| Friday and Saturday June 15 and 16, 2001 Miss Alaska Sweetheart Pageant |
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| Bridget and Summer after the pageant |
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A little before noon, Michelle sent Chelle, Lacey, and I off to find lunch while she and the kids packed up the show and went to Loussac Library to get ready for the afternoon's events. So we three judges headed off to Red Robin for lunch. In the truck and during lunch, I got a chance to get to know Lacey better, who, by the way, is a riot. Rollin' rollin' rollin... ;) While we were waiting for our meals, a waiter came up to me and asked me whether I had been one of the judges from the Sunburst pageant in Wasilla. My first "spotting"! :D I feel like such a celebrity now... ;) After lunch, it was back to the pageant, this time in the theater at Loussac Library. I was glad to see my Mom in the theater - she'd been gone all week for a class at APU. I missed her! :) It wasn't long before it was time for the pageant to begin. First came the parade of contestants and a welcoming from Michelle, who looked beautiful and did a lovely job before passing the microphone on to Bridgette, who would be MCing the rest of the show. Evening, Casual wear, and Talent all went by in a whirl, and I enjoyed them so much. Eveningwear and Casual wear showed a range of styles and tastes, and the Talent portion entertained with beautiful singing, dancing, and music. Finally, after eveningwear my job was over - whew! It was time to sit back and enjoy the entertainment while the scores were tallied. Valley Gems Dance and Drill team, directed by Sonja Babcock, performed, and they were wonderful. They are a new group in the valley, but you couldn't tell by their performance! They did a spectacular job, and it was obvious that they were enjoying themselves. Next, "the moment you've all been waiting for", the awards. Everyone won something, which I thought was wonderful and very well deserved. The tiaras were gorgeous, as were the trophies, and nobody who had entered walked away without a goody bag, a trophy, and a ribbon. After the awards ceremony, Mom helped me pin my crown on (admittedly, a little crooked! ;) ) and it was time for pictures! This might have been the best part. Amanda, the youngest contestant, came up and gave me a big hug, which I thought was awfully sweet. I got to talk with Tiffany, who had won the Teen Miss division. She is such a personality! Chelle was so right when she said that Tiffany just shines from inside! I took pictures with some of the contestants, including Emily and Chloe, two extremely sweet members of the Petite Miss category. Pictures over, it was time to say goodbye and head for home. I had so much fun, and I was so impressed with the pageant - it made me want to enter a live pageant, too! Everyone was so nice to me... I can't remember having a better time. To anyone thinking about entering in next year's Miss Sweetheart Alaska pageant, I say do it! You'll have the best time! Thank you to the Nielsons and the Greeleys for your friendship and your laughter. You sure made it a fun weekend! |