Leavenworth Washington

Our family went to beautiful Leavenworth this past weekend for a snowy get away! It was so fun to be in this winter wonderland. We experienced the tree lighting, went tubing, took a snow hike and ate lots of yummy food. It was a very fun family weekend that was surprisingly very relaxing. We played games in our condo and even watched a few holiday shows. I didn't want to leave. I am so grateful for this beautiful state that we live in.

Mrs. Washington Meeting 12/09

Our State Dirctor Pamela Curnel and her husband Dr. David Curnel met a few of the Mrs. Washington Contestants for lunch in Seattle. The beautiful Westin Hotel was decked out in festive decorations. We posed for a photo in front of this beautiful gingerbread house. Mrs. Seattle Tamara Deporter, Mrs. King County Derozette Banks, Pamela Curnel, Mrs. Snohomish County Jessica Riggs, me Mrs. Pacific Northwest Lisa Bluhm and Mrs. Emerald City Anna Hiatt.

Tumwater Tree Lighting Festival

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Tumwater Youth Program is a wonderful organization in my community that provides entertainment and support to the youth in our area. They rely heavily on volunteers and community involvement. I got involved as a volunteer when my oldest son started Junior High. I chaperoned the Junior High Dances. It was so much fun. You really get to know your kids and their friends when you can observe them hanging out in a social situation!!
I offered to help out with the tree lighting ceremony this year at the cookie decorating station but was asked to be the MC for the event instead! I am not one to shy away from a microphone so of course I said yes. It was so much fun! It gave me a chance to talk about my platform "Unlock Your Potential" and the importance of music education.
The choirs that performed were vibrant and joyous! Their teachers and directors did an awesome job training them. After visiting so many schools last year for MENC I learned about how much these teachers go above and beyond for their students. These teachers are passionate about music and in return they inspire their students to be passionate too. I am grateful for the wonderful music programs we have in the Tumwater School District.
At the end of the event we all went out in the pouring rain to light the tree. Our Tumwater Mayor Pete Kmet gave me the honor of flipping the switch, (after assuring me I wouldn't get electrocuted in the rain) after the count down I flipped the lever and there was a slight pause but then the lights went on whew!!
The antique fire truck could be heard coming down the street and Santa was riding on top. We finished off the evening with meeting Santa. It was a great community event and I am proud to live in the wonderful city of Tumwater!

Yelm Christmas Parade 12/4

The Yelm Christmas Parade is an annual event that brings the community out to celebrate the Christmas Season. The parade ends in the Park with lots of booths with free food, photos with santa, and games for the kids. Mrs. Thurston County Dionne Tartar joined me in walking in the parade and handing out candy to the kids. We happened to be in line right behind a group of goats! They were adorable but we did have to watch where we stepped!!

Volunteer Center of Mason, Lewis & Thurston County

Today I volunteered at the Volunteer Center to make phone calls to the elderly people in our community who will be receiving holiday meals on November 24th & December 23. So many of the people I talked to were so grateful to be receiving these meals and they look forward to having a visitor as many of them are alone without family.

Every year volunteers prepare, assemble, and deliver Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to homebound seniors in Mason and Thurston Counties. This meal provides both good nutrition and an opportunity for us to visit with local seniors who look forward to the one-on-one attention they receive during the holidays. It only takes a couple of hours, but it makes a big difference.

Last year, volunteers delivered over 450 meals at each holiday. This year, we're working to top that. I will be delivering meals on Nov. 24th in the Olympia area assisted by my sweet niece Rickie Sue. I look forward to being able to visit and brighten their day!

Coming to TV Soon!

