Happenings...

I have managed at least 1 appearance per week this past month! Sometimes, more than 1! It is such an honor to get invited to participate in great events and for great causes! 

I was an invited model at Johnathan Kayne's 2009 Evening collection line! I also participated in the launch of his new doggie couture line Kayne9! I came home with a new baby--Griffin is a 4 pound chorkie--Adorable! 

I was also an invited model at the Dillard's Winter fashion show held here in Wichita. I had the privilege of melding with Rachel Murphy, Mrs. KS US 2008 and Sierra Scott (from It's all Good).

I participated in the March of Dimes Chef Auction and helped raise over $70,000 for preterm babies! This is dear to me as Kody, our 5-year old, was born 4 weeks early and spent 11 days in the NICU. While there, he was administered surfactant (a drug that is a direct result of March of Dimes research).

I was an invited presenter at the FCCLA fall conference (Family, career, and community leadership academy) and presented to over 50 teen leaders from across KS about leadership styles.

I was also an invited "celebrity reader" at Valley Center's Wheatland Elementary school. Miss Addington's 5th grade class invited me to come read to them during Read Week! The funnest thing...Miss Addington is a former student of mine from WSU!

Most recently, I was a judge at the Miss Augusta and Miss Butler County pageants. Some great gals competed! Congrats on a job well done!

Busy times!

Whew! In the past 4 weeks, I've made appearances at the KS State Fair, Race for the Cure, Hutch Rod Run, the Augusta Homecoming parade, and the Kruizin for Kids car show (benefitting Toys for Tots)! It was fun to see Melanie Hansel, Mrs. KS International at the Augusta homecoming parade. This coming week, I will be at North High School for Reality U!

I am also very excited about 2 new opportunities I've been blessed with. First, I am launching my own Arbonne business! Arbonne is a 28 year old health and wellness company, known for "pure, safe, and beneficial" products. Also...I am now the director of the Miss Teen Kansas-World pageant (www.missteenkansas-world.us)!

Sponsorship

Ghandi once said "the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." 

Now that I've had a few weeks to catch up with work and family, I wanted to publicly thank my sponsors. 

Kansasland Tire: Nick---thank you so much for believing in the value of my opinion. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support you've given me.

Platinum Salon & Spa: Jody and Stacy (Tambra too!)--thank you for believing in me and for helping me look fabulous! My hair ---beautiful! (www.platinumsalon.com)

Fit Physique:Eric, thank you for your continued sponsorship of me and for helping me find Pete! (316-721-2521)

Pete: Wow, how can I possibly thank you for all the hours of training you've given me? Not only did you transform my overweight, out-of-shape body into one ready for swimsuit, but you also transformed me emotionally and helped me realize the beauty of and necessity of taking care of myself! In you, I have found a lifelong friend. (www.peterohleder.com)

To all the official Mrs. Kansas sponsors--thank you!

Mrs. America

Whew! I can't believe I've been home 9 days already! I am still so tired. Just a recap of my Mrs. America experience...I'll have to post more pics later (my camera cable is being shipped back).

Monday August 25 Arrival day

I was lucky enough to meet Mrs. Georgia at the Phoenix airport. Beautiful lady! We flew in to Tuscon and met Mrs. Alaska, Mrs. Montana, and  Mrs. Washington at the airport. We rode together to Loews. What a beautiful resort!! We were early so my room wasn't ready yet. Thanks to Mrs. Tennessee and Mrs. Mississippi for letting me hang out in your room for a bit. Finally, my room was ready! I unpacked and waited for Mrs. Texas, Bobbie Jo (my roomie!!). She arrived and we got ready for orientation dinner. This is when we got to meet Mr. Marmel and the rest of the contestants! 

Tues August 26 Rehearsals

LOL Ok, if you know me, you know I can't dance! Well, we had to learn a full production number for finals night! Yikes! We spent most of the day in rehearsals. I was learning part of the dance and accidently hit Mrs. Louisiana on the head.  A photographer apparently caught it, along with my apology. She later told me that it was posted online somewhere that Mrs. KS hit Mrs. LA. LOL 

After rehearsals, we had dinner with the ladies in the Marmels' suite. Great opportunity to learn about the gals and just relax with good conversation. Met and loved Mrs. MD and Mrs. Idaho!!

Wed. August 27 Rehearsals

More dancing LOL. Oh well, I resigned myself to know that I didn't need to worry about how well I had the dance down as I'd be on the back row (either by necessity due to height or by dancing ability-or lack thereof!).

The evening was spent with the president of Loews. Each delegate presented him with a gift from her home state. What fun!

