Miss Arizona Sweetheart 2006

Thank you for a Wonderful Year

2007-11-30T21:51:00.000-08:00

As I make the last post on this blog, I would like to say thank you for following Brittany on her journey as Miss Arizona Sweetheart 2006. It was such an amazing year filled with fun events and great times with some amazing young women that we now call family. The bond that Brittany, Ally, Andrea, Tana and Tiffany formed is absolutely amazing. From the moment they were crowned it was like they had known each other all their lives. The personalities and values of these girls blended together beautifully. Even to this day they communicate on at least a weekly if not daily basis. Which is amazing considering each of them has a full schedule of activities.

To the new group of Arizona queens: I truly hope that each one of you has a truly amazing year full of wonderful memories.

The 2007 Arizona Queens at Nationals

2007-11-30T21:46:00.005-08:00

One of the big changes at Nationals this year is all the contestants went to Disney on the same day. Looks like the Arizona girls had a great time together. Thanks for the picture Danielle.

Don't tell me the queens are in jail! Danielle, Gloria, and Alyson what crime could you have possibly committed...must be too much fun at Disney World

Richelle being crowned as the National Teen Speech winner.

Melody placed in the top 15 in the Coed division. Way to go Melody, we are so proud of you!!

Added note: I recently found out that Melody took 6th overall. That is absolutely amazing considering she had been extremely ill prior to the start of competition. As I said before WAY TO GO MELODY!!!

I finally got a picture of Richelle being crowned as the Miss American Teen 2008.

Arizona has a National Queen!!!

2007-11-24T22:05:00.001-08:00

I just found out today that Richelle, our 2007 Arizona Teen Queen was crowned as the National Teen Queen this afternoon in Florida. We are so excited for her and her family. It is going to be such an amazing year for all of them. Richelle is an amazing young woman who has an extremely bright future. As soon as I have any photos I will post them on here.

WAY TO GO RICHELLE!!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

Richelle being crowned at the Arizona state pageant in July.

Pageant Finale - The Crowning

2007-11-15T23:02:00.007-08:00

Ready for the opening number.

Brittany got to crown Brittany, how confusing is that?

Tana crowning Richelle as the new Arizona Teen Queen.

Brittany (Sweetheart) and Gloria (PreTeen)two of the new Arizona queens.

Meet the 2007 Arizona queens. (standing) Gloria (PreTeen), Danielle (Jr. Teen) and Melody (Coed) (sitting) Brittany (Sweetheart), Devyn (Princess), Richelle (Teen) and Simarah (Sweetheart Hostess)

All the queens together for one last group photo.

Tana and Melody the new Coed queen.

Last Rehearsal

2007-11-15T23:02:00.005-08:00

This is it, the last chance to work on the dance before the pageant finale. In a matter of hours all the hard work of the rehearsals will be revealed with the opening numbers. I was hanging out in the lobby with a group of extremely nervous moms. Each one hoping their daughter, I truly wish we were able to crown more than one winner in each division. The girls and moms that I met during this weekend were absolutely amazing. I do not envy the job of the judges, all I can say is I will never be a pageant judge.

What queens do when they have down time....

2007-11-15T23:02:00.003-08:00

Practice the talent they will be performing at the pageant finale...
Stuff their face full of food....
Make faces at the camera....
Enjoy the view from the hotel room.

Interview Competition

2007-11-15T23:02:00.001-08:00

I followed the girls into the ball room to get some photos while they were waiting for interview. If I could have I would have followed them into the interview room for some snapshots, but that would have been too distracting for the girls and judges.

Brittany offered some tips to the girls before they met with the judges. She reminded them to smile, have fun and be themselves.
Always ready to make silly faces for the camera.

Family Brunch

2007-11-15T23:01:00.006-08:00

The queens and a few of the contestants ready for breakfast on Saturday morning. This is a great event where the contestants, family members, queens, judges and directors all have a relaxing fun-filled breakfast. It's a great time to relax and get to know the other families that are attending the pageant. I love how the American Coed Pageant is truly about being a family.
At the breakfast the girls were surprised with the spirit award from Marlene. We had no idea they were going to receive this award. Marlene had told them they were going to just talk a little about the volunteer work and other activities that they had done through the year. After each girl spoke a little about the year, Marlene presented them with the awards. As a mother, I couldn't have been prouder of each of these girls. They truly encompass what it means to be a queen, caring, compassionate and ready to help others at a moments notice.

Mister Pageant

2007-11-15T23:01:00.003-08:00

A fun part of the weekend for the gentlemen is the Mister Pageant. This is the chance for the guys to get up on stage and strut their stuff. Brittany talked her brother into competiting. He had such a great time that he wants to do it again. He loved the on-stage questions. I also think he loved strutting his stuff on stage.
He ended up being first runner-up. I thought that was amazing since he has never been on stage in front of an audience before!
The queens with the Mister winner, Brandon, and first runner-up also a Brandon! Congrats guys!!

Optionals

2007-11-15T23:01:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite parts about the pageant is the optional competition. I am always amazed at the amount of talent within the contestants. A tradition with the Arizona pageant has been a fashion prior to all the girls to the fashion wear optional. I think this is a great chance for the girls to work out any last nervousness prior to being judged. The queens always have a color theme. This year it was bright colors. The girls had a blast coordinating their outfits. Then of course there was the shopping (thanks Tana and Tiffany for helping Brittany pick out her shirt and accessories.)

The 70s Get Acquainted Party

2007-11-15T22:13:00.001-08:00

Who's that queen?? Why it's Tiffany ready for the get acquainted party. This is a great event for the contestants and their families. It's a chance for them to let their hair down and party! This year's theme was the 70's.
Tana, I love the glasses...they kind of give you that bug look.

Love the outfits ladies.

The first rehearsal

2007-11-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

Of course I got photos before they went into rehearsal, but I wasn't allowed to follow them :( Rehearsals are closed to parents, that way there aren't any distractions, not to mention the dance is usually a "surprise". Unless of course your daughter just can't stop practicing and spends her free time doing the dance in the hotel room. Rehearsals are the time when mom's sit around the hotel talking or some head back to their room for a little free time. Every pageant mom values this time, it is one of the few times where you can relax, you don't have to worry about hair, clothes etc. All you mom's know exactly what I'm talking about. I love this time because it gives me a chance to talk with "grown-ups". I will say that I have met some of the nicest mom's at Coed pageants, from state to nationals. I have yet to meet one of "those" pageant moms (you know the ones they always show on TV).