I just found out that I will be featured in an infomercial for a workout program called Chalean Extreme! I was videotaped exercising and being interviewed. My before and after photos will be shown as well, my before is not so pretty! When I took the before photo it was early in the morning I don't think I even combed my hair and I have no makeup on! I took the photo for my own reference never expecting it to be seen nationally!! But the good thing is I have an after photo! Before I started doing the pageants I had really gotten out of shape and gained weight. I have always struggled with my weight ever since I was a child. Gaining and loosing weight is not healthy for you. I really wanted to get off that diet rollercoaster. I started working out using weights and got back into running again. It took a lot of work and discipline but it certainly paid off.
Chalean extreme is an awesome weight training video it's like having a personal trainer. I highly recommend it and everything I say in the commercial is totally true! It is a complete program that you do over a 3 month period. There are several sets of videos so you never get bored. The music and instruction is great and it gives you options for higher or lower intensity. Chalean is a great motivator. One of my favorite tips from even as simple as it seems, is to get up in the morning and put your workout clothes on. That way your ready to go and you are less likely to get settled in and not do your work out!!
Don't ever give up on yourself, if you desire to loose weight and get in shape then why wait make it happen. Set a goal for youself a special date, an event or a competition. Something that helps inspire you to reach your goal. I never thought I'd walk on stage in a bathing suit and heels in front of people! When I did it was so rewarding knowing how hard I worked to achieve my goals. I wished I could go back in time and tell that chubby girl, overweight mom that I used to be that she would someday not be that way. I will always need to make an effort to stay in shape and not gain weight, but someday I hope it comes more naturally to me. I still really haven't quite reached my goal yet of loosing more body fat but I am on my way!
If you want to try Chalean Extreme or learn more about great exercise programs you can visit my coaches website here: Melissa Wood Beach Body Coach

MV T-Birds Championship Season Party 11/14

My son Jordan's football team is just plain awesome! They have been undefeated for 3 years now and have also won the League Championships. I was the team co-ordinator along with another players mom Shelly Dillworth. My husband Allen did the photography for the team and each week I would send out a picture slideshow for the families to watch. It was a big hit and the boys loved to see the amazing action shots my husband got. He also had some fun with editing funny things into the pictures. I put together a photo memory book and a slideshow that we watched at the party. It turned out so great if I do say so myself! I have some amazing programs in my Mac computers that make me look like I am quite talented!! It did take many hours to complete but the boys, coaches & parents were thrilled. They each got a copy to take home.

Mrs. Washington Meeting 11/13

Chung Himple Mrs. Washington 1999 was our host for the meeting today. We worked on interview and pageant walking. She was an amazing hostess and so helpful with her suggestions and insights. Chung was one of our judges from last year so she was the perfect person to help give us educated input!

Mrs. Oregon Pageant 11/7

I attended the Mrs. Oregon Pageant with Dionne Tartar Mrs. Thurston County, Tamara Deporter Mrs. Seattle and her lovely daughter Megan. It was a great pageant. The women did an amazing job. They even had a small interview on stage talk about keeping cool under pressure! The winner was April Droesch. She will represent Oregon well.

Ben Franklin Holiday Open Houses 11/6

What a crazy day! I drove so many miles. I was invited to the Holiday Open houses for Redmond Ben Franklin & Bonney Lake Ben Franklin. I spent a few hours at each store demonstrating the art of soldering. It is such a pleasure to get to talk one on one with people and inspire them to be creative. Many of these people will be making their holiday gifts this year which will save them a lot of money. A homemade gift is so thoughtful and is treasured for many years.

Mrs. Washington Pageant Meeting 10/23

Our pageant season started off with our first meeting. I got to meet 2 new contestants and visit with old friends. We had a great time discussing pageant related things. Our director Pamela Curnel got us all up to speed with new information books and updated us on all the things that will be coming up.

Cindrella's Closet 10/17

One of my favorite places to work is Cindrella's closet. It was my day to work in the shop. I met a new volunteer and had a great time getting to know her too. There were several donations brought in. We had ladies who are volunteering for the Seattle Art Museum gala come in and get dresses for that event. The shop has moved to a new location and it is bigger than ever! I can't wait to start doing workshops for girls at the shop soon!