Thurs August 28 Out and About

We spent some time in the morning rehearsing but got the afternoon off!! We took a bus tour of Tuscon, went shopping (Bobbie Jo, Allison and I fell in love with AJ's--an upscale grocery store! LOL can you tell we were hungry and craving junk food--shopping while at Mrs. America and we fall in love with a grocery store LOL). We also were treated to dinner at an italian restaurant. We indulged in pasta and dancing!! Mrs. AL can move!

Friday August 29 Gaspar arrives!

Ok, for a girl who is accustomed to teaching college courses for a living and not worrying much about hair and makeup---you can imagine my relief and excitement when Gaspar arrived! Even though nothing special happened today, he did my hair and makeup for me. I felt amazing!!

Sat. August 30 Interviews!

First day of actual competition. Interviews were round robin--4 minutes with each judge. I started with a 1 minute intro highlighting bits about me. Then...it was just conversation! I remember leaving feeling very comfortable in how it all went. No challenging questions...actually, few questions at all...more like chit-chat. Judges were very nice. 

My family arrived today!! The kids stayed home (too expensive to get 7 children out to Tuscon) but my mom, Jess, my hubby Troy, my trainer Pete, and my aunt and uncle all arrived. I got to spend some time with them in the afternoon! Didn't realize how homesick I was!

Sun. August 31 Prelims!!

Prelims were today! I felt great about how I did. I smiled, made eye contact with the judges and felt very sassy in my swimsuit (thanks Pete)! 

Mon.Sept 1 Rehearsals

More rehearsals for finals night. Figured out the rest of the opening number (I am on the back row LOL)~!

Tues Sept 2 Finals

Wow...can't believe it is here! I remember being backstage hearing the words of a song..."I've waited my whole life for this one night..." Very exciting! We did have to wait for what seemed like a very long time for them to announce top 12. I did not make top 12 but am very proud of how I did. I would do nothing differently! The top 12 were a great group as were the top 6. I had Maureen pegged to do very well from day 1 in rehearsal! She lights up the stage with a presence! I wish her the best of luck at Mrs. World!

Wed. Sept 3 Homeward bound!

Woo Hoo! I'm on my way home! Troy's flight left early so I arrived at the airport early and just hung out. Was so fun to get to see many of my pageant sisters one last time as they left for home as well. What an amazing experience!

Thanks so much to my sponsors!! Pete (www.peterohleder.com) you are amazing! Platinum Salon & Spa (Jodi & Stacy www.platinumsalon.com)--my hair looked fabulous! Kansasland tire--thank you for your support!!

Thank you to my family! Troy and kids---love you! Mom and Jess--thanks for the shopping trips and daily cards!

Tracy--what an amazing director you are! I felt so good knowing you were there and in my corner! Love you!

Send off Party

I leave for Mrs. America one week from today! Whew---time has flown by! Mrs. KS US Rachel Murphy and Mrs. KS International Melanie Hansel threw me a send-off party yesterday. Friends and family attended with well-wishes! It is nice knowing that I have just an amazing support system! Thanks guys--love you!

Johnson County Parade

Charalet Dunnigan, Mrs. Johnson County 2008, invited me and Mrs. Geary County (Leslie Wilson) to join her in the Johnson County parade on Aug. 9 in Gardner, KS. The parade was "Favorite Holiday." Charalet came up with the great idea of using Mother's day as our car theme. We each wore sundresses and decorated the car with signs that read "one hot mama," "to do list...," and "Happy Mother's Day." We were so concerned about the heat...no need to be! It rained and was chilly! It was great seeing the two ladies...what a great day!

Titleholder weekend

What a blast we had the first weekend of August. Rich and Alvin hosted a "Titleholders' weekend" in Dallas. Allison, Mrs. OK, myself, Bobbie Jo Compton, Mrs. TX, and our director all attended. We had mock interviews, a fashion show, and stayed up late watching old pageant videos. The weekend was a great time to form new friendships and polish our skills as we all prepare for Mrs. America! Thanks Alvin and Rich!!

Appearances

Whew! What a month it has been! I've been in a commercial, flew to Chicago and Las Vegas to support fellow pageant gals, and attended numerous functions. Some highlights...I was the "celebrity" guest at the Barton County Fair (Great Bend, KS) on July 12. They hosted Think Pink night--a benefit comedy show for the cancer ward at their hospital. I also hosted Melanie Hansel's (Mrs. KS International) send-off party. She competed at Mrs. International in Chicago. I then filmed a commercial for Viega's Climate Panel system (heated hardwood floors). That was fun! That same day, I flew to Vegas to cheer on Mrs. KS US, Rachel Murphy! Today, the kids, Troy and I attended the ARC car show at Exploration Place in Wichita. I even got to award a Mrs. KS 2008 Choice trophy!

Only 5 weeks until I leave for Mrs. America! The time since I was crowned has flown by! I am so excited!

