Miss Nebraska Orientation

My mommy Teri at orientation.

It is that time of year again.  Pageant season.  The Miss Nebraska Orientation was held April 1st and 2nd in North Platte and not only did I get to reunited with all of the wonderful women I will be competing with this June but I got to see my mama.  Marianne, Tracy, and Kelsey sped into town a few (by few I mean 20) minutes before they were supposed to so I was a bit behind on packing but quickly gathered my things and we made our way to North Platte.  We discussed swimsuit color/style, talent outfit and interview the way down and got quite a few ideas.

After two bathroom breaks we finally made it to town and I got to go straight to my host families house for supper before the contestants met.  I would like to introduce you to Tonja, Ben, James and Joe; my four amazing. wonderful siblings.  Yes indeed, I claim them as family.

The Heirigs kiddos + me= one of my favorite things in the world.

I have had the pleasure of keeping my host family each year I've competed at Miss Nebraska, making this the third summer I get to have them.  I have truly found my place amongst the hectic crazy lifestyle with four kiddos running around.  I have a crazy love for children and I wouldn't trade any of them or the loud household or dinner discussions for anything in the world.  Laura and Rick (my parents) have always been so good to be and outside of my immediate family, my biggest fans.  It's always so encouraging to have the support of all them and their words of encouragement throughout my stays as well.  Laura even put a vase of tulips in my room for orientation weekend.  They are my favorite!  I can't wait to spend my week with them this June!  

After supper and some visiting we headed to the church to meet the other contestants and their host families and then headed over to the Engels for a 'contestant only' get together.  And surprise, surprise, we got to Skype Teresa!  It was such a pleasure talking with her...okay actually listening!  If any of you have heard Teresa talk, that girl LOVES it!  He had great things to say about her experience at Miss America and having the job now!  I am very eager to see her again in June.  

Saturday morning kicked off with the contestant order draw and for the second time in my pageant career I am contestant NUMBER 1!  That's right, first one on the stage for swimsuit, evening wear and my night of talent.  I am in the Diamond group which means I will be competing in onstage question and evening wear the first night of prelims and then swimsuit and talent the second night of prelims.  I am very comfortable and satisfied with my choice...not that I had many to choose from being the third from last name called.  

After paperwork, tickets, photos, production check, and mock interviews each of the contestants go to join our little sisters for a pizza party!  Our directors and parents got to hang out too!  Unfortunately only one of my little sisters, Haylee Serrano, was able to be at the pizza party but I am anxious to meet Anabelle Gillen in June!  Haylee and I had a great chat during supper and got to know a lot about each other!  She told me she is very anxious for the week of Miss Nebraska and is so happy to be my little sister.  And of course I'm so grateful to be her big sister!

Haylee and I

J-States and I posing for a photo!

We could definitely be real sisters, look at that cross-eyed action!

After a very eventful and busy day I was ready to head back home to Lincoln!  Marianne, Kelsey, Tracy and I loaded up again and took to the road with talk about everything.  Really, I'm not kidding.  We talked about boys, Miss Nebraska, death, Sunday school, marriage, happy things, and sad things.  It was a great carpool event!  On one of our bathroom stops we were facing West and got this incredible view.

God is good isn't He?  This kind of image is what makes creation so believable to me.  Where else could such beauty come from?

Feeling loved inside and out,

Kayla

Miss Omaha

And I'll love you with a little love song I found :)

St. Patty's Day Parade

Nicky, Mindy and I with some firefighter supporters!

The frigid March morning, although chilly, brought many supporters and many Omaha residants to the annual St. Patty's Day Parade.  I had the pleasure of joining the wonderful Miss Nebraska, Nicky Haverland and beautiful Miss Douglas County, Mindy Schreiber for the parade and events to follow.  Because we arrived at our location a bit before our cars we jogged over to the fire station to keep warm and ran into quite a good looking bunch of men!  Yes, most of them were married and many very shy too, but it was fun to joke about it.

Omaha Firefighters

The lovely ladies carrying my flag...and a band boy :)

The lovely Miss Douglas County, Mindy

Before the parade started I was able to capture some photos with the school mascots of the band that marched in front of the 'princesses,' my driver and a wonderful bunch of people that are very famous.

My driver and my lovely car!

The Star Wars crew!

