My Last Month as Miss Lake County!

I am so excited about our pageant tomorrow and our dress rehearsal today! These girls have been working hard in rehearsals twice a week, but they have also gone above and beyond and that's what I want to share with you today!


Our first "field trip" was to a wonderful packing party for Tango Mike. Tango Mike is one of the great organizations I've had the opportunity to volunteer with this last year. They pack care packages with everything from shampoo to cookies for our local soldiers! Several of our contestants joined Alice and I, these girls were so helpful and man can they pack a box! You may be wondering who Monte is. Monte is a local soldier who was recently severely injured overseas. He is starting his journey through years of physical therapy soon and Ginny (the founder/ rock star of Tango Mike) is collecting motivating notes and pictures to help keep him going through the painful journey ahead. If you would like to send Monte a note or picture of support contact me and I can help make that happen!

After that it was time for our bowlathon fundraiser! All of the Miss contestants were in attendance and a few teens came to support too! We had such a blast at this event and I realized it was a great opportunity to get more people on Team Monte!

Thank you Lakeside Lanes!

This guy is a great bowler and so much fun! He  helped cheer on all  of our contestants!

Our princesses showing their support!

 While I would love to be able to blog right after the pageant to give you all the latest news, I will be unable to because after crowning I am jumping in my car and driving to MDA camp in Occidental! I will however send out tweets from @jnfr_hmbl as often as I can that night! I will do an update as soon as I get back linking you to the new winners blog, giving my final farewell, and a few extra tidbits from the pageant! See you soon!

Contestant Head Shots Are Here!

Thank you so much to Tiffany from T.A.C. for being so generous with your time and talent!

Miss contestants!

From bottom left up and around: Jamie Henry, Angela Tompkins, Miranda Richardson, Amber Marga, Amanda Williams, Denise Whitfield, Fran Kreuger, Felicia Cavagna, Laura Pankratz

Teen contestants!

Left to right top row: Kimberly English, Audrey Showen, Linda Ralosky, Finola Henninger

Left to right bottom row: Maleah Hutchison, Rebecca Bisaccio, Jamie Canada, Julie Anne Mathers


I am so excited for these girls, two of them will have an exciting year ahead with the crowns.

Long Time No See!

My other pageant dad!

I've had some time to reflect on my Miss California experience and would like to let all of you in on what I learned this year. It is going to sound cheesy, but it is such a better experience when you go into it wanting to have fun ( I hope you're listening future Miss Lake County.) Last year I went to Miss California scared out of my wits, I didn't have much fun, I didn't come home with many new friends, and I didn't come home with a crown. This year I didn't come home with a crown but I came back with so much more than I could've asked for because I went into it with an open heart. I became closer with old friends, and made so many new! I had a blast every second of every day I was there. I left knowing I was 100% myself the entire time, not trying to be who I thought the judges were looking for, which is a mistake I know I've made in the past. I am so proud of what I accomplished this year in Fresno, I had a blast and learned so much, I can't wait to compete in my next prelim so I can start my road back to Fresno! I am so grateful for everything this organization has given me, and I'm excited to crown Miss Lake County 2013 in a few weeks so she can see how incredible this organization is!

The cutest part of the show!

Our adorable "fishy princess" from High Desert

My cheering section!

I always love seeing Freeman and Kenneth smiling back at my when I'm on stage!

I love these crazy kids!

I brought my MDA good luck charm! There was also a rubber chicken  in my room!

My kindred spirit and former Miss Lake County Taylor Butler

The lovely Kathryn Faull Miss San Joaquin!

My studly gala escort

Noelle with Mr. California!

Carly Wellrich Miss High Dessert and I were together all week and I am so grateful! She always kept me laughing!

My lovely director Sandra Orchad

My fabulous field director Gwen!

We were a little sleep after Miss California, I don't think we were even out of Fresno yet!

Thank you to my committee and princess's for being there for me all week and being amazing cheerleaders! Thank you to my fairy-god-mothers Michele Moser and Verna Jacobs! Thank you to my sponsosors and s for making this all possible! Thank you to the hostesses backstage, you guys always go above and beyond the call of duty and I couldn't do it without you. Thank you to Bob Arnhym for putting such an amazing pageant on year after year. Thank you Cassie for your stunning choreography! Thank you to my parents for, well, everything! Thank you to my brother Jake for getting all dressed up to escort me to the gala, and doing all the heavy lifting! And finally, a very special thank you to all the wonderful contestants who made this year so fun for me! Congratulations Leah, I know you will represent all of us well at Miss America this January!

The fabulous 2012 class!

Since getting home from Miss California I have been as busy as ever! Miss Lake County rehearsals and fundraisers have started up, Lake County we have a fantastic year ahead! We have nine Miss contestants, and eight teen contestants, that is a huge leap from our four Miss contestants last year! Head shots will be up any day now and I will post them here as well as on our Facebook page!

Learning each others name's at the first rehearsal!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. When I first got home from Miss California the committee and I had some business to handle. It was time for our biggest fundraiser of the year, firework sales! It was really fun getting to meet all of our customers, and to see the surprises on their faces when they saw me in the booth with my crown on!

Getting some use out of my opening number outfit!

Our next fundraiser is an idea that is new to us but I am so excited to be putting it on! We are having a Bowling With Beauties Bowlathon!

A big thank you to the Lakeport Family Fun Center for so generously hosting this event! Thank you also  to Lakeport Dance Center and CPS Reality for hosting our rehearsals! 

My veteran and princess filled weekend!

