Miss Kool-Aid Days, Signing Off

   

    When I started this blog, I thought the title would be cute: "525,600 minutes of a truly blessed year." Holding a title in the Miss America Organization really does provide for a blessed year; yet, I had no idea how true the title would ring a year later.
    Titleholders generally get a say in how much or how little they do with their title. As Miss Heartland, I didn't do much. As Miss Kool-Aid Days, I did nearly as much as I could - at least one appearance every weekend since New Years Eve.
    The one lesson this really drove home was that you get out of something what you put into it.
     When I began this last pageant season, I developed a new platform. I adopted the platform of hearing loss prevention because I lost the hearing in my left ear when I was 14. One of the biggest points I wanted to get across during my year was how hearing loss affects those who go through it.
     My hearing loss really affected my social life. I couldn't hear or understand what was going on and after awhile, I stopped trying to figure it out. It was clear to me I didn't fit in anymore and I was tired of trying, and failing to communicate well enough to do so.
    I thought the Miss America Organization would give me the perfect opportunity to not only inform people about warning signs and precautions they could take, but about how difficult it is for people who suffer from hearing loss.
    In the 7 years I have lived with hearing loss, I never admitted to myself that I hadn't quite overcome the social struggles that accompanied it. It became very clear that I had a lot to overcome as I got out into the community to do all of my community service. Each time I did an appearance, I felt myself open up a little more and grow a little more confident after speaking with many individuals and helping out those who need assistance.
    Not only do I feel eternally grateful that my year as Miss Kool-Aid helped me to regain my confidence and learn how to put myself out there, but the year also helped me find my love for volunteering. Before I started making appearances as Miss Kool-Aid Days, I didn't do much community service and I had no idea how much I loved it. Now I can't imagine my life without regular community service. With or without a new title this year, I plan to continue volunteering at various events that I find, but I also plan to begin regularly volunteering for a few organizations. I will certainly continue my work with hearing loss groups (and I hope to pick up a small bit of signing expertise), but I am also looking at working with the Special Olympics or the Munroe Meyer Institute as often as possible.

    It's strange to think that giving up my title of Miss Heartland a year ago didn't phase me, yet giving up my title as Miss Kool-Aid Days literally left me in tears more than I care to admit. I spent a lot of the weekend thinking I wasn't ready to pass on my title yet. By the time I chatted with all of the 2013 contestants Saturday morning, I felt myself becoming excited to pass on my title. I knew any one of the girls would do an excellent job carrying on the Miss Kool-Aid Days title.
    Yet, the tears still kept hitting, and at random times. On one instance, a board member asked if they could call me Miss Kool-Aid Days one last time, at another I was getting ready to take my final walk, and at yet another I wanted to thank the pageant people in attendance and the people of Hastings for all they have done.
    I later realized there were two reasons I felt such a need to cry. For one thing, I have literally put myself into being Miss Kool-Aid Days and grown so much from it, that I felt a bit of a hole knowing that everything I worked so hard for was coming to an end. With a little time to think and a chat with a dear friend, I came to realize that I did put a huge chunk of myself into the title of Miss Kool-Aid Days but that I did everything I could and gained everything I could from the title; I came to realize that it was someone else's turn to learn and grow from the experience of being Miss Kool-Aid Days. I also realized that, while there is a part of me that feels like it is missing because I put it into being Miss Kool-Aid Days, it will quickly be filled with student teaching and all of the adventures that are yet to come my way, including all the community service I plan to partake in.
    I also couldn't help but cry because I don't think I can possibly thank my family, friends, pageant family, and the city of Hastings enough for all they have done for me. I think there are many people who will never know how much of a difference they made in my life, and unfortunately, I think there are many people who never will know.
    To anyone who reads this who has been a part of my journey as Miss Kool-Aid Days - thank you! Please don't ever hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do to help you!
    To the new Miss Kool-Aid Days, Jessica Littlejohn, I first want to express the pride I felt in crowning you as my successor. You want so badly to be Miss Kool-Aid Days and you carry so much excitement about the title, that I know you will put your heart and soul into the pageant. It has been my pleasure to watch you grow through this pageant system and I know there is growth to come for you as Miss Kool-Aid Days. I wish you the growth and the joy that came through my experiences as Miss Kool-Aid Days. I know you will make Kool-Aid Days and the city of Hastings proud.
    To all of the contestants, thank you for making me feel so much better about giving up my title and thank you for letting me hang out with you all day. You are all amazing and I am so happy to know that I will see you again throughout pageant season. You all have so much to be proud of!
    I couldn't have been more honored to be your first Miss Kool-Aid Days and to represent one of the most amazing cities I have been in.
Humbly yours,
    Kimberly Brennan
    Miss Kool-Aid Days 2013

