Weekend in Springfield

Well, I just returned late Sunday evening or rather early Monday morning from my weekend trip in Springfield. I attended the IAAF Convention and State Queen Pageant. It was a very long, but ver wonderful weekend. Lauren, Judy and I arrived on Thursday at the Crowne Plaza to find out that not all of the rooms were ready and we would have to wait a bit to get all of our things unloaded. Lauren and I went ahead and went on in to get checked in and find out what floor and room would be in. We got up and settled into our room a short while later and started getting prepared to head downstairs for the first official roll call of the Queens! From there Lauren went with 64 other beautiful Queens to have the official pictures taken in the evening gown and swimsuit. Afterwords all the Queens returned to have a lil' party with Queen Molly and to work on the production number for Sunday night. I was able to pick Lauren up about 9:30 and get her back to the room, to get rested up and prepared for her interviews on Friday. The interviews went really well, and Lauren felt really good about them. They asked her about Trap Shooting, Working at the Motel, Extracurricular activities, and being the County Queen! From there she was able to join Judy, and I for dinner at the Hotel. We were also joined by Macon County Pageant Director Melissa Muirheid, she and I have become good friends over the past year. Well Friday evening turned into a whirlwind of other activities, while at dinner Melissa recieved a call from her Queen's mother. They were in the ER, they were pretty sure Kenzie had broken her foot. After several hours of waiting, she was able to be seen and found out that she had in fact broken the 5th metatarsal in her foot. She returned to the Hotel in the wee hours of the morning and slept in. However, she got up and moving around later on in the day, and got up on that 70 foot stage in 1 high heel and crutches and competed!!!! She was amazing, beyond belief I know that there is no way I could have done such a thing!!!!!!! Saturday, morning Lauren competed in the morning prelims while a Large group of her "Fans" cheered her on! She was suprised to find her best friend Amy and her friend Mandy sitting near the runway cheering her on as well as several Fairboard members and Family members along with past Bond County Fair Queens!!! She spent Saturday afternoon with her parents and friends eating lunch and visiting. She came back to the room to rest for awhile, while her mom and I went down and watched the evening prelims. She was back on stage late Saturday evening for the Grand March, we went back to the room and hung out while we waited for our pizza to arrive. We were all able to sleep in on Sunday and I attended a meeting while she went to her final practice. Afterwards we were all able to attend the Queen's Luncheon with a Devotional Service. Queen Molly was able to talk about her year representing not only the Georgetown Fair but the IAAF and the MICF system. Afterwards we headed back upstairs to relax for a bit and get our bags packed to head home after the banquet!

We headed down to get our seats, to await the big announcement the top 12 finalists and the 5 non-finalists awards. MISS BOND COUNTY, QUEEN LAUREN GALL WAS NAMED THE RECIPIENT OF THE RUBY CRUM MEMORIAL AWARD! I could not have been more proud of her at the moment, then the moment she was crowned at our local pageant. I screamed so loud, I was hoarse on Monday. After I quit screaming and yelling for her, I began to cry tears of happiness. My heart was beaming with PRIDE, she had showed everyone that she was the sweetest, kindest, charmful, and enthusiastic person that we all knew that she was!