I come from a family with quite the military history; both of my grandfathers were in the service, one of my grandmothers was a drill instructor in the Marines, my father was a Marine, and my little brother is a future Marine. I grew up very appreciative of everything our service men and women have done for me and this weekend I was lucky enough to have a few chances to say thank you!

A family favorite!

On Saturday, several of "Gwen's People" and I were invited to celebrate Flag Day at the Yountville Veteran's home. First of all let me tell you this place is huge. I have a knack for getting lost and this giant campus offered a lot of opportunity for that!!!!! Many of the vets were joking with me that they are spoiled now, because they live in such a beautiful place, and get to be around each other all the time. We got to go around doing a meet and greet, and then introduced ourselves on stage during the ceremony. Afterwards, we walked around getting to know people and giving out our pictures, it was a big hit! On all of my pictures I wrote, "Thank you for my freedom" not thinking anything of it because it is how I feel. I handed one of the older veterans his, when he read it he instantly started crying "happy tears" as he called them. It was by far one of the most moving moments I have been blessed to experience in my year as a title holder. I am so glad I was able to be a part of this event!

I loved getting to introduce myself and talk about how "Marine Corps Radio"  was my lullaby!

He loved taking pictures with us and even caught our photographers on camera!

Our jokester! I used some of his material with the lovely Miss Honey the next day! 

The next morning, I got to meet even more veterans and spend time with the Kelseyville Lions Club during the Vet Connect fundraiser. That morning I learned so much! There are about 9,000 known veterans residing in Lake County; that's more than 13% of our population! Vet Connect is an organization that puts veterans in contact with resources that they otherwise may not know are available to them. This includes help with education, job placement, health resources, housing, food stamps, disability assistance and so much more!  I was lucky enough to meet one of the founding members, Tom Benton, who is such a great resource and role model for everyone! He told me that Vet Connect was started by a group of homeless and previously homeless veterans who got together and spun a sad situation into an amazing organization! I really admire people who find solutions and use their trials to help others. Thank you so much Vet Connect for bringing your wonderful assistance program to Lake County!

Such a sweet heart, I was so glad I was able to write all of his grandchildren  notes on  my autograph cards!

Had fun time getting to know all of these vets, such a great group!

Our Miss Lake County princess party was a blast! We played games, ate yummy treats, read stories, performed our talents dances and much more!

Our super sweet princesses!

Shakin it!

I read about my favorite princess Belle in "Beauty and the Beast," she's my favorite because she reads!

All hail princess Honey!

Girls just wanna have fun!

My most intense week yet!

The last week has been a whirlwind but so very worth it! With Miss Lake County 2013 inching closer and closer it was time to do some recruiting to bring our numbers up. Our first orientation (pre-recruitment) brought in five Miss contestants and five Teens. After visiting Middle Town Middle School, Upper Lake High School, Kelseyville High School, Terrace Middle School, and Clear Lake High school this is our turn out at the second orientation!

We have an amazing year ahead of us! All of these girls are fantastic and I can not wait to spend the next few months getting to know them better! Before I won I made a list of Miss Lake County goals, one of the last things on that list was to bring Miss Lake County numbers back up into the double digits and today it was accomplished!

Alice and I in "the car", I've dreamed about being in a parade in this baby since I was five, thanks Bill! 

Aside from recruitment I have been doing all sorts of fun stuff these last few days. My Memorial Day weekend included the yummy Kiwanis pancake breakfast (unfortunately no pictures), a fantastic parade where I got to ride in "the car," our first orientation, and got to visit my good friends at the Lakeport Speedway. Later in the week I was able to judge the performing arts senior projects at Clear Lake High School which is always a fabulous experience. I also got to do two ribbon cuttings! The first was for the Anchorage Inn on Main Street which has been completely revamped and looks fabulous, and the family who runs it is so sweet! The second was for Lakeport Ford which was such an incredible event but was bitter sweet because of the unfortunate passing of Bill the owner a few days before the ribbon cutting, his wife Beverly is the sweetest thing and best hugger in the world!

The Ford ribbon cutting with members of the Chamber of Commerce and the lovely Miss Bev!

Loree and I had a blast together at the Lakeport Speedway!

The kind family that remodeled the Anchorage Inn!

What a great view for visitors to wake up to at the Anchorage Inn!

One of the other really fun events I was able to do was participate in Terrace Heights' 49er Days festivities. The children get a little taste of pioneer life and simultaneously learn a little more about hard work and the value of a dollar. I was able to work the dream catcher craft station and the general store. Later in the day a wonderful princess Ashley Dahl asked me to be her show and tell which was an absolute blast! The kids were so wonderful and excited to spend the day with me!

You have to wash your clothes to go to the movie theater! 

Just a couple of pioneers having a blast!

Nom nom nom

My super cute show and tell face with the lovely Miss Ashley!

On a side note, I am $250 away from my Children's Miracle Network goal that must be completed by the fourteenth so that I can compete at Miss California. If you would like to help me reach that goal you can do it here http://www.missamericaforkids.org/Donate/19046F911E7BCB76. The Miss America Organization has teamed up with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals to help raise money for children’s hospitals in communities throughout the United States. The money I raise will benefit both Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and the Miss America Scholarship Fund.

This may seem a little unrelated to MDA initially, but I'm one of the lucky girls who's platform ties in seamlessly with CMN! All of my kids use CMN hospitals for surgeries, emergency care, and many clinical trials. Your generousness donation helps MDA kids every day! Remember it only takes one muscle to make a difference, your heart!

Thanks so much for your support and for helping me make miracles happen!Thank you so much for your help, every dollar counts!

I want to say a quick congratulations to my MDA camper Alycia on her graduation!!!!! I love you like a sister so of course I had to make you blush a little bit!

You make me such a proud mama bear!