Oh I can't wait!

Hello all!

I am so overwhelmed with excitement for this weekend and the month of February that I just HAD to gush about all of it in this post!

I am competing for the title of Miss Orlando this weekend. I cannot wait till Saturday morning when I will be back in "Pageant Land." I love everything about pageants...the preparation, the anticipation, the chance for the judges to get to know you, and the chance to be on stage. Miss Orlando will be the first local I have competed in this "Pageant Season" and I am anxious to compete...not out of nervousness, but rather for the thrill of competing again after 6 months. Another reason why I am particularly excited about Miss Orlando is because my younger sister, Samantha will be competing for the title of Miss Orlando's Outstanding Teen this weekend. We will be dancing the opening number together, which is a first for us.

The weekend after Miss Orlando is the SUPERBOWL!!! Now, a tidbit about myself...I never watched football prior to this season, but I was sucked into the football world by a Packer fan....need I say more?

The following week I will be taking a tour of the Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital. Just today, I contacted the hospital and asked if there was a way to take a tour that highlighted all of the things that Children's Miracle Network has been able to provide for them. I told the woman that I spoke with that I competed in the Miss America system and she was familiar with the partnership that we have with CMN. She was truly delighted to hear that I wanted to visit the hospital.

And to top off the month of February, I will be celebrating my birthday on the 20th! So, needless to say, the month of February is going to be a GIANT celebration!

Until next time!

Kristina

New year, new hair, new beginnings!

Hello All!

My, my, my...It has been a looooong time since I have posted a blog. There is so much to fill you in on, I don't even know where to begin!

Right before Thanksgiving I cut off all of my hair! Now I am sporting a super short bob and I love it! My Thanksgiving was "stuffing" to say the very the least. The very next day (Black Friday) my entire family and I went shopping (One of my ALL TIME favorites hobbies!)

The second week of December, right after finals, my two friends from the Sweetheart Pageant came to visit me here in Sunny Florida! Well, in reality, it wasn't too sunny...it was rather cold, but to the two of them it was warm...considering they are from Kansas and North Dakota. For those of you that don't know or remember my older blogs, I went to the Sweetheart Pageant in September 2009. All of the first runners-up from each state are invited to Illinois to compete for a national title. I met Jaci Stofferahn (North Dakota) and Alex Miller (Kansas) at this pageant. It was so awesome to see these girls again, almost a year later! The three of us, along with some friends went out and about in Orlando.

Well, my winter break was most definitely a fun one! Christmas was absolutely wonderful! I spent it with my family and the day was filled with laughs, song, and lots of FOOD!!!

The night right after Christmas, my family and some friends hopped into my mom's big ole Red excursion and went on a road trip to West Virginia for some skiing at Snowshoe Mountain. What was supposed to be a 16 hour trip, became a 20 hour trip due to the huge snow storm that took over most of the Northeast! Fortunately, we made it safely to our destination and enjoyed 2 days of skiing. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was skiing like a pro! I went down a black diamond called the "Widowmaker." The name alone should be enough of a description of how steep this slope was!

We returned from our trip just in time to ring the New Year with the rest of my family. Happy belated New Year everyone!

In two weeks, my sister and I will be competing for the titles of Miss Orlando and Miss Orlando's Outstanding Teen. This past saturday, we and a few of the other contestants went to a recording studio here in Orlando, to record a few lines of "We Will Rock You" for our opening number. It was the first time I had ever stepped foot in a recording studio before and I was in complete awe of the place! That night, my family celebrated my little cousin, Danielle's 6th birthday. All of the girls congregated in my aunt's bedroom to watch Miss America. Congratulations to our new Miss America, Teresa Scanlon!!! Oh and I must add, that I watched the Packers vs Falcons game wilst watching Miss America...Haha! Way to go Packers!!! I see the Superbowl in their midst!

Last, but certainly not the least, my parents celebrated their silver anniversary on the 14th! Twenty-five years! Last night, we had a big celebration as Maggiano's (A restaurant that I recommend to everyone!!!) We all had a blast!

I promise not to wait too long to post another blog!

Until then,

Kristina

Pageant Season has finally begun!

Hello Friends!

It sure has been a long time since I have posted anything...I apologize! School has been very hectic!

Pageant season has finally begun and I cannot wait to witness what the year will bring! I attended the the Miss Daytona Beach pageant on October 17th. It was so nice to catch up with pageant friends and watch the girls compete. Congratulations to Kalen Dennis, Dasha Gonzalez, and Victoria Williams for winning their brand new titles!

On Thursday, October 21, I visited my high school, Bishop Moore Catholic High School, to watch my sister in her Drama Club's Concert called "Varsity Spotlight." It was a showcase of all of the performances that the Drama Club would be taking to District Competition. My sister opened the show with her solo musical performance of "Astonishing." She performed beautifully!

The next 2 days were very busy, as I was asked to emcee the Little Miss Apopka Pageant. There were two competitions. The first one was for girls between the ages of 4-7 and the second one was for girls between 8-11. They were so cute to watch and need I say talented? I was completely blown away by the amount of talent that the girls had!

In about 2 weeks, I will be crowning the next Miss Apopka. It is always a bittersweet moment when you give your title away. I can't wait to see who is crowned!

Until Then!

Kristina

First Youth Group Meeting for the New School Year!

Hello Friends!

Today my youth group met for the first youth group meeting for the 2010-2011 school year. Everyone was so excited to see familiar faces!

We played ice breakers, conversed about the topic of the day, and shared our summer stories.

The topic of the day was "Time Travels." I shared the following Bible verse with the kids:

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered-how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath." -Psalm 39:4-5

We talked about how short life is and about how time flies. We discussed how to make the most each day and how to live our lives to the fullest.

I am so excited to see what wonderful experiences youth group will bring this year!

Until I write again!

Love,

Kristina

Busy Bee!

Hello All!

Oh my goodness...these past 3 weeks have been busy, busy, busy! I have so much to tell you and so many pictures to share! At the moment, I am taking a quick break from studying for an exam. This thursday will be the last day of my summer class! I took a 6-week marketing course. I love marketing, so it has definitely been a fun 6 weeks but also busy with Miss Florida preparations and appearances. As soon as I am done with this exam I will update you with what has gone on the past 3 weeks...I will give you 2 hints about what you will get to see and read...

1. Send off party

2. Benefit involving Magic players...such as Dwight Howard!!!

So...I hope that created a little bit of suspense for you...hehe. You'll have to make sure and check my blog sometime this weekend!

I wanted to end this blog post with a quote:

"The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become."

-Harold Taylor

Good night and sweet dreams!

Movie Night!

For the past several weeks, I've been sharing with my youth group the importance of remembering the elderly. We've made C.A.R.E. Cozies, delivered them, and have spoken about the ever growing needs of the senior population.

Tonight, I had them watch the Pixar film "UP!" This film embodies every idea I have been trying to instill in our younger generations about the elderly.

The kids loved the movie and of course the never ending supply of popcorn!

Imagine

Hello Friends!

This past week, my mom, sister, and I went on a total Glee craze and watched the first half of the first season.

In one of the episodes, the cast of Glee sang "Imagine," originally sung by John Lennon.

I was so moved by the scene and song that I wanted to share the lyrics with all of you...

"Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one"

Let there be peace on earth.

Love always,

Kristina