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

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