Day 1: As you saw in the post below, upon our arrival to Tucson we were quickly whisked away to photo shoots all over the beautiful property at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. That evening we all attended a formal dinner to meet all of our fellow Mrs. America classmates and the Mrs. America staff. Everyone looked absolutely gorgeous! I also met my gorgeous and hilarious roommate, Shaylyn Ford, Mrs. Ohio. Let's just say we are two peas in a pod.
Day 2: After a fun night of friendship and delicious food, we had to head straight to bed to make sure we were up for our 6:15 am swimwear photo shoot, which we all know means 4:30 am wake up call for hair and makeup. Thank goodness for Kari Kisch and DJ McDermott! I have to say, we all looked pretty good for 6:15! We also had wonderful lunch with the Mayor of Tucson, Jonathan Rothschild at a delicious Italian restaurant, Tavalino's. I want to thank Ranch Foods Direct and Hall Brewing Co. for sponsoring the gift I gave to the Mayor and General Manager of the resort. We then took a tour of Tucson and finished up with a fun night of rehearsals. No, really, it was fun! It was like a huge dance party with 51 of my best girlfriends! Oh and I can't forget Frit and Frat.
Day 3: Rehearsals, rehearsals, and more rehearsals. We also had dinner with the General Manager of the resort and the prestigious panel of judges. It was another night full of great conversation, beautiful gowns and delicious food.
Day 4: First day of competition! Tuesday was interview day. At the national pageant interviews are conducted in a round robin style, interviewing one-on-one with each judge. They were all so great, but I really enjoyed chatting with Starla Stanley, Mrs. World 1999. Later that evening we were all invited to a reception in the National Director's suite. It was a great opportunity for us to chat with Austen Williams (Mrs. America 2013) and Kaley Sparling (Mrs. World 2013). The national directors, David and Elaine, are so generous. From hosting this party to handing us gifts almost daily, they were simply wonderful.
Day 5: Rehearsals, rehearsals and preliminary competition! It was our first night on the beautiful stage and one of my favorite nights. I love the lights and the crowd, it makes my heart race. At the preliminary competition all 52 contestants model their Carol Wior sponsored swimsuit, evening gown of choice and state costume.
Day 6: To sum it up in one word...rehearsals. ;)
Day 7: Finals night! Going into finals night I really had zero expectations. From the beginning when I was asked what I hoped to do at Mrs. America, I always responded "I would like to place as a semi-finalist, but I already won the title I was working for, this is the bonus round." With that in mind, I was at peace as we walked on stage that night. It was such an exciting night, the room was full, everyone was dressed up, and Florence Henderson (THE Mrs. Brady) was there! There was a lot of fluff at the beginning of the show, but then it started, the calling out of the top 15 semifinalists. Fourteen of the finalists were chosen by the judges and one was chosen by America. Florence was on a roll calling state after state, each girl called had definitely earned her spot and with only one spot left, I thought to myself, "it wasn't God's plan" and then...in the words of Florence Henderson, "our final spot goes to Mrs....COLORADO! I was absolutely floored, but so excited that I had another opportunity to walk that stage and was one step closer to becoming Mrs. America.
By the end of the night Michelle Evans, Mrs. Oklahoma, was crowned Mrs. America 2014. She is an amazing woman with a wonderful heart. I know she will do great things and represent the married women of America well. All-in-all it was an unbelievable experience that I will cherish forever. I want to thank all of my friends, family and sponsors who supported me on this journey. I couldn't have done it without you. To my new friends from the Mrs. America Class of 2014, I love you!
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