Registration and Orientation

2007-11-15T21:58:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning started out bright and early with registration. The girls did their part by helping with registration as well as welcoming each contestant to the state pageant.

Catching up with an 'old' friend (Richelle) and making a new friend (Simarah).
My 'girls' with the newly crowned Southern Texas Sweetheart.
The girls ready for orientation, joined by the amazing Kellie, Miss Northern California Teen.
Yara and Gloria, two of our amazing contestants.

Arizona State Pageant - July 2007

2007-11-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

It is with mixed emotions that I add this last section. I have been dragging my feet a little (it's now November and the pageant was in July)in adding this last section. It was such an amazing year for Brittany that I was sad to see it end. She had the MOST AMAZING group of sister queens that anyone could ask for, they are literally a part of our family now. I still communicate with the girls on an almost daily basis.

I guess the easiest thing for the Arizona Pageant photos is to add several entries broken down by events. I took several hundred photos at the pageant, so it is extremely difficult for me to select just a few!

The girls headed up a day before the pageant started to get a head start on learning the dance routine. We arrived (after driving through a typical Arizona monsoon storm) to grab some dinner and then head to the ballroom for several hours of dance practice. Okay the girls practiced while the mom's just sat around and talked.
Silly photos while waiting for dinner to arrive.

Learning the dances.
Surprisingly enough I was shocked to learn that Tana CAN dance! I already knew that Tiffany and Andrea could handle it.

Locks of Love

2007-08-19T23:57:00.000-07:00

One of the last events that Brittany did as Miss Arizona Sweetheart was donating her hair to Locks of Love. This is actually the second time that she has donated her hair, in fact I was so inspired by her, that I chose to donate my hair too! I just won't be posting my before and after photos. I'm a little upset with myself because I forgot to take a picture of her with the ponytail that was donated.

June Events

2007-07-14T01:40:00.001-07:00

Wow, I guess it's been a while since we have updated this blog. June had a couple of events. The month started out with the girls visiting children at Banner Desert Medical Center. It was a very rewarding experience for everyone involved.

On June 23rd, a few of the girls (Brittany, Tiffany, Andrea and Ally)attended the Miss Arizona pageant. While they were there they had the opportunity to meet Mrs. World, who is also from our wonderful state.

The queens also collected school supplies that will be donated to the Thomas Pappas School for homeless children.

Also during the month of June we had a birthday party for Tana our wonderful Teen queen.

It's hard to believe that the year of their reign is almost over. Literally in two weeks each of the girls will be crowning their successors. Of course I will update the page after we return from state. It will be a fun and sad weekend all at the same time.

AVP Pro-Beach Volleyball - (Day Two)

2007-05-13T20:39:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a really long day due to the heat. It was at least 102 degrees, I never did get the official weather forecast, I'm just going by what it said on my car thermostat. Our volunteer coordinator, Christie, did an awesome job making sure that everyone stayed hydrated. Unfortunately, there wasn't any shade in the area where we were working the afternoon games. So we had to work in shifts, two volunteers sat out every game. The only shade that was available was under a flatbed truck on the other side of the parking lot. It was rather comical to watch the volunteers sitting on chairs under these trucks, but it worked. The picture to the left is Brittany with Jennifer Boss and April Ross. They were our last game of the afternoon, once we were done with that game we took a little break before the evening games started. It was nice to get out of the heat!

The picture to the right is Brittany shagging during the evening game between Holdren-Nygaard and Hyden-Keenan. We thought it was funny that we shagged for Hyden and Keenan again, two nights in a row. Her job was to get the ball whenever it went to the far side of the court where she was and roll it to the girl nearest to the corner where I was taking the picture.

When the ball was in play Brittany just had to stand there and pay attention to what was going on. You never want to turn your back in a volleyball game because you could get hit by the ball. We left the crown at home since volleyballs and crowns don't mix.

Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor warming up prior to their evening match. Brittany is the small girl on the far side of the net in the yellow shirt. Every time they would hit the ball over the net it was her job to go get it.

Brittany's dream come true was being on the volleyball court with Kerri Walsh. As you can probably guess Brittany plays volleyball.

Another picture of Brittany with Kerri Walsh.

During the night games we were being bombarded by grasshoppers. It was fun to watch people in the stands; every now and then they would jump because a grasshopper flew into them. I was one of those people. In fact one time when I was taking the camera out of my backpack a grasshopper jumped into it.

At the end of the night Brittany was able to get her picture with Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalists. They won their match that night and moved on to the semi-finals on Sunday. We decided not to go back and volunteer on Sunday because of the heat we had endured on Saturday afternoon. Thankfully we both stayed hydrated and neither one of us became ill, but I didn't want to risk two days of extreme heat.

On Sunday, Walsh and May moved on to the finals where they ended up winning!

AVP Pro-Beach Volleyball (Day One)

2007-05-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Brittany had an absolutely awesome weekend volunteering her time at the AVP Pro-Beach Volleyball tournament when it made a stop in Arizona. Over the course of two days she volunteered a total of 13 hours. On the first day (Friday) we were joined by Tiffany, our amazing Coed Queen.
There are really only two jobs available for volunteers, keeping score and ball shagging. By the time we got there all the score keeping jobs had been assigned, so we were ball shagging. Ball shagging is when you are out on the court during the match getting the volleyball for the players.
The girls and I shagged for game 2. Which was between, the teams of Lambert-Metzger and Keenan-Hyden. I thought it was a pretty neat experience, I have watched beach volleyball on TV, but it is much more exciting to see it in person. I never realized what a faced paced game it is until I was out there chasing the volleyball on the court.

Brittany and Tiffany with Mike "Lambo" Lambert.

Stein Metzger

Brad Keenan

Holly McPeak, 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist

Logan Tom, teammate of Holly McPeak

Nicole Branagh (left) and Elaine Youngs, 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist

Diva Dash

2007-05-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Bright and early on the morning of May 5th, Brittany and Tiffany headed out for another volunteer opportunity. Actually it wasn't bright when they headed out, since it was 4:30 in the morning. When most people their ages were sleeping they were getting ready to help others. This time they were volunteering at the Diva Dash which is a fundraiser for the Girls on the Run.

