Moving On

Well, I have passed on the crown and am getting back to life as just plain old Alyssa Siler! Congratulations to Megan Murray, Mrs. Oklahoma 2011!!! I know she be a wonderful representative of our state this next year and I hope all of you will keep up with her during her reign. She leaves for Mrs. America very soon!!!
I have started to once again post on my family blog that I kept up before becoming Mrs. OK. I hope all of you will now follow me over there if you would like to keep up with what's going on in my life. I'll tease you with this.....there's a pretty big announcement in my latest post! You can visit me now at www.notesfromthecastle.blogspot.com . Hope to see you there!

CMN Radio-thon

The Children's Miracle Network asked me to speak about cystic fibrosis and my daughter, Hayden, at their annual radio-thon on KYX. I am always more than thrilled to have an opportunity to educate people about CF so I jumped at the chance!

I hope I was helpful in securing more donations for the CMN!

Dress provided by Dillards Penn Square

Salvation Army Ribbon Cutting

The Salvation Army of Enid, OK asked me to come be a part of their ribbon cutting ceremony for their Spruce Up a Life event. This was such a wonderful event. They had a room full of un-decorated Christmas trees. People would come to purchase a tree and adopt a family for Christmas. They would decorate the tree and donate it, along with gifts and other items to a family in need. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to learn about this wonderful program.

Outfit provided by Dillards Penn Square

America Diabetes Association Walk

The American Diabetes Association asked me to come and sing the National Anthem at their walk this year. It was at the Oklahoma City Zoo which is such a wonderful place to have a walk. They had many people come out to support the cause and I was happy to be a part of it.

The ladies of the Edmond Jazzercise were on hand to warm everyone up before the walk!

Not sure why this pic is so fuzzy, but there you have it...me singing the National Anthem. :)
Tunic and jacket provided by Dillards Penn Square

Edmond Mayor's Prayer Breakfast

It was such an honor to be a part of the Edmond Mayor's Prayer Breakfast. I sang the National Anthem as well as "How Great Thou Art" and sat alongside former First Lady Kim Henry (who was the current First Lady at the time) and Edmond Mayor Patrice Douglas. It was an inspiring morning and Mrs. Henry's speech was one I'll never forget. For me, this appearance was truly one of the main highlights of my reign.

Suit provided by Dillards Penn Square

CFF Golf Tournament

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's annual golf tournament took place at Gaillardia Golf & Country Club this year and I was asked to be the speaker at the event. I was able to talk about my daughter Hayden and about she lives with the disease. I also showed a video I put together about her that explains what the disease is and what it's like to have it be a part of your everyday life. The event raised over $100,000 for CF research and I was honored to be a part of it.

shirt provided by Dillards Penn Square

Derby Day at Remington Park

Remington Park asked me to sing the National Anthem at their Derby Day and what an honor that was! It was aired on tv stations inside race tracks all over the country. One of the horses from the movie Secretariat was even there! I also had the opportunity to judge the hat contest again which is always so fun.

No, I am not wearing white tights.

Beautiful ladies and their hats!
Well, I just HAD to take a picture of this hat!

This hat was made from a bra!!!
It was a fun afternoon and I'm so appreciate that Remington Park had me back!

My dress was provided by Dillards Penn Square

My hat was a Lady Diane hat

Stella and Dot Fundraiser for the CFF

My best friend, Kristin Miller, sells Stella and Dot jewelry. The items are oh so cute!!! If you haven't checked out their jewelry before, you MUST! You can go to www.stelladot.com/kmiller. Kristin and The Paper Lion (a wonderful gift shop in Edmond) came together and did a fundraising event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I was so grateful. Both Kristin and The Paper Lion donated a portion of their sales that evening to the CFF. Here I am below with store owner Bruce Maxwell, manager of the store (and Bruce's daughter) Camden Chitwood and Kristin. Thanks for making a difference, you three!

Guilty as charged.....

Soooooo, it's been a while since I have posted, huh? It is really is sad that I haven't posted regularly because I have actually had lots to show you! My reign as Mrs. OK is up this Saturday and it made me realize that I better get with it and post these pics while I still can. So get ready because here come a bunch of posts in a very short amount of time! :)

The Hayden's Heroes Store!!!

I want to encourage all of you to visit the Hayden's Heroes store! A portion of all profits go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I've put up some examples of what you can find there. Click the link at the bottom of this post to go directly to the store. Happy Shopping!!!!

Hayden's Heroes

Kevan Hall at Mr. Ooleys

Well-known designer to the stars, Kevan Hall, was at Mr. Ooleys on Friday and Saturday showing his latest line of clothing to the ladies of Oklahoma City. He has dressed First Lady Michelle Obama and stars such as Debra Messing, Renee Zellweger and more! I was fortunate enough to be the store's model on this past Saturday so I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hall and wearing his beautiful clothing! If you ever have a chance to attend one of his trunk shows - go!