Courtesy of Studio B Photography
   

Home Away from Home

     

   As soon as I pull onto High 34, I know I am at home. Not my home, but Hastings. I sincerely have fallen in love with the town in the year I have gotten to represent them and it felt a little bittersweet driving on the road one last time as Miss Kool-Aid Days this past Friday.
    In fact, I have fallen so in love with the town and been to visit often enough, that they don't even make me stay at a hotel anymore, they provide me with an apartment at the house of one of the board members.

 

Practicing being a princess!

 

   It felt like it was only natural that my last appearance would be in my home away from home, just as my first appearance was. When they asked if I would take part in the local First Friday tradition in Hastings, I was eager to agree. The appearance would require me to speak about baton twirling and pageants, including my year as Miss Kool-Aid Days at an event called Juxtaposition.

   I have to admit, it isn't often I have to give a twenty minute speech and I was a little nervous. Despite my nerves, I outlined what I wanted to discuss. While I did want to talk about baton twirling and pageantry, two things that have largely impacted my life, I also wanted to make sure the people of Hastings knew how incredible this journey was and how much they helped me.

 

 

   Overall I think the speech went really well. It was great to share my story and extend my gratitude to the people of Hastings for all they have done to help me in my Miss Kool-Aid Days journey. I even got to learn a basic clogging step when my co-presenter gave her speech!

   I am incredibly grateful to Russanne Erickson and the Hastings Museum for having me and for making me feel so at home!

With Russanne (Left) and Megan (Right)

With Megan - she did an amazing job speaking!

   One thing that made this trip even more special for me was that my mom was able to go with me. My mom hasn't been able to make it out for any of my appearances in Hastings, so it was a pleasure to show her around my second home. We got to walk around the First Friday activities and I got to show her the building where Edwin Perkins manufactured Kool-Aid!

 

 

   While we were out, my mom wanted to get some pictures with the statues they have around Hastings. We took my sash with for pictures, but I didn't wear it. While we walked down the street and I had my sash rolled up in my hand, we noticed a little girl stop in the middle of the street, get a huge grin on her face, and run up to give me a hug. It was so sweet! We stayed and chatted for a little bit and I found out the girl is 4 tests away from being a black belt - how incredible! It truly was an honor to meet her and I am so happy she agreed to take a picture with me!

 

Even though I am no longer Miss Kool-Aid Days, I will definitely visit again! I've said it a million times this weekend, but I will gladly say it again, I am so thankful Hastings took me in as they did and helped me so much in my journey!

La Vista Dinosaurs

   Who would have guessed that dinosaurs migrate through the La Vista area and lay Dinosaur eggs each year? I certainly didn't know until I was invited to help kids hunt the eggs on July 18th. I learned that La Vista sees Watermelosaurus', Canteloposaurus', and Tootsie-Rollosaurus'!

    Before we went out to hunt, some of the volunteers shared corny dinosaur jokes and I got to read a book about dinosaurs! The kids unfortunately didn't find much humor in the dinosaur jokes and they were eager to go hunting, so we started the hunting pretty quickly!

   The kids started finding eggs almost immediately, but the strange thing was, they looked an awful lot like watermelons, cantaloupes, and Easter eggs filled with tootsie rolls!

   We went back with the kids and cut into the eggs. They were absolutely delicious! I personally enjoyed the Canteloposaurus eggs the best, but the kids really seemed to enjoy the Watermolosaurus and the Tootsie-Rollosaurus eggs the best!

   This was one of the most unique and fun events that I did all year and I want to thank the La Vista Recreation Department for allowing me to become a dinosaur egg hunter!

Light the Night

        I think I have avoided writing blogs for my last 4 appearances because I have been in denial about the fact that my time as Miss Kool-Aid Days was very quickly coming to an end. Now that my time is up, I feel I should share a little bit about my last few appearances and my last night as Miss Kool-Aid Days - which means there will be a fairly quick succession documenting my last few weeks representing the "Koolest" title in the state.
      July 13th I was able to attend the Omaha Owl Ride, a nighttime bike ride benefiting the Meyer Foundation for Disabilities. I was really excited to attend the ride as some of my fondest memories of volunteering have been at events for the Special Olympics and hearing loss groups.