Hutchfest

The family and I attend the Hutchfest annual car show in Hutchinson yesterday! Wow! Some really "cool cars" (as Kody, my 4 year old said). I saw Lois and Avery from the Make a Wish show again. Beautiful cars and beautiful weather--what a combination!

YMCA Bidding with your boots on!

What a great fundraiser! I attended the South branch YMCA's Bidding with your boots on auction on June 27! I met Brian from KFDI's Brian and Kelli show! Great event!

Make a Wish Dream Car Show

Benjamin Franklin once said "doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves." What an amazing "something" this car show was! A total of $13000 was raised for the Make a Wish foundation. Melanie Hansel (Mrs. KS International 2008) and I had the blessing of meeting Kaylen, the Make a Wish child for the event. He is is 11 and was diagnosed with leukemia --what an amazing young man! (Kaylen, you are in our prayers). We also distributed trophies to over 35 fabulous cars! I feel very grateful to have gotten to be a part of this amazing experience!

Tag--You're it!

Jennifer Stehlar, Mrs. NY American Beauty tagged me so now I'm passing the torch. This is a fun way for others to get to know some "quirky" things about me. Here goes:

Rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you

2. Mention the rules on your blog

3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours

4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them

5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

My six unspectacular quirks:

1. I have an "evenness" thing LOL If one hand gets wet, I have to get the other one wet too or I feel uneven. LOL (My sister and Mom know just what I'm talking about).

2. I just learned how to use an Ipod (thanks to my 14 year old son)

3. I follow a very predictable bedtime routine (brush teeth, wash face, read books to babies, tuck them in, crawl into bed, watch Bones, House, or Stargate Atlantis with hubby, fall asleep).

4. I am a sci-fi nerd! LOL I love Stargate, Star Wars. Ok...I never got into Star Trek.

5. I am Mom to 5 and step mom to 2...my house is always a mess and there are always dirty clothes!

6. I am, unfortunately, not a domestic goddess. When my son was in 3rd grade, his class had a Mother's day tea. They were putting together recipe books as gifts. When I arrived for the party, another Mom came up to me and said, "Tyler has raved about your world famous brownies. I can't wait to get the recipe!" I had to laugh. My response..."Betty Crocker boxed mix!"

Those I've tagged:

Jennifer Stehlar:

http://stehlar.blogspot.com/2008/06/tag-you-it-ive-been-tagged-by-sister.html

Rachel Murphy:

http://mrsks2008.blogspot.com

Laine Berry

www.takingwellnesstoheart.blogspot.com

Kellie Hierholzer

www.kellihierholzer.com/#

Pete Rohleder

www.peterohleder.com

Melanie Hansel

www.mrsksint2008.blogspot.com

Boys & Girls Club kickoff

I attended the Boys & Girls Club of South Central KS summer kickoff on June 9th. What an amazing organization! There were approximately 250 children in attendance. The Club focuses on youth development and work force training (thanks to the $2.5 million  grant funded through the Knight Foundation!). 

I've had the privilege of working with this organization over the past year and truly believe the activities and mentoring children experience here positively impacts their lives. I am proud to be part of such a worthwhile organization! 

Send off party for Miss KS (MAO)

 What fun! I attended a send-off party for Jennifer (Miss Butler County) and Emily (Miss Augusta) this week. Erin Houston, Miss KS Teen United States 2007 was also in attendance. The girls modeled their wardrobe for the Miss KS pageant (being held in Pratt next week), demonstrated their talent, and completed an on-stage interview question. 

What was so inspiring was to see the local support these gals have. The mayor was there, as well as several other key constituents. These girls truly have the backing of their community! Good luck you two!

Better Speech and Hearing Month

May is Better Speech & Hearing month sponsored by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

If you or your child doesn't already have a portable music player or something similar, chances are that you will purchase one soon.. It's great that we can enjoy music through advances in audio technology, but at what price? With the increasing popularity of MP3 players, millions of adults and children across the U.S. are at a newfound risk of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Listening to headphones at high volumes for extended periods of time can directly result in lifelong hearing loss. The loss may occur painlessly and gradually over time and – this is important! – Noise-Induced Hearing Loss often goes unnoticed until it's too late.

More than half of high school students in the U.S. report having at least one symptom of hearing loss according to a 2006 poll commissioned by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. But it's not too late to curtail further hearing loss entirely in younger kids who are just starting to use portable music players and similar devices. It's critical that children learn good listening habits, and that parents set guidelines for headphone usage, monitor noise levels, and watch for warning signs of hearing loss. Here are three simple steps you can take to protect your children's – and your own – hearing.

1. Keep the volume down. A good guide is half volume.

2. Limit listening time. Give your hearing "quiet breaks."

3. Upgrade your earbuds, which sit inside the ear, and frequently come with the purchase of a portable music player, to earphones that fit outside the ear and block out unwanted sound. You can also upgrade to earphones that fit snugly into the ear canal and do the same thing.

