Operation Christmas Child

Over the past few weeks, I have been working extensively with Operation Christmas Child, an outreach of Samaritan's Purse International Relief. This past week was the National Collection Week, so the project has been wrapped up across the country, and thousands of gift-filled shoe boxes are currently being shipped to processing centers across the nation. After processing, they will be on their way to children in over one hundred countries around the world to spread Christmas joy and the message of Christ's love. What an incredible project, and a powerful way to touch the lives of million of children worldwide!


As collection week drew to a close, I had the opportunity to help out at the Omaha collection center at Benson Baptist Church on Saturday, the Bellevue relay center at First Baptist Church on Sunday, and then the Scottsbluff collection center at another First Baptist Church on Monday! It was absolutely amazing to see so many people across the state working together to make an incredible impact - and that's not only happening in Nebraska; every state in the country, plus many more countries worldwide participate in this project each year! If you have never been a part of Operation Christmas Child, check it out at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/ and make sure you join the project next year!

Time Sure Flies When You're Having Fun!

The middle of November is here, and with it, the first snow in Scottsbluff and Gering! The days, weeks, and months have been flying by, and this past week has been no exception! Last week, I had the opportunity to speak to the Scottsbluff Lions Club at their weekly lunch, and then had a radio interview on KNEB about Miss America and my upcoming fundraiser event here in Gering.


Something that was very exciting for me happened this past weekend: I had the chance to meet and work with Calvin Jones, the composer of "White Water Chopped Sticks," the piece I'm playing for Miss America! The best part is, this was not a one-time meeting, but we will continue to work on the piece until it is perfected for the competition. It was so incredible to meet someone who has been an idol of mine for years! Calvin is a phenomenal musician and I was so inspired by the things he showed me. We revised the edits I had made to the two-and-a-half minute song to cut it to the necessary ninety seconds, and added some fantastic flourishes and fancy details. I've got my work cut out for me for the next few weeks, but I can't wait to perform this amazing piece in Las Vegas!


This week I spent the majority of my time in the Omaha/Lincoln area, heading over on Monday for an event exhibition show at the Cornhusker Hotel. There were over thirty event-oriented businesses and conference centers represented from all over the state, and I got to meet many people while at the booth for Quality Inn and Suites North Platte. (A fantastic sponsor of the Miss Nebraska pageant as well!)


While there, I had an interview with Steve Altmaier on Kearney's KGFW radio station about Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child project, which I have had the pleasure of participating in for many years, and am now volunteering as a state promoter at the church and media level. On Thursday, I joined Omaha's Morning Blend show on KMTV Action 3 News for an interview about the program, which you can view at http://www.omahamorningblend.com/videos/106605793.html


Now, many people may not know this, but the crown I wear is not gold, and does not have real diamonds. *Gasp!* (My apologies to those whose hopes and dreams I have just crushed) But, many people may also not know that many years ago, an official Miss Nebraska crown was created by Sartor-Hamann Jewelers that is indeed, very precious. It is made of white gold, with the base lined with pearls, and many different kinds of beautiful jewels and diamonds creating colorful flowers. For years, the Miss Nebraska each year would keep this crown with her, in a safe in her car, and only be able to wear it on the most important occasions. Years ago, because of safety and security risks, it went back to Sartor-Hamann in Lincoln, where it is kept today. After learning of this, I had to go see it! Donald Hamann, who was the owner of the store at the time it was made, and still is now, graciously took a picture with me with it. What a beautiful creation, and interesting piece of history!


P.S. Have you noticed the new changes to this site? I just figured out how to create additional pages and features, (I'm a little technologically-slow, I know) so please feel free to check it out, and let your friends and family know about www.aroyalpirncess.com. Also, be sure to frequent the "Get Involved" and "Upcoming Events" pages to stay up-to-date on all of the fun things you can be a part of! Thanks!

So Many "Firsts" This Year!