With the director of the Munroe Meyer Institute

 

      I started my evening by helping with registration. It was great because I got to see people who dressed up and I got to see bikes that people decorated. The walk had a theme of Light the Night, so riders dressed in bright clothes and decorated themselves and their bikes with lights. It was great to see people getting into it.

Light up Mohawks!

      I also got to meet a young woman who works at the Munroe Meyer Institute. While I thought I knew exactly what the Institute was, I was wrong. The institute does not simply work with individuals who have disabilities, but they also do research and provide services for families who are dealing with special needs that they might need to learn about. As I consider the institute after passing on my title, I think it is one that I would love to volunteer at on a regular basis!

 

With my fellow volunteers :)

 

      After spending time with the lovely ladies pictured above, I had the opportunity to go to the stage, talk a little bit about my title and the Kool-Aid Days festival, and help judge a bike decorating contest! I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that Miss Kool-Aid Days would provide an opportunity for me to judge a bike contest, but I'm glad it did. It was awesome to see the different bikes that people had decorated - some had simple lights on the bike, some took it farther and integrated lights in their clothing, and one guy even got lights that projected a lane on the ground! The winning entry though was a set of friends who went all out, decorating their bikes and dressing up as Owls!

 

      Before I finished up my duties for the evening, I watched the start of the ride. I'm so happy I stayed to do so, because I learned about the leaders of the ride. The ride was led by a group of tandem bikes housing one rider and one individual with a disability. It seemed so appropriate that those who were being supported by the ride, and probably those most likely to enjoy it, got to lead it. I was fortunate enough to meet one of the young riders who was incredibly sweet!

      I am so thankful I was able to attend the event and learn about the Meyer Foundation and the Munroe Meyer Institute! I sincerely hope to work with them in the future!



Moo at the Zoo

Hanging out at the zoo!

  

   Today I finally was able to jump back into my role as Miss Kool-Aid Days when I made an appearance at the Moo at the Zoo Dairy Month event here in Omaha. It felt amazing to resume my duties as Miss Kool-Aid Days - I didn't realize how much I missed all of the volunteering and  meeting new people that happens at appearances!

With the Dairy Princess Runner Up

   I couldn't have picked a better event or occasion to start with either - I didn't feel right living in Nebraska and not doing something to celebrate Dairy Month!

 

   I arrived at the zoo a little before 9 to find my spot and prepare. One of the zoo workers, Rachell, suggested starting at the pig races. A little hesitant, wondering if they had real pigs or what, I followed Rachell and agreed to start at the pig race station. She showed me how to turn on the electric pigs, set them up, and let them hustle to the end of the small track we had set up. It didn't take long before I put this knowledge to use and had kids start racing. They picked their favorite pig and cheered it on as it moved down the track. Then, the winners got an animal hat and the other participants got suckers.

   It was really fun when the kids got into it, squatting down to eye level to cheer on the pig of their choice as it raced to victory. The kids really did have a great time with it and it was fun to see their excitement.

Racing!

   Of course the zoo didn't just stop at the pig races, they also provided a bean bag toss and a game of Plinko for kids to play. When the kids weren't playing, there was a DJ to listen to, face painting, and cattle to look at and feed. The Dairy Council was even handing out coloring sheets, milk mustache stickers, and other information about dairy!

Bean Bag Toss

Plinko!

Face Painting

Penguin face paint

Life size tic-tac-toe

Music

   Leave it to the zoo to provide a fun day that is still educational. Within the park, I found a table educating visitors about bees. They explained that without bees, we wouldn't have the food cows eat, and without the food cows eat, we wouldn't have cows. It was really interesting to see the effects of the extinction of bees and to learn while we got to enjoy all of the fun activities.

   I am so thankful they had me come out to help with the event at the zoo. I had a fabulous time!

Fellow volunteers and new friends!

Dairy Princess Runner Up!

I even got to "milk a cow!"