Girls on the Run is a wonderful program that teaches girls ages 8-11 to respect themselves for who they are and to develop a healthy active lifestyle. Girls who participate in the program at their schools also participate in the Diva Dash.
The morning started off with helping set-up for the Diva Dash. Then the girls moved to handing out t-shirts and goodie bags at registration. After registration, it was time to hand out water. The girls are becoming experts at this, since they distributed water at Pat's Run too. This time they were out on the race course, which was a wonderful experience. As the girls handed out water they also gave words of encouragement to all of the participants. They made a special point of telling all the younger girls participating that they were doing an "awesome" job, keep up the good work and so many other positive statements. I was so impressed watching these two, they really made a lot of these girls feel better. For the majority of the girls participating this was the first time they had every run or walked a 5k marathon. This is definitely an event we will be helping out with again. It ties in so well with the American Coed philosophy of developing self-confidence.

Fifth-graders help classmate in need

2007-05-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of those stories that you really hate to talk about but if you are in a position to help it would be greatly appreciated. A student at Brittany's school was recently diagnosed with brain cancer. The story was featured on a local tv station. I have provided the story below along with a link for the video that aired on the evening news. You can also access the story for yourself at azfamily.com

Fifth-graders help classmate in need

05:30 PM Mountain Standard Time on Friday, May 4, 2007

By Kirsten Joyce / 3TV reporter

A young fifth-grader has just been diagnosed with a very rare disease for his age and his fellow classmates and the entire school are pitching in to help the family pay for medical bills.

Many tears were shed Friday at Palm Valley Elementary School.

An 11-year-old child, Rene Perez, was just diagnosed with cancer.

He only moved to the Valley a month ago from Texas, but his presence at the school has made quite an impact on fellow students and staff members.

Rene is an honor student, but he wasn't in class today.

"I'm very proud of my grandson," said his grandmother Irene, who said just a week ago he was taken to the ER because he was suffering from terrible headaches.

"They ended up in emergency and found he had a massive tumor -- brain tumor," she said. "Now he's doing radiation and chemo for 42 days -- once a month for five months."

But his classmates at Palm Valley Elementary School have found a way to work through their sadness by raising money for Rene's treatment.

"It's called Hats on for Rene," said Sahil Kapur, a student. "Everyone is wearing hats this Friday and next to support him. Bring a dollar or more to wear a hat."

The idea is the brainchild of Rene's teacher.

Rene is planning to visit his fellow classmates next Friday to thank them.

"Rene does want to come back to see them," his grandmother said. "It really means a lot to him -- what they're doing for him."

Meanwhile, his teacher is also in the process of setting up an account at Washington Mutual.

For donation information: Contact Mrs. Noce (Rene's teacher) phone, 602-295-4745, or Palm Valley Elementary, 623-535-6400, or e-mail manoce@gmail.com.

Link to see video clip that appeared on 3TV http://www.azfamily.com/video/localnews-index.html?nvid=141293&shu=1

Informational Video about American Coed

2007-05-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

I found this video about American Coed Pageant on You Tube. It was actually put together by the group that runs the California and Illinois Pageant so don't use the contact info at the end of the video. If you would like to contact the Arizona pageant, use the link that I have posted on the side of this blog.
For those of you who have been wondering what pageant weekend is like this video clip will give a glimpse into an absolutely awesome weekend. It is truly a family weekend, where not only the girls have an opportunity to meet new friends and gain confidence; but parents will make new friends as well. I truly look forward to pageant weekend every year; I meet so many amazing parents. What I truly love about this pageant is the non-glitz factor (no make-up) for the younger children. The girls can just be themselves, and the are expected to be themselves!

Brittany has been competing for four years and the change in her is absolutely amazing. When we first started this journey she was so shy that she wouldn't even order a happy meal from McDonalds. Since that first pageant she has completely come out of her shell. Sometimes I think she has more self-confidence then I did at that age, in fact I know she does. She now loves visiting with new people; signs of her former shyness are gone. She even orders for herself when we go out. Ironically, her favorite competitions at pageant are interview (meeting one on one with the judges) and speech (optional competition). The skills she has gained from American Coed, allowed her to gain the confidence to try out for the chorus at her school, as well as run for Student Council Vice President. Had she not participated in the pageant, I feel that she would have been too shy to participate in these things at her school. Especially since both of them involve being in front of an audience on a regular basis.

MADD/QADD Walk

2007-04-26T23:45:00.001-07:00

On April 21st, the girls participated in the Strides for Change walk which benefited MADD. This is an annual walk that takes place at the Phoenix Zoo. Not only were the girls there to support MADD but they were also supporting Tiffany Martin (Miss Arizona Teen USA 2007) who started QADD (Queens against Destructive Decisions).
The gangs all here, we can finally start walking!

From left to right: Yara, Ariana, Brittany, Elexis, Ally, Tiffany, Tana, Tiffany and Brenna

The girls took a moment to take a picture with Nevan, who was Tiffany's inspiration to start QADD. His parents were killed by a drunk driver, he was the only one who survived the accident.

Pat's Run

2007-04-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday April 7th Brittany, Tiffany and Amanda were volunteers for Pat's Run.
Pat's Run is an annual marathon that benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation and is held at Arizona State University. The finish line for the marathon was located inside Sun Devil Stadium on the 42nd yard line (that was Pat Tillman's number while attending ASU).

From left to right: Brittany, Tiffany, Amanda
The girls had the task of helping to distribute water to those participating in the marathon after they crossed the finish line. Before they could pass out the water though, they had to help fill up all the cups.
These two pictures really don't do a good enough job showing how many cups of water were filled. We had a small army of people filling water. You also may notice that there are two levels to these cups. There had to be at least 20 people that spent over an hour setting up and filling the cups with water. Thankfully, the weather was nice and it never did get too hot.
In addition to handing out water, the girls also helped to distribute apples and bananas. No, they didn't use their shirts to pass out the food. After everyone had left and we had cleaned up our volunteer area, our volunteer coordinator told us to take home some of the extra fruit. So the girls loaded up for a cute picture moment!

