Dancing through the fire...

I've thought about what I was going to write after the pageant and I wanted to wait a day or so to let everything sink in. Sunday night was one of the best nights of my life... Ok I take that back it was probably the best day ever. It's like all of your dreams thrown into one night. Everything you ever worked for swirled into a pot and made into a perfect night. I'm going to start out by saying I was lucky. There were other women left on that stage Sunday night that were just as talented and qualified to be in the top 10. I am still so humbled to be one chosen. I was very calm the entire time I was there. After I walked out of interview, I knew they either loved me or thought I was a complete goof ball. But hey, that's me y'all... When they called my name Sunday night it's as if all my troubles and cares went flying out the window. I had the same feeling I had when you was 10 years old on Christmas morning. Your stomach starts to flutter and you're so giddy you can't even stand it. I was so happy... anything after top 15 was a blessing. My name was called two more times that night and I got the same feeling each time. I was able to perform EVERYTHING except answering a question. If you didn't know, Miss CT and I are best friends. We were called out back to back in the top 15 and made it to the 10 together. Talk about perfect. I could not have asked for more. I want to also use this blog to address a few things...

Yes, my sweet dog has met the President. In fact, my entire family has except for me. When the Obama's when to Panama City after the Gulf oil spill my parents met them while they were out at lunch. President Obama looked at Sable and said "Well, if I had known you were going to be here I would have brought Bo." How cool is that? They didn't shake hands, but she got a pat on the head from Mr. President.

I've already addressed this once, but I have not had liposuction. Good grief, come on people. And I haven't had my nose done. If you look at my entire family you would realize we all have the same nose. No girl that competed was perfect but we try to present our best self at all times. If you don't like the way we look or think someone else had a better body just keep it to yourself. Think of how you would feel in 5 inch heels and close to no clothes at all on stage. Scary thought huh? I could go on forever about this topic but I'll stop there... 

My evening gown... I was absolutely in love with it. It was my style which is why I was so proud to wear it. Thank you so much to Tony Bowls and W.C. Webb for seeing my vision and making the gown of my dreams. I would not have wanted to wear anything else on that stage. 

I was absolutely blessed this year at Miss America. And especially blessed to have so many incredible people behind me. My family, friends, and the most amazing board/prep team in the country. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I am so proud of myself and proud to have represented Georgia. My year as Miss Georgia doesn't stop here. I still have the job until the end of June and you better believe I'm going to cherish every moment. I can't wait for another girl to experience what I did. I tear up every time I think of my experience. It was absolutely perfect and more than I could have ever imagined. I didn't win and I wasn't what the celebrity judges were looking for at the end, but they at least liked me a little bit. Lance Bass kind of liked me... I can't even fathom that concept. Nina, our new Miss America, is the epitome of strength. She has already been through so much, but she has handled it with grace. That's what Miss America is all about. I'm so proud of her and can't wait to see what she does this year! Thank you again for all the UNCONDITIONAL love and support. I did my best. I have absolutely no regrets. That's more than I could have ever asked for. 

I think all 53 of the contestants would agree our theme song this week was "Roar" by Katy Perry. We've all had troubles, none of us are perfect, and we've worked so hard to get where we are. 

You held me down, but I got up 

                                                             Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound

Like thunder gonna shake the ground

You held me down, but I got up 

Get ready ’cause I’ve had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar

There are so many people I want to thank but I'll start with wardrobe/sponsors/glam squad first... 
Interview and walk on: Gregory Ellenburg
Opening number: Joseph Ribkoff and Pink and Pepper Shoes 
Walk on, visitation dresses, and way more: Scott Marchbanks at Frills 
On stage question: Keith Pittman at Lasting Impressions 
Evening gown: Tony Bowls and W.C. Webb at the Parlor Boutique
Talent: Tony Bowls and W.C. Webb for my gown. Bill Wolfe for my arrangement. Thomas Barnette for making sure it was perfect and I was able to perform it to the best of my ability. 
Swimsuit: Miss America by Catalina. Stephen Smith for pushing me to be my best self. I'll never forget that swimsuit win. Thank you. Kaylin Reque, thank you for helping me ignite forest fires with my walk.
Parade: Randall Smith and Raydale Jones. Everyone loved my fabulous peach costume and it was fabulous none the less!
To the glam squad... Kristen White, Stephen Smith, Thomas Barnette, Randall Smith... No words. You are all the reason I am who I am today. Our journey doesn't end here. Thank you for always believing in me. 
Galen Kovash and Greg Blazer: We have laughed more this year than anything else. Thank you for always believing me. I can't wait to spend more time together this year! 
Snooky, Oz, the rest of the Miss GA board, and the Miss Atlanta board: Thank you for supporting me and loving me. I have never felt so much love. 
My family (Mom, Daddy, Tripp, Nana, Papaw, Meme, Aunt Alta, my cousins): Thank you for loving me no matter what and keeping me grounded. I'll never forget where I came from... Partly because yall will show me pictures of when I was socially awkward ha! I love you guys to the moon and back. 
Leslie, Devon, Taylor, Lindsay, Jess, Elizabeth, Dianna, Tori: Thank you for being the best most supportive friends a girl could ask for. 
The patties: Leslie, Bri, Cassie, Malone, Colleen, Court, Mary Ashley, Ama
Leighton and Mrs. Clemmie: Thank you for always being a light. Your support and love will stay with me forever. I love you both so much. 