It's the Star Wars crew!! They were basically real-life with their outfits and characters.  They welcomed me into a photo with them and I must laugh because I feel like I look a bit like the Darth himself in this photo.  It must be the black attire.

It was a very chilly but successful day and it was wonderful spending time with Nicky and Mindy.  I can't wait for the week of Miss Nebraska to make that an every day occurrence!

Mindy couldn't keep that stinkin' sash on!

That's all for the parade.  Maybe the next one I'll be in will include an ice water instead of a coffee, and some sunblock instead of a scarf! :)

Kayla
Miss Omaha

Mrs. Nebraska 2011

The lovely Karalyn Hoefer, Mrs. Nebraska 2011

I was honored to have the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the Mrs. Nebraska competition this year as well as watch one of my favorite people compete!  I am such a proud former titleholder of Karalyn's and she will represent Nebraska SO well throughout her year.  The Mrs. America Pageant was just held last weekend and Karalyn made top 15!!! She looked so amazing! 

I also had the opportunity to catch up with my dear friends Mollie and Jessica.  We had a great time whispering our critiques to one another throughout the whole pageant, keeping our fingers crossed for Karalyn!

Jessica, Mollie and I.  LOVE these girls!

Kaity & Kalyssa (Mrs. Nebraska's daughters!)

My new friend Sam!

Jordan Somers & I

Heather Loske & I 

Mrs. Nebraska 2010 Nicole Panneton

It was so fun to be able to watch a pageant and not participate for once...although I feel like I still had the same amount of nerves!  I can't wait to see what Karalyn accomplishes in her reign!

That's all for now ya'll!

Kayla Batt

Miss Omaha

Pancakes for CMNH!

I was able to get some community service hours in at the local IHOP for National Pancake Day!  Many title holders who live near Lincoln met up that evening to help get support for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.  You'd be amazing at how many people come out for free pancakes!  Unfortunately I didn't get to snatch any of those for myself!  This national pancake day is an event sponsored by IHOP to promote CMNHospitals and to gather donations.  Customers are offered a free three-stack of pancakes for a donation to CMNH.  

Mindy & I

Snappin photos in the kitchen!

Mmm..how about that butter!

After talking with customers in the lobby about the partnership between IHOP, CMNH, and the Miss America Organization I actually got to get my hands dirty with some butter scooping!  I always wondered how they got that butter so nice and round!  It was great working along side the staff and my fellow contestants and friends.  It was a great turnout and I can't wait until next year to do it again!

A customer who just finished a plate of pancakes and made her donation.

Now who could resist that stacker?

That's all for the moment!

Kayla

Miss Omaha

Miss Alliance/Outstanding Teen Pageant!

After my short visit in North Platte I headed home for to emcee the Miss Alliance/Outstanding Teen Pageant! I had a blast being home for the day and loved getting to spend time with all the contestants.  This of course is where pageantry all started for me.  I was the first Miss Alliance's Outstanding Teen in 2007 and have been a part of the Miss Alliance Pageant for years.  Like many mothers, mine choose to volunteer me to help her each year with the silent auction.  I must say that I began to enjoy watching the girls compete and then hear how they did at the state level.  Its so crazy thinking that now I am in all of this.  

Congratulations to Sarah Summers of Papillion on winning the Outstanding Teen title and a huge congrats to Megan Dimmit of Alliance.  (Megan's mom was my piano teacher for a few years!)

Miss Omaha, Miss Northwest, Miss Alliance, Miss Blue River, Miss Scottsbluff County

I had a great time with the job as emcee as well.  I got to work with my fellow neighbor/brother/friend Jon Marquez...and many of you who know about Jon and I, we've had quite the love/hate relationship!  Jon and I both played trumpet throughout school and lived right across the street from one another.  Needless to say we have had our moments but all in all make quite the pair!

Brooke Ludeman & I

Former Miss Alliance OT Meghan Thalken

I had a great time and a long drive home, but I got to enjoy the view of a whole lemon pie sitting on the seat next to me!  I sure do love my grandma!  

Sorry so short and sweet but I'm on a race to get caught up!

How about a song for a close :)

A little love from JHud!

I'll be writing soon...no joke...like in the next couple minutes!

Kayla 

Miss Omaha

Playing Catch-up!

