Doll party and other info...

Here is my little update for this week. Again, I'm trying to space out the picture posting. Look for a lot of pictures after this weekend's Wisconsin National Teenager competition. It will be a busy weekend since I'm setting up the stage decorations as well as the after pageant party. I also will be finding out who my two new sister queens are!
This past weekend I attended a "Girls and Dolls Party" at St. Leonard's in Muskego. There were so many little girls! It was packed full of little girls and their moms. Some were as young as two years old. They had a little fashion show with their dolls, and little facts were read off. There was one little girl whose fact sheet said she likes Iggy Pop and Slash. That got the whole room laughing. There were cupcakes served and American Girl dolls being raffled off. It was a very fun event to be a part of.

If the tone of this entry changes a bit, my apologies. I started this post last night, and didn't get a chance to finish until tonight. I just got home from being checked out at the hospital after being in a car accident. I was in the passenger, my mom was driving, and my niece was in the back. The car was hit from behind while we were at a stoplight when the driver hit the gas instead of the break. I was laying down (with my seat belt on), so I was thrown forward and then hit the seat. Luckily my niece is fine, my mom has whiplash, and I have a bruised cheek, sprained arm, and whiplash. It could have been much worse. The driver whose van hit us was driving without a valid license. It had expired three years ago! His license plates were also expired, and he was driving a van for a business. Just be safe on the roads, there are some crazy drivers out there. Also, buckle up. If I hadn't, I would have gone through the windshield for sure because of the impact.

I had my interview with the Immune Deficiency Foundation this morning for their newsletter/magazine. For those of you who don't know, I have the genetic immune deficiency called Common Variable Immune Deficiency. Basically, my body does not produce antibodies to fight infection. It was determined that something was not right with my immune system around the age of 13, but I've had health issues since birth. I choose to be vocal about my health issues because I hope to raise awareness. Not many people know about immune deficiencies, and it frequently takes up to a decade for some people to receive a diagnosis. The immune system is so complex, and if researchers can understand it better, it may lead to the better understanding of so many other health issues. All that I've gone through with having CVID has definitely made me the strong person I am today. My friend and I are in the works of writing a book about living with a chronic illness. As of now we have just been bouncing ideas around. Hopefully the book will provide helpful information as well as support for others.

Lot's of exciting news!!!!

I needed to update tonight otherwise I would have way too many pictures to put up here. I couldn't really update before as my computer was having some major issues. For instance, the Morning Blend segment that I appeared on will not upload to this website. I'm not sure why, but I will keep trying. I also could not send or receive e-mails which was problematic as far a school goes. Once the snow started melting all returned mostly back to normal. I keep telling my pageant director, Joan, that I have some exciting news to tell her. Now I have exciting news to tell everyone who reads this website.














I have changed my mind as to what color my pageant dress is going to be. However, I already purchased some of the Swarovski crystals for it. I guess I'll make jewelry out of it instead. Anyone want a blue crystal necklace? The new dress color is a taupe-ish/champagne color. I saw the material and knew that was to color for me. I'm leaning towards having my suit be an olive green. My talent costume is red. Once everything is complete, I'll put pictures up of the different outfits. I'll make it like an on-line fashion show.














There are new pictures this week! The pictures are from a dress delivery at one of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee for the 'Princess for Prom' program. Through the program, girls need to apply to receive a dress. They must have high academics and be involved in the community. Classes are also offered to teach etiquette and boost self-esteem. I was glad that I could be a part of helping deserving girls receive a dress that they would otherwise not be able to afford. The girl in all of the pictures with me is Paige, and she is competing for Wisconsin National Teenager in a week. She collected dresses from her high school, and was such a big help. I donated some of my own gowns, and collected dresses from friends and a few other locations. A great big thank you to Lourdes High School (my old high school) for helping me out with this project! Together, Paige and I collected nearly 100 dresses.

While at the Boys and Girls Club, I had the opportunity to tour the facility as well as take pictures and sign autographs for the children. They were so adorable! I was asked if I was the president, and another child asked how I got Miss Wisconsin's crown. I talked with the head of that Boys and Girls Club location about possibly volunteering to teach vocal lessons and acting classes this summer. My niece, Ava, came with me to visit the Boys and Girls Club. She is the baby with the pacifier in the picture against the blue lockers. They were just about to take the picture when she made a run for it. The other children were laughing so hard. My niece is a baby model, and leave it to her to have to be in front of the camera at all times.

This weekend I am attending a local church event. It is a doll party with area little girls. Apparently they will be bringing their dolls and dressing up as their favorite doll character. I will make sure to put up pictures of it in my next post.

Now for my most exciting news - I was contacted by Children's Hospital of Wisconsin this week. At first, I thought it was going to be one of those pre-recorded "you have a doctor appointment" messages. On the other end of the line was the PR person from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. She informed me that the PR department of Children's loved my story, and they would like me to be one of their poster "children" for the Briggs and Al's Run & Walk. They selected my story out of hundreds submitted. I will be one of about ten different poster children for the event. My story will be on pamphlets, posters, the website and other promotional material. I also will be helping out the day of the run/walk which is in September. What an honor! The run/walk raises over a million each year for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. My Grandma F. was very excited because she spent over thirty years working for Briggs, and now her granddaughter is the poster child for their sponsored run/walk. I just feel lucky to be able to be a poster child at 20. Whatever I can do to give back to a hospital that has given so much to me. So get a team together, sign up, get pledges, and run (or walk) in Briggs and Al's Run & Walk this year!