because I was stopped so many times on Friday night, for photos and interviews, I felt bad for my dad because we didn't get to really see the cars this year so we went back to the show on Saturday afternoon and spent about 3.5 hours getting a good look at all of them. I love cars and I had a great time checking them out with my dad!

It was also very nice to be a part of something so fun and special that helped raise funds for children's charities!

Eagle University Success & Leadership Seminar!! :)

After spending the wonderful holidays with my parents, I took off for Dallas, TX on January 2, 2008! It was very exciting because I had never flown alone before and even traveled 1st class thanks to my Dad's frequent flier miles and proiority points! When I arrived at the airport a Limo (yes, a limo!!) took me straight to the Omni West Park Hotel in the beautiful city of Dallas!

The next 5 days had to be one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had! Eagle University is not a college university, but it provided me with a wealth of information that I will use for the rest of my life! January 2-6 was time to focus on my future for school and life and taught invaluable lessons I will remember for a lifetime!

I felt very motivated as a contestant and student before I got to Dallas, but now I am even more focused and motivated than ever! The guest speakers were awesome and shared some stories that had us laughing one moment and crying the next!!

We were put into groups and our group won an award! We were the Golden Eagles! Most of my group members were some of the state title holders for Teen USA! It was really nice to get to meet them before we go to Nationals!

My roommate Stacie was awesome! She is from Colorado and was a semi-finalist for the Teen Division. She is such a sweetheart and I loved that she was my roommate! We keep in contact as much as possible!

Spending time with Elisabeth, my sister queen is always special! This trip I got to know Elisabeth's first runner-up Hannah Lynn a little better as she attended too! They are both so uplifting and I love them to pieces!!! : )

I use the things I learned from Eagle U everyday and I'm so thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to learn and meet the people that I did! God really does bless me everyday!

Queen For A Day!!!!!

Today is Sunday, December 30th, and as 2007 comes to an end, I was reminded once again how precious life is! My sister queen Miss Michigan USA, Elisabeth Crawford, invited me to attend a Queen For A Day event! I had heard of this event before, but I had never participated in one and now I am hooked! :)

My mom and I drove about an hour over to Ann Arbor's Motts Children's Hospital. Motts was a first for me too. Once we found our way to the main lobby we met two wonderful ladies who are very committed to the Queen For A Day organization! Dena Rominick and Tina Gallando greeted us and told us what to expect. We registered at the desk and made our way to visit our Queen For A Day! I was a bit apprehensive as I didn't know how I would react and I didn't want to cry.

When we found the room, we met the cutest little 6 year old girl named Breanna Strange! She remembered Elisabeth from a fashion/modeling show that Breanna did just before her recent surgery! Small world! Here mom and dad were also present for this uplifiting experience!

Breanna has a condition I had never heard of called: Dystonia. It is often compared to Parkinson's Disease where the nervous system has a miss-fire of communication and the body sometimes twitches and is very "tight" which can cause pain. Dystonia does not cause any mental problems and I could tell she was very bright! I was very impressed with Breanna ~ to be so young with so many obstacles already at six years old and many more challenges ahead she remains cheerful and has the sweetest disposition! Breanna is in the first grade and loves Disneyworld characters (me too) so we had alot in common from the start! Plus we both love princesses, crowns, queens, and anything that sparkles!

Breanna had surgery three days earlier and was in a full body cast. She looked sooooooo tiny in that big hospital bed, but she had a big grin for all four of us! We all took turns introducing ourselves and she didn't miss a word! Her favorite color is purple and she wore a purple ribbon in her hair. She loved the fleece blanket with purple and pink ballerina's on it and requested purple sparkly nail polish when she had her manicure! She loved all the toys gifts and crafts she recieved and you could tell she will be a future beauty queen one day as she loved to be photographed!

Toward the end of our visit she was presented the crown and scepter, which she loved, and was officially the Queen For A Day! We promised we would see her again and we all wish her a very speedy recovery. The full cast will remain on for three more weeks, but she knows that she will be better soon!

Her neighbors and friends were visiting too while we were there. They were so sweet and waited patiently as the festivities were going on. At the end of the "tea party" the girls were given the Boa feathers we were wearing and they were delighted! I am sure we will see them again too!

It was a precious day, with a precious little girl, who reminded me today how precious life is . . . . and the relationships we share are precious too! Thank you Breanna!

*** To learn more about Dystonia go to any search and it will lead you to several links that explain it much better than I can! Breanna also has a webite of her own as she is trying to educate others about Dystonia and how it affects her life! I have not been able to find it for some reason, but when I do I will post it for you!

www.breannarose.org

www.breannaswish.org

www.roomforbreanna.com

American Red Cross !!!

Thursday night, Dec 20th, I volunteered my time to the American Red Cross Blood Drive in my hometown of Clarkston! I met some very lovely people and I was amazed how many of them have given blood over several years!

I was very excited to give my own blood and went through the registration. Then they tested my blood and I learned I was "deferred." My iron level was .01 under their requirement!!!!!!!!! I was bummed out and will be taking my vitamins and eating more veggies so that I will be ready for the next blood drive. I hope I pass next time! In the meantime, I was given a little sticker to wear that said "I Tried!!"

My friend and Clarkston News Writer, Trevor Keiser, came to do an article on my first Blood Drive and my giving blood to share with our readers. I feel bad that he made the trip for nothing. I know that sounds silly, but I wanted to give my blood, but it just wasn't right this time, but I WILL try again! Trevor was so great about it and told me not to worry! He is such a good trusted friend and my brother in Christ!

Bless their hearts, my mom and dad came and they both gave blood! I have some pics of my dad GIVING! They made me so proud!!

Won't you give . . . .please???!!!

Coalition On Temporary Shelters (COTS)!!!!!

This morning, Saturday, Dec 15th, I had the pleasure of taking part in a Christmas event at the beautiful Fisher Building in Detroit put on by the Coalition On Temporary Shelter! I just learned of the event on Friday and so I am very thankful to have been able to volunteer with this wonderful organization! The inside of this building has to be one of the most architecturally ornate and beatiful structures I have ever been in! The entire ceiling was hand-painted! Unbelieveable ~ it MUST have taken years! I wish I could have walked through the Fisher Theatre, but it was locked. Maybe sometime in the future I will do that!

I arrived at 8:30am to attend the volunteer meeting and get assignments as there were several different stations for the little children and their families to share in the joy and fun of the holiday season! There was a Karaoke station (and boy could everyone sing great!!), a face painting station, a Snowman craft table, a Christmas book storytelling station (with yummy cookies) and a visit with Santa! All of the stations began after a delicious breakfast with all the fixins'!!

I had so much fun greeting all the guests and mingling with as many as I could! Everyone was asked to bring $5 and an unwrapped toy! The toys were amazing and I couldn't believe, once again, how generous the people of Michigan were, to be sure that the children would have a wonderful Christmas experience! And with Michigan's economy right now I was actually humbled by what I saw and had to fight back the tears.

Some of the guests included: Santa Claus, Paws from the Detoirt Tigers baseball team, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Roary from the Detoirt Lions football team, and last, but not least, Maggie ~ American Coed's Miss Michigan Princess (she took 1st runner-up at the Nationals pageant and was actually a substitute at the last minute!!) She and her family are so nice!

Christmas is such a very special time of year and I hope that everyone who participated in the COTS Christmas event today felt blessed to be a part of it. I know I did!!! :) And it even snowed a little bit which added to the Christmas holiday spirit!