Merry Christmas

Season’s Greetings!
It is that wonderful time of year to spend with friends and families and those that we love so dearly.  I want to share some of the wonderful traditions that my family shares and maybe inspire others to try these as well.  As you drive through the city you may see dozens of Christmas tree's that are cut and hung up and ready to buy.  What my family has done since I was born is actually to go to a local tree farm and hand pick out a tree.  Once the tree is picked and we all are in agreement that it is the "best" tree for our house, then we grab out a saw and chop it down.  While many of the trees that you pass in the lot may be from local tree farms in Minnesota, I find it touching to actually drive to the tree farm and meet the families who own and run these businesses.  Not only is it rewarding to know and take pride in where the tree is from, but it is also nice to have a large variety of trees to pick from and know that you hand selected this specific tree.  Often times the tree farms that we go to even may have a petting zoo with REAL Reindeer, hot cider, mini donuts, hot chocolate, and handmade crafts and ornaments to shop!!! We have made this a yearly tradition and go each week after Thanksgiving with a couple that has been friends with my parents for years and their 2 sons.  There are many ways to make picking out a Christmas tree a festive and family fun event!


Another item when it comes to the holidays, and this was a new tradition in my family starting last year but I can tell it will be around for years to come is capturing the moment when we open our presents on camera. I will add some pictures below for you to hopefully fully grasp the joy and humor that can be had while opening gifts.  I personally find gift opening sometimes to be slightly "awkward."  This is for two reasons: one being that you have everyone staring at you as you open your gift and judging your initial reaction, and two is the simple fact that sometimes you may not be too fond of the gift you open (although I also feel you should always be gracious because if someone is kind enough to share and offer you a present you should count yourself blessed because there are many children and families that will go without presents this Holiday Season).   So, to break this streak my family started to react as if it the absolute BEST present we have ever received and maybe it really is and maybe it is something we already have, either way it gets a fabulous reaction.  The best part of this is going through the pictures after the fact with everyone and having a huge laugh.  I know I used the surprise/happy pictures taken of my mom opening gifts last year to send out to all of our family and friends for her birthday party this year and everyone loved the photos and wondered what she had just gotten in the pictures because she looked so happy.  A year after the fact you may not even remember what you received for your gifts at Christmas time but the thing I enjoy most about these pictures are that it is a reminder that we had a blast and turned something that can be awkward into one of the funniest times we shared as a family that past year.  So, I will attach a few of those candid photos below and share some of my families unique traditions that maybe you can try adding to your holiday festivities this year with family and friends.

Merry Christmas,
-Caitlyn

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Happy October!

The time of the year is upon us,  it is officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  As many of you may know my personal platform as Miss Heart of the Lakes is: "A Ribbon of Hope: Spreading Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness."  This is a devastating disease that plagues both men and women, and I have come into contact and heard many different stories of those individuals in our state and local communities that have been impacted by this disease.  I'd like to  begin this month by sharing one that I encountered a few weeks ago.  A retired nurse approached me after hearing me talking about breast cancer awareness, and shared with me her personal story.  This woman was 63 years old and had previously worked on a cancer unit many years back during her nursing career at a local St. Paul hospital.  She knew the common signs and symptoms of not just cancer but also breast cancer and personally performed a self-breast exam each month since she was in her early 40's (and YES that is plug to remind everyone to begin doing a self-breast exam in their early 20's!! :) ) She went on to tell me that one day when she was in the shower and shaving her underarms she noticed an indent.  Once she saw this, she said she knew exactly what it was.  Although this area is not always looked at while performing a self-breast exam it is one of the most common areas near the breast tissue that changes can be identified in.  She stated that she called the doctor that day and went in to have additional testing.  Those tests revealed her initial fear that it was in fact breast cancer.  The first thing the Dr. told her was that she was lucky and caught it early by being familiar with her own body.  She underwent both chemotherapy, radiation, and a double mastectomy; but today is 7 years cancer free.  Her story is one she told me to share during my presentations about awareness when teaching others the importance of knowing our own bodies.  

       At the end of our conversation I did not get her name and regret that I did not in the commotion of the grocery store we were at.  I can tell you that her story has inspired me and even though I do not know her name I have added her to my thoughts and prayers many times since our chance encounter.  I hope that by adding this story here may inspire others to be open to new opportunities and learning experiences, and that to not hold back from talking about things you are passionate about.  You may never know when a stranger may overhear what you are talking about and add to your knowledge by sharing a personal story.  

I hope you all take the time to give a special hug to your wives, sisters, aunts, grandmother and friends in your life.  For now there is no cure for this devastating disease but I hope that we all can plan for prevention & hope for a cure.

 Blessings,

Miracle Treat Day

Greetings!

Today I had the opportunity to stop by and volunteer at a local Dairy Queen.  August 11th is national Miracle Treat Day where a percentage of proceeds go towards the Children's Miracle Network (CMN).  Not only is this an amazing beneficiary but CMN share's a national partnership with the Miss America Organization.  As my first opportunity to help out and volunteer with this cause as a Miss America local Titleholder, I had the privilege of having a fun-filled and rewarding day.  Meeting individuals as they came in to support this cause and others who came in just for a satisfying treat and being able to inform them of the wonderful benefit they were contributing to by purchasing a treat on this day.  It was fun to see children and their parents enjoy delicious ice cream but also the satisfaction in their eyes and on their faces when they knew they were giving something back to children in need.

 I look forward to volunteering more with CMN throughout my year of service and was blessed to be able to participate in this wonderful and delicious event! :)

Miss HOTL 2011

Greetings!
I am extremely excited and honored to be named Miss Heart of the Lakes 2011.  I don't think I can put into words what this opportunity means to me and what I hope to do with it. I thought I would start by letting everyone know a little bit about me, which I hope this blog will also help with throughout my year of service to the Miss America Scholarship Program.  I think the item I would like to begin with is talking about  my personal platform of Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness which has been a major part of my life for the past 5 years.  Over those years I have raised now over $5,000 to support research and aide for those impacted by the disease.  I choose to support a variety of organizations throughout the years including, Susan G. Komen and the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation.   I think breast cancer prevention is extremely important and a topic that is commonly missed in spreading awareness about the disease.  I think that as a young woman it is important now to become aware of this disease and what I can do in my daily life to help guard myself against this devastating disease.  In creating my platform I have used my education to help develop a presentation.  I graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2010 with  degree in Biology and a minor in Theology, and loved my experience there.  I was involved on campus through student organizations, a resident adviser in the residence halls, and a member of campus ministry.  In one of my student organizations I had the opportunity to present a presentation regionally to 2,500 Midwest colleges on the topic of creating their own breast cancer awareness week on their campus.  This is one of the presentations I still do, but through my years of involvment with my platform have learned the importance about spreading preventable measures.  I also enjoy hearing and  sharing the moving and inspirational stories of the women and men impacted by this disease.  I hope with my year to continue to raise funds for breast cancer research, speak to multiple communities about breast cancer, and serve as an ambassador for the Miss America Organization and the Children's Miracle network.
I cannot wait to share more of my year as Miss Heart of the Lakes with you!
Take care,
-Caitlyn