First Impromptu Birthday Party Appearance


As I sat at my computer, sifting through the many emails that had gathered in my inbox over the week, my doorbell rang, and in came my friend and neighbor from across the street. She seemed panicked and breathlessly begged me to come over to her sister's birthday party, as she had just been chased over by fifteen screaming ten-year-old's who were demanding she fetch Miss Nebraska. I acquiesced to my tiny fans, donned my Cinderella Halloween costume and crown, and armed myself with photo cards and a Sharpie. We took pictures and I signed autographs for everyone, and then changed clothing and accompanied them to our local Zoo's Halloween "Spooktacular." We had so much fun, and all throughout the evening there were comments like "You're so pretty...you could be Miss Anything! Miss Earth!" and when we found a huge line waiting at the Zoo: "We'll probably be able to go to the front of the line if we yell 'Miss Nebraska' loud enough!" and then the whispered statement from girl to girl: "Her real name is Teresa!" Nothing like an evening with some future Miss Nebraska's to keep you laughing and deeply encourage you! After all, they are what this is all about - inspiring the next generation to reach for what may currently seem impossible to them.

First Time Dressing Up for Halloween


On Saturday, I headed back to Chadron for the Miss Chadron/Northwest Outstanding Teen Pageant. I won Miss Northwest Outstanding Teen 2008, the very first year they started this program, so it's always so much fun to come back! This year, since the pageant was held on October 30th, the theme was Halloween, so everyone dressed up. I was Wonder Woman first, (not many people even recognized me with the dark hair!) and then changed into Cinderella after intermission. I co-emceed with Jon Marquez, who, after finding out I had never been, took me trick-or-treating for my first time... through the crowd! (There's another first) We got candy, gum, mints, little purse-sized shampoos, and even money! The whole pageant was so much fun, and the contestants did an outstanding job! A big congratulations to the new Miss Chadron Outstanding Teen Kaelia Nelson, and the new Miss Northwest Outstanding Teen Brooke Ludemann! These ladies will do an amazing job at the state pageant in June.

First Punkin' Chunkin'


On Sunday, I left Chadron for Petersburg, where they were having their annual Punkin' Chunkin'! This is a nationally sanctioned event where people built cannons to see who can shoot a pumpkin the furthest. The little town of Petersburg attracts thousands of people through this event, so I had a fantastic time watching the competition, presenting awards, and signing lots of autographs. Another first here: I signed several phones and ipods, as well as two stomachs! It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and the people there were so warm and welcoming. No wonder Petersburg has been voted the 32nd most family-friendly community in America!


On the way home, we stopped at the Kearney Archway, and I took a picture there to add to the tourism photo log!

Over-all, I had a fantastic Halloween weekend, and ended up logging quite a few "firsts!" Okay, I guess I have to share one last "first" I'm not quite so proud of: on the way home from Petersburg, my mom decided to drive and let me sleep a little bit. I woke up to her calling OnStar turn-by-turn directions, then looked out the window as we saw a sign for Julesburg, Colorado...not exactly "on the way home!" I decided to take over for her, and after correcting our little detour, we finally arrived home. Needless to say, we're using OnStar from now on!

The Most Rewarding Experiences in Life

"Everybody Can Be Great, Because Everybody Can Serve" - Martin Luther King, Jr.


My parents always made it a point to encourage and emphasize the importance of community service and volunteering to help others. Over the past few years especially, I began to grasp the significance of serving others - after all, it is the perfect anecdote to feeling small and insignificant in this world. As Martin Luther King, Jr. so rightly stated, everybody can serve. It is so incredible to know that everybody, no matter what age or background, can make a difference in the lives of others... even my young little self. This past week has included some super fun service projects that I thought I'd just share a little about.