Susan G. Komen For the Cure

Did you know that over 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2008? An estimated 40,480 women will die from breast cancer. 

My involvement with Susan G. Komen For the Cure stems back 10 years. My grandmother, aunt, and mother are all breast cancer survivors. Every year, the entire family walks in the Race for the Cure to support increased fiscal resources for breast cancer research and increased awareness. I am also on the education committee and volunteer regularly to disseminate information regarding breast cancer screening, treatment, and resources.

I've included a link to the donations page. Together, we can beat this disease. My goal is to work steadfastly to increase awareness and funding so that by the time my children become concerned about their own breast health, we not only have a cure for breast cancer, but also a way to prevent it.

Chisholm Trail Days, Caldwell, KS

From 1883 to 1887, the end of the Chisholm Trail was in Caldwell, KS. Annually, citizens in Caldwell celebrate their rich history with their Chisholm Trail days. My family and I were guests this year and had a wonderful time! The children loved the gunfight show and I fired the gun for the starting of the annual relay race. I also had a guest role in the theater production "Wild Women or Gentle Tamers: Women of the Wild West." For this role, I dawned a saloon girl costume and had a few lines! It was fun! A line from the play reminded me of what a powerful role women have in society. We are wives, mothers, friends, sisters, employees, employers, and many other. Each one of us will leave our mark on history!

March of Dimes

Many of my volunteer efforts focus on the March of Dimes. I was the keynote speaker for "Fund the Mission" at the annual Celebrity Chef Auction. I attend numerous March for Baby rallies and was the chairperson for a March for Babies walk team (appropriately names "Kansas Queens"). Most recently, on Monday the 28th of April, I spent the morning volunteering at the March of Dimes golf tournament in Wichita.  A chilly but sunny day for golfing!

My involvement with the March of Dimes stems from personal experience with prematurity. Kody, our 4 year old was born at 36 weeks, even after excellent prenatal care. He was not terribly preterm and seemingly healthy (6 lbs 5 oz., 9s on his Apgars) but at 45 minutes after his birth, he was taken to the NICU and placed on oxygen via a nasal cannula. An hour later, he was on a ventilator where he remained for 11 days. You can imagine the feelings of helplessness we experienced. Not being able to hold or nurse my baby...not being able to comfort him when he seemed anxious or in pain. We found out that he had pneumonia. He was given surfactant to help keep his lungs inflated. Little did I know at that point that March of Dimes' funding was the impetus for surfactant research. 

Kody is now a healthy, active 4 year old. Research funded by the March of Dimes helped to save our baby's life. Because of this, I continually give back to this organization through my time, effort, and energy.

From www.marchofdimes.com: 

"Today more than 1,400 babies in the US will be born prematurely. Many will be too small and sick to go home. Instead, they face weeks or even months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These babies face an increased risk of serious medical complications. . . Despite decades of research, scientists have not yet developed effective ways to help prevent premature delivery."

Mrs. Kansas America 2008

Wow! What an amazing weekend we had at the 2008 Mrs. Kansas America pageant. We had a great group of ladies--all very beautiful, talented, and successful. I think we had the best opening number ever! Erin Claycamp (Mrs. KS America 2007) choreographed a number to Lady Marmalade! Even I (a nondancer) had a blast with it!

Thanks to Tracy, Frankie, Erin, and Missy for a fun weekend! Thanks to all the contestants for selecting me as the winner of the congeniality award. Thanks to Pete Rohleder (www.peterohleder.com) for transforming my body into something sassy (I won swimsuit---yes, this mother of 5 won swimsuit!)! Also...JoAnn--thank you for making me feel like a supermodel on Sunday. I love my hair and makeup! Finally, Tiffany, thanks for helping the entire weekend run so smoothly! We love ya!

I often get asked about my motivation behind entering a pageant. For me, the answer is easy...I have dedicated my entire adult life to promotion of my platform, intervention services for at-risk youth. I make numerous presentations and publish in research journals as Dr. McDowell but have found that a crown can serve as a vehicle through which I can reach a wider audience. Being Mrs. Kansas America affords me the opportunity to speak with those on the "front lines"--teachers, parents, counselors, child care providers, etc. It allows my voice to have a wider reach. This is truly an awesome opportunity! I look forward to a great year and feel very honored to have been selected as the representative of married women in the great state of Kansas!

Just a bit about myself, I am Mom to 5 and Stepmom to 2 (we're a "his, mine, and ours" family). I am an assistant professor at Wichita State University (Go Shockers!) and earned my PhD in communicative disorders & sciences from Florida State University. As a family, we enjoy water sports, camping, reading, watching movies, and lots of extracurricular activities (basketball, wrestling, dance, track--just to name a few).

I'll keep you up-to-date on all appearances and experiences this year has to offer! Thanks for checking in.