Still Excited to be your Miss Kool-Aid Days

   Wow - I cannot believe the adventure I was blessed to experience representing Miss Kool-Aid Days at the Miss Nebraska Pageant!
   It all began early the morning of June 2nd when my Mom and I began our trek out to North Platte Nebraska to catch up with my sister queens and attend the opening ceremonies. After greetings and much chit chat, contestants, board members, volunteers, and family members met at the mall where we faced our first challenge - introducing ourselves, our wonderful little sisters, hostesses, host families, and our parents in front of the crowd in the middle of the mall. Not only did I get to see my amazing little sisters again, but I couldn't wait to see my host family again! We barely got time to catch up before we were directed to the autograph signing area to begin our work for the afternoon. As I got set up, I was excited to be snagged for the first TV interview of the week and talk about the excitement that is the beginning of Miss Nebraska week.

Hard at Work!

With Evelyn

Stepperettes

   We barely had any time before we jumped into work for the week as we began rehearsals Sunday night. After only one rehearsal not only could I tell that the week would be unbelievably fun with the greatest group of girls possible, but we finished learning a huge chunk of the opening number dance with our amazing choreographer (Kathy) and our wonderful producer (Brittany)!
   The first night at Miss Nebraska was certainly an indication of how the rest of the week would go. Monday we jumped right back in with rehearsals, finishing the opening number and getting to work on the little sisters dance before we were treated to a picnic sponsored by KFC. It was great getting to hang out with my sister queens Mindy, Rachel, and Chrissy and we even got a little on-stage question practice. We had to tell the audience what one food we would eat if we were stuck on a deserted island. My answer? Kool-Aid, of course! Just kidding - I already get plenty of Kool-Aid! My guilty pleasure is actually pasta - I love all the different kinds and I wouldn't have to worry about any stains.

KFC Host Family Picnic!

Miss Nebraska Class of 2013!

On the Carousel - I love these girls!

   Monday night was talent practice and boy was it intimidating. These were seriously some of the most talented young women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing!
   I got back to my house that night and the emotions really hit me. Not only were the emotions strong thanks to the experience of being at Miss Nebraska, but upon arriving home I saw an email from my director about my last appearance as Miss Kool-Aid Days. I have had such an amazing year as Miss Kool-Aid Days that it honestly makes me incredibly sad to think that it is almost over. Wiping my tears as I walked into my room I was faced with a beautiful silver jewelry box and a card from my mom. The card explained that the jewelry box described me and went on to discuss how each bead of a charm bracelet depicted an aspect of my Miss Nebraska journey and the support of my family. I'm so sentimental I was a balling mess. It was one of the first of many times I couldn't help but feel awed by how lucky I am to have the most amazing family, friends, and opportunities!

   Tuesday was a great day with our little sisters, but it was also the tough day at Miss Nebraska. It was the day I really started thinking about how amazing all of my sister queens are and I started feeling inadequate. I am so incredibly thankful I had a fellow pageant sister to go through the experience with though. It was nice to have someone who understood, but we both started feeling better after Jay and Amy chatted with the group about judging and after we had a chance to remember how much we could bring to the table as Miss Nebraska if given the opportunity.

Signing Autographs!

Pictures with my little sister!

Enjoying Frosties and Kool-Aid!

Photobomb success!

One of my favorite pictures from the week!

Playing Ninja - I am so thankful Mindy introduced this game to us!

   Wednesday was a big day. We started first thing with the judges as interview began. After waiting awhile (I was number 14 after all), I finally got to meet the panel of judges. While I was looking forward to talking about my year as Miss Kool-Aid Days, they had a much more challenging conversation in store. I didn't think it was a bad interview, but I certainly didn't think it was wonderful. I didn't have much time to dwell on it though, because we were rushed off to the Rotary Luncheon once I arrived back at the dressing room.

My rock and best friend for the week!

Ready for interview - what a good looking group!

    The Rotary luncheon is one of the best meals all week, not only for the food, but for the conversation as well. I had the pleasure of sitting with some extremely kind men as well as our state directors. We chatted about the Great State of Nebraska and about our personal lives until the program began. During the program, they do a raffle ticket drawing. They called out the numbers; as I listened, I barely noticed a ticket slide in front of me until the man next to me called out "We have a winner here!" I looked around in confusion before I realized he was talking about me! The emcee came over with a deck of cards and asked me to pick one. After picking a card, I asked what card I was looking for. I glanced at my king of hearts as he stated they were looking for the ace of spades. "I have it!" I proclaimed...before having to admit I was only joking. The kind man sitting beside me did win $5 and we got to have a pleasant conversation afterwards. It was a really great way to relax before the first night of competition!
   Wednesday night was the first night of preliminary competition. I started the evening with the opening number and introducing my little sisters. I was excited for the once in a lifetime introduction: "Hello and welcome! I am Kimberly Brennan, your Miss Kool-Aid Days. I am proud to present the 'Kool-est' little sisters Miss Nebraska has to offer, Evelyn and McKinley!" To which they responded "Oh Yeah!" They really had fun with it and so did I!

