LAMAA Forum.

Reading the title of this blog, I'm sure you are wondering what LAMAA stands for :) It stands for Lakes Area Memory Awareness Advocates, and is a group that strives to make the Brainerd Lakes Area a safer and more education community for people who have Alzheimer's and related dementia's.

LAMAA was formed a little over a year and a half ago with help from the Alzheimer's Association and Jon Knopik from the Minnesota Council on Aging. It was a small group at first. My Mom and I attended the first few meetings and felt an instant connection with the people who attended and what the group wanted to acheive, so we stayed with them. LAMAA started laying the groundwork; first by finding a name and a motto, then really getting the word out.

The Forum was the first major event of LAMAA, and it was a huge success! It was a two day event held at Central Lakes College right in Brainerd. The keynote guest speaker was Dr. George Schoephoerster, who practices geriatric medicine and has studied Alzheimer's for many years. He opened both days with a speech explaining Alzheimer's and why there is such a need for a cure.

After Dr. George spoke, attendees could choose 2 of 4 breakout sessions each day. I was asked to do a "teen perspective" session on the impact that Alzheimer's has on children and teens and what I have personally done to combat Alzheimer's. I was inspired by the people I saw in the 2 days of this forum. Although I knew a couple of people, most were complete strangers. It was crazy to see how much they cared and how much respect they had for what I was doing. I met some pretty amazing people who have opened even more doors for me to further expand my educational program throughout Minnesota. I am excited to share about these oppurtunities as they get closer :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer that finally came!
Always,
Bailey

 The LAMAA booth with 2 other Memory Advocates, Lou and Julie :)

 Speaking at my breakout session!

 Most of the LAMAA Members :)

My family is the "face" of LAMAA. Which means that I see this picture everywhere I go in Brainerd. This picture on the posterboard was the biggest one I have seen so far :)

Kathryn's Last "Night of Inspiration"

Saturday night, I was excited to attend to attended Miss Minnesota, Kathryn Knuttila's last "Night of Inspiration" concert. If you remember from an earlier blog, Kathryn heald one of these concerts in Brainerd in April. Her platform "Who Has Inspired You" is centered around honoring people who are inspiring in their communities.

Last night's concert was a little different. Kathryn invited 9 former Miss Minnesota's to speak about their reign, and honor someone who they personally thought was inspiring in their lives. Some of them also performed the talent that they won Miss Minnesota with!

Not only did I walk away from that concert feeling totally inspired, but I was also reminded of how great the Miss America system is. The tradition of this pageant system started in 1921 when the first Miss America was crowned and everyday I am amazed at how much it had grown. No other pageant system is able to have former titleholders dating back to the 1960's, or even earlier, standing onstage and talking about their reign.

It was also great to catch up with all the local titleholders who came :) Talking with them got me really excited for Miss Minnesota 2011 in June. It's going to be a really great pageant to watch! It's crazy that it is only one month away. Kathryn has been an incredible Miss Minnesota and I look forward to seeing what things she will accomplish in her life after Miss Minnesota.

Always,
Bailey

 Corrina, Miss Scott County's Outstanding Teen

 Beth and I

 All of the local titleholders!

 Kathryn Knuttila, Miss Minnesota

 Allison Lordbock, Miss City of Lakes

 Corrina and I having a little fun :)

 Myself, Beth, and Stace!

Corrina and I with Jennifer, who judged us at Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2011

Cake-off!

This is always one of my favorite days... The Miss Brainerd Lakes Cake-off! For the past 3 years, I have been coming to this event held in the Brainerd Mall each year. Cake decorators from all over the Brainerd Lakes area come prepared for a day of decorating!  They bring their own cake, and have a certain amount of time in which they decorate it.

Every year they have a theme, and this years theme was "princess". There were 3 very talented decorators! People who come to the event pay for a ticket which entitles them to all the cake they can eat and a voting card that they can use to choose the "People's Choice" award. There are 3 judges that judge them on the appearance of their cake and the taste, and that cake is the "Cake of the Lakes".

This event is also the kick-off event to the Miss Brainerd Lakes scholarship pageant! This is the first time that the Brainerd community gets to see all of the contestants and pick their favorites. It's exciting because they have 14 contestants, the most in it's history, which has allowed them to add a second title... Miss Baxter! So not only will there be a Miss Brainerd Lakes crowned but also a Miss Baxter! I know that it is going to be a great pageant. All of the contestants are gorgeous and I cannot wait to watch them compete!

Always,
Bailey

 Little Miss Forth of July :)

 Mary Peterson, Miss Brainerd Lakes and I!

 Miss Heart of the Lakes, me, Miss Brainerd Lakes, and Little Miss Forth of July!

Mary and I thought it would be fun to be in a hurricane with our crowns and sashes, so we hopped into the hurricane simulator at the mall :)

Oh, April...

