Day 4- On Stage Question and Evening Gown!

Yesterday I woke up the day after interview feeling really good about the rest of the week. It was actually my day to sleep in because I didn’t have roll call till 11! But of course, I woke up at the crack of dawn with the birds! That’s what waking up so early previous days before does to your body I guess! Since I was already up, I decided that I would just take all that time to organize my messy area of the room (my mom is probably just shocked at reading that! Haha!) and get a good breakfast in! We then had roll call and headed down to the arena with ALL our competition gear! At first I picked up all my stuff and thought to myself "Wow this year's trip isn’t going to be so hard! This feels light!" Well, little did I know....I was wrong! By the time we got to the arena, my arm felt like it was about to fall off! I just chalked it up as a good arm workout!

But once I got everything situated backstage, all the girls ran through some of the numbers we had been learning the days before! After rehearsal and lunch we all headed back to the Austin to get ready for competition around 2! That time sounds early to start getting ready but with that many girls getting hair and makeup done by the same people, you can imagine it takes a little while!

After I got my hair and makeup done it was off to the arena for competition! The whole night flew by so fast! While I was standing on stage before the opener music started playing, I thought to myself, "I can’t believe im already doing this!" Sometimes you work so hard for something and then when it comes, you don’t even realize its over!

After opener, all the girls in my group ran backstage to get their swimsuit on! They questions that are asked in panic backstage while putting on swimsuits are pretty funny ones but I don’t feel like they are "blogger appropriate". Lets just say that have a lot to do with "butt glue".

When awards were called, the only thing I had on my mind was "Get changed FAST for visitation!" So I ran and got into one of my favorite Karlie dresses and headed back to the area where my parents and friends were waiting for me! Of course, I was in such a hurry to see all my friends...I forgot to put earrings in! Tisk tisk....Thanks Justin for pointing that one out :)

It was such a fun time getting to talk to everybody and hug on all the people who love me! Amy, my best friend, was there along with one of my close guy friends Ben Reeves! I got to see a lot of my E sisters as well, which made my night!

But the one thing that made my night even more special was the gift I got from my boyfriend, Tyler Toney! He wasn’t able to be there for me the first night of competition because of Dude Perfect appearances in LA.... you know- like going to Jimmy Kimmel... being interviewed on the George Lopez show..walking the red carpet at the ESPY Award Show....getting interviewed with ESPN's Erin Andrews...hanging out with the USA Soccer Team at the after party....those type of things! So in other words, I am not holding any sort of grudge! ;) But because he couldn’t be there, he wanted to get me something special! My mom handed me a steel grey box with a bow on top that said... "Today's the day to sparkle". It was so appropriate! I opened it to find the most gorgeous diamond necklace! It is called the "Journey" necklace and it drops down into a curve on my neck. Its perfect... :)

Tonight is on stage question and evening gown for me! This year we are doing on stage question in our black top and jeans that we where in opener. So right after we get done doing the opener, we head straight backstage to gear up for on stage question! Ill have to do a couple breathing exercises to calm me down just from all that intense dancing or ill be out of breathe answering my question!

I can’t wait to show off my evening gown tonight...It’s going to sparkle :) And I LOVE things that sparkle!

Thank you everybody for the prayers and support you have given me! I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without yall!

Proverbs 31:30

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Day 3- Swimsuit!

Last night I had interview and it went GREAT! I felt every single prayer prayed for m

e and I had such a peace when I walked in. I knew right away that it was only a peace I could receive from the Lord. My 10-minute interview flew by before I knew it. Funny how you spend so much time w

atching the news, reading articles, reading the newspaper and doing countless mock interviews and then BAM….its over before you know it! My roommate, Rebecca Wheely, and I decided that when we got back to the room, CNN and Fox News were to not grace the screen of our television set. It’s nice to give our brains a break for a while!

Today my dad gets into town from Boston where he and about 350 students from Prestonwood have been spreading the good news of Christ! Him, along with my mom, have been my support system throughout this whole pageant process and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here this week. I am VERY excited to see my dad tonight during visitation! :)

Tonight is dum dum dum….. SWIMSUIT! Normally the thought of strutting my stuff in an itty-bitty white and leopard print bikini would terrify me but because I have worked my tail off….It doesn’t. :)

Last year I worked out at a gym in Texarkana and watched what I ate on my own taking the advice that my big brother, Ryan who use to be a personal trainer, gave me. THIS year, I met Jake. And Jake took what I thought was working out….and busted it through the window. From hill sprints to countless miles ran; Jake has been the one who has shaped me into what I need to look like for competition. I can’t not WAIT to go out there and show my confidence along with everything I have been working so hard for. This is a picture of Jake and I at my send-off party! If anybody is interested in using in him in the Plano/ Frisco area just let me know! He is AWESOME!

Interview is over…but the competition is not! Pray that I will keep my focus and that my energy will be up!

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” James 1:12

Day 2- Interview!

