Rain out at Werner Park

I had to opportunity to redeem myself from my "Christina moment" today as I headed to Omaha to sing the National Anthem at the Omaha Storm Chasers baseball game.  Unfortunately after a half hour postpone and a forecast that wasn't showing any sign of improvement, the game was postponed until tomorrow.  Because of this I don't get to sing unless someone cancels at another date.  I was pretty bummed about this and of course a quarter tank lower on my gas gauge, but I did get the opportunity to hang out with the mascots Casey and Stormy!

Casey and I 

Stormy and I

So fun! 

We even "Dougied" a bit on the field after the announcement of the game being postponed.  Even though the rain put a damper on my morning/afternoon, I still had a great time and got to dedicate my afternoon to my to do list!

I emailed a few people that needed to hear from me, ordered rhinestones for my talent outfit, took a teeny snooze, found a leather jacket to borrow for Miss Nebraska, made my autograph pages, talked to my mom and sister, and best friends, eat some dinner and supper, and watched Idol!  Oh yes, and I played dress up with about 20 outfits that will be traveling with me to North Platte for Miss Nebraska!  Natasha Bedingfield's album was my theme music for my dress up fun and it was very enjoyable.

Feeling accomplished and ready for bed,
Kayla
Miss Omaha

ps. almost only 10 days left until Miss Nebraska week kickoff! 

Miss Nebraska Preparation's!

DAYS UNTIL MISS NEBRASKA WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I hope you all appreciate my scream via text because I don't think my neighbors enjoyed hearing through their walls...oops.  I can't believe the year has gone by so fast.  It seems like yesterday that I was being crowned Miss Omaha 2011 and now I am only weeks away from being on the Miss Nebraska stage for the Miss Nebraska 2011 pageant!  Let's just say that my list of things is coming alone...some slowly but they're coming.  

evening gown-check!

off-night gown-check!

swimsuit-IP (in progress until completion this SUNDAY!)

talent outfit- IP (I'm actually picking it up TOMORROW!)

interview outfit-check!

parade outfit-check!

I mean, don't you think I'm doing pretty well?!  I do!  I have yet to glue rhinestones (not exactly sure how excited I am about that project), get more autograph pages and make sure I'm all packed and prepared for the week in North Platte!

In the midst of all my hustle and bustle with the pageant world, I did take the time to celebrate my birthday with some fun in the sun (totally got my face fried) and friend time this weekend.  It was so nice to be able to spend time with my best friends and create lasting memories of the best birthday celebration of my life!

My "princess hat" aka "crown" 

But now, it's game time.  My mind is focused, my body's healthy, and I'm feeling like my loud, obnoxious, crazy self, complete with my game face.  I can't wait to spend an entire week with some of the most talented women in the state of Nebraska as well as the greatest board and staff (i/e: Darrell).  Thirteen days will fly by and before I know it and I will be making my trek out west for the biggest event of my summer, Miss Nebraska.  

Motivated and charged,

Kayla

Miss Omaha 

 

End of school, Piano Recitals, and PAGEANT COUNTDOWN!

Let me just introduce you to my next few weeks and you'll understand the photo above:

2 days until I get to sing the National Anthem at the Omaha Storm Chasers baseball game
5 days until my little sisters dance recital
12 days until I get to play "wedding singer" at my first wedding of the season
13 days until Miss Nebraska kickoff in North Platte
19 days until Miss Nebraska 2011 is crowned!

Screaming with joy about describes me at this point!  I am so excited for this part of my journey of the summer.  In the midst of all those days I also have many birthdays, mock interviews, volunteering, appointments for Miss Nebraska prep, and work everyday!  I must say too, how happy I am that my junior year of college is over.  It was a stressful semester and as I turned in my 34 page manuscript last Friday, I was finally able to breath again.  As for grades...I don't want to check!  Not to say they are going to be bad, but I get very nervous to look and would much rather wait for a few days of summer to set in before I look at them.

So off my list of things to do, school is no longer one of them! Check!

This Saturday also brought up the end of my piano lessons through the studio I work at with our Spring Recitals.  I am always so proud of my students at recital and I will miss them over the summer.  I felt very loved when I told them that last weeks lesson was the last one of the semester.  They looked at me and responded with a sort of "Ahh, really?"  It was clear that they were going to miss me just a teeny bit!  But I'm sure they were tired of hearing my birthday and Miss Nebraska countdown every lesson.  I think my student Miles could tell you more things about those days than even I know.

Miles and I after recital

I have a touch of sleepiness when it comes to holding babies

Even though school and piano are out of the way for now I still feel busy as ever and I don't think it's going to stop!  Please keep me in your thoughts as I continue this journey into the great unknown (okay so known really) land of Miss Nebraska!  