There are many more people I need to thank and I will but that's just a start... Another blog post to come.

Finish the drill...

There is no way to describe how loved I have felt the past two weeks. There is no way to write down exactly how I am feeling at this very moment. However, I can honestly say the past two weeks in Atlantic City have changed the way I look at the world. Spending time with 52 of the brightest women in the country has given me hope for the future. I admire every single contestant for their bravery and dedication to this organization. Each girl would be an incredible Miss America. Unfortunately, there can only be one. Although I would love for that to be me, I know whoever is chosen can and will be able to handle the job. My experience here has been like night and day from my experience at Miss Georgia. I pray that each state can see just how supportive we have all been to each other and realize that it is more than a pageant. God decided who will be the next Miss America before any of us were born. I am comforted in the fact alone. I have no regrets for the way I performed and was nothing but myself. I WORKED to get where I am and especially WORKED to have the body that won a swimsuit prelim. No lipo or weird weight loss surgeries. No fad diets. Just 8,000 sit ups and lunges. Sweat and tears led me to this moment and I am perfectly at peace. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and the person I am. No matter what happens I want everyone to know how happy I am of my performance and there will be no disappointment. God has a plan and it is greater than I could ever imagine. Jeremiah 29:11.

The Climb

The title of this blog is so appropriate to how the last few weeks have been. It has truly been a climb.  Yes, it has been stressful. Yes, I am now battling a cold probably caused from stress. However, I have already experienced some of the greatest moments of my life and I'm not even at Miss America yet. I am finalizing all of my wardrobe and have mock interviews every week. My body is sore all the time but I have never felt more confident about myself! Stephen Smith, my trainer, is truly amazing. There are trials that affect us every day. Some are big and some are small. I started writing this yesterday and of course I now have something else on my mind. It's crazy how everything can change in an instant. God works in mysterious ways that's for sure. I know He has a grand plan and it's all up to Him! I have not had the opportunity to sit down long enough to write a new blog post and for that I apologize. The good news is... I LEAVE FOR MISS AMERICA IN 12 DAYS!!! *I think I can... I think I can... I know I can...* 12 more days until I begin the most important journey of my life. I have worked my entire life for this day and I want to thank each person who has stayed by my side through thick and thin. Being a state titleholder is a hard job. This job is extremely demanding and sometimes it is not as glamorous as people would think, but it is wonderful! This is something that a lot of people will never experience. I want everyone to know that I will never take this opportunity for granted. I'm the kind of person that wants to make everyone happy. It's just how I was raised. The past few months I've learned that sometimes you're put into situations where you can't make everyone happy. It's just unrealistic. You just have to do your best with what you're given and that's all you can do. I have been given the this incredible opportunity to make a difference. My life hasn't been perfect and it never will be. That's what I want people to understand. I want people to know that no matter what life throws at you, it's going to be ok. Just a little vent for the day...

So what have I been up to? Goodness, it's hard to even remember everything that has been going on. I was in Orlando last week to watch my beautiful teen, Kelly Hutchinson, compete for the title of Miss America's Outstanding Teen. She represented the state of Georgia so well and I was SO proud of her! I know she has BIG things to look forward to! I also met the 52 other women who will be applying for the same job as me! Every contestant I met was so warm and full of life. I couldn't believe I was surrounded by so many incredible women my age. We led the parade at Disney World and signed autographs. It was a pretty perfect week! We didn't even have to say goodbye because we all get to see each other again so soon.

I am now finalizing wardrobe and have almost received all of it. That has been a nerve wracking experience with the pageant being in September but it is all coming together! My send off party is THIS Sunday at the Cunningham Center in Columbus at 3 PM. Please come if you are in the area! I will be showing the wardrobe that I have but some of it is not completely finished yet. As I end this short blog, I want to again thank everyone who has supported me. Also, a HUGE thank you to my incredible sponsors. I am still in awe... Just so in awe of this entire experience. I may not always understand why things happen in life or why curveballs are thrown at the most unexpected times but God is good... and because He lives I can face tomorrow.

Please continue watching my America's Choice video on YouTube and vote at missamerica.org/videocontest :)

Because God is graceful, I am brave...

"But life inevitably throws us curve balls, unexpected circumstances that remind us to expect the unexpected. I've come to understand these curve balls are the beautiful unfolding of both karma and current."