In Scottsbluff County, there is a program called Meals on Wheels, and one called Shopping for Seniors. I recently joined and started my first day on Tuesday! Meals on Wheels is a program that delivers meals to the homebound, elderly, and disabled. Volunteers each take a route that takes about an hour to make the deliveries. This is such a wonderful service to those who would not otherwise be getting the proper nutrition they need each day. Shopping for Seniors is a program where volunteers call those who are not able to do their own grocery shopping, take down their grocery list, and then shop for it for them. Our local grocery store here in Scottsbluff, Plaza Foods Co-op, then delivers the groceries. Both of these programs are vital to many people in the area, and I am so excited to now be a regular volunteer with these programs!

On Monday, I went to Longfellow Elementary, here in Scottsbluff, to help kindergarteners and first graders carve pumpkins for the local Zoo's "Spooktacular" - a Halloween event. We had so much fun as they drew out their designs, and then we worked together to pull out the goo and seeds (I usually ended up doing most of that!) and carving out the faces. Pictures from that day will be coming soon on my Facebook page!


Thursday was the community soup kitchen, so a couple friends and I headed over to the local First Presbyterian Church to help serve a sloppy-joe dinner to a crowd of hungry people. It is always so incredible to see their appreciation for the food, and remember just how blessed we all are.


A couple months ago, I began sponsoring a little girl from Peru named Azumy, through World Vision. Then, when I attended the Women of Faith conference, I found a little boy named Heh, from Myanmar, and "adopted" him as well. Even though I'm not allowed to have children, or I'll be disqualified from the Miss America program, I guess I found a "loophole" here! (: After all, I do like to call them my children!
Through World Vision, it only takes $35 a month to take care of a little boy or girl- what a tiny sacrifice to make when it could save the life of a child on the other side of the world. It is so much fun to send them letters and hear back from them, and I just recently sent over some coloring supplies and stickers for Christmas. It's just amazing that every person can so easily change someone's life! If you are at all interested in finding more information about this, just go to www.worldvision.org - there are many ways in which you can start making a difference today.


Although it is hard to believe the holiday season is around the corner, it's true - Christmas is only about eight weeks away! One of the greatest and most fun projects to be a part of this Christmas is Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse. Each year, over 8 million children receive shoe boxes full of essential needs, plus toys and other things, for Christmas through this program. It's so easy to participate, too!
You can go to www.samaritanspurse.org/occ and find complete instructions on how to pack a shoe box, and then either mail it their national offices, or find your nearest collection center. We have one right here in Scottsbluff, so I'm getting started right away! You can put coloring supplies, hygiene items, toys, and candy in a regular shoe box, wrap it if you'd like, put a label on it to indicate whether it's for a boy or girl, and what age group, (found at the website) and then mail it or drop it off at a collection center! It's a great activity to include the whole family in - I can remember all of my brothers and sisters going to the store with my parents to load up a cart with these items. I loved picking out all sorts of things for kids my age who I knew were in a country far away, but loved Christmas all the same.
We would go home and I would fill and wrap as many boxes as I could, thinking about the little girls across the world for whom this would most likely be the only present they received on Christmas. Knowing that by doing something so small, you are making all the difference in the world for someone you may never know, is the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Each of us is not great or wonderful in any way, of our own merit, but we CAN by great, because each and every one of us can serve others, even in some small way.

Striving to Serve,
Teresa

Nothing to Do or See in Nebraska? Think Again!

When I was growing up in Western Nebraska, I simply couldn't wait to move out of the state, and I loved that our annual family vacations were always to far-away states such as California or Florida. Over the past few years, however, I have grown to absolutely love this beautiful Mid-Western state I call home. It took quite a while for me to even realize how much I was missing out on; I had lived here for over ten years before I had even visited the capitol, and (I'm ashamed to say) I have yet to make it to a Husker game! Now, as I zip back and forth across the state, I am continually finding more and more interesting and amazing places that I had never even known about.

A couple weeks ago, the Miss America Organization launched "Miss America Brands," a clothing line inspired by Miss America. They sent each state titleholder a tee-shirt to take a photograph in somewhere in their state. As I considered where I'd like my photo, I realized I couldn't pick just one place to "mark" Nebraska. I took the picture in that shirt in front of Chimney Rock, but decided to start a photo log of all the other beautiful Nebraska spots that make our home so unique.