That's all for now,

Kayla

Miss Omaha

My Life!

Striking a pose at the top of Courthouse Rock

Hello and welcome to the crazy, hectic life I live!  I must first and foremost apologize for my lack of participation in my blog and justify it solely for the purpose that I took on a heap of things this semester and just couldn't quite keep up with everything going on.  I have now learned a lesson and through lots of trials and consequences, am feeling much better about things.  I turned into quite an emotional mess earlier this spring (before orientation I believe) and struggled financially for quite sometime (am struggling) and of course I couldn't just have a few things going wrong but my computer had to crash, (I'm not joking) and after that got fixed my car decided that it needed repairs too.  But because of the wonderful people in my life I was able to get my computer fixed and my car fixed and school is OVER!

I was able to make the trip back home for Easter and brought the man with me (his first experience in my neck of the woods).  We visited Carhenge and Courthouse and Jailhouse Rock in Bridgeport, even climbed our way all to the top of Courthouse Rock.  It was great spending time with the family and I had been missing the 65mph winds too so I'm so glad I got to experience that too!

Easter Picture, just missing my other sister and her husband and daughter!

After Easter breakfast and lunch at home, Joel and I made our way to my grandma's for our annual Easter Egg hunt!  Joel seemed very confident going into the hunt but after he saw my bag of eggs the disappointment sunk into his face!

Oh yes, I most definitely won the hunt, and for once I didn't cheat!  I must say that there has been a few years that the little cousins participating will set their bags down and my hands just seem to find themselves in the bags stealing their eggs, but this year I played fair.  There were over 300 eggs and eight of us...I was second oldest behind my cousin Chance who is 24.  We like competitions in my family!  I was able to refill my coin jar with all the money eggs I found and stock my candy dishes at home.  

It was a great weekend and it's been a blessing since then to get things crossed off my list of things to do.  

Ready for the upcoming month,

Kayla 

Miss Omaha

Walk for Wellness

Bit of an opening ceremonies!

A bit of a brisk morning in Omaha April 17th, but that didn't stop the Walk for Wellness.  And for a first time event and a cold rainy morning, it was a great turnout.  The Walk for Wellness was set up by Girl Scouts in Omaha to promote healthy life styles in our youth.  For every mile walked you got to enter your name into the raffle for prizes.  Let me tell you, they had quite the selection.  Two children's bikes, jump ropes, hula hoops, basketballs, kickballs, soccer balls, and best of all...a Wii system and WiiFit system!  All of that, just for walking!  Entrance was free with a canned food item too.  After the opening ceremonies kids took to the track to get their laps started.  There were a lot of vendors there too to encourage healthy lifestyles as well, both through fitness and through nutrition.  Kids were able to learn about healthy snacks to eat as well as some fun ways to exercise.

Some supporters!

Mayor Jim Suttle and I 

I choose to do a bit of hula-hooping!  I must say that I am quite the hula-hooper and have won many contest before so when I took the challenge of a contest against this young lady, I had no doubts that I would win!  As we were getting the swing of things, I thought it would be a great idea to capture a photo...unfortunately my camera was in my jacket pocket.  Ever so carefully I snatched it out of my pocket without disrupting my hula hoop and got a photo snapped.  I'm not sure how long we went at this but of course I was doing everything I could to win that competition.  I was walking with my hula hoop, letting it start to fall down and then using my hips to get it back, even turning in circles.  This girl wasn't a quitter.  I finally realized that my clutch was in my pocket and it was beginning to throw off my motion so I went to, ever so gently, pull it out of my pocket AND I lost my hula hoop!  She beat me!  I suppose I wasn't too torn up from it, especially because I got myself a watermelon Jolly Rancher out of the deal! :)

a hula-hooping contest...that I lost!

They also had an activity...one that for the life of me can't remember what they are called.  You know, the things that have hoops you have to jump through and cones you run around and then you have to jump rope five times then do the hula four times...  I feel as though someone is going to read this and think that I should be smacking myself in the head for not remembering!  Anyway, I did one of those whatever-you-call-them and got quite a few laughs when they saw me Army crawling through the grass with a crown on.  I think it's quite the skill!

Army crawl with a crown...skill?

Don't forget to hula-hoop!

Girl Scouts

Liza Zysset put this on and did a great job!

I had a great time interacting with the supporters and even got to play some football with one of the boys!  He was quite impressed that I could throw a spiral.  So impressed in fact that he ran over to his dad to tell him to watch, "she throws the football like a boy, dad!"  I don't take any offense to that either.  For someone as nonathletic as myself I don't mind being referenced to a boy with a good arm!

Looking forward to sunny days,

Kayla

Miss Omaha