This one came out a little blurry but, the dress was so beautiful I had to post it!

Edmond North High School DECA

Last week I went and spoke to the DECA classes at my alma mater, Edmond North HS in Edmond, OK. I was informed that DECA had chosen the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as the non-profit organization they wanted to raise money for this year! Last year, their fundraising efforts brought in $10,000 and this year they hope to do even more! I spoke to each of the classes about the disease so they could have a better understanding of why this money they are raising is so important. I will provide you with more information soon. They will be working on t-shirts, and many different events, such as their big fashion show fundraiser on November 22nd. I'll post more details as soon as I have them. Go Huskies!!!

Independence Middle School

For the second year in a row, Independence Middle School in Yukon, Oklahoma raised money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. They asked me to come and speak to all of the students and let them know a little bit more about CF and about Hayden's story. I spoke to each grade separately and showed them each the Hayden's Heroes video. I absolutely love speaking to kids and they had such wonderful questions for me after the speech and video. I want to thank these students for taking part in such a selfless act and being a part of making CF stand for Cure Found!

Here I am with three of the student council members.

In this picture I am having each of them take a deep breath. I explain that, even though it was pretty easy for us, it is something that can be quite difficult for CFers. It always makes for a pretty funny picture!

Little Miss Fall Festival Pageant

I was asked to judge the Little Miss Fall Festival Pageant in Coweta, OK. I really had no idea what to expect but I was very much entertained! The little girls were ages 4-7, I believe, and they were precious!!! They each were wearing a beautiful dress that made them feel like princesses, I'm sure. They answered a few questions on stage and then they each competed in talent. That was the best part!!!! Some of these girls had enormous personalities on stage and some of them were actually very good! One little girl sang a Carrie Underwood song with just as much sass as Ms. Underwood, and she was perfectly on pitch the entire time. We might have a future country star! I didn't get very good pictures (No offense to my hubby. He was trying to keep our daughter occupied!), but I had a blast. Whomever takes the title of Mrs. Oklahoma 2011 will definitely want to make this appearance!

My husband taking a pic of me out the car door! I'm debuting my red streaks!

At the judges table

Wine, Women & Shoes

I was asked to model for the annual Wine, Women & Shoes event at Balliets. The benefit shows off the latest trends in shoes while raising money for Impact Oklahoma. We had to model while walking up and down stairs!!! It was a little nerve-racking, but fun! Here is a promotional video for the event. You can catch me in it toward the end at minute 1:33!

Mrs. America Photos

Well, I didn't win Mrs. America but I had a wonderful experience, I made a lot of new friends and, most importantly, I was able to educate a lot of people about CF. I am so happy for the new Mrs. America, Shelly Carbone, from Connecticut. I wish her the best of luck during her reign and especially at Mrs. World!
I took a little break to rest and get caught up around my house and in my life when I got home. I have been doing some appearances, though, and it's time to update the blog. I have tons of pictures from my week at Mrs. A and I knew I would be here for three days trying to upload all of them to this site so I made a slideshow instead. You can click on it below and see all the pictures, both from my camera and from the official photographer. Hope you enjoy!

This free slideshow design customized with Smilebox

Before I leave....

I can't believe it is finally here. I leave in two days for Mrs. America. It is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am so honored to be representing Oklahoma in this amazing adventure. The following is a post I wrote back in June. I thought I'd post it again because I know a lot of people will probably visit my blog during the week at Mrs. America and this is what I would like all of them to know.....


Why do you want to be Mrs. America? That was a question asked on my Mrs. America paperwork. Unfortunately, my answer could only be fifteen seconds in length because it will be recorded and possibly played the night of competition - if I make the top ten. While I'm content with my answer I gave, there is so much more I wanted to say. It's not that I expect all the judges will be web-surfing the contestant's blogs before the pageant, but let's just say they are.....What would I want them to read here that would give them better insight into why I want this title so badly - into why it means so much?

I can't really describe to you what it's like to be told your child's life will probably be cut short. For me, it was a combination of numbness, disbelief, fear, desperation and many other feelings I can't put into words. When my daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, I didn't know what to do other than to hold her, rock her, love her, and pray - pray that God would heal her of the horrific disease that I was learning more and more about each day.

When she was a couple of weeks old, however, something inside me shifted. I still wanted to pray and hold and rock - but there was a new desire inside me -a desire to fight. I made a decision that a life-expectancy of 36 was not ok with me. I made a decision that I was not going to let my daughter become a statistic. I made a decision that I was not going to be ruled by fear, but that, instead, I was going to get out and do whatever it took to change my daughter's fate.

I threw myself into volunteer work for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, flying to Washington, D.C. for conferences, chairing our gala year after year, attending walks, all the while telling everyone I could about CF and what they could do to help. This past year, however, I came to a point where I felt I had gotten about as far as I could as "Hayden's mommy". I needed something more - a title that could get me into the public eye. That is how I was led to enter the Mrs. Oklahoma pageant.