Last weekend, on the way to Chadron, I stopped by Car Henge, an amazing replica of Stone Henge, only in cars, in Alliance. There are also several other sculptures around the area, all very interesting. Car Henge is a free attraction, and is the only one of its kind in America! They have a website for the site, including Car Henge souvenirs and gear: www.carhenge.com Such a neat place!


Then, when I got home, I stopped near the sign for the Scottsbluff National Monument, (the monument is practically my front yard) a beautiful summit that frames the valley. There is a mile of biking trail from my house to the Visitors' Center, and then a two-mile walking trail that I love to run on in the summer and fall. There is also a road for driving that goes almost all the way to the top, and then short walking trails you can take to the summit. The Monument has always been one of my favorite places, and was a major landmark on the Oregon Trail. Also, the city of Scottsbluff received its name because an explorer by the name of Scott lost his group while up on the Monument, and died there. Just a little bit of history for you! (:

For the next seven months, I will continue visiting Nebraska tourism spots and logging them with pictures while I travel the state. I'm starting an album on my Facebook page for this, called "Tour Nebraska with Miss Nebraska." I know there are so many incredible places in our state, so if you have gone somewhere amazing that I need to visit, please let me know! I'm so excited to show others all that Nebraska has to offer and that we truly have "The Good Life."

Your Nebraska Explorer,
Teresa

Miss Chadron/Miss Northwest

Congratulations to Nicki Windham, our new Miss Chadron, and Mariah Cook, our new Miss Northwest! All nine contestants did a fantastic job, and the competition was tough! This year was a special one for the Miss Chadron/Northwest pageant, as Linda Teahon and Brenda Bump, the fabulous directors of twenty years, stepped down. It was a wonderful anniversary celebration, with information about each past titleholder and what they were up to currently. It was incredible to see that every one of the forty past titleholders have graduated college and are now making wonderful lives for themselves. This is the power and tradition of the Miss America system: helping young women achieve their goals and go above and beyond the status quo. Linda and Brenda were instrumental in making this happen in the Chadron/Northwest Nebraska area, and they will be missed, but their legacy is in the many girls whom they have made a lasting impact on. Thank you, Linda and Brenda, for your hard work and dedication, and to all the volunteers around the state for the work you do at the local, state, and national levels. This program would not be here without you, and I know my life would not be the same without the undying support and encouragement you provide.

Family is Always There to Keep You Grounded

This past weekend I had the chance to take a little family time, as seven of us (my sister Sarah couldn't come home from college in Indiana for the weekend) loaded into our big white van, and headed out to Wichita, Kansas. My parents were both raised there, and most of our relatives are still in that area, so our bi-annual family reunion on my dad's side was held in Hope, Kansas again this year. We went to visit my Uncle Fred in the hospital in Wichita, as he crashed a couple weeks ago during a dirt-bike race and broke several ribs and both hips. He's doing a lot better, and was laughing too much(as always) for his ribs. My brother Jerod and his wife also came down to meet us there, so my dad and brothers had the chance to meet him for the first time! We went out to dinner, as it was also my younger brother Adam's birthday- he's the big 13 now!

The next day we spent time with all the relatives at the family reunion - it was so great to be able to see everyone again! With about a nine hour drive each way, our family sure got a lot of quality time in that van! It was a pretty short weekend, as we drove back home on Sunday so the kids could get to school on Monday, but it was a much-needed mini-vacation with the people who keep me grounded. I am so lucky to have such an amazing and supportive family who always shower me with all the love I could ever need. I am so very thankful for not only my family, but also for every person who has taken me as their family, and is just as encouraging and loving. You are truly my family as well, and I love each and every one of you! This fall, don't forget the people in your life who have always been there for you, and remind you who you are and where you've come from. We have so much to be thankful for!