Opening Number!

   It was quickly on to the swimsuit competition. Normally I could take or leave this portion of competition, but this year I was really excited after a focus on healthy eating and getting my workouts in. I felt great in my swimsuit and I really enjoyed strutting my stuff on stage!

"Girl look at that body..."

"...I work out!"

   The part of competition I had most been looking forward to, however, was evening wear. Walking out in my simple, form fitting, red dress truly made me feel like I finally had my "princess" moment. I even noticed a collective "oh" as I walked out in my gown which was thrilling. I would have gladly stayed onstage an extra 10 minutes just to show off the beauty of the gown!

   Visitation at the end of the night is almost always one of my favorite parts of the evening, especially on preliminary night number 1 - we actually get to see family again! This year I was honored to hear incredible compliments about how much I had grown in a year, how poised, confident, and sincere I looked onstage, and how much people enjoyed watching me. I was honored to even receive praise from volunteers and board members alike about how well I had done. One person even told me that they would love to be friends with me, simply because I looked like a fun, genuine individual onstage. This was perhaps one of the most touching parts of the week. After losing the hearing in my left ear at 14, I really shut myself off from the world and had trouble interacting. I never really exuded confidence or allowed myself to be natural and have fun onstage. Being Miss Kool-Aid Days, putting in all of the community service that I have, and plunging into my platform really gave me the confidence that I needed and the poise that I displayed on stage.

Olivia - one of the sweetest little sisters!

With my greatest supporter!

Emily has been a huge inspiration from my experiences. She is a CMN Miracle Child and a Miss Nebraska Little Sister!

With Evelyn!

My baby niece!

A huge part of my pageant inspiration :)

 

The AMAZING Miss Nebraska Directors!

 

   Thursday proved to be a rough one. No matter how many times I had nailed my talent (or even close to nailed my talent) on stage and off previously, it just would not go how it was supposed to on stage. I felt like I had done so well on Wednesday that the whole outcome of the week depended on my ability to pull off my talent on Thursday. After a long afternoon of rehearsals, I went back home, cried for a few minutes, then got over it and began practicing my talent in the street. Once I finally got over the stress of the week and the fear of messing up, I nailed every last move in the very first talent I ran at the house! I didn't give up though, I practiced for about 20 more minutes before heading inside to clean up and have a quick dinner before shooting back over to the school.
   My first area of competition for the night was onstage question. While many contestants stress over onstage question, I really like it. Earlier in the week I was getting ready for interview and I thought I would be asked about health care for sure. It never came up in my interview, so I didn't worry about it. Lo and behold, when I drew a question from the fishbowl, it was about health care! I seriously think I have someone watching out for me.
   I even managed to nail my routine that night! After hitting everything, I ran off stage and jumped on my dear sister queen Jessica Littlejohn celebrating a great performance, I hugged Hans (our emcee) and then repeated the exciting celebration when I reached our production manager and my amazing sister queen Jessica White on the other side! This was definitely another favorite memory from the week!

Visitation Pictures:

With the amazing directors of Sue's Stepperettes

Another one of my biggest supporters

I cannot believe how lucky I am!

With the lovely Kayla Batt

With the incredible Jessica White!

 

   After a week of hard work with the competition, we got a break on Friday. Our first major activity for the day was the Children's Museum. The museum was absolutely amazing. I was able to see my family, race cars with a little boy, learn a song on piano with a little girl, help some kids with crafts, get treated by some amazing "doctors," and have an amazing time with my sister queens. I also got to talk with the director and some of the staff about what we can do better to improve the upcoming generations. At one point, the staff even complimented me saying I would be great working with kids. I love hearing those kinds of compliments because it is what I plan to do with my life!

   Next up was the parade. I was lucky enough to ride with Miss Douglas County's Outstanding Teen Cari Wadman and my good friend and sister queen Charissa Hauge. As Miss Kool-Aid Days, I got to have the Kool-Aid Man walk in the parade with me as everyone handed out free Kool-Aid; We only had one problem - Charissa is scared of mascots! I am so proud of my girl though, she rode in the parade, on the same side as Kool-Aid Man and didn't have any problems!