THE FOLLOWING WAS TAKEN FROM THE PAT'S RUN WEBSITE -SEE LINK AT BOTTOM

TEMPE PAT'S RUN DRAWS RECORD CROWD IN 2007
Approximately 13,000 runners and walkers -- from all 50 states -- participated in the third annual Pat's Run, celebrating the life of American hero Pat Tillman in Tempe, Arizona on April 7. The third annual 4.2 mile run / walk broke the attendance record, topping 10,000 participants last year.

The event also featured a .42 mile Kids Run, which had 1,000 participants. Including 750 volunteers, more than 15,000 people attended Pat's Run in Tempe.

"This is a tremendous statement about Pat's inspiration," said Alex Garwood, Executive Director of the Pat Tillman Foundation. "Participants can feel great on several levels -- because they celebrated Pat's life and took time to think about him, because they took action and did something good for themselves, and at the same time they raised funds to support youth leadership programs to grow even more community leaders. It's a win-win-win.”

Proceeds benefit the Pat Tillman Foundation and it's youth leadership programs which promote positive action to benefit the community.

http://patsrun.com/tempe_volunteer.php

El Tour de Phoenix

2007-04-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

On March 31st, Brittany and Tiffany volunteered at the El Tour de Phoenix Bike Marathon which was a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was a very busy, but rewarding morning. The girls worked at the finish line taking the ankle monitors off of the racers and then sorting them into buckets.

As a side note: one of the highlights of being a queen for Brittany has been all of the opportunities to volunteer her time to help others. Even after she gives up her title she plans to continue giving her time to charity.

Bertrand Berry Football Camp for Kids

2007-03-18T02:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 17th Brittany joined Ally at the Bertrand Berry Football Camp. This wrapped up a weekend of events which were designed to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The great thing about this football camp was you had a number of NFL players giving their time to kids. Kids from three different organizations were invited to participate: Big Brothers Big Sisiters of Central Arizona, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Childhelp. It was an amazing time for all involved. The kids who participated had the opportunity to "play" football with the pros.

When the camp was over they had pizza, which was followed by an autograph session.

The players stayed until every child who participated had something signed; whether it was a hat, sweat towel, or even a piece of paper.
Brittany had such a great time that she wants to participate in more events like this. It gave her such a good feeling to see the joy on all the kids faces. She had a really tough job at our table, she was handing out Cardinals hats while Ally and Brianne, Miss Scottsdale, handed out pizza. Earlier in the day Brittany helped with the set up of tables, games, and distribution of water.
I just wanted to wrap up this post by saying that this was such a great experience. Bertrand and his wife Shelley are two of the most down to earth people I have ever met. They were so grateful for all of the help of the volunteers. Everyone who participated had a great time and I think this event is going to get better every year! I for one would gladly volunteer my time at any event that they are sponsoring.

Coyotes Game

2007-03-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, March 3rd the girls had a chance to attend a Phoenix Coyotes game where they were going to be introduced after the first period. While they were waiting to be escorted down towards the ice a team photographer captured a picture of the girls just "hanging" around. I love the way that they framed it with the team logo.

Tamar, who is a member of the Coyotes Pack (the dance/cheer squad) posed for a photo with the girls. It is amazing how these young ladies dance on the ice at every home game. I know they wear special shoes to keep them from slipping, but that takes a lot of time to practice, not to mention they have to be pretty cold.

Prior to being introduced the girls were escorted to the Rink Side Club to wait. It was pretty cool down there. As soon as the period ended the girls lined up and waited for the players to exit the arena. I was so excited because I saw Wayne Gretzky (I used to watch him play hockey all the time when I was a kid). That was such an awesome experience for me seeing him in person. The Great One walked right by me, to bad I couldn't have spent some time talking to him. Brittany just laughed at my excitement about seeing Gretzky, for her it was more like Who?? Her favorite sport is volleyball, so she doesn't really know much about hockey.

The girls were introduced from the Coyotes bench and had their pictures displayed on the jumbo tron. They were introduced in order of their titles started with Brittany the Sweetheart Queen.

Then came Andrea the Junior Teen Queen. Andrea we love the new haircut!!!

Next up was Tana our amazing Teen Queen. It's funny how much Brittany and Tana are alike.

Followed by Tiffany our Coed Queen. We love you Tiffany!!!

The last one introduced was our adorable Princess Hostess Yara. I wish I would have been in a better spot, the Gatorade bottle is in the way. I was on the ice taking the pictures, and I wasn't wearing special shoes like the dancers. Yes, I was afraid of falling and copying Brittany's break prior to the state pageant.

The night ended all too quickly, but everyone had a great time. On the way to our car Brittany and Tiffany couldn't resist posing with the Coyotes car. The one thing Brittany learned tonight is take a blanket to the next game because she was freezing. Her lips actually turned blue from the cold. At least she was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, otherwise it could have been worse.

Golf Anyone?

2007-02-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

On Monday. February 19th the girls were given an awesome opportunity to meet some of the world's best golfers at the WGC: Accenture Match Play Championship. This was held at The Gallery at Dove Mountain near Tucson, Arizona.

They attended day one of the practices, which in my opinion is better then attending the actual game because you get to meet the players. Another pageant mom was able to get only four tickets to this sold out event. Luckily the younger girls (Yara and Brittany) didn't need tickets, otherwise the moms would have been waiting in the parking lot! At times the day was overcast and windy, but it was worth it.

When the girls were walking into the event they were stopped for a photo by another spectator. The girls were so excited that they actually had their own "fan". Kim, you made the girls day when you asked for a photo!

After walking around for a little while we finally found the best place to park ourselves for the meet and greet with players. Several of the players were willing to have their photos taken with the girls. To the right is a photo with Stewart Cink.

Johan Edfors from Sweden

David Howell from England

J.J. Henry from the United States

Padraig Harrington from Ireland

Paul Casey from England

Ben Crane from the United States

We did see Vijah Singh go walking by, but he was too busy to stop for a photo. He really disappointed quite a few fans. He said he would come back for photos and autographs, but instead hid out behind a tent.

We had been hearing rumors all day that TIGER WOODS wasn't going to show up for practice until Tuesday, which really disappointed the girls. We had planned on leaving around 1pm because of the drive back to Phoenix. Literally ten minutes before we were going to leave TIGER walked right in front of us on his way to practice the entire 18-hole golf course. Of course, we extended our stay a little to watch.