Miss Washington USA pageant 10/9

I attended the Miss pageant with former Mrs. Washington Beth Kovocavich. We had a great time going out to eat and having girl time, we were almost late for the pageant! But we made it and it was so fun to watch these amazing young ladies. The teens also competed too. So many intelligent and talented ladies who are making a difference in their communities.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk 10/9

The making strides against Breast Cancer walk was an amazing event to help raise money for the fight against Breast Cancer. I attended with Mrs. Washington Carla Richards and Dionne Tartar Mrs. Thurston County. It was a short rainy walk but so beautiful through downtown tacoma. There were so many groups representing family members, friends, and survivors themselves. My Mother and Aunt are both Breast Cancer survivors. I personally am at double the risk for getting breast cancer myself. I am grateful for the technology and advances that have been made to battle this disease.

Olympia Fall Arts Walk

Olympia is an artistic wonderland! Tons of beautiful artwork can be found in buildings, galleries and stores. There are many places to create as well. We also have a vast array of music that can sampled many different places. We wandered around the area listening to different bands. So much talent to twitness. My favorite ended up being a surprise to me. It was a band called British Invasion. They were a tribute band for the Beatles. Wow were they awesome. The guy who represented Paul McCartney was spot on! They were awesome. I didn't realize how many Beatles songs I liked. We had a great evening in Olympia!

Mrs. America Pageant September 6 & 7 2010

I was fortunate enough to get to go to the Mrs. America pageant to cheer on my dear friend Mrs. Washington 2010 Carla Richards. I traveled with Mrs. Washington 2009 Elizabeth Larson. It was in Arizona and it was crazy Hot! The resort was fabulous and it was so much fun to be around all the royalty. The ladies each wore their state sash all the time, it was required. We'd see them running to and from practices with curlers in the hair and sometimes slippers on! These are real women. They were all so beautiful, talented & accomplished.
Carla Richards was amazing on stage. Her grace and elegance is definitely a gift! She shine up there and made Washington proud for sure. She accepted the Music Education award on behalf of our state on stage in her bathing suit! Her costume represented the Seahawks and was designed and made by our own Director Pam Curnel. I loved it!
At the end of the pageant Mrs. Connecticut Shelly Carbone was crowned the 2010 Mrs. America. She was just lovely on the inside and out. I sat behind her family during the finals night and it was so fun to watch their reactions. One of her boys was so excited his hands were clenched and he stood there just hanging on every word till she was announced. How sweet.

Blog catching up!!!

As the saying goes time flies! Football season has been jam packed keeping our family busy! I've been busy being the team coordinator and it has been a blast! I love football.
I've also been making appearances and keeping up on my volunteer duties. The following posts will be a big catch up session. The actual post date wont match but I'll post the real dates with each post.

Olympia's Farmers Market

After attending Harbor Days we had to go visit the Farmers Market. What a beautiful bustling place! The vegetables and fruits were amazing. We bought tomatoes, carrots, apples and black berries. All organic and so tasty. We enjoyed lunch at the market too. The market runs from April to December and is a wonderful gathering place for all of us locals!

Olympia Harbor Days

Harbor Days is an annual festival where tugboats return to the southernmost tip of Puget Sound for three days of entertainment, food, art, history, and a last farewell to the summer. Vintage, working and retired tugboats are moored at Olympia's Percival Landing. Many of them are open for tour on Saturday of the festival. On Sunday the tugs leave shore to participate in the Annual Harbor Days Tugboat Races, out in the deep channel of the bay.
My mom, dad and son Jordan joined me down at Percivals Landing to see the tugboats and visit the many local artists booths. We got to tour the 100 year old tugboat that has been restored by the South Sound Maritime Heritage Association and is docked at the harbor. The South Sound Maritime Heritage Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and public awareness of the Southern Puget Sound's maritime history. There is a rich heritage to the sights, sounds, and events that have taken place along the banks and in the channel of Budd Bay and points north. From the early ferry boats that linked Olympia to Seattle, to the working waterfront that helped launch Washington State's economy, the South Sound left many stories to tell, and memories to protect

