The Night Before I Was Crowned Mrs. West Virginia International

Today, I am sharing a personal story.

As pageant girls know, the weeks leading up to a big pageant, things get a little crazy. Extra time is filled with those extra workouts, manicures, pedicures, alterations and finalization of wardrobe, modeling practice and interview practice. Then, as the days come before the pageant, here comes the spray tan...And coming from a redhead, I can promise you that this is an important piece of the pageantry preparation puzzle.

Two days before the Mrs. West Virginia International Pageant, I headed to Glow on the Go in Hurricane, WV for my showtime spray tan. I got my first few coats with plans to come back the next day for a final coat for that perfect stage tan. 

The night before Mrs. WV International, WVU had a baseball game at Power Park in Charleston and my nephew, Gage, had been selected to throw out the first pitch. He was so excited for the event and my whole family was going to go watch him.

Usually, the night before the pageant, we're packing and preparing and a nervous wreck. And in this case, I was thinking about my final spray tan, so I didn't plan on attending the game.

I had a total change of heart the day of the game, though. Thinking about missing his big first pitch broke my heart and I decided that I had worked so hard for this title...If it was my year, it was going to be my year to win regardless of whether or not I had a final coat of spray tan or not.

I threw on clothes and met my Hubby at the game and we had the most incredible time with family and friends and watching Gage on his big night. The usual nervous jitters were eliminated because I wasn't focused on the next day, I was focused on something far more important than any title, any crown, any sash...I was focused on my family.

I learned a very important lesson that weekend, as I was crowned Mrs. West Virginia International the next day. Don't ever take things for granted. Spend time with your family and remember that everything happens for a reason. Those important moments with your family only happen once...don't let anything take you away from the things that matter most. :)

(PS: My spray tan was still rocking, regardless of the final coat. Thank you, Misty McMinn at Glow On The Go for always making me look like a rockstar!)