I can't believe that it has been a month since Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen Pageant. Where does time go? Seriously! The weeks leading up to the pageant seemed to go by so slow because I just wanted it to be here. Now I wish I could slow down time!

I'm not going to lie and say that the last 4 weeks have been a breeze... They have been incredibly hard. I'm was and still am so honored to be the 1st runner-up but I wanted to win more than anything and I worked so hard for it. Everyday leading up to pageant day, I was busy preparing and when it was all over, I didn't know what to do with my free time. I forgot what spare time even was! The first 2 weeks after, I had lost all my ambition. I wasn't kind to my body. I stopped working out and ate unhealthy foods. I didn't put in any efforting into my schoolwork. I struggled to get out of bed each morning. I had constant headaches and was just plain crabby. My North Metro crown got dusty because I didn't make any appearances. I didn't even blog! I was suddenly slapped back into reality when I read this quote; "The minute you think of giving up, think of all the reasons you held on for so long." It is so true and preparing should never stop. I first needed to decided if I was going to compete again...

Many of you know that that was my 3rd time competing for the title as MMOT. Before the pageant, I didn't think that I was going to compete again. The Outstanding Teen pageant is for girls ages 13-17 and the Miss is for 17-24 year olds. I turn 17 next April and that would make me eligible to start competing in Miss that summer. I haven't told anyone this, but I actually promised myself right after I competed the 1st time in 2009 that I was only going to compete 2 or 3 times, thinking that if it didn't come to me then, it probably never would. But is that really a good way of thinking about it? Our current Miss Minnesota, Kathryn, competed 4 times before she won and our current Miss America's Outstanding Teen, Lacey Russ competed 4 times for her state title and went to MAOT and won. Being 1st runner-up was really a wake-up call. I was so close to the crown... So close!! So why not compete again? I realized that with only one year left in the Teen pageant, I would be crazy not to. I don't want to have any regrets. What if I competed that 4th time? What if I would I have won? Could I have gone to Nationals and possibly be Miss America's Outstanding Teen? I didn't want these questions haunting me for the rest of my life, and I knew that if I didn't compete again, they would. That's why I'm excited to say that I am competing for Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2012!! I have a new outlook, and a new approach. I've started the road to preparing, and I've recommitted myself to many of the things I stopped doing during those first 2 weeks after the pageant. My new motto is: "I haven't lost, I just haven't won yet"

With that being said, I'll update you on my life :)

A week after the pageant, on the 13th, I finally turned 16! I was surprised at a fancy restaurant in Brainerd by my parents and boyfriend, Austin. Along with what was probably the best cake (both looking and tasting!) that I've ever had! Many thanks to Becky Kubesh on that one :) Then on that Sunday, I was surprised at Perkin's for brunch with my girlfriends! To top it all off, I passed my driver's test on April 18th and I am now a licensed driver in the state of Minnesota... I'm so excited! I had the best Sweet 16 birthday any girl could ask for. Thanks everyone for many it so special :)

On April 15th, Miss Minnesota, Kathryn Knuttila, came to Brainerd with her "Night of Inspiration" concert! Kathryn's platform is "Who Has Inspired You" and she has traveled the state of Minnesota putting on these concerts honoring people who are inspiring in their community and raising funds for the Children's Miracle Network. It was a great concert, and I can tell you that I left feeling inspired!

And finally, on Saturday the 30th, I was in Maplewood, MN at the Redeeming Love Church for the Royal Experience: Beauty is As Beauty Does. Stacie McBride-Cox is the wonderful woman who puts this on and everyday I get inspired by the faith-based woman that she it! Stacie has helped shape me into the person I have become by perfecting my interview and my onstage walk, as well as teaching me that, if I put my mind to it, I can conquer and achieve anything. The Royal Experience is a fun day. Girls from all over the state come for a day of pure fun, all the while praising God for the people that they are! Girls ages 5-12 come to find their hidden talents, and how they can use those talents for good to help others and glorify God. At the end of the day there is a talent show were they can show off those talents and the talent mentors of the group give them a makeover and help them find a pretty dress to wear. I was a talent mentor, and spoke about my love for art and how that was my God-given talent. My little cousin, Kiyah, was a part of the day and she an example of what this day can do for a little girl. She's 5, and came that morning having no idea what she was about to experience. Half way through the day, I asked her if she going to do the talent show (it was optional), and she said no. After hearing 3 girls speak about their God-given talent of writing, Kiyah broke out of her shell. She wrote a story and was so proud to share it at the talent show. She said to my Mom; "This story is my way of glorifying God!" That's exactly what that day was trying to achieve and to hear her say that was simply amazing.

All-in-all, the day was really fun! I was inspired by those little girls. Allison Lordbock was a talent mentor who spoke of ministry and her words really stuck with me. She said that we as people are not good enough, but with God on our side and in our lives, we are.

"Everything happens for a reason"

Much love,

Bailey