Meeting People

While at the fair I was introduced to so many people that share my passion-helping soldiers/vets. I met people from the VA Center at the University of Iowa, from Ft. Snelling Minnesota, my community, the VA Hospital...wow!! I was invited to attend a VA/ Vet Services Meeting held this month in Moline, Ill. Representatives from Iowa & Illinois meet to discuss ways to help Vets. The director of the Iowa City VA presents the information and everyone else offers opinions or suggestions. I learned the Iowa City (IC) VA hospital will be building a parking ramp to accommodate the many many Vets they serve, along with continued renovations inside the hospital. We discussed many things but one issue that is close to my heart is helping soldiers with PTSD. We are working with the medical centers and the family support groups to educate soldiers and their families on signs & symptoms along with treatment options. PTSD is post traumatic stress disorder which basically every soldier will return home with in some capacity. Changing your life to live in a war zone WILL affect you, its important for the soldiers to understand its normal, treatable and they have support. I will continue to attend these meetings and learn how I can be a Voice for Veterans! I met some great people, and most were Vets themselves.

Community Covenant

Our community had a covenant signing, which is an agreement between the military and the community to support the soldiers and their families during deployment. Iowa is activating over 3000 Army National Guard soldiers in support of Operation Iraq Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF), the most since WWII. Now is the time for everyone to come together and support each other... We had many community members and military personal here to sign, we even had a Colonel from the Battle of the Bulge-88 yr old George. He was amazing to talk to and he very much supports the covenant as he remember what it was like to feel alone during his time of service.

Johnson County Fair

My first week as Mrs. Midwest has started out amazing! I spent 2 days at the fair telling everyone about Iowa Troop Pantry. A local family came up with the idea to send care packages to our troops serving in the Iraq/Afghanistan war. They have compiled a "shopping list" that a person can pick items they want to send or make a cash donation and the family will shop for you. Then the Tysons package and mail the boxes to our troops. Boxes usually contain food, personal hygiene items like soaps,lotions, chap sticks etc, movies, magazines, anything that helps the soldiers have a little piece of home. The Tysons take care of the postage also. So it makes it very easy for anyone to "support". Each box also has a letter or postcard from someone in the community or a colored picture from a child. I loved watching the kids color pictures and see adults and teens write letters. They were so excited to send messages....and when they were done we would read some of them...but I had to stop because they made me cry! I remember how much a letter means when you are not home... its like a hug from someone! I still have every letter my family and friends sent me during training & deployment and one of my favorites is from a little girl I never met. When I was deployed for Desert Storm the community my Unit was based out of sent us hand made cards from elementary kids...it really made me proud of what I was doing when I received a colored picture...and when I was having a bad day-it reminded me someone was thinking of me and my unit! Please, take 15 min and write a letter just saying hello and thank you to a service member.... you have no idea what the impact will be. Many never receive mail...yours could be the difference in someones life...if you would like to donate to the boxes or just a letter, please contact me and I will help you make it happen!

The Adventure Begins!

Hello everyone, welcome to my journey....I have been blessed with the opportunity to be Mrs. Midwest US Beauties 2011! I will spend the next year traveling not only throughout Iowa, but the Midwest being your-Voice for Veterans! My journey will take me to the Mrs. US Beauties National Pageant in July 2011 with the chance to compete with many successful, beautiful women with the hope of becoming- Mrs. US Beauties 2011! I am looking forward to reaching beyond the limits of my mind to reach my dreams!

I invite you to join me as I share my passions-meeting new people and encouraging them to believe in themselves and follow their dreams, the US Military, Veterans, my love for my country, my faith and of course...my beautiful family!

As the next year unfolds, I wish for you to look deep inside your own heart and remember your dreams are still there....and YOU ALONE have the power to bring them life....that is how I reached this journey.....