It was hysterical to watch grown men and women chasing after Tiger as soon as they realized he was out on the golf course. People were running to keep up, because he had a shorter path to travel then the spectators. Camera crews from the local news stations were following him as well.

We watched him tee off from the first hole. And then we followed him, just like everyone else.

The girls are trying to figure out where the ball went. Notice Tiger behind the girls. It was during this point, as we were following Tiger that the girls made it on the local news in Tucson. They were actually shown on a local news program following Tiger along the golf course. Unfortunately, I never saw the footage, since I'm not in Tucson.

Just another random shot of Tiger on the green.

Notice that person in the distance behind Brittany and Tiffany...that's Tiger putting. We would have loved to stay and watch him play the entire course, unfortunately we had a long drive ahead of us. Maybe next time we'll get a closer photo with Tiger. It was still awesome being able to watch him golf in person, I've only seen him on TV, so this was quite an experience for me.

Surprise!!!

2007-02-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

On Sunday afternoon we had a surprise birthday party for Tiffany. I couldn't let her 21st birthday go by without a celebration and this seemed like the perfect weekend since Tana had come into town for the pageant on Saturday. Everyone couldn't wait for Tiffany to arrive so they could bombard her with confetti.

When she walked through the door, Tiffany was truly surprised, especially when people threw confetti all over her. I'll be cleaning up confetti for the next month!

Brittany's dad did a wonderful job barbecuing the food, as you can see everyone enjoyed their dinner!

When Tiffany arrived, after we bombarded her with confetti, we gave her a new crown for the day. She was our "party animal". We (Tana and I) couldn't resist the wiggly eyes on the "hat". Tiffany we hope your wish comes true!!

Tiffany, Brittany and Tana just couldn't resist playing with the balloons.

Miss Scottsdale Pageant

2007-02-20T17:55:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 17th the girls attended the Miss Scottsdale Pageant. This is one of the preliminary pageants for the Miss America Organization. The girl who wins this pageant will go on to compete for the title of Miss Arizona and then ultimately compete for the Miss America title. It was pretty exciting for all involved. The girls went there as special guests, because the pageant coordinator was none other than the mother of our amazing Pre-teen queen, Ally. This is the first time in quite a while that all of the girls (Tana, Brittany, Tiffany, Ally and Andrea) have been together since they were crowned on stage in July. Their busy schedules are very difficult to coordinate.

At the beginning of the pageant all of the visiting royalty introduced themselves on stage.

One of the highlights of the evening was meeting Hilary Griffith the reigning Miss Arizona. It was exciting for the girls to meet and talk with her for a few minutes, especially since they had recently watched her on TV competing for the Miss America crown.

As a side note to Brian, I think you did a wonderful job as the pageant emcee!

Before the girls headed home they had to get one last picture. This time it included Jessica Smith, Mrs. Arizona Galaxy 2007 and the newly crowned Miss Scottsdale 2007 Brianne Turrentine.

Disney On Ice

2007-01-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January 28th the girls attended Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure. It was such a fun afternoon. Brittany and I really enjoyed the show.
This was the best sign we could find that said "Disney on Ice". One of the highlights of the day was when the girls had their photo taken with an adorable young boy dressed as Mr. Incredible.

We had a great view from our seats. High enough that we could see everything, low enough so we weren't in the nose bleed section.
The afternoon ended too quickly and before we knew it, it was time to go home. Of course nobody wanted to leave :( Of course the girls had to pose for one last silly picture, this is one of my favorites!

Braces!!!

2007-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Brittany got her braces this afternoon. After two hours in the orthodontist's chair she walked out with a full mouth of metal. Right now she is not too excited about the prospect of wearing braces for 18 months, especially since the pain is setting in, at least the pain doesn't last for long. She wasn't very happy with me when I got out the camera to mark this milestone.

An evening at Zoolights

2006-12-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

On December 17th, a few of the girls got together to go to Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo. It was a fun-filled evening of wandering around an extremely crowded zoo. I was surprised by the crowd. At one point while we were walking down a path it was wall to wall people. Despite the crowd the girls had a great time just being together.

How about this picture for the next photogenic contest??
Tana, Brittany, Tiffany and Yara our adorable Princess Hostess

Christmas in the Park Parade

2006-12-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

On December 9th, Andrea, Ally, Brittany, Samantha, Tiffany, and Brittany participated in the Christmas in the Park Parade in Litchfield Park. This is a yearly event that drew a larger crowd than I had expected.

The girls met in the morning to make a Happy Holidays sign for the truck.

We have found the easiest thing for seating to accomodate all the girls is to purchase straw bales. Of course we cover them with blankets or towels. Notice how the younger girls relax in the truck while Brittany's dad and the older queens (out of camera range) are decorating the truck.

This was one of the fastest moving parades I have ever been to, the girls were actually towards the beginning. They went by so fast I couldn't get a picture of them right in front of me, so instead I got their backs. They had a great time throwing candy canes to the people sitting in the crowd.

I finally got a picture of all the girls together and facing the camera after the parade was over. Back row: Brittany, Samantha, Brittany
Front row: Andrea, Tiffany, Ally

Brittany had another appearance to make at the Christmas in the Park with her school chorus. They perfomed parts of their Christmas musical. She was Mrs. Claus, this was her first time singing a solo in public. She did an amazing job.

You mean it's already over!

2006-12-29T11:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast the week passed by, it didn't seem like we were there for a week. It really only seemed like a couple of days. It was such a fun experience for Brittany and I. She made new friends from across the United States, not to mention she created memories that will last a lifetime.

This was the amazing view that we had from our eighth floor room. We really enjoyed staying at the Hilton, we also enjoyed the room service!
Hanging out at the hotel waiting to go to the airport. We booked a later flight, so we wouldn't have to feel rushed in the morning. So we had a little bit of down time to just kick back and relax before heading home.
While waiting for our airport shuttle Brittany had the chance to say goodbye and congratulations to Samantha and Abby. Samantha is the National Sweetheart Victory and Abby is the National Princess Actress. Way to go girls!!

Nationals - Day 5

2006-12-29T11:38:00.001-08:00

The morning dawned with interviews bright and early. I am always amazed that pageants start interviews so early in the morning, in this case 8:15. The girls barely have the sleep out of their eyes, and they are expected to answer questions one on one with a judge. Not to mention they have to look put together. Brittany showed up looking beautiful in her interview suit, while I dropped her off in my sweats. What a pair we made.

