Happy Holidays!

Dear friends,

Happy Holidays! I hope this blog finds you well, in good health, and enjoying this blessed holiday season.

My travels since I last wrote you have taken me many wonderful places, including: Brewster, Goodland, Manhattan, Wichita, Buhler, Hutchinson, Ulysses, Hugoton, Healy, Pratt, Derby, Garden City, Greensburg, Minneola, and Emporia! As of today, I have added approximately 13 thousand miles on the car sponsored by Western Motors. I wish I could write about every appearance, but I may end up writing a novel that way! Here are just a few highlights of many that I have had during the month of November.

Early in November, Katie Stam, our current Miss America, came to Wichita on behalf of the ladies of Delta Gamma of Wichita State University. Our very own, Lauren Werhan (4th Runner-Up this past year at Miss Kansas) planned the event, and did an outstanding job. While Katie was in town, we visited the Via Christi Children's Miracle Network children, went to dinner, and also spent some time at Washington Elementary school. I felt so honored to be a part of the festivities while Katie was in Kansas, and had a truly memorable time. Thank you, Lauren! We appreciate all your hard work and dedication to the Miss Kansas and Miss America Organizations!

While at Washington Elementary, the Miss Kansas Organization and I were THRILLED to release my recently published coloring book, "Sally and Sammie Enjoy the Arts!" We donated a coloring book to each child in Kindergarten and 1st Grade, and both Katie and I sat down to color with all the children during our visit. The coloring book is directed toward children between the ages of 3-9 years old, and highlights the different options to choose from in the arts, whether it is theater, dance, speech, writing, photography, visual art, or instrumental and vocal music. The coloring book will be posted on our website in the very near future for purchase, so stay tuned!

I headed to the University of Kansas vs. Kansas State University football game on the 7th of November, and was so excited, I could hardly contain myself! As many of you may know, I am a very proud KSU Wildcat, and was honored when they invited me to do the coin toss at the game! I was even proposed to by Big Jay of the University of Kansas, got a "high-five" by Willie the Wildcat of Kansas State, and met many, many wonderful football fans in our state. Thank you to the KSU Alumni Center for inviting me and providing the tickets to the game, I had such a wonderful time.

I also would like to invite you to a very exciting event in Hutchinson, Kansas, coming up on December 17th, 2009. The Hutchinson Symphony has invited me to perform the first movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E Flat during their annual Christmas concert at the Fox Theater. This concert will mark my first solo performance with an orchestra, and I am so thrilled for the opportunity. I hope to see you there, 7:30 on December 17th in Hutchinson, Kansas!

Six months into the job of Miss Kansas, I still wake up every morning and feel as though I should pinch myself to make sure it isn’t a dream. I have been so profoundly blessed by the Miss Kansas Organization to serve as their representative and sincerely cherish the role I’ve been given this year. As I continue to travel all across the state and speak to wide and diverse audiences, I make a point to remind myself of the many people I’ve met along the way, each of whom have inspired me to become a better person, to lay my heart and soul on the line for the people of Kansas, and to hopefully become Miss America 2010. Simply put, the volunteers and sponsors of the organization make it the great organization that it is, and I would not be who I am today without each and every one of them. If there was a way to do my "shout out" to hundreds of people at once, this is how I would: Thank you, thank you, thank you to the many members of the Miss Kansas Organization family! I love you all!

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!

Bless you all,

Becki