I need the job of Mrs. America. There are so many wonderful things I could do for my cause with the title. I have plans in my head for appearances on Ellen, The Today Show and Good Morning America. I have an entire hour planned for Oprah on orphan diseases with an emphasis on CF. I need to stand before Congress to fight for the Clinical Trials bill. Without it, many people have to choose between entering a trial or having health benefits. I need to encourage more people to become organ donors. Many people with CF are waiting for lung transplants and liver transplants. We have a boy in my local CF community waiting right now for the latter. Every two months when Hayden has a check up, I find myself holding my breath as the doctor feels her liver and checks her blood oxygen levels. Now matter how well she is doing now, I always have it in the back of my mind that it could be her someday - it could be her depending on an organ donation to live.

There are so many things I could do with this title. Not for me, and not even just for my daughter, but for the entire CF community. I want to have an active role in saving my daughter's life. I want her to grow up and know that her mother did everything in her power to make a difference on her behalf. That is why I want to be Mrs. America.

Edited to add: Since writing this post, Congress passed the Clinical Trials bill! It will now go before the House of Representatives. Thank you so much to those of you who helped me write letters to our members of Congress!

Payne County's Got Talent

I had so much fun last night! I was asked to emcee the Payne County's Got Talent competition at the Payne county fair. The fairgrounds are a few miles East of Stillwater. I wasn't sure what to expect but it ended up being a very special night for me.

You don't go to The Country Kitchen at a county fair and NOT take the pie they offer you! That would just be wrong!I felt my Cowboy boots were appropriate for this event. I think I was correct considering there were cows and other livestock directly behind the stage! Some of the cows became very loud during the performances. Maybe they were wanting to compete?!
How precious is this little violin player???

Now came the most special moment of my evening. I looked off the stage to see that our second contestant was having some stage fright. Rylee is seven years old and has downs syndrome. Her mother was trying to coax her onto the stage. I went over to her and introduced myself. I was trying to get her comfortable with me so I started asking her some questions. One was "What song are you singing?". Her mother told me Rylee had planned to sing "Mighty To Save". Out of all the country and contemporary songs being sung that night, this precious girl was going to sing one of my favorite praise and worship songs! I told Rylee that I sing that song in my church. As soon as her mother that, she asked if I would go up and sing with her. She was singing to the background vocals track. She needed someone up there to give her confidence. I asked Rylee if she would come up there with me if I sang it with her and she nodded her head.

I sang, not into the microphone, but only where Rylee could hear me. She started out the song tentatively, looking over at me many times to make sure I was still there and singing. Then she became confident and starting singing full-out into her microphone. She started putting movements with the words. As a worship leader, I cannot tell you how moved I was by this special moment I was getting to share with this precious and very special little girl. It was true worship - it came from such an honest and pure place. I will never forget Rylee and that special moment I was blessed enough to share with her. I can only imagine how proud her parents must be of her.

After all the performances were finished, I had to kill time while the scores were tabulated. I started talking to the crowd about my daughter, Hayden, and her disease, cystic fibrosis. A lady shouted out from the audience that, if I took off my hat, she'd pass it around and collect money for the CF Foundation. I was blown away by the gesture and could not believe it when she set the hat back up on stage. It was FULL of money! In a matter of minutes, that crowd had donated over $120 to the foundation!

Before I left to head home, I had to take some pictures of the animals because I had promised Hayden I would. Her request was that I take a picture with a cow......It was a wonderful night! One I won't soon forget!

Balliets Fashion Shoot

Balliets is an amazing, upscale store in Oklahoma City. They recently opened their gorgeous new store on the Classen Curve and I've been dying to check it out. So I was very excited when they asked me to come do a photo shoot to highlight some of their new fall merchandise.
Here are some of the pictures from the shoot. Be sure to also look at the pictures I took of the new store toward the bottom of this post.

I was IN LOVE with the Burberry rain jacket!This outfit by Etro was beautiful! So classy! Check out these AMAZING over-the-knee boots!Oh, and these boots?....don't even get me started!This David Meister gown was gorgeous in person! So sparkly!This beautiful Ralph Lauren dress was sooo comfortable!Balliets has THE most amazing shoe department in OKC and the sweetest shoe buyer ever! Go see Betsy and she can help you find the perfect shoes for Fall!
Have a formal event coming up??? They have an amazing selection of gowns.Jewelry and Bags!!!!

Balliets has a clothing selection to die for!

My favorite area of the new store is upstairs!!! Just look at the new cosmetics area!!! It makes my heart skip a beat!
Fragrance wall!

If you live in OKC or are ever in town, you simply MUST come see the new Balliets. You can find it on the Classen Curve at 5801 NW Grand Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73118. Please check out their website as well to get more info and see even more fashions and pictures from the store.

www.balliets.com