I kick myself that I didn't take pictures of Brittany with the other girls all dressed up in their interview suits. I was still to tired to think. I remembered to get these pictures after we had already gone back to the room. I had Brittany go back down to the lobby so we could find a nice photo spot.

These photos are of the production number during the optional finals. The outfits were actually really cute.

Nationals - Day 6

2006-12-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

Pageant finale day!!

The day started with an hour-long production number rehearsal at 8am. Then it was a mad dash to the room to get ready for the eveningwear competition. The girls had an eveningwear dress rehearsal from 9:45-10:30. They walked through what the girls would be doing on stage for the competition.

The competition itself started at 10:30. Before the girls took the stage to be judged there was a parade of formal wear. All the girls walked across the stage in their beautiful gowns.

Brittany, Melanie, and Kristin all smiles after the formal wear competition.

Brittany, Kristin and Olivia in their production number outfits ready for the pageant finale to begin.

I was sitting a little farther back for the pageant finale, so the photo turned out darker. I had to lighten, hench it not being as good of quality as other photos.

Brittany didn't make top 15, which was her original goal. She is very proud of her performance at Nationals. She was also very excited because her friend Kristin was first runner-up! We did find out that she finished in 21st place. She was only 17 points away from top 15.

Brittany and Kristin ready to go to the sock hop.
After we finished eating at the sock hop, we left a little early to head to Downtown Disney with some of the other Arizona girls.
Brittany made a new friend that night, and no it's not Buzz Lightyear. She met Kassy from South Dakota. Tana and Tiffany had the pleasure of hanging out with her all week, we only had the pleasure for the evening. She is an amazing young woman and someone we are proud to call a friend.
The girls had a fun time pin shopping. They were looking for Disney pins that they could put on their banners. Josh couldn't resist jumping into the picture.
Still shopping for pins!
Tiffany, Brittany and Josh posing with a lego creation.
Which ones are the queens and which ones are the lego people??

Nationals - Day 4

2006-12-29T11:37:00.000-08:00

Turkey Day!! Happy Thanksgiving.

The morning started with the modeling and speech competitions. Brittany was just doing the speech competition this morning. When we showed up at the starting time for her speech competition, the modeling was still going on...it ran a little long. When speech finally started I was surprised to find out that Brittany was contestant number one.
She did a wonderful job, even though she must have been nervous being the first contestant to go on stage. When she was finished she joined me in the audience and watched the rest of the contestants. All of the girls did such an amazing job, all I can say is I'm glad I didn't have to judge the competition.

We decided to spend the rest of our Thanksgiving Day at Animal Kingdom. It was weird not being at home cooking a turkey dinner.

When we walked towards the park we were greeted by a huge Christmas tree. It reminded me that my tree at home was still in a box waiting to be set up when we got home.

I was surprised how crowded the park was that day. As soon as we arrived we headed to Kilimanjaro Safaris for fastpasses. To our amazement the fastpasses were gone and the wait was 90 minutes. Since we didn't have a lot of time in the park we decided not to wait in line for that long. Instead we walked through the animal exhibit. The closest we came to Expedition Everest was looking at the Mountain. That ride was out of fastpasses as well, and had an extremely long wait too.

Brittany did have a fun time playing the carnival games in the Dino World area. She even won a new friend. Unfortunately our day at Animal Kingdom came to an end all too soon. We had to go back to the hotel for another production number rehearsal which started at 6:30.

We got back in time to see our roommates head out for Thanksgiving Dinner.

After Brittany's rehearsal we ordered room service for dinner. We decided not to attend the pageant Thanksgiving dinner, because we were worried about Brittany missing her dad and brother too much. We had a true Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after we returned home from Nationals.

Nationals - Day 3

2006-12-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sweetheart Disney Day!!!!! No rehearsals or competitions, just a day of absolute fun with all the other Sweethearts at the Magic Kingdom. It had been arranged that all the girls would meet at 11 am for lunch and then a photo shoot in front of Cinderella Castle.
When Brittany and I arrived at the park it was just the two of us for a little while, so we wandered around getting the lay of the land. Being from Arizona, we have been to Disneyland on numerous occasions, but we had never been to Disney World. So we wandered around just taking in the sights. Brittany was really excited when we came across Liberty Square, since this is not at Disneyland. Being history buffs, we had to take a moment to pose for a picture by the Liberty Bell. The one down side to the day was the COLD! We were freezing, and the wind didn't help. I think the temperature was only in the low 60's that day.

Posing for a picture at the meeting spot.

Alexandra gave us the greatest gift in the goodie bags, it was a scarf. Brittany made good use of it at the Magic Kingdom.

The parents put together an impromptu photo shoot of the girls once everyone was there. It turned out pretty good, even if the castle wasn't behind them.

The parents got the girls to show off their royal waves.

The girls were then assembled in front of the castle for the official photo taken by the pageant photographer. The parents formed a "wall" to keep people from walking in front of the girls while the picture was being taken, so unfortunately my photo is taken from the side. After the photo was taken all the girls split up to roam around the park for a few hours. They were to meet again later to participate in the Main Street Family Fun Day Parade.

When the girls started assembling for the parade, we found another photo opportunity in front of the castle. This time I was able to get a picture with the castle in the background.

The girls were divided up for the parade and each group was assigned a different role.

Brittany would be using a tambourine during the parade.

Disney Cast Members showed the girls the routine for the parade and had them do a quick practice before they started.
Then the girls were off and marching towards Main Street!

It was a wonderful sight seeing all the girls coming down Main Street.

Pluto was a part of the parade with the girls. The parade ended with a patriotic flag waving. All the girls were lined up around the town square waving little flags. It was a great experience for all involved. After the parade the girls all split up and went their separate ways again. Brittany spent a good part of the day with the other Brittany from Arizona.

The highlight of Brittany's day was riding on Splash Mountain, that is her favorite ride. Of course we bought ponchos before we went on the ride, I didn't want to get wet, since it was cold. Brittany ended the day in the stockade at Liberty Square. What a nice way to end the evening.