   Shortly after finishing the parade, it was time for the garden party. I wasn't sure what I thought of the idea of having a garden party Friday night, but it ended up being perfect! Not only did I get to spend time with my family, but it was fun getting to see how creative everyone had been with their bags (and umbrellas for the teens). We even got to hear some phenomenal singing!

All of the girls!

I love the flapper idea!

Stepperettes!

Get us together at a Miss Nebraska party and we...talk about baton :)

Love love love these ladies! Mindy is seriously one of the kindest, funniest people I have ever met!

Beautiful!

  
   Saturday marked our last day at Miss Nebraska. We began the day with the Children's Miracle Network golf fundraiser. We weren't able to get enough golf carts for all of us, so Charissa Hauge, Jessica White, Morgan Yost, and I stuffed ourselves into a small golf cart to roam the (mostly) unknown golf course. It may have been one of the best 20 minute periods of time I have spent at Miss Nebraska. Charissa drove us up and down hills, around golf carts, and through the greens (for the most part) without actually losing anyone (although we came close)! After quite the adventure, we made it back just in time to catch our rides and get ready for the teen pageant in the afternoon.

   This year's teen contestants were incredibly talented and had really tough competition. I am sure the new Miss Nebraska's Outstanding Teen, Samantha Washington will do an excellent job serving the state of Nebraska!

Photo from the Miss Nebraska website compliments of Don Milroy Photography!

 

   At the final night of competition they began by announcing the top 8. I am incredibly proud of all of my sister queens, especially the girls who made top 8. While I did not make top 8, I was amazingly honored to receive the non-finalist talent award - I guess my interview went better than I thought!

I am so proud to say I have gotten to share some amazing memories with this phenomenal Miss Nebraska!

The incredible Top 8!

   Without any pressing responsibilities for the rest of the night, I had the opportunity to help the amazing 8 girls who were a step closer to their dream have the smoothest night of competition possible. I jumped right into helping my table mate Kiya and my good friend Charissa right away and I did what I could the rest of the night.
   I was doing really well with everything until one of our incredible hostesses hugged me and, nearly in tears, told me "You have character." It was one of the most touching compliments I have ever received. Earlier in the week, I ran into the reporter from the newspaper who asked me how you cope with the fact that you don't win when it happens, assuming everyone comes there to win, whether they are intensely seeking the win or not. I never really got to answer her question, but that's how I cope. I help out those around me, I remind myself that I have so much to offer the world, whether that is as Miss Kool-Aid Days, Aunt 'Ti,' or Miss Brennan, and I remember that only one of us are meant to fill the shoes of Miss Nebraska and that God has chosen that path for one girl for a reason. Honestly, having character means more to me than any crown.
   I am proud of all of the girls for competing at Miss Nebraska. They accomplished so much, set amazing examples, and made the week a truly unforgettable one. I am proud of JaCee and excited to see her amazing journey as Miss Nebraska. I know she will make Nebraska proud.

Photo courtesy of Don Milroy Photography - what an incredible moment!

 

   There are far too many people to thank for making my week at Miss Nebraska a success, but I would like to focus on a few real quick. I want to thank my mother for all of her hard work and her support to get me to this point; my directors and the Kool-Aid Days festival for giving me the opportunity not only to compete, but to grow so much; the Miss Nebraska Board, without whom the pageant wouldn't have been possible; my amazing sister queens; our wonderful little sisters; my host family, Diane and Kirk Livingston; our hostesses, especially my personal hostess, Lynda; my always helpful and positive table mate Kiya; my brother and sister and their families for taking time to come see me compete; Bob, Sue, and Tami Foehlinger for their constant support (along with the Stepperette family that made the trek to the pageant); my boyfriend for being there in some of my best and some of my most difficult times and his family for traveling to Miss Nebraska to watch me; and to a few of the sister queens I spent most of my time with for sharing some of my fondest memories from the week. There are so many more to thank, but I hope I have reached everyone on a personal level, even if they weren't mentioned!

My wonderful brother and sister-in-law

Part of my boyfriends family

The other part

   At the beginning of the week, I cried at the thought of my last appearance as Miss Kool-Aid Days. At the end of the week, I was able to say that I am still proud and excited to be your Miss Kool-Aid Days. I am currently arranging more appearances so I can go out with a bang as the first ever Miss Kool-Aid Days - here goes nothing!