Well today is the big day! Interview day! The picture of me is from LAST years interview! This is the part of the competition where the judges have 10 minutes to get to know you as an individual. They ask you questions about current events as well as your platform and fact sheet! Last year I walked into interview a little worked up and nervous, but this year I have a whole new outlook on the entire process! I have been so blessed to have received so much help and advice from SO many wonderful friends and family but one thing that stuck out in my mind was something that Mrs. Meece told me after a mock interview. “Don’t pray for the things you already possess, pray to let them shine forth!” She went on to explain to me that I need to THANK God for the opportunities he has given me instead of ask for help. Her words are so true. So many times I find myself asking God to help me remember this dance move, help me have a smile on my face at all times, help me show Him in everything..etc- but so many times I don’t stop and simply thank him for everything he has already done for me. That is something I am doing this week. Thanking my Lord and Savior for everything he has already done.

Yesterday, we had rehearsals from 7:30-11:30 and then 1:00-4:00. We ran through the opener which is to Black Eye Peas’ “I Got a Feelin’”! It’s such a fun and exciting song to dance to! I will have NO problem getting pumped for the night after dancing to that number! Last night I chilled with some of the girls and then went to bed super early because that 6 AM alarm is not something I’m use to hearing!

Today- if you read this post, please send up a small prayer for my interview and me! I want those judges to see MY true personality and ME. Most importantly I want them to see Christ in me.

I was given a bookmark last year from my former directors and it had a verse on the front that has been my “interview verse” ever since..

“But when they DELIVER you up, do not worry about how or what you should SPEAK. For it will be GIVEN to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the SPIRIT of your FATHER who speaks in you”

Matthew 10:19-20

Arrival- Day 1

Today was the first official day of the Miss Arkansas week! My mom and I woke up this morning and got everything packed up and moved into my room, which is on the top floor of the Austin! After getting all my things moved in, we headed to Walgreens to get some small things we had forgotten along with a good ol’ cup of Starbucks coffee! If your going to start your day off right….Starbucks coffee is the way to go by the way! When we got back to the Austin I headed down to the “beauty room” where Jane White and Lauren did my hair for arrival! Without them, I would look like a hot mess so I am very thankful that they take time out of their lives to make us look beautiful this week! After getting all pretty, I got dressed and met downstairs for role call and Sarah and some of the chaperones talked with us about what our schedule looked like for the rest of the day! Needless to say, we learned that we hit the ground running once arrival is over!

We then were filed in alphabetical order and call out one by one as we stood individually at the top of the steps and walked down to the landing where our Diamond State Princess’s greeted us. After walking down the steps (praying the whole time that I wouldn’t fall!) my princess, Casey Clay, and I took a picture with Sarah Slocum! Casey looked so pretty in her blue dress that matched mine and I can’t wait to walk with her during evening gown Thursday night! Here is a picture of just how precious she is! She is the one in the middle!

After arrival, they took us up to a room where two contestants at a time got to record themselves saying “Good morning Arkansas, I am Bethany Briscoe Miss Ouachita Baptist University” for the media this week! Honestly, im not sure who we videoed that clip for but it was a lot of fun to do! When we were done with that, we had to go up to our rooms and put on our competition swimsuit for “approval”! Good news….mine got approved!

When we were done doing that we had a little down time (as in 30 minutes) to chill until we had to be back downstairs to practice our opener dance for an hour! This year, the contestants are the cast so we are learning LOTS of fun dances! Lots of dancing= starting early on the practices!

I just finished attending our meeting with the chaperones and Sarah! It was really good to hear what being Miss Arkansas is all about from a personal side! Sarah worked hard this past year and it shows!

I am excited about tomorrow and our first opener practice! I am not a dancer but I can sure pretend to be one! :) Hopefully tonight I can get some rest bc that 7:30 roll call is going to come early!

Finally in Hot Springs!!

Last year at Miss Arkansas I felt like the week went by so fast and I didn’t have an opportunity to really soak in every moment like I wanted to. I decided that keeping a blog during this next week will help me remember fun memories and events as well as keep all my supporters updated on what is going on!

Today started out with an early wake up call around 8:15 and my first thoughts when opening up my eyes were “Let the madness begin!” I immediately started thinking of all the things I needed to get done before packing up all my dresses, shorts and food for the week in Hot Springs! I got my “last chance” workout in at Stayoung Fitness in Frisco this morning and then raced home quickly to get packing! Thankfully my mom had gone out and purchased some new luggage because there is no way all my things would have fit in the bags I already had! It’s amazing what one girl can bring just for one week!

As I type, my mom and I are driving down I-30 excited about what this week holds for me. God has given me an amazing support group of family and friends that have been my foundation while I press on to reach my goals. If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be on my way to Miss Arkansas right now. I am truly blessed in every sense of the word.

For those who are curious, this is what my week looks like:

Sunday: Arrival @ 2 at the Embassy Hotel

Tuesday evening: Interview (Not sure on time yet!)

Wednesday: Swimsuit

Thursday: Evening Gown and On-Stage Question

Friday: Talent…I am singing “I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good”

Saturday: Top 10 announced and crowning!

Needless to say it’s going to be a busy but fun week! Tonight I get my spray tan and some chill time with my mom as we stay in the Austin Hotel before the big week begins tomorrow! Please keep me in your prayers daily! My prayer is that this week I can be a light to those around me and shine for the Glory of God while showing those judges what I’ve got and representing the best school in the state: Ouachita Baptist University! J

Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the GOAL to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”