Nationals - Day 2

2006-12-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning dawned bright and early with a rehearsal for the Awards Program at 8:45. The only problem for Brittany was I goofed and didn't properly set the cell phone alarm! We woke up at 8:30, she literally had 15 minutes to get ready to go downstairs for the rehearsal and awards ceremony. I felt so guilty because she didn't have enough time to eat breakfast. I didn't make the same mistake with the alarm for the rest of the week! The awards programs is where every girl receives a trophy for attending the National pageant. Each girl is photographed on stage with National Royalty and their trophy. It is actually very nicely done and it progressed rather quickly considering how many girls were in the Sweetheart division.

After the awards programs was over Brittany was finally able to relax after the frantic morning, not to mention she was able to eat. There were two production number rehearsals scheduled for the day the first was at 11:45 and the second was as 4:15. Between the rehearsals was the Gift Exchange/Cookie Party. This is a chance for all the girls to get to know each other and pass out gifts that they have put together to represent their states. Brittany enjoyed visiting with the other girls, but it was stressful for me finding stuff to fill 100 goodie bags. Unfortunately, we were short by three bags, so my advice is take 10 more bags than the projected number in your letter.

The evening concluded with the acting competition. This was a totally new experience for Brittany. At the state level all of the optionals are performed on stage, including acting. At Nationals, acting is done like the girls are actually trying out for a commercial. It is just the girl in the room with a green screen and a video camera. It was very strange for me as a parent because I didn't get to watch her performance. She really enjoyed the experience and can't wait to do it again.
Visiting with Miss Alaska, Leticiya
Miss New Jersey, Kayla. Who also did an awesome job in the speech competition!

At the time of the photo Stephanie was Miss Florida, but now she is also our National Sweetheart. Way to go!

New Jersey Sweetheart Cover Girl, Gabrielle

Once again posing with Miss Connecticut, Jasmyn

Miss Kansas Melanie, Brittany and Miss Michigan Darynn (who also is our National Speech winner - way to go!)

Miss Southern California Kristin - our National first runner up!!

Miss Scottsdale Brittany (also an Arizona girl!)

Miss Oklahoma Shaina, an absolute sweetie!

Nationals - Day 1

2006-12-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Our activities for the day didn't actually start until 2 pm with registration, so Brittany and I decided to use our morning time to visit EPCOT. This was the first time that either of us had ever been to Walt Disney World, so we planned on making the most of our trip. Even though we both felt a little guilty that the boys were still at home in Arizona. Of course with it being Thanksgiving week the park was very crowded and lines were very long. Brittany didn't get to ride on Test Track because the wait was 90 minutes and the fastpass return time was 3:30. We had to leave the park by 1:30 so the fastpass wasn't an option. Since we couldn't ride Test Track this time we decided to head over to World Showcase. We traveled the world in a matter of hours. It was so neat wandering around the different countries.
While we were in England, we ran into Andrea and her mom. Ironically, we were all headed towards the same phone booth for a photo!

One of Brittany's favorite countries was France. It is her dream to visit the real thing someday. Her only frustration was you can't get near the replica of the Eiffel Tower, it is behind a building.

One of the interesting things about World Showcase is Disney hires people from around the world to work there. It is so neat to visit with them for a few minutes. For example, the girl ringing up my purchases in "Germany" was actually from Dresden, Germany.

After our exciting time at EPCOT we returned to the hotel to get ready for Brittany's pageant registration. I was prepared for it to take a while, but they were so well organized that things ran very smoothly. We were finished in no time! While we were waiting in line Brittany met a number of girls from other states, she immediately bonded with Melanie from Kansas.

Brittany and Miss Connecticut Jasmyn

Later in the evening our pageant directors had a small reception for the girls from Arizona and Texas. Just to let them get together and bond before they started their different schedules for the week.

Ally, Brittany and Andrea ready for an exciting week of fun!

Heading to Nationals!

2006-12-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

Early in the morning of November 19th, Brittany headed to Sky Harbor Airport for the flight to Orlando, Florida. It was a little rough leaving for the week because her dad and brother were staying at home. She was extremely worried about being homesick, since she had never been away from home for such a long time. She was also a little nervous about the flight to Orlando. Luckily, all went well, plus we had Tiffany and Andrea joining us on the flight! We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Ironically, with all the extra time we never took pictures of the girls together at the airport.

Brittany thought the clouds looked so neat out the window that she just had to take a picture.
As you can tell, all is well on the flight. She enjoyed it so much she can't wait to travel by air again. Especially since it is much faster than driving.
Another picture that Brittany took from the air.
Since most of the girls had the evening free of any pageant activities, we decided to go to Downtown Disney for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. A few of the girls did have to attend a reception for the pageant sorority, so while they were there, the rest of us decided to head over and get reservations. I think the wait was something like an hour and a half. So we wandered around Downtown Disney while we waited.
Brittany made a new friend at the Rainforest Cafe! After dinner we headed back to the hotel to begin the process of assembling the 100 goodies bags that we would be taking to Tuesdays gift exchange.

Nationals Sleepover

2006-11-06T22:21:00.000-08:00

On November 4th, the girls got together to have one final group preparation for Nationals. It was Tiffany's brillant idea to have a sleepover! They had such a great time. They practiced introductions and interviews. Not to mention they just had a great time getting to know each other a little more, sharing different experiences that they have had. Andrea and Ally shared information about their prior trips to Nationals. Everyone is looking forward to the trip in a few weeks!

The highlight of the evening was when the girls gave each other makeovers. They practiced doing hair and makeup. Naturally they won't look like this at the pageant!

Our first Parade

2006-11-06T22:14:00.001-08:00

On October 28th, the girls participated in Avondale's Billy Moore Heritage Days Parade. It was such a fun experience for them. Sticking with the down home feeling the girls rode in the back of a pick-up on hay bales. Prior to the start of the parade the girls met Sheriff Joe Arpaio and had their pictures taken with them. Of course I was already sitting along the parade route with my camera, so I don't have pictures of the girls with Sheriff Joe. Someone else took them with their camera, so I'll have to add one later when I get a copy.

While the parade was occurring, a couple of the girls hopped off the truck and handed out candy to those sitting along the parade route watching. Unfortunately, they ended up running out before the end of the parade because there were more people then we anticipated. We'll definately bring more candy to our next parade!

Light the Night

2006-11-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

On October 14 a few of the girls participated in the Light the Night Walk at Tempe Town Lake. Light the Night is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was such an honor to be a part of this walk . The girls were a part of Chole's Friends which was a team started by a little girl who is currently undergoing treatment for Leukemia.