Thurston County Youth Football League Jamboree

The kick off for our County League Football starts with our jamboree. All teams come throughout the day and play 15 minutes each offense and defense against different teams, two teams at a time on the field. It is a crazy day with tons of people coming and going. My husband is the official team photographer and I am the team coordinator. We volunteered to work the gate taking $1 donation entrance fees and marking people hands for re-entrance. We were so busy the time flew by!! It was so much fun, I saw many people I went to school with it was like a reunion!
Our T-Bird Major Varsity team did great. We can't wait for the games to begin. This is a team who has played together many years and have been undefeated for 3 of them and also have won the championship for 3 years in a row!

Send off Party For Mrs. Washington

Saturday we got together to celebrate our new Mrs. Washington. She is off for a week to compete for the title of Mrs. America. She modeled her fabulous wardrobe and she looked amazing! We are so proud to have her represent our state. Many former Mrs. Washington's attended to wish her well.
Carla is an amazing woman she is truly a Queen! I will be going to cheer her on for the preliminary and final nights. I am so excited for her. Our state won the MENC appearance award! From a combined effort from all of us delegates they totaled all of our appearances that were MENC specific. I am proud to have helped contribute to our effort and I firmly believe in what MENC stands for. Carla will get to receive the award on stage for everyone to see. It is truly an honor.

Sand in the City 2010

Sand in the City is and event to raise money for our local Hands on Children's Museum. Tons of sand that is stored and recycled every year is brought in and teams compete against each other to build the best sand sculpture. There are also tons of fun things for kids to do playing in the sand box, arts and crafts, games and much more. They also host a gala and parties in the evenings for adults. As a volunteer I helped greet visitors, handed out information and collected donations. It was a beautiful but chilly morning. My children grew up visiting the hands on children's museum and having birthday parties there. It is a great place to learn, create and have fun. So many volunteers give their time and talents to enrich our children.

Vacation Time!

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Our family headed off to Florida for a well deserved Vacation. We stayed at the Portofino resort at Universal Studios. We've been here several times but the new Harry Potter area was new to us!! Staying at the resort allows you to get in to the park an hour early and thank goodness we did! We had to wait in very short lines and got to see and do everything each morning before it got too hot. When we would leave the Harry Potter area there would be a huge line of people waiting to just get in there and then once those poor people got in they had to wait in long lines for each ride or exhibit. Even the stores to shop in had waiting lines! It was crazy! We love the Harry Potter books and movies and it was so much fun to be in Hogsmeade and Hogwarts and feel like you were really there.
Our favorite drinks were the Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice! Butterbeer tastes like gingersnaps and butterscotch. It is so yummy! The froth is made seperately and that is the part that tastes like butterscotch. It does not melt in the cup and once you drink it down you slurp up the froth. I can't imagine what chemicals are in there but wow it sure tastes good!
After we spent time at the park in the morning we would go back to the hotel and swim in the pool but even that did not cool us off, the water was too warm in the pool! We took showers at least twice a day because it was so humid!
We spent one night in Disney World at the Beautiful Swan Resort. We had some points racked up so it was a free stay. We are not Disney Fans....I know some consider that a sin but it's true. So we did not go to any of the Disney parks we just hung out at Downtown Disney, Disney Boardwalk and the pool!
We had a great time as a family with only a few scuffles between the boys. I hope they will have fond memories of our time there. I am sure they will go back someday with their kids!!

Cinderella's Closet Ballroom Blitz

Our fundraiser for Cinderella's Closet raised $1015!! It was a horribly Hot night in the Ballroom, but we still had a great time. My son's band Friday Farewell opened and they rocked the house! A little too loud for the older crowd but still entertaining. Our band The Replay finished out the night in the sweltering heat! Thank you so much to Mrs. Washington 2010 Carla Richards for coming and supporting the event.