Where do I even begin? I haven't blogged in awhile. This is a time of my life where I should be blogging constantly to remember the adventure that I have just begun. So let's just say I'm turning over a new leaf and beginning not only my life as Miss Georgia, but my life as a blogger.

As many of you know, I was crowned Miss Georgia this June. The day I was crowned was when my life changed forever. If I remember correctly, I slept all of about 30 minutes that night. But let's be real, who could sleep after something like that? Thankfully the next day I was able to take an hour nap after interviews in Columbus. It's hard to remember everything that happened the final night of Miss Georgia. I was extremely calm. That's when I knew everything was going to be ok. I knew I would be ok if I went home as Miss Georgia or remain Miss Atlanta. I knew that I had done everything in my power to become Miss Georgia. The rest was left up to God. It was by no means an easy journey this year as Miss Atlanta. I had to go through the dreaded time of not knowing what happens after college. The unknown is a scary thing. But like I said, that's when you leave it up to God. Graduating from college mixed with pressure that I put on myself to do well at Miss Georgia almost ruined my chance. I wanted to be perfect so bad that I was not allowing myself to be... well, myself. I felt defeated after almost every mock interview and could not figure out why I wasn't connecting with the judges. I recently had a conversation with a very special person about how my experience can be compared to the psychological aspect of sports. You can't physically perform to the best of your ability if you don't have the right mindset. Once I let go of all the negativity and all the pressure I had put on myself, I knew everything would fall into place. I thought to myself, "Why am I worried? God has already worked everything out. It's already decided." That was my comfort throughout the entire week of Miss Georgia. Why should I be worried about something that has already been decided?

And so it happened... I am so humbled and honored. There are really no other words to describe how I feel. I have the opportunity to share my story and passions with so many people across the state and country. It's hard to believe the overweight 12 year old girl I once was is about to compete for the title of Miss America. I wouldn't change what I've been through. I wouldn't change the fact I was overweight and bullied. I wouldn't change any rough time in my life. It made me who I am today. It also has given me the opportunity to be an example to other people who may be going through the same thing. You can get through it, you will get through it, and you will accomplish what you set your mind to. Life isn't easy, but that's what makes it so rewarding. I am thrilled about my year to come as Miss Georgia. September will be here before we know it. On September 15th I will become Miss America or I will come home the next day as Miss Georgia. Either one is ok with me. God already has that one decided, too. His plan is great and I can't wait to see what it is. 

Before I end my first blog post I want to thank some people who have already impacted my life as Miss Georgia... 
- W.C. Webb at the Parlor Boutique in Albany 
- John Siggers for taming this hair of mine and always making sure I look my best 
- Keith Pittman at Lating Impressions for the incredible wardrobe that I have already been blessed to wear. I have felt like a rockstar. 
- Scott Marchbanks at Frills and Fancies... Where do I even begin? You have already spoiled me and I can't wait to make the trip to Statesboro to visit your amazing shop 
- Matt and Meredith Boyd for my incredible head shots! You two are absolutely amazing. They turned out better than I could have ever imagined!
- Stephen Smith with Viva Fitness. You are more than a trainer... you are an incredible friend and thank you for pushing me to always be the best I can be. 
- Thomas Barnette... you are part of the reason I am who I am today. Thank you for always believing in me. 
- Kirsten White... thank you for making me feel fabulous. I can't wait to spend even more time together at Miss America! 
- Randall Smith for my alterations and my fabulous outfit that I will be wearing on the boardwalk at Miss America! 
- Kia and Mr. Braun... I have already put over 2,000 miles on my car. Your support of the MGO is appreciated more than you will ever know! I love my car! 
- The entire Miss Georgia Board... thank you for already being so supportive and there for me whenever I need anything. I have already had the pleasure of spending time with most of you but I can't wait to spend time with those I haven't quite gotten to know. 
- My friends and family... there are too many to name but your support has meant more than you will ever know. I pray that I show you the exact same love. Thank you a million!
- Leighton Jordan, thank you for being an incredible role model to me. I know I have huge shoes to fill. You have blessed my life in so many ways and I am so thankful that we were able to become close this year. You were an amazing, amazing, amazing Miss Georgia and touched the lives of so many people... including mine. 
- I'm sure I have forgotten someone. There are so many people who have touched my life this year before and after Miss Georgia. Please know that I am forever grateful and that I never get much sleep. I promise I'll be well rested by September ;)

I have already experienced so many great things in the past three weeks. I attended the Miss Florida pageant, have already started extensive work with my platform of Heart Health and Heart Safety, have had countless interviews, sang the National Anthem at the Braves game (whatttt!!!! dream come true)... while meeting incredible people along the way... I can't wait to see what's next! I have so much more that I want to write about but I'll let this be my first post. Until next time... Jeremiah 29:11