Here is a picture of the crowd at the Light the Night. Brittany is near the upper left corner of the picture.

Miss Arizona Teen USA

2006-11-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

On October 1st, we attended the Miss Arizona Teen USA Pageant to cheer on one of our former queens, Tiffany Martin. Last year she was the Junior Teen Queen from our pageant. It was so exciting when they announced the top five and Tiffany was the last name called. We could hardly contain our excitement. She did an awesome job answering her final questions on stage. So we weren't surprised when they announced her name as the new Miss Arizona Teen USA 2007!! Now she will be preparing for the Miss Teen USA pageant in August! We'll be there to cheer her on again!

After all the excitement Tiffany took the time to pose for pictures with the girls.
Visiting with Mrs. Arizona Galaxy 2007, Jessica Smith. Also a former queen from our pageant.

Meeting Arizona Cardinals Players

2006-11-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, September 30 the girls met LeRon McCoy and John Bronson from the Arizona Cardinals. The girls had a nice time visiting with the players and signing autographs. The girls recieved the players autographs and then the players wanted their autographs.

While we were there Tiffany crowned LeRon McCoy!

Nationals Preparation

2006-11-06T21:31:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful state directors held a Nationals Workshop for the girls at the end of September. It was a wonderful and educational weekend. The girls had another opportunity to bond, as well as prepare for all aspects of their Nationals experience. Brittany left the workshop even more excited for November, which I didn't think was possible.

It still amazes me how well these girls get along, one would think that they have known each other for their entire lives, they are truly like sisters.
After their workshop concluded on Saturday evening the girls went for pizza at Nicantoni's.

They really enjoyed the restaurant, because they were encouraged to sign their autographs on the walls!

Relay For Life

2006-11-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

On September 16 we decided to help out at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. It was an interesting experience. Things did not go exactly at planned but we still had a good time. We ended up spending several hours monitoring the bounce houses in the kids zone. The worst experience for Brittany was when the Sponge Bob bounce house collapsed, with her and several other kids in it! Luckily everyone made it out okay.
Next year Brittany would like to walk in this event.

Honoring September 11th

2006-10-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

On September 10th, Brittany, Tiffany, Amanda and Tana prepared treat baskets to take to police officers and firefighters in honor of September 11th. I still find it hard to believe that it has been five years since that tragic event in American history.

At the first fire station, Tiffany, our Coed Queen was given the opportunity to try on the gear that a firefighter wears. She kept commenting on how heavy everything was once she put it on.
The firefighters were gracious enough to pose for a photograph with the girls.

Prior to leaving the first station the firefighters showed the girls the different equipment that they use when fighting fires.

At our last station the girls were shown the inside of the firetruck. In all the girls visited four fire stations and one police station.

Carwash for Nationals

2006-10-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

On August 13th several of the queens held a carwash to raise the money needed for nationals. It was a fun afternoon. It was a fairly productive event and rounded out a very busy weekend. A big thank you goes out to the parents that washed the cars while the girls stood on the corner holding signs.

Brittany and Andrea waving at passing cars to promote the carwash. Luckily we remembered the sunscreen and water!

Attending a Tucson Sidewinders Game

2006-10-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

On August 12, Brittany and the other queens went to a Tucson Sidewinders baseball game. The Sidewinders are the minor league team for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Prior to the start of the game the girls received t-shirts and met a few of the players. They had pictures taken with some players as well as the mascot, Sandy the Sidewinder. Our teen queen threw out the first pitch, then each of the girls were introduced on the field as a guest of the team.

The girls being introduced from left to right: Tiffany, Brittany, Andrea, Tana, Yara, and Ally.

The girls then spent the rest of the evening watching the game and wandering around the ballpark. They visited with kids in the children's zone. All in all it was a fun night for everyone involved.

Visiting University Medical Center

2006-10-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

On August 11th, Brittany and the other queens visited children at the University Medical Center in Tucson. This was their first appearance together since being crowned. The older girls visited those in the pediatric unit that had recently received bone marrow transplants. The younger girls visited with younger, less ill children. Brittany enjoyed visiting with the kids and distributing goodie bags to them. She hopes that she made their day a little better.

While the girls were heading to the elevator they were stopped by doctors who wanted to have their picture taken with the queens. It was such an exciting experience for the girls. They were more than happy to pose for a picture.

During this trip we had the opportunity to get to know the other queens a little better. I am truly impressed with this group of young ladies. They have all bonded so quickly and they look out for each other just like sisters.

Meeting the Mayor of Goodyear

2006-10-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

Several days after being crowned, Brittany had the opportunity to meet Mayor James Cavanaugh of Goodyear. It was a very exciting experience for her to meet a public official. We were surprised and impressed that he responded so quickly to her request for a meet and greet.

Meet Miss Arizona Sweetheart 2006

2006-10-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

This site is going to be used to post Brittany's experience as Miss Arizona Sweetheart. She was crowned in July and is currently preparing for her national pageant.

Friday night, Sweetheart contestants ready for the personal introductions on stage which are then followed by the escorted formal wear competition.

Brittany was escorted by her brother Brandon. He did a wonderful job!! This is the second time that he has been Brittany's escort, he enjoyed it so much that he has volunteered to do it again.
Saturday morning the girls had a great time at the breakfast. The only problem was we had to race from the meal back to the room to get ready for interviews. I highly recommend attending the meal.

Sweethearts ready for the interviews. Waiting seems like it takes forever, because interviews are held by division with princesses going first. The wait really isn't that bad, it's just that some of the girls are nervous.

Prior to the start of the pageant finale all of the girls were assembled in the ballroom for a group photo in their production number outfits. This is the first time that a photo like this has been done at the Arizona Pageant, I think it turned out great!
Brittany and her court of amazing young ladies. From left to right: Samantha, Brittany (the other one), Brittany, Emily and Madison. Brittany enjoyed getting to know each of these young ladies over pageant weekend and looks forward to seeing them again next year. That is one of the best things about the pageant, making new friends.

Brittany and the other queens. From left to right: Ally (Preteen) Tana (Teen) Tiffany (Coed) Andrea (Jr. Teen) Aliyah (Princess) Brittany (Sweetheart)