Okay, so I know I've been horribly awful at keeping up with my blog the last couple months and I sincerely apologize!  But I'm here to let you know I have much to catch you up on!  First I'm going to dive back into February/March momentarily and then I'll get the recent stuff rolling!  I promise...it's happening!

Absent from blogging,
Kayla
Miss Omaha :)

Miss America's Homecoming!

My Miss Nebraska little sister from last year Haley Piper.

 After five hours of work, three hours of driving, and two hours of getting ready I was finally on my way to Miss America's homecoming celebration at the Quality Inn and Suites in North Platte.  Thanks to my dear friend and fellow competitor, Kayla Decker (Miss Nebraska State Fair) I had a place to change and do some hair prep before the big show.  Upon our arrival to the hotel I was engulfed with fellow competitors and friends.  I loved being in the North Platte "home" again.  It is always such a joy to be welcomed by so many wonderful people.  I immediately ran into my "little sister" from last years pageant, Haley Piper.  She was such a spunky girl during the pageant last year and was truly, my biggest fan.  I remember her whispering into my ear before performances things like, "We all want you to win!" and "You look so pretty tonight!"  It was so encouraging during the week to see the impact I was having on her life and the inspiration I was creating.

Miss VT (my Outstanding Teen sister/roomie) and I

 And of course, I had to see my other "sister," my Miss VT OT 2007, Caroline Bright!  I had the pleasure of cheering Caroline on at Miss America and then I got to see her in my home state!  How wonderful!  I have such a large amount of pride in this woman.  I spent two weeks with her in Orlando; sleeping through alarm clocks, being late for breakfast, practicing our production numbers, and being each others...other for the entire stay.  I saw that young woman then, and now look what I get to see.  She is such an inspiration and I will always have a special place in my heart for her.  I love seeing the transformation she has had from that young woman, the the beautiful, intelligent, most dedicated Vermonter I know!  (Love you Caroline!)

Local title holders with Brittany Jeffers, Miss NE '09

 While waiting for our food to be served and the program to start I took advantage of the down time and snapped some photos!  It was so great talking to the other titleholders that I will have the joy of spending at week with at Miss Nebraska in June.  It was also great to catch up with some of the hostesses and Miss Nebraska board as well.

Sister titleholders <3

 After dinner and the program of the top 5, Miss America contestants, and many, many awards I was finally allowed to attack my favorite former Minnesotan (Nebraskan now!) Nicky Haverland!  I met Nicky in the Miss Omaha/Douglas County 2010 pageant, where she was crowned Miss Douglas County.  She was so much fun and I was so grateful to become close with her during the week of Miss Nebraska.  I love teasing her accent :).  I am so proud of Nicky for stepping into the shoes of Miss Nebraska and taking over the job for the rest of the year.  She will do a fabulous job and I can't wait to spend another week with her this June!

Miss Nebraska 2010, Nicky Haverland.  Such a wonderful woman!

 And finally...FINALLY...I got to have my picture taken with Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan!  It was lovely to see her again and looking fabulous as always.  I had actually jumped into a picture earlier than this one with all of the other titleholders, but I was feeling a bit jealous of all the people who were getting their pictures with her alone...so I took advantage of my selfishness and stood in line like a child at an ice cream truck to see her...again.  I was one of the only local girls who got to travel to Vegas to watch Teresa compete in each area of competition, and I was so happy to connect with her again.  She is truly a great woman.

I have to add this here too, because I told Teresa a little story.  When people hear me mention that I compete in the Miss Nebraska Pageant they always ask, "So you know the Miss Nebraska who's Miss America now?!"  I always reply, "Yes I do!  I actually competed with her...and she beat me."  Everyone always thinks its so cool that I competed with the current Miss America (as do I!) but I always have to slip in the teeny bit on information they may not know.  That once upon a time, I beat Miss America in a pageant!  I won my first pageant as Miss Alliance's Outstanding Teen and Teresa was runner up to the other title!  Teresa got a kick out of this little story and I just had to tease her about it!

Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011

Brittany Jeffers and I

My favorite Darrell and I. 

Former Miss Nebraska judge and Miss America 2004, Erica Dunlap and I.

 The rest of the evening was filled with photos and catching up.  I am so looking forward to the competition this June I can hardly keep it to myself!

Leaving you with some music:
New favorite love song :)
Love this jam!

More to come...like tomorrow!
Kayla
Miss Omaha :)